The Los Angeles Clippers and their first-ranked offense welcome the San Antonio Spurs and their second-ranked defense in Game 5 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Action begins at 10:30 pm ET on Tuesday, Apr. 28 and can be seen on FSN-SW, FSN-PT and TNT.
The Clippers enter this game hoping for similar success after topping the Spurs 114-105 on Sunday. Chris Paul was the game’s leading scorer with 34 points on 11-for-19 shooting. Kawhi Leonard had a team-high 26 points.
This showdown pits one of the league’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses, as Los Angeles currently ranks first in the NBA in offensive efficiency and San Antonio is second in defensive efficiency.
Los Angeles is a slim two-point favorite at home against San Antonio. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently 206 points. The Clippers have gone 56-26 Straight Up (SU) and 38-44 Against The Spread (ATS). While they boast a record of 20-6 against Western Conference opponents at home, they have struggled to beat the spread in those same games, going 10-16. The Clippers are one of the best in the NBA in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .376 from beyond the arc. Los Angeles is the most disciplined team in the league with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.10.
Over on the other bench, the Spurs have a record of 41-39-2 ATS and 55-27 SU. San Antonio performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record. The Spurs convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking fourth in the league at .780. The Spurs are an unselfish team with an average of 24.4 assists per game, ranking fifth in the NBA.
The Clippers’ win over San Antonio in their last game 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 most recent 10 meetings. The Spurs also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4. In these last 10 matchups, San Antonio held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers three times, with Los Angeles controlling all three of these areas two times.
Predictions: SU Winner – SA, ATS Winner – SA, O/U – Over
Notes
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of the LA Clippers last 10 games.
LA Clippers are 16-3 SU in their last 19 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the LA Clippers last 6 games at home.
LA Clippers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games at home.
LA Clippers are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games at home.
LA Clippers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing San Antonio.
The total has gone OVER in 9 of the LA Clippers last 13 games when playing San Antonio.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the LA Clippers last 7 games when playing at home against San Antonio.
LA Clippers are 7-14 ATS in their last 21 games when playing at home against San Antonio.
On average, San Antonio puts up 103.2 points per game (ranked seventh). Los Angeles ranks 16th in points allowed per game with 100.1.
San Antonio and Los Angeles are well matched, ranking 14th in points per away game and points allowed at home respectively. San Antonio scores an average of 99.0 points on the road, while Los Angeles allows 98.0 points at home on average.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Spurs are 40-9 on the season. When the Clippers score fewer than 100, they are an underachieving 8-14.
San Antonio is 15-18 when allowing 100 or more points this season. The Clippers have an outstanding 48-12 record when hitting triple digits.
The Clippers have a defensive rating of 102.7 (ranked 16th), while the Spurs rank seventh for their offensive rating of 105.9.
The San Antonio Spurs have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking third in the league with a FG% of 46.8%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Los Angeles Clippers have a losing 10-16 record.
The Los Angeles Clippers average 26.9 three point attempts per game, and the San Antonio Spurs attempt 22.5 per game. When going for at least 25 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; Los Angeles is 37-16 and San Antonio is 17-10.
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 Clippers rank 20th in rebounds per game with 42.6, while the Spurs rank 15th with 43.6 per game.
Los Angeles is ranked 10th in defensive rebounds, while San Antonio ranks 27th in offensive rebounds.
On average, the Clippers force a turnover rate of 13.9%. When the Spurs turn over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 25-16 record.
