Update: After missing nine games due to knee inflammation and soreness, Leonard is going to make his return to the lineup Tuesday. There’s a chance he will be on a minutes limit as the Clippers continue to manage his workload but he’s going to play. The line is now Clippers -1.5 and the total comes in at 216.5. I’ll still take Dallas as the ATS pick and the over on the total.
The first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs will continue on Tuesday and the slate will conclude with the No. 5 Dallas Mavericks visiting the No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers for Game 2 of their best-of-seven series. Tipoff for this Western Conference showdown is set for 10 p.m. ET and the game will air on TNT.
Los Angeles enters this matchup with a 1-0 series lead after downing Dallas in a 109-97 victory in Game 1 on Sunday. The Clippers never trailed in this contest and effectively had the game won by halftime, as they held the Mavericks to just eight points total in the second quarter. They were able to impressively pull this off without Kawhi Leonard, who is still out with inflammation in his right knee.
The Mavericks shot just 38.8% from the field in Game 1 and it marked the third straight game against the Clippers where they’ve shot under 43%. Even more glaring was the fact that players not named Luka Doncic or Kyrie Irving combined for just 33 points in the loss. The two star guards are expected to shoulder the load, but they need more from their role players if they want to tie this series up before heading back to Texas.
On the injury front, Kawhi Leonard (knee inflammation) is listed as questionable for the contest and we’ll keep track of his status leading up to game time. If he is cleared to play, he will most likely be on a minutes restriction as the Clippers try to ease him back into the lineup.
Dallas enters the game as a 2-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, accompanied by a total of 216. The Mavericks are listed as a -130 moneyline favorite, making the Clippers a +110 underdog.
Mavericks vs. Clippers, 10 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Mavericks -2
Dallas has had 48 hours to reflect on what went wrong in Game 1 and make the necessary adjustments needed to win Game 2. One would imagine that the visitors won’t have an eight-point quarter in this contest like they on Sunday and that they will get more offensive production from its role players. They should also have a sense of urgency to not go down 0-2, especially with Leonard’s potential return looming over this series. I’ll predict the Mavs to cover and win this game to even things up at 1-1.
Over/Under: Over 216
Dallas was a top-10 scoring team throughout the regular season and thrived in games where it crossed the 110-point threshold. I think the Mavs can accomplish just that with a better shooting performance this evening, so I’ll go with the over in this one.