The 2020-21 NBA Playoffs have reached the point where only four teams remain. In the Western Conference Finals, the Los Angeles Clippers will take on the Phoenix Suns in Game 2 tonight at 9:00 p.m. EST. Considering how neither team has ever won an NBA Championship, you can bet that everything will be put on the line in this series.
With that being said, here’s a look at the odds for Monday’s NBA action — courtesy of BetOnline.
NBA Odds: Los Angeles Clippers (No. 4) vs Phoenix Suns (No. 2) Game 2
Odds via BetOnline as of Tuesday, June 22
- Series: PHX leads 1-0
- Time: 9:0 p.m. EST
- Moneyline: Clippers (+185) vs Suns (-215)
- Point Spread: Clippers: +5.5 (-115), Suns: -5.5 (-105)
- Total: 224.0 — Over (-115), Under (-105)
Clippers Start Series as Underdogs
The Clippers are heading into tonight’s Game 2 was the +185 underdogs. Even though they only lost by six points in the opening game of the series, the Clippers have some things they need to work on. Paul George, Reggie Jackson and DeMarcus Cousins were the only three players to hit double-digit point totals in Game 1. That’s just not the kind of scoring that takes you far in the NBA postseason. One player who had a poor game was Marcus Morris. After being a key player in the Clippers-Jazz series after Leonard went down, Morris had a game to forget on Sunday, finishing with 6 points on a .273 field goal percentage while going 0-for-5 from the 3-point line.
Even though he did drop 24 points, Jackson had a team-high five turnovers on the night. Considering how the Clippers had nine giveaways in total, they’ll need Jackson to make smarter decisions in Game 2. With that being said, it’s not like Game 1 was all bad for Los Angeles. George finished with 34 PTS/6 REB/4 AST. The team as a whole shot efficiently, ending the night with .455/.426/.824 splits. It’s just a few little things that need to be ironed out. If they can do that tonight, the Clippers have a good shot at evening up this second-round NBA playoff series.
Suns Looking For 2-0 Series Advantage
The Suns have a lot to be proud of when it comes to their Game 1 victory. To no one’s surprise, Devin Booker led the way with a triple-double, ending the night with 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. It just doesn’t seem like any of the Clippers guards have found a way to contain him yet. The crazy thing is that he did that as Chris Paul remains out of the lineup and in COVID-19 protocol. Once “CP3” returns to the NBA Playoffs, Booker could look even scarier as things heat up. Deandre Ayton also had a good performance, finishing one rebound shy of a double-double (20 PTS, 9 REB).
Meanwhile, the Suns also played well together as a team. Out of all of their players to take two or more field goal attempts in Game 1, none of them shot worse than 50.0%. That’s seriously impressive. Phoenix’s bench even played some great defense in key moments, finishing with a collective +35 plus/minus rating and three of the team’s five steals on the night. At the end of the day, the Suns just need to keep doing what’s working for them. That means taking advantage of Leonard being out of the lineup while they can. Even if it’s just for one or two more games, that could make the difference between the Suns advancing to the NBA Finals and the Clippers jumping back into the series.
