An NBA Game Day Preview between the Boston Celtics Vs New Orleans Pelicans – StatementGames alternative Fantasy Basketball, play for FREE and WIN CASH Rewards.
When: 3:30 PM EST, February 21, 2021
Where: Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ
TV: ESPN
Point Spread: New Orleans +2.5
OVER/UNDER Game Total: 224
Western Conference Finals Series Record: 1-0 PHO
Los Angeles Clippers
Record: 55-31
Road Record: 25-18
ATS: 47-38-1
Phoenix Suns
Record: 60-23
Home Record: 32-10
ATS: 51-30-2
Los Angeles Clippers Vs Phoenix Suns Game Day Preview
Paul George and the Clippers will try to tie the series on Tuesday night. They lost game one of the Western Conference finals by a score of 120-114. To reach the WCF, the 2-seed Suns beat the Lakers (4-2) and the Nuggets (4-0). The 5-seed Clippers beat the Mavericks (4-3) and the Jazz (4-2) in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Clippers
In the second round of the playoffs, Paul George played exceptionally well and carried the team to beat the Jazz. Kawhi Leonard is out with a knee injury, but Paul George has held the team together without him. In game one, Paul George scored 34 points including 7 three-point shots. He also recorded 5 assists and 4 rebounds. George had a good defensive gave with 2 steals and 1 block.
The second highest scorer in game one was Reggie Jackson. Jackson was 4-12 from beyond the arc and posted 24 points, 4 assists, and 6 rebounds. Jackson had a terrible assists to turnover ratio. He turned the ball over 5 times.
Other notable offensive contributors are DeMarcus Cousins who scored 11 points in just 13 minutes. He also had 3 offensive rebounds and 1 assist.
Terance Mann played 27 minutes. He shot 3-3 from three-point range. Those were his only points, but he played well defensively.
Marcus Morris, DeMarcus Cousins, and Rajon Rondo all posted a +/- of below -10. They played this disastrously in just 56 combined minutes. A large contributor to this bad stretch is Marcus Morris who was 0-5 from three-point range and 3-11 from the field.
Only three Clippers went to the free-throw line. Paul George shot 7-8, DeMarcus Cousins shot 2-3, and Ivica Zubac shot 5-6.
The three keys for the Clippers in game two are:
- Reggie Jackson needs to cut down on turnovers.
- Marcus Morris, DeMarcus Cousins, and Rajon Rondo need to play better defense and shoot better.
- The clippers need to spread the ball to more players on offense.
Suns
Similarly to how Paul George has stepped up in Kawhi Leonard’s absence, Devin Booker has filled in for Chris Paul, who is out in health and safety protocols. In game 1, Devin Booker recorded his first career tripple-double. He scored 40 points with 11 assists and 13 rebounds. He played 44 minutes.
The biggest difference between the Clippers and Suns in game one was that the Clippers had 3 players score double-digits, while the Suns had 6 players score double-digits. The Clippers bench had a terrible +/-, but the Suns bench had a high +/-. Dario Saric, Torrey Craig, and Cameron Johnson combined for a +/- of 41.
Cameron Payne had 9 assists and 3 rebounds and a +/- of +14. Other notable stats are Deandre Ayton scored 20 points and had 9 rebounds. Lastly, Jae Crowder scored 13 points, had 6 rebounds, and had 2 assists.
The Suns shot 100% from the free-throw line in game 1. Devin Booker and Dario Saric were the only players that got fouled. Booker shot 9-9, and Saric shot 2-2.
The three keys for the Suns in game two are:
- Their defense needs to be better. Scoring 120 points every game is unsustainable and allowing 114 is unacceptable for this team.
- They need to continue getting many players points.
- Cameron Payne needs to score at least 15 points. This will lessen some of the effects of Chris Paul’s absence.
Los Angeles Clippers Vs Phoenix Suns
- Suns are 9-1-1 ATS in their last 11 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Suns are 23-5-1 ATS in their last 29 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Over is 5-1 in Clippers last 6 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
Los Angeles Clippers Vs Phoenix Suns Alternative Fantasy Basketball-Statement Games Picks
The below picks are the top picks of William Glasser from the Substantiate podcast.
- 10 PT Pick: Total PTS OVER 224.5
- 9 PT Pick: LA Clippers 3PT Percentage OVER 37.5%
- 8 PT Pick: LA Clippers UNDER 19.5 Free Throws Made
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