On Friday, Brooklyn Nets All-Star Kyrie Irving requested a trade with just six days until the deadline. The Nets worked quickly, completing a trade with the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night and having Irving sit out only one game. They beat the Washington Wizards 125-123, with Cam Thomas dropping a career-high 44 points.
In the first game without Irving on the roster, the Nets will face the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday in Brooklyn. The Clippers were one of the teams trying to trade for Irving. In the Clippers’ last game, they defeated the New York Knicks in overtime, 134-128.
Let’s check the latest NBA news, stats, injury report and NBA lines for Clippers vs Nets. We’ve got plenty of NBA picks for you to consider.
Clippers Finish Road Trip
The Los Angeles Clippers will play their final game of six straight on the road against Eastern Conference opponents. They have gone 3-2, losing against the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers, with the Clippers resting their starters in that game.
The Clippers team is finally starting to be healthy consistently, proving hard to beat when everyone is on the court. When Paul George and Kawhi Leonard start, the team is 16-8 and, more recently, 7-3 since January.
Part of that is the elite level both have been playing at during this time. George has been selected as an All-Star reserve. His stats are not eye-popping, but he has played a big part in the Clippers being fourth in the Western Conference. In the game against the Knicks, he scored 30 points with eight rebounds and five assists.
The start of the season was difficult for Leonard, but he has since turned it around. He is averaging 27.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, four assists, and two steals since January. Facing the Knicks, he had 35 points, five rebounds, and four steals.
Norman Powell has also finally started to get in a rhythm, averaging 25.7 points over the last three games off the bench.
Nets Next Steps
After the weekend that the Brooklyn Nets just had, it will likely not get any easier. They have consistently found themselves in the national media spotlight and here they are again.
It was clear from the trade sending Irving to the Dallas Mavericks that the Nets are trying to keep a contending team together behind Kevin Durant. Spencer Dinwiddie has found his way back to Brooklyn, averaging 17.7 points this season, and Dorian Finney-Smith is a solid 3-and-D player. The Nets also acquired the Mavericks’ 2029 first-round draft pick, which all signs point to possibly being traded to add more talent.
Staying a championship contender without Irving will be incredibly difficult, but it had no effect in the Nets’ first game without him. Second-year player Thomas had 44 points off the bench in 29 minutes, making up for the usual starters struggling.
Thomas is not going to be the answer in the absence of Irving, but he has proven to be a capable scorer when called upon. On top of that, with Durant out right now, that gives Thomas a lot of space to see what he is within the team until the Nets possibly add another critical piece.
Clippers vs Nets Game Injuries
Clippers vs Nets Head-to-Head
The Clippers and Nets have already played this season in Los Angeles. The Nets won that game 110-95, behind Durant’s 27 points. Last season, they split their two games, each team winning on the road.
Clippers vs Nets Game Information
- Game: Clippers (30-26) vs Nets (32-20)
- Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
- Day/Time: Monday, Feb. 6th, 7:30 p.m. EST
- Clippers vs Nets Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Clippers vs Nets Betting Lines
Clippers vs Nets Picks & Prediction
Without Durant and the players involved in the Irving trade, it’s hard to see the Nets beating one of the top teams in the NBA. However, they have already shown the ability to challenge opponents, but the Wizards and the Clippers are in different tiers within the league.
George, Leonard and Powell are all coming off big games. Against the Nets, they should be able to keep that going, get out to a lead and maintain it.
The Los Angeles Clippers are listed at -310 in our Vegas NBA lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Clippers, you have a chance to win $32. The Brooklyn Nets are +256, offering a chance to win $256 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Los Angeles Clippers a 75.61% chance to win, with the Brooklyn Nets at 28.09%.
Clippers vs Nets Trends
Clippers vs Nets Edge
Clippers vs Nets Results
Clippers vs Nets Game Summary
Rockets vs Kings Previous Game (Nov 12, 2022)
While the NBA and Kyrie Irving work toward a resolution to his situation, his Brooklyn Nets teammates have won four of their last six and carry some momentum into a West Coast trip. Waiting for them in the opener is the Los Angeles Clippers, who have turned around a slow start with some solid play of late.
The great thing about making a bet on NBA action is that you don’t need to worry about off-court drama. It’s 5-on-5 and there is a bet online to make somewhere.
