Dallas vs Clippers: The suspense remains

The Clippers blew an opening series with Dallas, but got back into the game by defeating the Mavs in game one in Texas. Will the Californians be able to build on their success, or will Luka Dončić and co. get one step closer to the next round? Let's pick a few bets on the key game of the first-round NBA playoff series.

In game three, and his first home game in the series with the Clippers, Luka Doncic looked great again. The Slovenian had 44 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists. But the rest of the roster didn't shine this time, as Hardaway had 12 points, Finney-Smith had 6, Porzingis had 9, Kleber and Brunson had 14 apiece. And so it turns out - the Mavs lack rotation. When the main «role players» aren't doing well, there's no one to step in and bring in the so-called extra points.

Josh Richardson's form is surprising. He has proven to be quite the scorer in Philadelphia, but he has yet to find his feet in Dallas. In his previous game, he not only had -13 efficiency in 14 minutes but also only 4 points. A player who could be an X-factor is failing so far.

All in all, there was nothing to worry about for Dallas. Winning Game 4 would remove almost all questions about the outcome of the series. The only question is whether Rick Carlisle, given his limited personnel resources, will be able to rebuild the team's game in response to his opponent's realignment.

I shouldn't have thought that after the 0-2 at Staples Center, the series was over. The Clippers had great potential, as Game 3 of the series proved. Tyronn Lue changed the starting lineup, benched Patrick Beverley and released Reggie Jackson. As a result, Beverley only played 5 minutes on the court, while Reggie's defense improved. Tim Hardaway and his ilk can take a lot of credit for the drop in scoring.

In addition, Reggie Jackson scored 16 points, making 4 of 10 three-pointers. The leaders also played a great game. Kawhi Leonard had 36 points, Paul George had 29 points and 2 of 6 from beyond the arc. Marcus Morris was 3-of-5 from beyond the arc with 15 points. Overall, the Californians were 13 of 31 from beyond the arc. 118-108, that sounds like the Clippers tonight.

In the third game, the Clippers finally showed their class by rebuilding a little. No surprise there. In theory, the LAC should just take this Dallas out. It is likely that in the upcoming game it will be about the same. Prediction - Los Angeles will tie the series.

• Clippers win with a handicap (-3.5) at odds of about 1.875;
• Clippers To Win for 2.40;
• Total over 221 with an index around 1.91.