LA Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks Game 2: Preview, How to Watch and Betting Info

After suffering a disappointing loss in Game 1 of their opening playoff series, the LA Clippers will look to bounce back against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2.

Garrett Chorpenning | May 25, 2021

The LA Clippers suffered a disappointing defeat in their playoff opener, falling 113-103 to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1. Admittedly, the Clippers didn't seem to be shaken by the outcome and instead turned their attention to Game 2.

Tonight, they'll get a chance to prove that they're the better team in the series.

"We're confident anyway," Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said on Monday. "It doesn't matter what the series is, you've got to win four games and that's how I'm built. They won the first game. They played well and they've got to do it again tomorrow, but like I said, we'll play better as well. It's the first team to win four games. That's all I know."

The Clippers struggled on both ends of the floor on Saturday, shooting an abysmal 27.5% from three-point range and lacking communication on defense. On the other hand, the Mavericks had one of their most efficient outings of the year from beyond the arc and limited LA to just 103 points. Even then, the game was tied at 100 with a little more than three minutes to play in the fourth quarter.

LA certainly has some adjustments to make ahead of Game 2 — keeping guards off of Luka Doncic is one of them — but the Clippers should feel confident that more than a few of those bad bounces will go their way throughout the rest of the series, just as they did throughout the regular season.

One adjustment we've been made aware of, per Lue, is that Kawhi Leonard will be spending some more time defending Doncic in Game 2. According to the NBA's matchup data, Leonard was LA's only player who didn't allow Doncic to get up a shot in Game 1. That means we'll see someone else shift onto Kristaps Porzingis, who Leonard spent plenty of time on in the opening contest.

Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dorian Finney-Smith also emerged as threats on Saturday, combining to score 39 points on 9-14 shooting from outside. Expect the Clippers to respect their three-point shooting as the series progresses and be more consistent in their coverage of the duo.

So long as the Clippers don't lay another dud in Game 2, this feels like a very winnable contest. Game 1 could be viewed as an outlier for both teams in more than one way, so expect LA to come out on top.

How to Watch

Matchup: LA Clippers (0-1) vs. Dallas Mavericks (1-0)

Date: Tuesday, May 25

Time: 7:30 p.m. PT

Venue: Staples Center

Broadcast: NBA TV

Betting Info

Spread: Clippers -6.5

Moneyline: Mavericks +245, Clippers -300

Point Total: O/U 216

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

How to Watch

Betting Info

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