The Los Angeles Clippers will host the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 of the Western Conference series. Los Angeles dominated in the series opener on Sunday afternoon, trailing by 29 points at one point before winning by 12 points. In the four games played so far this season, the Clippers have a record of three wins and one loss, including three straight wins. Both teams enter the season opener with back-to-back losses, but Dallas will look to snap that streak in what could be Tuesday's best game.
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Dallas' eyes roll back
After losing the series opener and getting eliminated early, the Mavericks know they need to turn things around in a hurry Tuesday night. On Sunday, it didn't take long for them to close the gap to double digits, and at one point the lead grew to nearly 30 points. Dallas has struggled in this matchup all season, but they also find themselves on a three-game losing streak heading into Tuesday. Their confidence has likely been shaken, and given their 25-17 road record, it will be interesting to see where their confidence comes from.
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Dallas struggled with injuries late in the game, but they should have quite a few players available for this game. Greg Brown III is the only player on the injury report, but given his limited availability, his status shouldn't dictate how this game goes.
Over the final month of the season, Dallas' 3-point shooting helped it move up the standings, but shooting just 30.3 percent in Game 1 didn't help. They are outscored by 24 points from 3-point shooting and need to be more efficient. The duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving will need to be elite to even the series, but it may take some strength on defense to even the series. The Clippers allowed 46 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range, but it doesn't matter how their homegrown stars perform unless they can figure out a defensive strategy.
Clippers dominate game 1
Although the scoreline was a 12-point victory, it was clear that the Clippers had a dominant performance. They had their best shooting night of the season and were able to get home court advantage. They went 25-16 at home this season, dominated the season series against Dallas, and won each of their past three meetings. We know we have to go to Dallas next, so it's important to go up 2-0 in the series. They limped to the finish line in the regular season, but winning Game 1 must have given them confidence again.
With the Clippers heading into their next game without one of their star players, all eyes are on Kawhi Leonard. The small forward fell ill last week and is expected to be sidelined until early May, and has shown glimpses of hope for a return this series. His absence didn't affect Game 1, but Los Angeles may not be so lucky in this one.
As mentioned above, the Clippers had a great shooting night in Game 1. They made him 46 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three-point range. In the past, they were known as a defensive-dominant team, but this season they have leaned heavily into an offensive mindset, which paid off in Game 1. Even after allowing Dallas 20 more free throw attempts, they cruised to the victory. While James Harden and Paul George remain the stars on this front, the x-factor of this series is Ivica Zubac. His size in the frontcourt gives the Clippers a unique look and will be a nightmare matchup in this game.
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The Clippers, who dominated in Game 1, will be the best bet in this game, especially considering they are considered an underdog at home. His shooting in the first game was elite, and even if he drops a little there, there is no doubt that he will be able to maintain his defensive strength. They own a frontcourt advantage and have a scoring duo that rivals Doncic and Irving. The Clippers have also covered the spread in the third consecutive meeting between these two teams this season, and will extend their winning streak to four, including picking up a win on the money line.
Prediction: Clippers (+2.5)
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This game will be one of the lower-scoring games on Tuesday, despite having star offensive players on both teams. Dallas' limited frontcourt and inability to generate second-chance points puts too much pressure on them to miss 3-pointers, which wasn't the case in Game 1. For the Clippers, they have the length to make things difficult for Dallas, but Leonard's absence will negatively impact their own scoring output. The under has hit in three consecutive games between the two teams, four in a row in Dallas, and three in a row in Los Angeles. This trend is expected to continue into the second game on Tuesday.
Prediction: Less than 217
