The opening day of the 2021 NBA Playoffs will start with a pair of rematches from last year in the Bubble, as the Bucks will host the Heat in the early game, while the Clippers will welcome the Mavericks to L.A. in the second game of the day. In Orlando, the Clippers took down Dallas in six games, and the series odds point to a similar expectation this time around.
After working to dodge the 3-seed at the end of the regular season to stay away from the Lakers half of the bracket, the Clippers will need to shake off a bit of rust in Game 1 as their starters haven’t played meaningful basketball in well over a week. Paul George will get his first chance in Game 1 to start trying to rewrite his playoff narrative, one that mirrors the Clippers organization as a whole. On the other side, the Mavs will follow the lead of Luka Doncic and hope he can produce more heroics like in last year’s series and that this time around having Kristaps Porzingis on the floor for the entirety of the series can yield a different result.
Game 1 TV Info
Tip Time: Saturday, May 22; 4:30 p.m. ET
TV Network: ESPN
Game 1 Betting Lines (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Series Prices: Clippers (-300), Mavs (+400)
Spread: Clippers -5.5 (-114), Mavs +5.5 (-107)
Total: Over 229 (-113), Under 229 (-108)
Money Line: Clippers (-240), Mavs (+195)
Game 1 Player Scoring Props (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Dorian Finney-Smith O/U 9.5 Points (Over -106/Under -121)
Luka Doncic O/U 27.5 Points (-118/-108)
Marcus Morris O/U 13.5 Points (-115/-110)
Kristaps Porzingis O/U 21.5 Points (-118/-108)
Paul George O/U 25.5 Points (-113/-113)
Kawhi Leonard O/U 26.5 Points (-113/-113)
Ivica Zubac O/U 7.5 Points (-134/+105)