The Los Angeles Clippers head to San Antonio to take on the Spurs in Game 6 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals, pitting the first-ranked offense against the second-ranked defense. The game starts at 9:30 pm ET on Thursday, Apr. 30 and will air on FSN-PT, FSN-SW and TNT.
The Spurs beat the Clippers 111-107 on Tuesday. Tim Duncan played a key role, recording 21 points and 11 rebounds to notch his 33rd double-double this season. Blake Griffin scored 30 points and recorded 14 rebounds earning his 18th double-double of the season.
It will be a battle of strength versus strength, as the high-octane offense of the Clippers (first in the NBA with an offensive efficiency of 109.5) takes the court against the top-notch defense of the Spurs (second in the league with a defensive efficiency of 99.6).
San Antonio is a five-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 205 points. The Spurs are attempting to build on their records of 55-27 Straight Up (SU) and 41-39-2 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 7-3 ATS. The Spurs come into the game with the league’s second-ranked home scoring offense, averaging 107.4 points per game on their own court. The Spurs are a dangerously accurate shooting team from the line with a .780 free throw percentage, one of the highest marks in the NBA. San Antonio has the fifth-most assists in the NBA, averaging 24.4 per game.
Across the court, Los Angeles has a SU record of 56-26 and an ATS record of 38-44. In Western Conference games, Los Angeles has gone 37-15 SU and 24-28 ATS. They sport the top-ranked scoring offense in the league, averaging 107.4 points per game. Los Angeles is one of the top three-point shooting teams in the league, converting .376 of their shots from three-point range. The Clippers rarely make the wrong play with the ball. They have the best assist-to-turnover ratio in the league at 2.10.
San Antonio won the last meeting this season between these two teams, bringing its SU record to 6-4 over the Clippers in the last 10 games. The Spurs also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4. San Antonio had the advantage in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) three times over the last 10. Los Angeles has had the edge in all categories twice.
Predictions: SU Winner – SA, ATS Winner – LAC, O/U – Over
Notes
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio’s last 6 games.
San Antonio is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games.
San Antonio is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 10 of San Antonio’s last 14 games when playing LA Clippers.
San Antonio is 15-8 SU in their last 23 games when playing LA Clippers.
The total has gone OVER in 13 of San Antonio’s last 18 games when playing at home against LA Clippers.
San Antonio is 21-4 SU in their last 25 games when playing at home against LA Clippers.
LA Clippers are 4-21 SU in their last 25 games when playing on the road against San Antonio.
The Los Angeles Clippers are among the highest-scoring squads, earning an average of 106.7 points per game (ranked second), while the San Antonio Spurs are in the top half of NBA teams in points allowed with 97.0 (ranked third).
San Antonio gives up 97.8 points at home this season. Topping the league in road scoring, Los Angeles puts up 107.4 points in away games.
Los Angeles has an outstanding 34-4 record when it allows under 100 points this season. San Antonio is 15-18 when it scores under 100.
When Los Angeles allows 100 or more points in a game, the team is an even 22-22 this season. San Antonio, on the other hand, has a tremendous record (40-9) when it reaches the century mark.
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).
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 poor 10-16 record.
The San Antonio Spurs average 22.5 three point attempts per game, and the Los Angeles Clippers attempt 26.9 per game. When going for at least 25 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; San Antonio is 17-10 and Los Angeles is 37-16.
Among all teams, Los Angeles has the best assist to turnover ratio this season of 2.10. San Antonio ranks slightly lower at fifth with an A/TO of 1.81.
The San Antonio Spurs rebound 43.6 times per game and are ranked 15th. Ranked 20th, the Los Angeles Clippers rebound 42.6 times per game.
San Antonio is ranked eighth in defensive rebounds, while Los Angeles ranks 28th in offensive rebounds.
On average, the Spurs force a turnover rate of 13.9%. When the Clippers turn over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 15-9 record.
