The third matchup! The American media compared the Clippers in an all-round way, 3-4, and the gap was clear at a glance

The Clippers and the Mavericks seem to have become a rival, meeting in the first round of the playoffs three times in five years, the first two times the Clippers had a home-court advantage and finally advanced, but this time it is different, the Mavericks have a new roster and have built stronger players around Doncic. The 3rd showdown!The American media FW compared the Clippers Mavericks in an all-round way, 3-4, and the gap was clear at a glance

Head-to-head record: Clippers win

History Playoffs Clippers 2-1 Mavericks

This season, the regular season Clippers 2-1 Mavericks

The first playoff meeting between the two teams is a long time ago, so there is no reference value. In 2020, Doncic first encountered Xiaoka and George, when the Mavericks were eliminated 2-4, and in 2021, they led 2-0 at one point, but were eventually reversed 3-4. The three meetings this season all took place at the beginning of the season, after which the Mavericks made a lot of changes to the lineup, and after the All-Star break, the Mavericks were one of the best teams.

Starting line-up: Draw

Clippers starters: Harden, Mann, George, Jr., Zubac

Mavericks starters: Doncic, Irving, Washington, Derrick Jones, Gafford

The Clippers are a standard Big Three configuration, but the three are obviously not at their peak, Harden has declined too much, has not been selected as an All-Star for 2 consecutive seasons, and Xiaoka has always stopped playing because of his health and stability. Zubac is a center who can get a double-double, but he is still weak in strength, and the interior will be the biggest weakness of the Clippers. The Mavericks are the obvious duo driver, both Irving and Doncic are in very good shape at the moment, and new signing Washington has brought vitality to the team's forward line. And Gafford is athletic and finishing, which revitalizes the team's offense and defense. So the Clippers have a stronger paper, and the Mavericks are more reasonable.

Bench lineup: Mavericks win

Clippers: Westbrook, Powell, P.J. Tucker, Theis, Plumlee, Coffey

Mavericks: Hardaway, Exum, Kleber, Lively, Josh Green, Hardy

Powell and Hardaway, both of whom are contenders for the Sixth Man of the Year award, are equally capable. Will will bring impact to the Clippers and revitalize the bench. Tesplamley is the main inside bench but has mediocre ability. Exum is a capable point guard who will play as a point guard off the bench, Lively has a similar role to Gafford and is very efficient, Kleber can be a center in a small-ball lineup, and there is no doubt that the Mavericks have more types of bench players who can play a variety of tactics.

Head Coach: Clippers win

Clippers Coach: Tyronn Lue, Mavericks Coach: Kidd

Although Kidd beat Coach Lu when he was a player, but from the perspective of coaching experience, Coach Lu is better, he has helped the Cavaliers complete the championship in 2016, Kidd's team has never played in the Finals, and last season, the Mavericks did not even make the playoffs.

The Clippers' advantage is of course the front line, and as long as Xiaoka and George are healthy, no one dares to ignore them, and Harden's passing ability will also make the team's offense smooth and reasonable. But their inner line is so weak, almost to the point that everyone is bullied. The Clippers have one of the best players at the moment, Doncic, Irving has proven himself in the playoffs, and they are now very athletic insiders, which the Clippers will certainly not be able to resist. Coupled with the uncertainty of Leonard's health, the American media FW predicts that the Mavericks will win the tie-break and advance in the end.