The Los Angeles Clippers will look to take advantage of home court on Wednesday as they continue their first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks.
Bookmaker BetOnline has the Clippers as slight underdogs for the clash, with Dallas a three-point favorite. The odds are at +130 for an outright Clippers win and -150 for a Mavericks triumph.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: April 30th, 10:30 P.M. (EST)
The Clippers are a solid home team, and Dallas has already been hammered in L.A. once in the series. However, Kawhi Leonard will remain out for Wednesday’s game, which provides a big boost for the Mavericks.
Dallas will be without Tim Hardaway Jr., and Luka Doncic, who has a sprained knee, is on the injury report, but the Slovenian star is expected to play. He’s coming off his first triple-double of the 2024 postseason and is averaging 29.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists in the series.
Doncic has been outstanding as usual, and he’s gotten a lot of help from Kyrie Irving, who exploded for 40 points in Sunday’s Game 4. Irving hasn’t played much playoff basketball in recent years and appears to be relishing the occasion. He’s supported Doncic with 28.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists.
The Clippers are all about Paul George and James Harden with Leonard unavailable. The two combined for 66 points in Sunday’s 116-110 win in Dallas, hitting 11 three-pointers. Matching the output of Doncic and Irving isn’t an easy task, but George and Harden have risen to the challenge.
Harden, who has previously been criticized for his lackluster play in the playoffs, looks like a man on a mission. He’s registered 26.0 points and 7.0 assists in the series, with 50 percent shooting from downtown. The Beard is without a contract for next season and seems determined to reach MVP levels again to prove to everybody that he can still be a difference-maker in the league.
Leading the Clippers past the Doncic-Irving-led Mavericks would look great on Harden’s CV. However, he can expect to face a fired-up team on Wednesday after Dallas disappointed its fans with a horrible first half in Game 4. The Mavericks stole Game 2 in L.A., putting themselves in a great position to run away with the series on home court, but it’s almost like a fresh start to the battle now, with the teams tied at two through four contests.
