The Clippers get one more at Staples Center before embarking on a five-game road trip that includes stops in San Antonio, Memphis and Oakland. A win would be a nice sendoff, but it won’t come easy against the Cavaliers, who improved to 18-6 against the Western Conference after Wednesday night’s win.
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SCHEDULING
After opening their road trip with back-to-back games against Sacramento and the Lakers, the Cavaliers will enjoy a few days off in southern California before battling the Clippers on Sunday and ending the excursion the next night in Salt Lake City. The Cavs bounced back from a disappointing home loss to Memphis by covering the line in a 120-111 win over the Kings on Wednesday night, snapping a two-game road losing skid. It was a nice reply for the Cavs after LeBron James’ scathing assessment of the Cavs readiness for the playoffs following Monday’s upset loss to the Grizzlies.
The Clippers will look to set out on their upcoming five-game road trip with a victory over the Cavs. Included in that road swing are matchups with San Antonio, Memphis and Golden State, so a win in advance of that trip would be a boost to their chances of overtaking Oklahoma City for the No. 3 spot in the West. LA was humbled by the Cavs when the teams met at The Q in late January and will try to even the season series.
INJURIES
Center Timofey Mozgov sat out the first game of the Cavs road trip with flu-like symptoms but is expected to be available for Sunday’s game. Backup point guard Mo Williams didn’t travel with the team as he continues to nurse a left knee injury.
The Clippers should have Luc Mbah a Moute back in the lineup for Sunday’s game. The forward missed four games with a lacerated left eyelid but is expected to be available this weekend. Also, coach Doc Rivers said Blake Griffin is “very close” to returning, though he wouldn’t give a timeframe.
KEY MATCHUP
Just how good is Chris Paul? Well, the point god outscored Dallas all by himself in the third quarter of their game on Monday. Paul netted 18 of his 27 in the frame when the Clips broke it open with a 33-16 burst. And he’s been the unquestioned leader of the club since Griffin went down on Christmas day. The Clips haven’t just survived in Griffin’s absence, they’ve actually been better, learning to lean on several players while adjusting their schemes on offense. And Paul is the force behind what the Clippers are doing. They space the floor better, pass the basketball with more purpose and have movement, which creates breakdowns on defense. But Paul knows the Clippers aren’t going to contend for a championship without Griffin, and when he does return, the new-look offense will still be in place – at least that’s the plan. Paul’s numbers have been good all season, but they’ve gotten better since the break. He’s averaging 22.5 points and 11.4 assists, up from 19.3 and 9.4 pre-break. He’s shooting better than 50 percent from the floor and made all 38 of his free throws through the first 10 games after the break.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
There’s no doubt LeBron James is a leader and his Cleveland teammates listen when he speaks. When the King remarked that the Cavs were a long way from postseason form following an upset loss to Memphis, the club responded – so did James – with a win in Sacramento to kick off a four-game road trip. Nobody knows better than James if a team is ready. He played on four straight Finals teams winning twice. I think the guy knows what he’s talking about. Over the course of a long season crazy stuff happens. Heck, the Lakers beat Golden State to prove that point. The Clippers, though, will ride the backcourt play of Paul and J.J. Redick, who can do plenty offensively against the Cavs, to a big win that will have James talking more about his team’s playoff readiness.
Los Angeles 114, Cleveland 109
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