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Fixture - LA Clippers vs Dallas Mavericks, Game 1, Western Conference Playoffs
Date & Time - August 17th 9 PM ET (August 18th 6:30 AM IST)
Where - AdventHealth Arena (WWOS), Orlando, Florida
In a clash of two teams with excellent offenses, the LA Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks take on each other in the marquee game of the first day of the NBA playoffs.
While the LA Clippers will be banking on the combined experience of their entire roster, which has several playoff performers, the Dallas Mavericks are a relatively young team. The most playoff-experienced player on the Dallas Mavericks roster is veteran JJ Barea, who is unlikely to see more than a couple of quarters of action at best.
LA Clippers vs Dallas Mavericks Team News
LA Clippers Team News
The LA Clippers gave a run out to the 8 players on their roster with the fewest minutes during the regular season thus far in their last game against the Thunder. Their third-string swingmen Amir Coffey and Terrence Mann were both impressive in the win, tallying 20+ points. Guards Rodney McGruder and Reggie Jackson and center Ivica Zubac rounded out their lineup on the day.
Even Joakim Noah got a run out for 29 minutes, during which he had 9 points, 6 boards and 5 assists. The expectation for these players is that Patrick Beverley and Montrezl Harrell may not be up to the task of playing in playoff basketball so early, opening up roles for the rest.
Dallas Mavericks Team News
The Dallas Mavericks threw their last regular season game to the Phoenix Suns, giving some running time to their reserves in much the same fashion as the Clippers. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Antonius Cleveland, Josh Reaves and Justin Jackson got extended runs and will have to be ready for some action - especially Jackson and Kidd-Gilchrist, who're decent wing defenders.
All 15 of the Dallas Mavericks roster members seem ready to play in meaningful minutes in this playoff game, so the decision will come down to tactics only for Rick Carlisle. We should expect to see heavy doses of Porzingis as the default center, since the two-big lineup will probably not work out against the LA Clippers.
LA Clippers vs Dallas Mavericks: Predictions
The Dallas Mavericks are led by a 21-year-old who isn't afraid of the limelight - Luka Doncic has won Eurobasket and the Euroleague before setting foot on American shores. They ranked 2nd in 3-point attempts during the regular season, and first in makes.
The LA Clippers will have a more diverse outlook to scoring. All 5 of Reggie Jackson, Lou Williams, Paul George, Kawhi and Marcus Morris have a mid-range scoring game, and are excellent cutters as well. Zubac will be their major inside presence, while JaMychal Green and Patrick Patterson will be their stretch bigs.
The 3-pointer game is a high-variance strategy. Depending on how well the LA Clippers close out on their shots, the Dallas Mavericks may score 5-6 of them, or swish 12+ of their attempts. Both teams are going to get at least 10-15 wide-open looks given the level of their playmakers.
The LA Clippers look simply more unstoppable than the Dallas Mavericks on both ends of the floor. They will be likely to take Game 1, which is usually the feel-out game where both coaches leave a bit more to chance than to tactics.
Guess the Bulls players in this quiz and it's not going to be easy!
