The San Antonio Spurs look for a third straight victory when they visit the LA Clippers on Monday night. San Antonio is currently 10th in the Western Conference standings, 1.5 games behind eighth-place Memphis, while the Clippers are second in the West, 3.5 games behind the Lakers.
With the trade deadline just three days away, it is unclear if the Spurs intend to continue their climb towards the eighth seed, or if they will sell off their top pieces. It has not been the year this team wanted, but the Spurs have still proven to be a tough opponent for most around the league.
They have won their last two games, and this is another critical one with Portland surging and Memphis not letting up just yet.
The Clippers, on the other hand, do not have too much to worry about. They are all but locked in to a top four spot for the postseason, giving them home-court for the opening round.
The Clippers will have to make sure to avoid the Lakers for as long as possible in the postseason, and simply winning as much as they can now is the cure for that. Kawhi Leonard is playing great ball and got voted in to start in this year’s All-Star Game.
And if they are going to make a move for Andre Iguodala, now would be the time. The only issue is that they already traded most of their picks.
The Clippers are 9.5-point favorites Monday night, with the over/under set at 227.5
Looking To Make Some Noise
DeMar DeRozan has quietly had an exceptional season, to the point of him not being on the All-Star team is considered a snub. There was always going to be pressure on him coming to San Antonio as the replacement for Leonard, but he has done a great job. Coach Gregg Popovich has let him play his game, and he has been a great piece for them, not forcing any threes and doing his thing from inside the arc.
DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge have done a nice job of leading, with the role players all performing solidly. Seeing Lonnie Walker IV make the most of his chances on a guard-heavy team has also been great to see.
At 22-26 and in the 10th spot in the West, the Spurs have work to do. Memphis and Portland are in front of them as it stands now, and both are hot right now.
Fighting Through Injuries
The Clippers have been a strong team all season long and currently sit at 19 games over .500 as they come to their 50th game of the season. They finally have Paul George back, with their big four all playing fantastic basketball. The question for the Clippers to try and answer in the next three days is if they try to find a go-to power forward.
Montrezl Harrell splits minutes at the 5 with Ivica Zubac, as the power forward spot has been a point of inconsistency for them. The starter at the position is always based on who they’re playing against. Once they figure that out, we’ll know where they stand.
George and Leonard together are very tough to stop, with Pat Beverley and Lou Williams also making it rain. Harrell dominates inside, while Landry Shamet provides strong two-way play.
Clippers Knock Off Spurs
This will be a good win for the Clippers as they take down San Antonio. Bet on Los Angeles.
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