LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (58-29)
at SAN ANTONIO SPURS (58-29)
NBA Playoffs Western Conference - First Round Tip-off: Thursday, 9:35 p.m. ET Line: San Antonio -5.5, Total: 205.5 The Spurs will be looking to finish off the Clippers when they host them in Game 6 on Thursday. San Antonio went into the Staples Center as a 2.5-point underdog on Tuesday and won 111-107, shooting a remarkable 11-for-23 from behind the arc. The Clippers, meanwhile, shot 1-for-14 from the outside and that will need to change on Thursday. PF Tim Duncan is the most important player for the Spurs in this game and is now averaging 21.5 points per game and 12.5 RPG over the past two contests. He has, however, played 38.5 minutes per game in those affairs and could underperform if he is playing tired. For Los Angeles, PG Chris Paul is going to need to be aggressive as a scorer. In both of the Clippers’ victories, Paul has scored over 30 points and he’ll need to look for his shot more often on Thursday. The Clippers must also get some better play by their bench, as the Spurs’ second unit outscored them 48-17 in Game 5. One thing that must be pointed out is that San Antonio is 13-3 against the spread in home games after playing on the road this season. The Spurs are also up against a Clippers team that is just 17-30 against the spread after three straight games committing 14 or less turnovers on the season. Los Angeles has, however, won-and-covered in two of its past three trips to the AT&T Center.
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