Even if Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis were completely healthy they wouldn’t have been able to stop the Los Angeles Clippers’ freight train in Game 5. The Clips took control of the series with an emphatic 154-111 drubbing, putting the Dallas Mavericks on the ropes. There’s hope that Porzingis will be able to play and Doncic exited early to get some much needed rest and treatment. They will be needed if the Mavs are to stave off elimination in Game 6 on Thursday. On the bright side for the Mavs, we probably won’t see the Clippers make 63 percent of their three-point shots again.
Game 6 of the first-round NBA playoff series takes place at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, August 27, 2020, from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, and will air live on ESPN. BookMaker.eu will have odds for every game of the 2020 NBA Playoffs.
NBA Playoff Odds at BookMaker.eu
Los Angeles Clippers -8.5
Dallas Mavericks +8.5
Over/Under 239
Odds Analysis
With Porzingis sidelined with a knee injury, the Clippers closed as an 8.5-point favorite in Game 5. That was the largest line in a game between the teams since 2017. The Clips easily covered improving to 9-4 ATS inside the bubble. Dallas is hopeful Porzingis plays on Thursday, which will certainly improve their chances of extending the series and bring the line down. Until we get confirmation on his status there’ll likely be a delay in the line hitting the board. One thing we have seen from both clubs is plenty of points. Two of the most proficient offenses in the bubble have cashed the over in the last four games and both teams have gone over the closing total nine times in their 13 bubble games.
Los Angeles Clippers
Welcome to Florida Paul George. If he plays anywhere close to what he showed in Game 5 this series is over and the Clippers are looking at the Larry O’Brien Trophy. George played well during the seeding games scoring at least 21 points in the six he played. He struggled the previous three games of this series scoring a total of 34 points on 21.3 percent shooting from the floor. The Clips were 1-2 in those contests.
The Big Two came up with dominant efforts in the pivotal Game 5. George, who said after the game that he “really wasn’t here the last couple of games,” certainly showed up for Game 5. He made 12 of 18 shots, including 4 of 8 triples, for 35 points, topping his total in the three previous games combined. Kawhi Leonard added 32 points and the Clippers were unconscious from the field hitting 22 of 35 triples and 63.1 percent overall.
That kind of production is unlikely to continue, but it is a glimpse of what the Clippers are capable of when everyone contributes.
Dallas Mavericks
The good news for the Mavs is that things can’t get much worse. They also need more heroics from their superstar Doncic to extend the series to a seventh game. Doncic won Game 4 with an overtime buzzer-beating three capping a 43-point triple-double, his second straight. We weren’t even sure Doncic would play with a tender ankle. When he doesn’t deliver things tend to go south for the Mavs. He was held to 22 points on 6 of 17 shooting in the Game 5 loss.
We don’t know the status of Porzingis, who missed the last two games with an apparent knee injury. Porzingis scored 23 points in the Game 2 win and tallied 34 with 13 rebounds in Game 3. Having him on the court will help the Mavs chances, but this is worrisome since he missed an entire season after having knee surgery.
That isn’t the only problem facing the Mavs, though. They didn’t play well on either end of the floor and the Game 5 result is what they got. “It was very physical. We just need to have a stronger physical disposition to start the game and throughout. We’ve got to get some more traction at both ends of the floor,” Rick Carlisle said.
Player to Watch
There are several players to keep an eye on, but the spotlight shines on George, who silenced critics with his Game 5 effort. The Clips are a favorite to win the title and looked every bit like a contender in Game 5. PG13 is one of the best players in the NBA and as long as he’s dialed in the club has what it takes to advance beyond the second round for the first time in franchise history.
NBA Odds Pick
Don’t expect a 43-point blowout in this one. However, the Clippers showed how explosive they can be when George, Kawhi and the rest of the group goes off. We didn’t see much of it before the lockdown and it took some time in the bubble, but the Clips have arrived. Porzingis is questionable and Doncic was taken out of his game by Marcus Morris. I think the Mavs are done.
NBA Odds Prediction: Clippers 122, Mavericks 115
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