The LA Clippers are struggling to play their best basketball entering Game 5 of the series.
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00:00The LA Clippers suffered a devastating loss in Game 4, blowing a 21-point lead before
00:05ultimately succumbing to a buzzer-beating three-pointer from the hands of Luka Doncic
00:09in overtime.
00:10It was as deflating a game as possible for the Clippers, and now the Dallas Mavericks
00:13have all the momentum in this series, going into a pivotal Game 5 where they could take
00:18a 3-2 series lead.
00:19Fortunately, the Clippers seem prepared to turn things around, and they should be motivated
00:23to take control of this series once again tonight.
00:26Looking at the injury report first, LA may again be without Patrick Beverley for Game
00:305.
00:31Who was officially listed as doubtful on Monday afternoon, Doc Rivers addressed Beverley's
00:35status during Monday's media availability.
00:37He didn't sound very confident in his ability to play, saying, quote, I haven't heard one
00:41thing that he may play.
00:42It doesn't mean he might not.
00:44Right now, I'm not planning on it, and so because of that, we have to make tough choices
00:47at the end of every game.
00:49Beverley has not seen the floor since Game 1 due to a nagging calf strain, the same one
00:53that forced him to miss LA's final five seeding games.
00:56Now that we're as deep as we are into this series, his absence is showing up on both
01:00ends of the floor.
01:01Players like Reggie Jackson and Langer Shammett have been forced into a starting role, one
01:05that it's clear they're not ready for.
01:07Granted, Shammett has fared much better than Jackson has in this series as a starter, but
01:11he still isn't a plus on the defensive outside of the floor, and that's where LA is currently
01:15hurting the most.
01:16If Beverley does end up missing Game 5, Rivers will have to get creative with his rotations
01:20to defend Dallas' guards better.
01:22As far as Dallas goes, they're dealing with significant health issues as well, as Chris
01:26Tapp's Porzingis will officially miss tonight's contested knee soreness.
01:29Additionally, the Mavericks could be without Dorian Finney-Smith, who is listed as questionable
01:34with hip soreness.
01:35A KP's absence is a big one, but Finney-Smith may be an even more significant loss.
01:4027-year-old Ford is the best wing defender the Mavericks have, and beyond him, they don't
01:45have many that even are pluses on the end of the floor, and he's done a solid job of
01:49slowing down Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in this series so far as well.
01:53Without him, Dallas will be significantly thinner in terms of permanent defense, something
01:57that could give George the confidence to get his shot going again.
02:00The key storyline for tonight's game, as far as LA goes, we're just running where the grid
02:04is.
02:05When the Clippers met the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 2019 playoffs, they
02:08played with a certain tenacity and urgency that remains to be seen from this year's squad.
02:13That team treated every game of the playoffs as if it was their last.
02:16This team has not done that.
02:18Following his media availability on Tuesday, Clippers center Ivica Zubac explained why
02:22LA has been so lackadaisical at times and how it can be fixed, saying, quote,
02:27It's hard to get that edge this year because we're not the underdogs anymore.
02:30We're favorites, but we gotta act like it.
02:32Doc always says we're the best team, but we gotta act like it.
02:35I think that's what we gotta show tonight.
02:37We gotta come in and act like the best team on the floor and just go out, play, and win
02:41the game.
02:42Zou isn't the only player to make such comments.
02:44Domenko Green said something very similar on Monday, but it seems the whole team would
02:48echo Zou's feelings here.
02:51Since the Game 4 loss, every player and coach that has had media availability has talked
02:55about this team not playing up to its potential so far or making changes to get better.
02:59Obviously, this is not a team that's content with where they are right now.
03:02Hopefully LA can come out in Game 5 and show why they're considered a favorite to win this
03:06year's title.
03:07For Dallas, the key storyline is Luka Dacic's emergence.
03:10We've all known for a while now that he's a superstar, but few expected him to emerge
03:15in the NBA so suddenly.
03:17Since Sunday, the narrative surrounding Dacic has shifted from his future to his present,
03:20and it's easy to see why.
03:22He's torching one of the best all-around teams in the NBA, and he's making it look very simple.
03:26The 21-year-old went off for 43 points, 17 rebounds, and 13 assists in Game 4, doing
03:32it all on a sore ankle as well.
03:34His status was in question less than an hour before tip-off, and he still came out and
03:37had one of the best games of his NBA career.
03:40With a win in Game 5, Dacic could continue to solidify his standing as one of the game's
03:45best players.
03:46With a win in this series, he'd be elevated almost immediately to legend status.
03:51And even if Dallas ends up getting eliminated in this round, Dacic has proven that he's
03:54going to be a problem for a long time coming, and potentially a future face of the NBA.
04:00Prediction for tonight's game.
04:01The attitude has seemed to change from the Clippers' organization after Game 4.
04:04I feel like this team has finally been shocked enough to understand that it must play better
04:07to make it out of the first round.
04:10Game 5 is a chance for LA to prove that it still belongs in the conversation of this
04:13year's title favorites.
04:14It's one the team should seize as well.
04:16It's like a back-and-forth affair, especially if Beverly sits out in tonight's game.
04:20We have the Clippers winning a close one with LA 117, Dallas 113.
04:26You can watch tonight's game on TNT and Fox Sports Prime Ticket as the Clippers and Mavericks
04:30take the floor tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern time.