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The Mavs are beat and they got beat up in Game 5 dropping a 154-111 heartbreaker. The league postponed Wednesday’s playoff games and that trend continued into Friday. This game was now to be played Sunday at 3:30 pm ET as NBA players have agreed to resume the season. The Mavs were privately hoping for a delay allowing time for ailing superstars Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis to heal. Porzingis missed the last two games with knee soreness and Doncic is maneuvering on a tender ankle. Bookmaker is offering a generous welcome bonus (maximum bonus $1600 limited time only)
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks
Date and Time: Sunday, August 29, 2020, 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Lake Buena Vista, FL
Opening NBA Odds: Clippers -9.5 / OU 238
Clippers vs. Mavericks TV Coverage: ESPN
Odds Analysis (Published Thursday)
An 8.5-point opening line for Game 6 is just fine with the Clippers. That’s what Game 5 closed at and LA was on fire, easily covering the spread in their 154-111 victory improving to 9-4 ATS inside the bubble. They are also 7-2 ATS against the Mavs in the last nine hookups. The Game 5 spread was the largest in the series since a 2017 contest saw the Clips close as a 10.5-point favorite. Based on their Game 5 performance the Clippers are getting a lot of action at online sportsbooks. What’s not to like about them? They were pegged as a favorite to win the NBA title and they looked the part in Game 5 with a franchise record point total. They also torched the twine hitting 63 percent of their three-pointers. Points have been easy to come by for both clubs going OVER the total in the last four games. Oddsmakers adjusted with the opening total of 238 the highest in the series.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are a good team without Paul George. They are a great team with him. And they are a championship contender when he plays the way he can. George was AWOL in the previous three series games scoring a total of 34 points while making only 10 of 47 shots. It wasn’t a complete surprise the Clippers lost two of those contests.
With George finding himself inside the bubble he helped move the Clips closer to advancing to the second round. PG13 scored 35 points on 12 of 18 shooting in 25 minutes leading the ambush. What makes the Clips a championship-caliber team is Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, who tacked on 32 in Game 5 and is averaging 32.8 points while making 52.3 percent of his shots in the series.
We never really saw the Clippers at full strength during the regular season. Injuries to George and restricted playing time for Leonard, along with an assortment of ailments to other players prevented them from being at their best. What we witnessed in Game 5 was more like it. They won’t make 63 percent of their shots every game, but we got a glimpse of what they are capable of.
Dallas Mavericks
Any success the Mavs have will be because of Doncic and/or Porzingis. Together they have a fighting chance to extend the series. That, however, is a big question mark with the status of Porzingis for Game 6 still in question. Doncic worked his magic in Game 4 when Porzingis sat, singlehandedly lifting the Mavs to a 135-133 overtime victory. His buzzer-beating three in OT was the deciding bucket. He finished with 43 points, 17 rebounds and 13 assists for his second straight triple-double.
Without their frontcourt scoring threat in Game 5, the Clippers locked down on Doncic and, according to Luka, intentionally tried to injury him. He hit just 6 of 17 for 22 points. Mind games and trash talk are a part of the game and Doncic was removed from the contest after Marcus Morris stepped on his injured ankle. Morris said the move wasn’t intentional. We’ll probably never know.
Heading into Game 6 the Mavs should feel confident that the Clippers won’t shoot the ball as accurately as they did in Game 5. That should at least give them a chance. They will need others to contribute on both ends of the floor, though. Seth Curry, who scored at least 14 points in each of the first four games, was held to four points in Game 5.
Bet Clippers vs. Mavericks at BookMaker.eu
I don’t want to say this series is over because every game is different. The Clips are getting a lot of play after their dominant win and the emergence of George from his funk. We won’t see a 43-point blowout and I expect the Mavs to hang around. Doncic will come out inspired and with their backs against the wall they will compete. But the Clips were built for this. They smell blood in the water and they will show their killer instinct.
NBA Score Prediction: Clippers 120, Mavericks 113
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