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Norman Powell Over 11.5 Points (-118)
Mavericks vs. Clippers | 10 p.m. ET, TNT
With the series between the Clippers and Mavericks knotted up at two games apiece, the teams shift back to Los Angeles for a pivotal Game 5.
The Clippers will once again be without their leading scorer, Kawhi Leonard. Amongst the players I expect to step up in his absence is sharp-shooter Norman Powell.
Powell has admittedly had a quiet series – outside of a 21-point performance in Game 3, he’s failed to clear this line in the other three contests.
However, the playoffs are all about adjustments, and I expect the Mavericks to adjust their coverages on the Clippers’ pick-and-roll, especially after James Harden and Paul George torched Dallas for 66 points collectively in Game 4 (including an unsustainable 11-of-15 on 3-pointers).
Powell cleared this line in 36-of-47 games this regular season when playing at least 26 minutes. His per-32 minute (my projection for tonight) average this regular season was 16.9 points. Yes, the playoffs are a different animal, but Powell has been a consistent contributor all season.
The Mavericks grade out average-to-below-average defensively against both spot-up shooting and transition points, both of which are Powell’s preferred playtypes. I do expect a bit more pressure on George and Harden tonight, which should open up Powell for clean looks.
The Clippers will need secondary scoring tonight, and I see that coming from the UCLA alum. I have Powell projected at 14 points tonight.
