The Los Angeles Clippers are on the brink of elimination tonight, playing a road game six against the Dallas Mavericks. Our NBA picks have examined both sides, looked at the form and come up with the best analysis for this clash, including who will come out on top!
Can Luka Doncic lead his side into the second round? Can Kawhi Leonard bounce back and extend the series? We have all of the answers for you below in tonight’s NBA picks.
Los Angeles Clippers @ Dallas Mavericks (Game 6) – 9pm EDT
The most bizarre series of the entire first round continues in Dallas tonight as the Clippers and Mavericks prepare to face off for game six. For just the third time in NBA history, the road team has won each of the first five games in a series, with the Mavs returning home up 3-2 and with the opportunity to advance.
With the series tied 2-2, heading back to Los Angeles and questions over his health, Luka Doncic put up a historic performance. A game high 42 points, shooting 6/12 from deep, whilst adding 14 assists and eight rebounds, Doncic was everywhere for the Mavs. Of Dallas’ 37 made field goals, Luka scored or assisted on 31 one of them, showing his importance to their success.
After scoring just 81 points in game four, this sort of offensive explosion from Doncic allowed the Mavericks to score 24 more points in game five, winning 105-100. As you can see, it was a low scoring affair and the 100 points scored by LA is their lowest of the series to date.
Luka Doncic scored or assisted on 31 of the Mavs’ 37 field goals last night (83.8%).
That is the highest such percentage in a game in NBA history, regular season or playoffs pic.twitter.com/8BzkuxhSN7
— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) June 3, 2021
Only one Clippers starter shot better than 45% from the floor, Paul George who went 7/15 (46.7%) for a team high 23 points. Kawhi Leonard, in a game that could have given his team the commanding 3-2 lead, shot a measly 7/19 (36.8%) from the field for just 20 points, his lowest tally of the series.
In terms of shooting differences between the sides in the game, Dallas shot 0.4% better from the floor and they both made 14 threes, showing that there weren’t many differences between the sides. However, crunch time failures was the undoing of the Clippers yet again. In the last five and a half minutes of the game, Leonard and George combined for just five points on 2/6 shooting along with two turnovers.
Dallas knows that the Clippers struggle late and have the mental edge over them in that area, but we just can’t see LA bowing out this easily. With Championship aspirations across the franchise, a first round exit was never on the cards. We are expecting a better shooting night from both of the Clippers’ stars, out dueling Doncic and extending this series to seven games.
NBA Pick – Los Angeles Clippers (-144)
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Total Points Pick – Unlock Premium Picks
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
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