Clippers vs Utah: Californians to tie the series

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated Utah, 132-108, in Game 3, to close the gap in the series. Will Tyrone Liu’s team manage to win again, or will the Jazz take revenge, closing in on the conference final? Here are a few bets on the upcoming encounter. 

The California team got off to a poor start in the series with Utah, losing both games in Salt Lake City. Nevertheless, the Clippers were close in both meetings, losing only in the closing stages. In the second half of the second game, the LAC fans were even more reassured. Tyrone Liu’s team brilliantly played zone defence, putting the very effective opponent’s offence in an extremely difficult position. The Clippers regained a 20-point lead but stopped shooting themselves.

Still, in the third game, the lessons learned from the first two games paid off. LAC trailed by less than 50 in the first half and confidently outscored their opponent 132-106 in the second. Finally, their leaders came through for real. Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points and Paul George had 31.

The Jazz started the first away game of the series in Los Angeles 8-0 but ended up winning only one of the quarters. The Clippers, realizing they couldn’t do anything about it, allowed their opponent to hit the three-pointer, but shut down the lane. In the end, the Jazz made 19 three-pointers but scored only 108 points. Head coach Quin Snyder needs to look for other offensive options. Are there any?

There was also an ugly episode at the end of Game 3. Utah leader Donovan Mitchell fumbled, went limp and left the court. It appeared to be okay, but will Mitchell be in peak condition for the upcoming game? If Mitchell doesn’t perform at his best, Utah will have no chance at all...

The California team showed the highest level of basketball in the second half of the second game and the third, the first on home soil. In Game 4, Utah don’t seem to stand a chance. Donovan Mitchell is not in great shape, and he will probably be rested if something goes wrong. Also, Quin Snyder will be able to find a quick answer to Tyrone Liu’s defensive build. Utah don’t have as much offensive toughness as its fans would like to see. In any case, the Jazz will play their next game at home. Winning there is much more important than in the upcoming game. We predict that the Clippers will tie the series.

• Clippers to win with a handicap (-4.5) at odds of about 1.94;
• Utah’s Individual Total Under 109.5 at odds around 1.90;
• Clippers to win and Total Under 223.5 at around 2.80.