The LA Clippers averted disaster by beating the Dallas Mavericks 118-108 in Game 3, but they’ve still got a long way to go before they’ll have a handle on this series. Luka Doncic and the Mavs get to play at home again in Game 4, and will be looking to take a commanding 3-1 lead.
Catch this game live on Monday, May 31 at 9:30 AM, Manila time.
HOME TEAM: Dallas Mavericks (2-1, 0-1 at home)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Luka Doncic
- SG: Tim Hardaway Jr
- SF: Dorian Finney-Smith
- PF: Maxi Kleber
- C: Kristaps Porzingis
Luka Doncic has been trying his damndest to get the Mavs out of the first round, and he’s averaging an insane 38 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 9.0 APG. He dropped 44 points and was an assist and rebound shy of a triple-double. He is dealing with a cervical strain at the moment, but there’s little chance that he’s going to want to miss this game.
Unfortunately for him, Tim Hardway Jr. came back down to earth a little bit and only scored 12 points in Game 3, and Luka’s going to need him to score a lot more than that to beat the Clippers two more times.
Kristaps Porzingis has to do better as well, and there’s on excuse for the 7’3” unicorn to be getting nine points, three rebounds and four assists in a game. The lack of scoring is bad enough but such atrocious rebounding for someone taller than everyone else on the court is inexcusable.
Still, the Mavericks are a good team and Doncic seems to grow in power every time he takes to the court. It’s going to be interesting to see what kind of stats he puts up in Game 4.
The Mavericks are 5-5 ATS as the home underdog and are 16-14 ATS coming off a loss.
ROAD TEAM: LA Clippers (1-2, 1-0 on the road)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Patrick Beverley
- SG: Paul George
- SF: Kawhi Leonard
- PF: Marcus Morris Sr.
- C: Ivica Zubac
Championship-caliber Kawhi Leonard was the one who showed up in Game 3 and his 36 points, eight rebounds, three assists, steal and two blocks were a great indicator of just how good an all-around game he played in Dallas. His three-game averages of 34.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 4.0 APG and 2.3 SPG are elite, and the Mavs simply don’t have an answer to him – as shown by his shooting 60% / 44.4% / 88.5% shooting splits.
Paul George has been contributing from the scoring end too and had 29 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a steal in the last game. He’s averaging 26.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG and 5.0 AGP so far. One thing that he’s struggling with at the moment is his three-point shooting, and he’s shooting 23.8% from beyond the arc in this series.
They’ll be hoping to get a similar return on Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson in Game 4, as they scored 15 and 16 points.
The Clippers are 18-16 ATS as the home underdog and are 24-22 ATS coming off a win.
PREDICTIONS:
Spread: The Clippers are the road favorite again. I think they continue with their momentum and make it a 2-2 series while covering the -3.5 spread.
Over/Under: I don’t think Paul George and Kawhi Leonard slow down in Game 3, and I feel that Luka will get some better help with scoring this game. Look for the over 221 to hit.
