The NBA Playoffs have given us a number of verdicts so far: from big disappointments to enthralling series, this year’s edition so far has had it all. And the most interesting and exciting series is entering Game 5 tonight, as the Dallas Mavericks travel back to Los Angeles to face the Clippers. Each team has so far won one game away and one at home this series, which makes this particular one a very unpredictable game tonight. If the Mavs manage to snatch a win, they will head back to Texas for Game 6 with the chance to seal the series at home. This is therefore more of a must-win for the Clippers, who would need to win away in Dallas before then taking Game 7 at home if they want to advance. Either of these outcomes tonight would make the end of this series an unbelievably exciting one, not least because of the starpower on show between the two teams.
One of thge most interesting statistics about this particular matchup is that the Clippers have won the two games where Kawhi Leonard did not feature. He has been banged up since late March, but took part in Games 2 and 3, where he was not able to influence the scoreline as much as a healthy Kawhi could. On the flip side, in the games he has missed, James Harden has stepped up – as well as Paul George to a lesser degree. On the flip side, Doncic has had some pretty good games points, assist and rebound-wise, but has not been efficient at all in his shooting. Kyrie has been the standout player on Dallas arguably: they will need Luka to show up big time tonight in a vital Game 5. Especially after missing out on the NBA Playoffs entirely last season, the Dallas Mavericks cannot afford a first-round exit this year, especially since many believe they are the main challangers to the Denver Nuggets in the Wester Conference playoffs.
To demonstrate that the Kyrie-Luka experiment has not been a failure, Dallas need to advance, and get a shot at thre Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Coach Kidd’s job may very well be on the line if the Mavericks fail to win a single NBA Playoffs series in the space of two years after reaching the Conference Finals in 2022 before losing to the Warriors. The Clippers on the other hand only have so much time left with their stars. Kawhi seems to be more and more injury prone as years go by. Harden will be 35 next season and Paul George could choose to leave in the summer. As they move into a brand new arena next season, the Clippers will want to give everyone a major warning sign in these playoffs. And why not: if they do knock Dallas out, they could very well challenge Denver for the Western Conference title. I expect Doncic to come out and set Crypto.com Arena on fire: Luka to score over 33.5 is listed at 1.91 – great value for money, as he is yet to have an offensive explosion in this series. Harden to have a double-double at 2.60 is also a good play if you want to risk a little bit more.
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Dallas Mavericks to Win – 1.66
Los Angeles Clippers to Win – 2.25
