The Atlanta Hawks visit the Staples Center to take on the Los Angeles Clippers. The game gets underway at 10:30 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 5 and will air on PRI and FxS.
The Clippers beat the Thunder 103-98 on Wednesday. With 20 points and 18 rebounds, DeAndre Jordan recorded his 36th double-double this season. The Hawks, meanwhile, are coming off a 106-77 win over the Lakers on Friday. Kyle Korver played well for Atlanta, recording 15 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
Over the last five games, Chris Paul has really been playing well for the Clippers. During that stretch, he has averaged 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 12.4 assists, 2.2 steals, and 2.0 three-pointers.
Based on each team’s statistical profile, ball protection could play an integral role in this matchup. The Clippers commit the third-fewest miscues in the NBA (turnover percentage of 12.8%), while the ball-hawking defense of Los Angeles forces the second-most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 15.9%).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Clippers won the first game 85-83. Jordan recorded a double-double with 13 points and 19 rebounds.
The Clippers enter the game with records of 40-20 Straight Up (SU) and 30-28-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 40-20 SU and 30-28-2 ATS against teams from the Eastern Conference. The Clippers, sporting the fourth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the NBA (1.80), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team.
Across the court, the Hawks head into the game with records of 30-30-2 ATS and 34-28 SU. In Western Conference games, Atlanta has gone 34-28 SU and 30-30-2 ATS. A large part of Atlanta’s game is creating turnovers and turning them into points. They are scoring 19.3 points per game off turnovers, which ranks first in the league.
With the Clippers’ last win against Atlanta, Los Angeles is still behind in the head-to-head record over the last 10 meetings, 4-6 SU. The Hawks also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAC
Notes
Atlanta ranks 14th in points per game with 102.3, while Los Angeles ranks eighth in points allowed with an average of 100.2 given up.
Atlanta ranks 11th in points per away game with 101.6 points, while Los Angeles ranks eighth in points allowed at home with 98.7.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Los Angeles Clippers are a dazzling 29-3. In games where they fail to hit triple digits, the Atlanta Hawks have a subpar record of 6-21.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Clippers are just 11-17 this season. Atlanta is a stellar 28-7 when it hits the century mark.
The Hawks have a defensive rating of 100.2, second-best in the NBA. The Clippers also rank in the top half of the league for their offensive rating of 106.8 (ranked sixth).
The Atlanta Hawks average 99.0 possessions per game and 1.034 points per possession. The Los Angeles Clippers earn fewer possessions with 98.2, but they score more points with 1.068.
Los Angeles is among the top-ranked teams based on its average effective field goal percentage of 51.9% (ranked fourth in the NBA). Atlanta is a subpar 6-10 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Atlanta Hawks, ranked second in the NBA, average 25.6 assists per game. The Los Angeles Clippers make 22.7 assists (ranked ninth).
Los Angeles makes an average of 5.4 blocks per game (ranked 10th). Atlanta ranks higher in blocks with 5.7 (ranked seventh).
The Los Angeles Clippers rank 25th in offensive rebounding, while the Atlanta Hawks rank 17th in defensive rebounding.
The Atlanta Hawks rank third in steals, with an average of 9.4 per game. When the Los Angeles Clippers allow at least 9 steals, they have a solid 8-4 record.
