Giannis went down with an apparent leg injury as the season of banged-up stars continues. We earned another winning night, going 2-0 in bets on the Bucks vs. Hawks. Let’s keep it rolling tonight in a high-pressure game six between LAC and PHX.
Clippers win (-105), 1 unit and
Suns/Clippers under 215 (-115), 2 units:
Oh those feisty Clippers! Tyronn Lue is an astounding 10-2 in playoff elimination games and it showed Monday– the Clippers were as focused and methodical as ever, taking charge from the opening tipoff and never letting their foot off the gas. It’s really tough to find any flaws in their performance in game five. Let’s look at the numbers:
- Field Goal % – LAC: 54.8%, PHX: 45.2%
- Fast Break Points – LAC: 19, PHX: 8
- Points in Paint – LAC: 58, PHX: 32
- Free Throw % – LAC: 93.3%, PHX: 85%
What the statistics don’t show is how incredible the Clippers were on defense. The Suns had about 100 chances to surge and take the lead in game five. Over and over again, the crowd would become raucous as the Suns’ skill players made clutch shots and brought their team within distance. But every time, literally every time, the Clippers answered by aggressively pushing the pace down the other side of the court, sinking jump-shots and 3-pointers, and then clamping down and forcing Phoenix into nearly impossible shots. At one point in the 3rd quarter, the Suns finally took a 1-point lead after a Chris Paul jump-shot. By the end of the quarter the Clippers were up by double digits. LAC controlled the pace and direction of the game from start to finish.
The totals in this series have been as follows: 234, 207, 198, 164, and 218. The lowest scores were at the Staples Center, which is where game six will be played tonight. In two games at LA’s home court, the Suns have shot 39% and 36% from the field. They’ve also only shot 31% and 20% from beyond the arc. As I wrote about in my game three article, the Clippers are extremely dangerous when they have their crowd behind them. A team known for their cerebral approach (and criticized for their lack of emotion), motivation and energy is force-fed into their souls when they play at the Staples Center and it doesn’t seem to hurt. It seems to particularly aid them on defense (not that they need it).
And then there’s Paul George. His moniker of “Playoff P” doesn’t have the same negative connotation anymore. The 2010 1st round draft pick has had his share of struggles in previous playoff series. Not this time. George has been his team’s leading scorer in every matchup against Phoenix, averaging 30.2 ppg, and he’s led his team in assists in 4 out of 5 games, too. Since I expect a defensive contest tonight, I won’t play on any of his props. That being said, his point-total is set at 30.5 and his P/R/A is set at 46.5– that feels low.
I’m not downplaying anything the Suns have done thus far. They’re a great team and certainly capable of winning the NBA Finals this year. But this is game six, at the Staples Center, and against a Clippers team full of momentum and confidence behind their all-world defense and their star in Paul George. Expect more testy and wild exchanges (if there’s a bet on a flagrant foul prop over under 0.5, I’d go over) and a close, defensive battle. I’m on the Clippers to make this a 7-game series and another game to fly under.
