Can the LA Clippers take a commanding 3-1 lead in Game 4?
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00:00After dropping Game 2 of their first round series to the Dallas Mavericks, the LA Clippers finally
00:05played with some real urgency in Friday night's 130-122 Game 3 victory. LA nearly led wire to
00:11wire and took an 18-point lead early in the fourth quarter that put the game on ice, and it was by
00:16far the best this team has looked in the postseason so far. The Clippers set several records in Game
00:213 as well, including the franchise record for points scored in a quarter with 45 in the second
00:26quarter. Now heading into Game 4, the Clippers have an opportunity to take a commanding 3-1
00:30lead in the series, and there's a good chance they do it, too, so long as they match the effort and
00:35urgency they put on display in Game 3. Looking at the injury report, both teams in this game
00:39have game-time decisions to make this afternoon, and they won't be easy ones. For LA, Patrick
00:44Brebbalee is again listed as doubtful heading into Game 4. It's looking increasingly likely
00:48he doesn't play another game in this series as well. He's missed two consecutive contests
00:52with a calf sprain after spending 20 minutes in the court in the series opener, though this injury
00:57does date back to when the playoffs began. The scrappy guard missed five straight games going
01:01into the postseason with this same issue. It doesn't look like he's made any real progress,
01:05either. Unfortunately, time may be the only remedy here. If Brebbalee is indeed out,
01:10look for Landry Schamett to see more time on the court in Game 4, especially after his career
01:14showing in Game 3. For Dallas, the stakes are quite a bit higher as Luka Doncic is considered
01:19questionable to play, which something we'll get into a bit later. The key storylines in this game
01:23for LA is Paul George's shooting slump has continued. He was terrific through the Eclipse
01:28receding games, and that continued into the first game of this playoff series as George netted 27
01:34points on 10.2 shooting in Game 1, including a game-clinching three-pointer late in the fourth
01:39quarter. However, since then, George has scored just 25 points in the two games that have followed,
01:44and he was even worse in the second game of that stretch. George started to get anything going in
01:49Game 3, finishing with 11 points on 3 of 16 shooting from the field and 1 of 80 point range.
01:55He excelled in other areas, collecting 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals, but overall it was an
02:00extremely rough outing for George. That said, the Clippers don't appear to be concerned much
02:04about George's struggles. Coach Doc Gerbers was especially supportive of George after Game 3,
02:10saying, quote, I'm not worried about it. He's a great player. He's human. I can guarantee you this.
02:14He has not forgotten how to shoot. It will fall for him. Now, LA made up for George's scoring
02:19behind big games from Shaman, who had 18, Marcus Morris, who had 14, and he beats the Zubats, who
02:24had 11, but those players will always be able to supply those points consistently. The Clippers
02:29may be able to survive this series without George playing his best basketball, but they'll need a
02:34shot to start falling before too long. For Dallas, the storyline here is Luka Doncic's health.
02:38The NBA playoffs are obviously a marathon, and on top of talent, consistency, and luck,
02:43a team must maintain health to remain competitive, and unfortunately for Dallas, Luka Doncic may wind
02:49up missing Sunday's pivotal Game 4 contest. The Mavericks star suffered a nasty-looking ankle
02:54sprain in Game 3 that forced him to head back to the locker room. He returned to the court for a
02:58brief period in the fourth quarter before subbing himself off for good a couple minutes into that
03:02quarter. ESPN's Tim McMahon is supportive that Doncic's injury is a mild sprain, but there's
03:08concern over his status given the quick turnaround time between Game 3 and Game 4, as Game 3 was a
03:139 o'clock tip-off time Eastern, and Game 4 is a 3.30, so less than 48 hours between those two
03:19games. Doncic has been Dallas's best player in the series by a significant margin. The 21-year-old
03:24phenom is averaging 27.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 8.7 assists in 32 minutes per game this series,
03:30and broke an NBA record scoring 42 points in Game 1, which is the most ever by a player in his
03:36playoff debut. The Mavericks have had some success this season in games that Doncic has missed,
03:41but obviously they're a much better team with him on the floor, so if he misses, expect Dallas to
03:45struggle. Therefore, our prediction for this game, you know, in Game 3, the Clippers played with a
03:50particular sense of urgency we haven't seen in the team until that point. Now they have a chance to
03:53take a two-game lead in this series. I would expect them to come out with the same energy and
03:57try to put Dallas away early in Game 4. It might be a competitive first half of basketball, but this
04:02is like a statement game for LA, and for that we've got Clippers 124, Mavericks 103. The Clippers
04:09and Dallas Mavericks hit the floor today at 3 30 p.m. Eastern Time, and the game will air on ABC.