The Clippers got back in the win column on Sunday, but face a somewhat tougher test against the tanking-but-still-trying Dallas Mavericks.
Game Information
Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California
When: 7:30 PM PT
How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570
Projected Starting Lineups
Mavericks: Max Christie – Cooper Flagg – Naji Marshall – PJ Washington – Dwight Powell
Clippers: Darius Garland – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Kawhi Leonard – Brook Lopez
Injuries
Mavericks: Dereck Lively Out (Foot), Kyrie Irving Out (Knee), Daniel Gafford Doubtful (Shoulder), Marvin Bagley Questionable (Shoulder), Caleb Martin Doubtful (Heel), Brandon Williams Questionable (Illness)
Clippers: Isaiah Jackson Out (Ankle), Yanic Konan Niederhauser Out (Foot), Bradley Beal Out (Hip)
The Big Picture
The Clippers’ win over the Kings on Sunday was rather anticlimactic in a good way, as the Clips pulled ahead in the 2nd quarter and never looked back in a mostly wire-to-wire win. It’s hard to take much away from a win over a tanking and horrendous Kings team, but the Clippers had the right energy and focus to put the game away early, which was nice, and nobody else got injured during the contest, which is even better. We are truly in the final stretches of the regular season now; every win counts, and every injury for a postseason team can range from irritating to catastrophic.
The Antagonist
The Mavericks came into this season with postseason aspirations as well, but have been on the tank train for months now. They are sitting fewer of their key players than other tanking teams: Cooper Flagg is playing due to the tight Rookie of the Year race, but so are other legit veteran guys like PJ Washington and Naji Marshall. If the Mavs don’t play Gafford or Bagley they will get very small, which is of benefit to the Clippers, but they have good wing talent and play hard. This is a game the Clippers should win, of course, but it’s much less of a gimme than the Kings game was.
Notes
Standings Watch: If the Clippers win tonight it will be impossible for them to fall to 10, which is a good thing because the Warriors play at home against the Kings tonight in what should be an easy win for Golden State. Meanwhile, the Suns host the Rockets on national TV in what is a big game for both sides, as the Rockets are fighting to hang onto the 5 seed or maybe even more into 4 while the Suns are trying to clinch 7 and keep their slim hope for 6 alive. If the Suns lose and the Clippers win, the Clips will move to just two games back of Phoenix for 7, giving them at least a chance to catch the Suns. A combination of Suns win and Clippers loss would lock the Clippers out of the 7 seed.
