The Los Angeles Clippers (35-18) will try to slow down the league’s top scoring team when they take on the Golden State Warriors (48-4) at the Staples Center. The game gets underway at 8:30 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 20 and will air on ABC.
The Clippers were beaten by the Celtics 139-134 in their last game. Chris Paul recorded 35 points and 13 assists, earning his 22nd double-double of the year. The Warriors, meanwhile, are coming off a 112-104 win over the Suns in their last outing. Stephen Curry led the game in scoring with 26 points on 9-for-17 shooting.
From an effective field goal perspective, this will be a balanced matchup. The elite offense for Los Angeles ranks fourth in the NBA in that metric at 51.9%, while the Warriors are second-best in the league at forcing opponents’ misses (47.0%).
The Warriors have won both matchups against the Clippers this season, including a 124-117 victory in their last matchup. Paul was a top player in the game with 35 points, four rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and five three-pointers.
The Clippers are attempting to build on their records of 36-18 Straight Up (SU) and 26-26-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 12-0 SU and 8-4 ATS against teams from their own division. Los Angeles has averaged 118.3 points per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 104.7. Few teams in the league have a higher assist-to-turnover ratio than Los Angeles, which ranks third at 1.80. Los Angeles has been struggling as of late. The Clippers have given up an average of 108.7 points to opponents in their last 10 games, well over their defense’s season average of 100.5 PPG.
On the other side, Golden State has a SU record of 48-5 and an ATS record of 29-22-2. In divisional games, Golden State has gone 5-4 SU and 2-7 ATS. They sport the top-ranked scoring offense in the league, averaging 115.9 points per game. Golden State is the top three-point shooting team in the league, converting .424 of their shots from three-point range. Golden State is one of the better rebounding teams in the NBA. The Warriors average 46.9 rebounds per game, making them the third-best team in the league for that category. The Warriors rarely make costly errors handling the ball. They have the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the league at 1.94.
Golden State won the last meeting this season between these two teams, moving its SU record against the Clippers to 7-3 in their last 10 head-to-head meetings. Additionally, with a 6-4 record, the Warriors have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – GS
Notes
Los Angeles ranks seventh in points per game with 104.7, while Golden State ranks 21st in points allowed with an average of 103.6 given up.
Golden State ranks first in points allowed per road game (107.5 PPG), while Los Angeles ranks ninth in points per home game with 105.5.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Clippers are 25-2 on the season. When the Warriors score fewer than 100, they are a losing 1-3.
The Los Angeles Clippers have a poor 10-16 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Golden State Warriors are 47-1 when they hit triple digits.
The Warriors have a defensive rating of 99.9, second-best in the NBA. The Clippers also rank in the top half of the league for their offensive rating of 106.6 (ranked sixth).
With 98.2 possessions and 1.066 points per possession, the Los Angeles Clippers perform worse on both metrics than the Golden State Warriors. Golden State averages 101.8 possessions and 1.134 points per possession.
Los Angeles has an average effective field goal percentage of 51.9%, fourth-ranked in the NBA. Golden State is an outstanding 7-2 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Golden State Warriors top the league in assists, earning 29.2 per game this season. The Los Angeles Clippers are also among the best in the NBA, earning 22.6 per game (ranked ninth).
Golden State ranks near the top of the league in blocking at fourth (6.3 blocks per game). Los Angeles is ranked 10th, with 5.4 blocks per game.
The Golden State Warriors are the NBA’s best defensive rebounding team. The Los Angeles Clippers rank 26th in offensive rebounding.
The Golden State Warriors rank 10th in steals, with an average of 8.3 per game. When the Los Angeles Clippers allow at least 8 steals, they have a solid 16-8 record.
