To say that there's no love lost between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Clippers is an understatement. Steve Ballmer and Mark Cuban might've been shown blowing kisses at each other on the Kiss Cam in LA a week and a half ago, but there won't be a warm Lone Star State welcome waiting the Clips in their first visit of the year to the AAC for sure.
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SCHEDULING
Both of these teams are going to be in back-to-back situations for this game, but the Mavericks are playing the back end of their back-to-back against the Clippers, while the visitors are going to Phoenix on Thursday.
This is the second time this season Dallas has had to play the Clips on a back-to-back; it was crushed in that game on October 29 104-88 as a 12-point underdog. Since last season, there is no team which has a worse ATS record on the second legs of back-to-backs than the Mavericks at just 6-13.
The next worst team is Washington at 8-14 ATS in its 22 back-to-backs since the start of the 2014-15 campaign.
INJURIES
Chris Paul didn't have a great game when these two teams met a week and a half ago, but he was pivotal on the defensive end of the court in spite of the fact that he scored just nine points. He isn't likely to be in the fold in this one due to a groin injury.
CP3 has already been ruled out for Monday's game against the Grizzlies, and we have a tough time believing that Doc Rivers is going to put him at risk against Dallas in what could be a very physical game.
Dallas potentially has point guard problems, too. Deron Williams has been playing through nagging calf injuries and a sprained knee. He hasn't seemed limited yet this year by any of it, but this is a back-to-back spot and could end up being a telling problem in the late going on Wednesday night. Williams didn't play in the first matchup against the Clippers.
KEY MATCHUP
Our question is going to be how the Dallas bench matches up with that of the Clippers. LA might have the deepest team in the NBA, even without CP3. Wesley Johnson, Paul Pierce, Jamal Crawford and Josh Smith all have a ton of playoff experience and are veterans who can really step up and get the job done.
Dallas' bench has been good of late, particularly with Dwight Powell putting in big minutes to help out on the glass and in the paint. Still, this unit was outmatched at the Staples Center, and it's tough to see how that will change back in Dallas.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Mavericks are very likely to get caught up in the emotions of this game, as there are a lot of angry players who want to take shots at DeAndre Jordan for spurning them in the offseason to go back to the Clippers. The fans are sure to be into it as well.
We just don't like the strategy of putting Jordan on the line in this game, something which is sure to be done time and time again towards the tail ends of quarters.
A team like Dallas can't score enough, especially if its point guard play isn't good enough, to keep up with the Clippers scoring free points at will, even if just one at a time with Jordan.
Look for the Clippers to run away with this game later on in the fourth as the Mavs tire out.
Los Angeles 116, Dallas 102
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Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The matchup between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks will start at 8:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 11, 2015 at the American Airlines Center. The matchup will be televised nationally on ESPN.
