Mavs vs. Clippers GAMEDAY: Can Luka Doncic Stay Hot Against Playoff Rival?
After defeating the Portland Trail Blazers in thrilling fashion over the weekend, the Dallas Mavericks will be trying to start another win streak as they take on the Los Angeles Clippers at American Airlines Center on Tuesday night.
When two playoff rivals get together, the games are always fun, and more times than not, they can get a little heated as well. Mavs star Luka Doncic thrives in that environment, though, as he's put up monster numbers against the Clippers throughout his entire career so far – especially last season, when he scored 96 total points on them in two games that were 48 hours apart.
The Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard and John Wall on Tuesday, but Paul George has proven on many occasions that he's more than capable of carrying his team when needed. In 13 games, George is averaging 24.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 45.7 percent from the field.
He'll have to take it up a notch if he hopes to out-pace Doncic, who leads the league by averaging 34.3 points per game on 49.6 percent shooting. He's also averaging 8.7 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
Here’s everything else you need to know about tonight’s game:
WHAT TO WATCH: We know what Doncic can do against the Clippers, but how will Spencer Dinwiddie and Christian Wood perform in their initiation to the rivalry?
Dinwiddie is on a tear lately, as he's averaging 27.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists over this last three games while shooting 56.7 percent from deep. Wood, who scored 19 points on Saturday after returning from a two-game injury absence, is averaging 15.9 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 57.4 percent overall, including 41.9 percent from deep.
The Mavs' energy at AAC has been a lot better than when they're on the road, as they have a 6-1 record at home so far. Let's see if that trend continues against a shorthanded Clippers team that will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back.
INJURY REPORT (DALLAS): Dāvis Bertans (knee effusion) is OUT.
INJURY REPORT (LOS ANGELES): Kawhi Leonard (knee injury management) and John Wall (knee injury management) are OUT.
RECORDS: Dallas Mavericks (7-5), Los Angeles Clippers (8-6)
WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. CT
WHERE: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)
TV: Bally Sports Southwest (BSSW), NBA League Pass
RADIO: 97.1 The Freak, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)
ODDS: The Mavs are 6.5-point favorites vs. the Clippers.
NEXT UP: It's a quick turnaround for the Mavs, as they'll take on the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. Although Dallas will be on the second night of a back-to-back, Houston has been one of the worst teams in the league so far this season. As we found out on the Mavs' recent two-game road trip though, that might not mean much.
FINAL WORD: “When (Luka) was really going offensively, he was getting to the free-throw line,” said coach Jason Kidd after Saturday's win. “He was aggressive. And he gets our guys so many wide-open looks – we didn’t shoot the ball extremely well, but if he continues todo that in this marathon we’ll be able to knockdown some shots for him.”
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