Clippers vs Warriors: Game 6 with Clippers Holding 3-2 Series Lead
The NBA Western Conference playoffs continue tonight with Game 6 in the first round best of seven series between Pacific division rivals the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors. The Clippers won Game 5 at home in the Staples Center to take a 3-2 lead in the series.
The Clippers this season are 48-38-1 against the spread overall and 25-17-1 ATS on the road. The Warriors overall are 44-40-3 against the number and at home are 21-20-2 ATS.
Over the past nine head-to-head meetings between the two teams, the Clippers have won 5 and the Warriors 4. In the most recent game, the Clippers defeated the Warriors 113-103.
The Clippers covered as a 7-point favorite while the OVER cashed on a 208 line with the two teams scoring 216 total points.
The Clippers were relieved, relaxed and ready to re-start their championship chase following their win on Tuesday night in Game 5 and all the distractions that took place prior to the game over team owner Donald Sterling.
Doc Rivers the Clippers head coach said the racist remarks made by Sterling and all the furor they caused is far from being over, but with Sterling now banned from the league the Clippers can at least move forward in their NBA Title quest.
The Clippers can eliminate the Warriors on the road in Oakland with a win in Game 6. With a win, it would be just the third series win in the postseason since 1981 for the Clippers.
Golden State will not roll over for Los Angeles and will look to win at home and return to play Game 7 in Los Angeles.
The Warriors are 16-3 SU in their past 19 games at home versus the Clippers. That includes Sunday night’s 118-97 rout over the Clippers just after the saga with Sterling had erupted.
In that game, sharpshooter Stephen Curry scored 17 points in just the first quarter. However, in his last outing on Tuesday in Los Angeles, Curry turned the ball over 8 times, a career high, while taking just 10 shots and scoring 17 points.
Curry said the distractions of the Sterling incident affected him and his teammates in Game 5 in Los Angeles, but knows the confines of Oracle Arena in Oakland will help the team forget what took place in LA with the Clippers owner.
Playing away from home could be a blessing in disguise for the Clippers. The game will allow the team to escape the bright lights of Hollywood and the attention the media is mak
ing over the possible sale of the team and its potential new owners.
However, nothing comes easy at Golden State and the Clippers 3-16 record over its past 19 games there is evidence of that.
However, the Clippers must get back to basics and look to the best players – Chris Paul and Blake Griffin – who have carried them to 57 regular season victories.
Prediction: The line on this game has the Clippers favored by 1.5 points. I like the Warriors at home. Golden State has the Clippers’ number on their home court; take Golden State less the points to win.
