The San Antonio Spurs welcome the Los Angeles Clippers to the AT&T Center. Action gets underway at 8:30 pm ET on Tuesday, Mar. 15 and can be seen on NBA, PRI and FSW.
The Spurs enter this game hoping for similar success after defeating the Thunder 93-85 on Saturday. LaMarcus Aldridge played well, contributing 24 points, nine rebounds, and three assists for the Spurs. The Clippers, meanwhile, are coming off an awful 114-90 loss against the Cavaliers on Sunday. Chris Paul played well, accounting for his 32nd double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 assists.
Over the last five games, Aldridge has been playing at a high level for the Spurs, averaging 25.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steal, and 2.0 blocks. DeAndre Jordan has upped his play for the Clippers. In the same five-game span, he is averaging 15.8 points, 13.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 3.0 blocks.
From an effective field goal percentage perspective, this will be a battle of strength versus strength when the Clippers have the ball. Their sweet-shooting offense ranks fifth in the NBA in that metric at 52.0%, while the Spurs are best in the league in effective field goal percentage defense (47.0%).
The two teams have split their matchups this season. The Clippers had the upper hand in the most recent game, a blowout 105-86 win. Paul played a big role with 28 points and 12 assists.
The Spurs come into this game 56-10 Straight Up (SU) and 39-27 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 56-10 SU and 39-27 ATS against teams from the Western Conference. The Spurs are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .803 from the free throw line. The Spurs, sporting the best assist-to-turnover ratio in the NBA (1.97), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team. Teams usually don’t get many offensive rebounds against the Spurs, who are one of the top defensive rebounding teams in the league with an average of 35.1 defensive rebounds per game.
As for their opponent, the Clippers have 42-23 SU and 31-32-2 ATS records. In Western Conference games, Los Angeles has gone 42-23 SU and 31-32-2 ATS. When it comes to making good decisions with the ball, not many are better than the Clippers. They have one of the top assist-to-turnover ratios in the league at 1.81.
The Clippers’ win over San Antonio in their last clash moved their SU record in the last 10 against San Antonio to 6-4. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record.
Predictions: SU Winner – SA
Notes
Los Angeles’ offense and San Antonio’s defense are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per game and points allowed per game respectively. Los Angeles puts up an average of 0.0 points per game, while San Antonio gives up 0.0 points per game.
Los Angeles and San Antonio are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per away game and points allowed at home respectively. Los Angeles puts up an average of 0.0 points on the road, while San Antonio gives up 0.0 points at home on average.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Spurs are 47-4 on the season. When the Clippers score fewer than 100, they are a subpar 7-11.
When the San Antonio Spurs allow at least 100 points they are 9-6, while the Los Angeles Clippers are 35-12 when they register triple digits.
The Spurs have the third-best offensive rating in the NBA (109.4). The Clippers are also in the top half of the league based on their defensive rating of 101.6 (ranked seventh).
The Los Angeles Clippers average 98.2 possessions per game and 1.066 points per possession. The San Antonio Spurs earn fewer possessions with 95.6, but they score more points with 1.094.
The Los Angeles Clippers have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking fifth in the league with an EFF% of 52.0%. The San Antonio Spurs have split their games 6-6 when opponents have a similar or higher EFF%.
San Antonio ranks near the top of the league in assists at third (25.0 assists per game). Los Angeles is ranked ninth, with 22.7 assists per game.
San Antonio ranks near the top of the league in blocking at fifth (5.9 blocks per game). Los Angeles is ranked 10th, with 5.5 blocks per game.
San Antonio is ranked 25th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Los Angeles ranks 14th in defensive rebounds.
The Los Angeles Clippers rank 10th in steals, with an average of 8.3 per game. When the San Antonio Spurs allow at least 8 steals, they have a dazzling 17-5 record.
