Getty Montrezl Harrell #5 of the LA Clippers celebrates his dunk with Patrick Beverley #21 after a Dallas Mavericks timeout during the first half at Staples Center on February 25, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
The Los Angeles Clippers will be looking for a season series sweep when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Friday night, as both teams continue their push for a playoff spot.
Friday, March 1 at 10:00 PM ET
Golden 1 Center
Coverage: NBA League Pass
*All odds and betting info courtesy of OddsShark and originally posted by Bovada
- Los Angeles Clippers at Sacramento Kings (-2.5 at -110)
- Over/Under: 240
Recent Takeaways
Poor 3-point shooting cost the Clippers in their 111-105 road loss against the Jazz last Wednesday. Despite ranking third in the league, making 37.9 percent from beyond the arc, the Clippers were just 5-for-26 (19.2 percent) against the Jazz. Lou Williams and Danilo Gallinari scored 18 points apiece to lead the way and Montrezl Harrell had 16. The Clippers forced 16 turnovers and scored 19 points off them but it was still not enough.
Losing by just six points against a playoff team on the road, despite missing 21 3-point shots can teach the Clippers a valuable lesson. The setback proves that this team doesn’t quit and if they have better shot selection from distance they can be really dangerous for the Kings.
After rookie Marvin Bagley III went down with an injury late in the third quarter, the Kings responded with a 35-22 fourth quarter to force overtime against the NBA-leading Bucks. It would not be enough though and Milwaukee held on for a tough 141-140 win. Buddy Hield had a game-high 32 points, Bogdan Bogdanovic shined with 28 points, eight rebounds and eight assists and De’Aaron Fox added 17 points and nine assists.
With Bagley down, fellow rookie Harry Giles helped keep the Kings in the game and finished with 18 points on 9 of 13 shooting while grabbing seven rebounds. An MRI on Thursday confirmed that Bagley suffered just a sprained left knee and will be re-evaluated in approximately one to two weeks, so it’s Giles’ chance to prove his worth and help his team when they need him the most.
X-Factor
With Tobias Harris now with the Sixers, Danilo Gallinari, Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell have picked up most of the slack. Harrell can be a difference-maker against the Kings, he had a career-high 32 points in a 121-112 win against the Mavericks last Monday and he followed that up with 16 points against the Jazz.
Harrell’s production in the last five games has been solid, he’s averaging 21.0 points and 4.6 rebounds on 68.3 shooting over 24.0 minutes and if he keeps this up the Clippers will be in good shape against the Kings.
Clippers vs. Kings Trends and Prediction
The Los Angeles Clippers are:
- 5-0 ATS in their last five games following a straight up loss
- 4-1 ATS in their last five games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game
- 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall
The Sacramento Kings are:
- 0-6 ATS in the last six meetings against the Clippers
- 2-6 ATS in the last eight meetings in Sacramento
This is a must-win game for both teams, the Clippers have the seventh seed in the West, two games over the ninth-place Kings and a loss would certainly put too much pressure on either squad.
Tobias Harris may be gone but the Clippers still have a decent roster, led by Gallinari, Williams and Harrell and they’ve had the Kings’ number, winning all three games in the season series in dominant fashion. Look for the Clippers to put up a fight on Friday.
Pick: Clippers +2.5
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