The Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks will continue their first-round playoff series on Thursday, assuming the NBA does not see any more boycotts. The league saw three games postponed on Wednesday night after players refused to take the floor in response to another act of police brutality.
The Los Angeles Clippers come into Game 6 with a 3-2 series lead after a dominating performance in Game 5. Los Angeles put up 154 points in the win over the Mavericks, and they should have a ton of momentum heading into this game.
FanDuel Sportsbook has the Los Angeles Clippers as 10.5-point favorites over the Dallas Mavericks in this Game 6 showdown.
Mavericks Playing With Injured Stars
The Dallas Mavericks have given the Los Angeles Clippers plenty of problems in this series, but they have also seen some issues of their own. Kristaps Porzingis was forced to miss Game 5 with a knee injury, and Luka Doncic is dealing with a sore ankle.
Luka Doncic has been an absolute star so far in this series, and he is nearly averaging a triple-double. Doncic is averaging 29.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game during this series.
Porzingis has played just three games in this series, but he has been a force when he has been on the court. The former New York Knicks star is averaging close to 24 points per game and is a matchup problem for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Dallas has struggled on the defensive end of the floor all series long, evident by them giving up 154 points in the Game 5 loss. The Mavericks have not been a great defensive team this series, and that could be another issue heading into this elimination game.
Clippers Finally Have Offensive Explosion
The Clippers have been scoring enough points to win almost every game in this series, but they finally had a breakout performance in Game 5. Los Angeles scored at least 35 points in each quarter of the Game 5 victory, and they were hitting shots from all over the floor.
Paul George has struggled to find his shooting form during the restart, but he put up 35 points in the Game 5 win. If George is making shots, it’s almost impossible for the Mavericks to slow down the Clippers offense.
Reigning NBA Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard, has been carrying the Clippers in this series, and he will be ready to close out the Mavericks in this game. Leonard is averaging 32.8 points through the first five games and continues to provide terrific defense as well.
Los Angeles focused on trying to stop Luka Doncic in Game 5 of the series, and that trend will continue in this game. The Clippers know that the superstar is injured, making things difficult for the Dallas point guard.
Mavericks No Match For Clippers
The Dallas Mavericks have been able to win two games in this series, but they needed some late-game heroics from Doncic to win each game. Doncic is currently playing on an injured ankle, and the Clippers are loading up to stop the star.
The Clippers have struggled on offense at times in this series, but they were explosive in the Game 5 win. Los Angeles will not want this series to go to a Game 7, and they will be out to end this series on Thursday.
Dallas has had a terrific season, but this playoff run comes to an end in this game. Bet the Los Angeles Clippers -10.5 over the Dallas Mavericks in this Game 6 showdown on Thursday night.
