The Utah Jazz could learn their Western Conference semifinal opponent tonight

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, left, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard defends during Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Wednesday, June 2, 2021, in Los Angeles. | Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press

The Utah Jazz are in wait-and-see mode for their NBA Western Conference semifinal opponent after eliminating the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this week, and the Jazz could find out their next opponent Friday night.

The Dallas Mavericks host the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 6 of their first-round series, and with a win, the Mavericks would advance to face the Jazz.

How to watch Mavericks-Clippers

• Game 6: No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers at No. 5 Dallas Mavericks
• Time: 7 p.m. MDT
• TV: ESPN
• Venue: American Airlines Center

Series schedule

Dallas leads the series, 3-2

• Game 1: Dallas 113, Los Angeles 103
• Game 2: Dallas 127, Los Angeles 121
• Game 3: Los Angeles 118, Dallas 108
• Game 4: Los Angeles 106, Dallas 81
• Game 5: Dallas 105, Los Angeles 100
• Game 6: Los Angeles at Dallas, Friday, 7 p.m.
• Game 7 (if necessary): Dallas at Los Angeles, Sunday, 1:30 p.m.

3 things to watch for in Mavericks-Clippers Game 6

• The road team has won every game so far in this series, which would seem to give the Clippers the leg-up in staying alive. It’s only the third playoff series in NBA history where the road team has won through the first five games — the other two happened in 1984 and 1995.
• Luka Doncic has carried the load for the Mavericks in this series and came up particularly big in Dallas’ Game 5 win, when he had 42 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in the five-point win. Doncic is averaging 35.0 points, 9.4 assists and 8.0 assists per game in the series and will need to have another big game Friday — the last time the two teams played in Dallas, he had 19 points in the Mavericks’ Game 4 loss.

• The Clippers have two of the NBA’s biggest stars on their roster — Kawhi Leonard and Paul George — but a loss Friday would be a step back for the franchise after Los Angeles advanced to the Western Conference semifinals last season. The Clippers are trying to avoid a fourth first-round exit in their last five playoff appearances. Leonard is also having an impressive series, averaging 30.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per contest.

from Deseret News https://ift.tt/3z2NntE