Los Angeles Clippers vs Houston Rockets Prediction, 5/14/2021 NBA Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Los Angeles Clippers vs Houston Rockets

Date: Friday, May 14, 2021

Location: Toyota Center in Houston, TX

TV: Bally Sports SoCal

The Los Angeles Clippers (46-23) travel to Toyota Center on Friday where they'll meet the Houston Rockets (16-54).

The Los Angeles Clippers stepped onto the hardwood against the Toronto Raptors and notched a win by a score of 115-96 in their last contest. Los Angeles ended the game having earned a 50.0% FG percentage (39 of 78) and made 11 of their 32 shots from beyond the perimeter. When they shot from the free throw line, the Clippers converted 26 of their 26 tries for a rate of 100.0%. In reference to pulling down boards, they compiled 49 with 9 of them being of the offensive variety. They also dished out 25 dimes in the matchup in addition to forcing 13 turnovers and getting 10 steals. In the matter of defense, Los Angeles allowed their opponent to shoot 40.7% from the field on 35 out of 86 shooting. Toronto recorded 21 assists and had 10 steals in this contest. Moreover, Toronto totaled 35 rebounds (9 offensive, 26 defensive) and got 4 blocked shots. Toronto shot 84.2% from the free throw line by converting 16 of their 19 shots. They also knocked down 10 out of their 37 tries from 3-point land.

Kawhi Leonard is one guy who was a major factor in this contest. He notched 20 points on 6 out of 10 shooting. He was on the court for 30:00 mins played and collected 7 boards. Leonard went 60.0% from the floor and dished out 5 assists. An additional guy that was a factor in this matchup for the Clippers was Ivica Zubac. He snagged 10 rebounds in his 30:09 minutes on the hardwood. He shot 66.7% from the field for the matchup by shooting 8-of-12 (18 points). When the final whistle blew, Zubac had accumulated 3 assists.

Los Angeles enters this one with a mark of 46-23 for the year. The Clippers are connecting on 41.5% on 3-pointers (985 of 2,375) and 84.0% from the free throw line. They are averaging 114.0 pts per game (11th in the league) while going 48.2% from the field. They turn it over 13.3 times per contest and as a group are committing 19.4 fouls every game. As a team, Los Angeles is pulling down 44.3 rebounds per game and is sitting with 1,682 assists this season, which has them ranked 19th in the league in terms of passing. On the defensive end, the Clippers are able to force 12.8 turnovers on a nightly basis and they draw 18.2 fouls. The Clippers defense is allowing a FG percentage of 46.3% (882 of 1,257) and they concede 41.1 rebounds per game as a basketball team. They are currently ranked 2nd in basketball in allowing assists to the opposition with 1,576 surrendered for the campaign. They are conceding 35.7% from beyond the arc and they are 4th in the NBA in points per game allowed (107.8).

For their last game, the Houston Rockets went home defeated by a final of 124-122 when they played the Los Angeles Lakers. The Rockets pulled down 33 defensive rebounds and 8 offensive rebounds for a total of 41 for the matchup. They coughed up the ball 15 times, while earning 7 steals in this matchup. The Lakers committed 20 personal fouls for the contest which got the Rockets to the charity stripe for 27 attempts. They were able to knock down 18 of the free throws for a percentage of 66.7%. With regard to 3-point attempts, Houston converted 18 of their 42 attempts (42.9%). When the final whistle was blown, the Rockets finished 43 for 85 from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 50.6%. The Rockets permitted the Lakers to make 52 of 91 tries from the field which left them with a shooting percentage of 57.1% for this game. They shot 35.0% from three-point range by going 7 out of 20 and walked away from this one shooting 13 out of 22 at the free throw line (59.1%). In reference to team rebounding, Houston allowed Los Angeles to get 41 overall (8 on the offensive side).

Kelly Olynyk pitched in for the Rockets for the matchup. He knocked down 6 out of 11 in the game for a field goal percentage of 54.5%, and had 6 rebounds. Olynyk tallied 24 points in his 25:16 minutes on the court and totaled 8 assists in the matchup. Someone else that ended being a contributor for Houston was Kenyon Martin. He accumulated 2 dimes in his 37:11 minutes on the hardwood, and he put in 7 of 10 from the floor. Martin walked away from this one going 70.0% from the floor in addition to contributing 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Houston has a win-loss mark of 16-54 on the year. When it comes to executing on offense, the Rockets are hitting on 44.4% from the floor, which ranks them 28th in the league. Houston has scored 7,616 points so far this year (108.8 per game) and they average 42.6 rebounds per game. Their rate of dishing out assists is at 23.5 times per game (23rd in the NBA) and they lose possession via turnover 14.7 times per game. The Rockets commit 19.6 fouls every game while shooting 74.0% from the charity stripe. The Rockets are ranked 27th in the NBA in PPG allowed with 116.6. The Houston defense allows 38.3% on shots from beyond the arc (948 of 2,476) and their opponents are making 78.3% of their shots from the free throw line. They have surrendered 25.6 assists and 47.6 boards per contest, ranking them 21st and 30th in the league. They are able to force 14.7 turnovers on a nightly basis and allow teams to shoot 47.9% from the floor (27th in the league).

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Los Angeles

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