The Los Angeles Clippers and their first-ranked offense welcome the San Antonio Spurs and their second-ranked defense in Game 7 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Saturday, May 2 and can be seen on TNT and FSN-PT.
The Clippers enter this game hoping for similar success after topping the Spurs 102-96 on Thursday. Blake Griffin was a key piece, recording his 18th double-double of the season with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Marco Belinelli led the team in scoring with 23 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.
The odds for Los Angeles and San Antonio are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. 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.
As for their opponent, 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.
With the Clippers’ last win against San Antonio, they evened up the head-to-head record over the last 10 meetings, 5-5 SU. They are also even ATS in their last 10 games. 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 twice.
Predictions: SU Winner – SA, ATS Winner – SA
Notes
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 puts up an average of 99.0 points on the road, while Los Angeles gives up 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 a stellar 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 poor 10-16 record.
On average, Los Angeles attempts 26.9 three pointers and San Antonio attempts 22.5 per game. Both teams have winning records when they have 25 or more three point attempts. The Clippers sit at 37-16 and the Spurs are 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.
