The Los Angeles Clippers (40-22) and their first-ranked offense travel to Golden State (48-12) to take on the Warriors and their first-ranked defense. Action begins at 3:30 pm ET on Sunday, Mar. 8 and can be seen on ABC.
The Warriors played well in their last game, topping the Mavericks 104-89 on Friday. Stephen Curry was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points on 6-for-11 shooting. The Clippers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the 98-93 loss against the Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Los Angeles still lost despite the best efforts of Chris Paul, who recorded his 31st double-double of the season with 36 points and 12 assists.
Draymond Green has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Warriors. During that stretch, he has averaged 15.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.6 steals, 2.2 blocks, and 2.2 three-pointers. Paul has been hot for the Clippers. In the same five-game span, he is averaging 26.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 13.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.4 three-pointers.
It might turn into a shootout as a pair of the NBA’s top offenses match up. Golden State ranks second in the league with 108.1 points per 100 possessions, while Los Angeles is first in that metric (109.3). Also, the Clippers’s first-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 109.3) will face off against the first-ranked defense of the Warriors (defensive efficiency of 98.1).
Both teams have won a game in the season series. The Clippers had the upper hand in the most recent game, a 100-86 win. Paul had a stellar game with 22 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals, and one three-pointer.
The odds for Golden State and Los Angeles are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Warriors come into this game 48-12 Straight Up (SU) and 35-24-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They have controlled the Pacific when they play at home, going 5-0 both SU and ATS. The Warriors have no trouble scoring as they lead the league in offense with 109.9 points per game. The Warriors are one of the best in the NBA in terms of three-point field goals, making 10.7 shots per game from beyond the arc. Golden State is the best passing team in the league with an average of 27.2 assists per game. Teams usually don’t get many offensive rebounds against the Warriors, who are one of the top defensive rebounding teams in the league with an average of 34.5 defensive rebounds per game. Golden State is one of the league’s top scoring teams off turnovers with an average of 19.8 points per game.
In the other locker room, the Clippers have 40-22 SU and 26-36 ATS records. Despite having a winning record against its own division, Los Angeles is unsuccessful ATS in those games with a record of 1-3. Offensively, they average 106.4 points per game, which is good for second in the league. The Clippers are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, leading the NBA at 2.1.
With the Clippers’ last win against Golden State, their SU record is now 6-4 over the Warriors in the last 10 meetings. The Warriors lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4. Over the last 10 matchups, Golden State held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice. Los Angeles performed this feat once.
Predictions: SU Winner – GS, ATS Winner – GS
Notes
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State’s last 6 games.
Golden State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
Golden State is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games.
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State’s last 5 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Golden State’s last 18 games when playing LA Clippers.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Golden State’s last 9 games when playing at home against LA Clippers.
Golden State is 8-1 SU in their last 9 games when playing at home against LA Clippers.
LA Clippers are 1-8 SU in their last 9 games when playing on the road against Golden State.
On average, Los Angeles puts up 106.4 points per game (ranked second). Golden State ranks 16th in points allowed per game with 99.7.
Golden State has allowed an average of 98.2 points per home game this season. Los Angeles averages 105.7 points per away game, placing the team third in scoring.
Los Angeles has a dazzling 26-4 record when it allows under 100 points this season. Golden State is 7-5 when it scores under 100.
When the Los Angeles Clippers allow at least 100 points they are 14-18, while the Golden State Warriors are 41-7 when they reach the century mark.
Topping the league in defense, the Warriors have a defensive rating of 98.1. The Clippers have the top-ranked offense with an offensive rating of 109.3.
Golden State has an average field goal percentage of 47.7% (ranked first). Los Angeles is a losing 5-12 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
In comparison to the rest of the league, the Golden State Warriors see similar results in both field goal percentage and effective field goal percentage, ranking first for both metrics. The Los Angeles Clippers also rank the same for both FG% and EFF%, coming in at second.
Among all teams, Golden State is best in the league in assists, registering an average of 27.2 per game. Los Angeles ranks slightly lower in total assists, at fourth (24.3 per game).
With 6.2 blocks per game, the Golden State Warriors rank second in the league. The Los Angeles Clippers are in the top half of NBA teams for blocking, ranking ninth with 5.0 blocks per game.
Golden State is ranked 22nd when it comes to offensive rebounding. Los Angeles ranks 10th in defensive rebounds.
The Warriors record 9.4 steals per game on average (ranked fourth). The Clippers are 9-6 when allowing at least 9 steals.
