The Los Angeles Clippers and their first-ranked offense travel to San Antonio to take on the Spurs and their second-ranked defense in Game 3 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Action begins at 9:30 pm ET on Friday, Apr. 24 and can be seen on ESPN, FSN-PT and SW.
The Spurs are expecting a better outcome after their 107-92 loss to the Clippers in their last matchup. Kawhi Leonard was the team’s leading scorer with 18 points. Chris Paul led the game in scoring by registering 32 points on 13-for-20 shooting.
It will be a showdown of two heavyweights, as the productive offense of the Clippers (first in the league with an offensive efficiency of 109.5) takes the court against the elite defense of the Spurs (second in the NBA with a defensive efficiency of 99.6).
The odds for San Antonio and Los Angeles are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. The Spurs come into this game 55-27 Straight Up (SU) and 41-39-2 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-3). The Spurs are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .780 from the free throw line. San Antonio is one of the best passing teams in the league with an average of 24.4 assists per game.
In the other locker room, the Clippers have 56-26 SU and 38-44 ATS records. Against the Western Conference, Los Angeles is 37-15 SU and 24-28 ATS. The Clippers convert their three-pointers at a high percentage, ranking third in the league at .376. The Clippers are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, leading the NBA at 2.10.
The Clippers’ win over San Antonio in their last clash wasn’t enough for them to overtake the Spurs in the recent head-to-head series. Their record is now 4-6 SU over the last 10 meetings. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record. Over the last 10 matchups, San Antonio held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers three times. Los Angeles performed this feat twice.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAC, ATS Winner – LAC
Notes
Both Los Angeles and San Antonio rank zeroth in points per game and points allowed per game respectively. Los Angeles scores 0.0 points per game, while San Antonio allows 0.0.
Los Angeles and San Antonio are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per away game and points allowed at home respectively. Los Angeles puts up an average of 0.0 points on the road, while San Antonio allows 0.0 points at home on average.
The Los Angeles Clippers have a stellar 34-4 record when their opponents score fewer than 100 points this season. The San Antonio Spurs are 15-18 when they score less than 100.
Los Angeles is a split 22-22 in contests where it allows at least 100 points. San Antonio is a fantastic 40-9 when it hits triple digits.
The Clippers have the top-ranked offense this season, averaging 109.5 points per 100 possessions. The Spurs have one of the best defenses, allowing 99.6 points in the same number of possessions (ranked second).
San Antonio has an average field goal percentage of 46.8% (ranked third). Los Angeles is a subpar 10-16 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
On average, San Antonio attempts 22.5 three pointers and Los Angeles attempts 26.9 per game. Both teams have winning records when they have 25 or more three point attempts. The Spurs sit at 17-10 and the Clippers are 37-16.
The Los Angeles Clippers top the league in assist to turnover ratio this season with an A/TO of 2.10. The San Antonio Spurs are also among the best (ranked fifth) with an A/TO of 1.81.
The Spurs rank 15th in rebounds per game with 43.6, while the Clippers rank 20th with 42.6 per game.
The Los Angeles Clippers rank 28th in offensive rebounding, while the San Antonio Spurs rank eighth in defensive rebounding.
The San Antonio Spurs’ opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 13.9% this season. The Los Angeles Clippers have a solid 15-9 record when their TOV% is 13.9% or higher.
