The Mavs are continuing to shine

The 11-5 Dallas Mavericks enter the game holding a five-game winning streak, with the last three highlighted by an offensive explosion that’s impressive even in today’s standards. In that span, they put up a whopping 140.7 points and 17 threes per game on 54.3%-shooting.

All eyes on Luka

Much of the buzz around the Mavs is mainly because of some kid named Luka Doncic. You might’ve heard of him.

All kidding aside. It’s pretty apparent by now that Luka is must-see TV. He’s 6’8, handles the ball well, can score inside and out, has moves for days, and finesse that youngsters normally don’t have. Numbers are there as well, and it’s currently as good as any superstar swingman has done – 30.6 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 9.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 49.5% FG.

And again, as you might’ve heard a lot in the past month or so… he’s only 20 years old!

Kristaps Porzingis (18.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.2 BPG) has been mostly quiet for most of the season but he will still be the number two guy on offense and a key interior defender. Tim Hardaway Jr., meanwhile, is starting to position himself as the third scoring option, as he is now averaging 22.3 points in his last three outings.

SEE ALSO: Who made the mistake of passing on Luka Doncic?

The Clippers are ready to be tested again

Like the Mavericks, the Los Angeles Clippers have also won five in a row, and plenty of them came from clutch performances.

The Clipps last extended the streak on Monday after a dominating, 134-109 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Following the rout, the Clipps moved to a 12-5 record and kept their #3 standing in the Western Conference.

Kawhi Leonard (25.7 PPG) and Paul George (25 PPG) will be the marquee names for the Clippers all season long – as they should.  This past season, as members of the Toronto Raptors and Oklahoma City Thunder, respectively, both netted over 26 PPG against the Mavs.

The third scorer in the Clippers’ rotation, Lou Williams, will be an x-factor yet again. He’s chipping in 22.5 PPG off the bench and should be in a prime position to maintain his numbers.

PREDICTION:

The Mavericks hang tight, but the Clippers escape again and earn a solid road victory.

The combined might of Leonard and George along with their stellar supporting cast should help the Clippers cover the spread, too. Their defense also looks good to keep Luka under 30.5 points.

These two teams last met in the preseason in early October and it concluded with a 102-87 Mavs win.  Porzingis (18 pts, 13 rebs) and Doncic (15 pts, 13 rebs) each had a double double, while Kawhi appeared to have coasted the game as he only recorded 13 points in 22 minutes.