January 23rd NBA Game Previews

The New York Knicks will host the Los Angeles Clippers at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon.

The Knicks (22-24) are coming off a 102-91 loss against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday, and that result extended their losing streak to three contests. Mitchell Robinson led the Knicks with 17 points, 15 rebounds and a block, in 30 minutes. RJ Barrett added 17 points, six rebounds, two assists and a block, while Immanuel Quickley chipped in 14 points, four rebounds, five assists and three steals, off the bench. The Knicks shot 38 percent from the field, including 9-of-38 from long range. The Knicks have also gone 11-14 when playing at home.

The Clippers (23-24) are coming off a 102-102 win over the Philadelphia Sixers on Friday, though that win means they’ve won two of their last three contests. During that victory, Reggie Jackson led the Clippers with 19 points, adding nine assists and three rebounds. Nicolas Batum furnished 15 points, seven boards, three assists and two steals. Ivica Zubac and Marcus Morris posted 12 points apiece while pulling down 10 and nine rebounds, respectively. Amir Coffey delivered 12 points and three boards. Isaiah Hartenstein and Luke Kennard generated matching 10-point tallies. Los Angeles, however, has gone 2-3 in their last five contests and has also posted a negative 8-12 record on the road.

The Washington Wizards will host the Boston Celtics at Capital One Arena on Sunday evening.

The Wizards (23-23) are coming off a 109-105 home loss against the Toronto Raptors on Friday. Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 25 points, five rebounds and eight assists, in 40 minutes. Spencer Dinwiddie followed up with 17 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and a steal, while Rui Hachimura chipped in 11 points and eight rebounds. The Wizards shot 51 percent from the field, including 11-of-33 from long range. Washington has gone 13-10 at home and enters this contest having lost three of its last four, including two in a row.

The Celtics (23-24) are coming off a 109-105 loss against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday. Jayson Tatum paced the Celtics with 27 points, supplementing them with 10 rebounds and seven assists. Jaylen Brown supplied 22 points, five boards and five assists. Grant Williams totaled 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Romeo Langford mustered 12 points, two boards and two blocks. That loss against Portland marked Boston’s second straight defeat and while the Celtics have gone 2-3 over their last five games, their record of 23-24 clearly doesn’t inspire any confidence.

The Miami Heat will host the Los Angeles Lakers at FTX Arena on Sunday evening.

The Heat (29-17) have been one of the best home teams in The Association this season, but they enter this contest following a 110-108 loss against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. Bam Adebayo, amassing 21 points, six rebounds and five assists, was Miami’s best player. Duncan Robinson totaled 19 points and three assists. Gabe Vincent accrued 14 points, two rebounds and nine assists, while Jimmy Butler tallied 13 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals. Max Strus led the bench with 15 points and four assists. The Heat has gone 15-5 at home this season, though, and they will try to bounce back since they’ve won two of their last three contests -- and three of their last five.

The Lakers (23-23) are coming off a 116-105 win over the Orlando Magic on Friday. They were led by LeBron James, tallying 29 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Russel Westbrook collected 18 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Carmelo Anthony led the bench with 23 points and three rebounds. Avery Bradley accrued nine points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. The Lakers are 8-11 when playing on the road.

The Orlando Magic play host to the Chicago Bulls at Amway Center on Sunday evening.

This marks the second game of a five-game home stand for the Magic (8-39), which they began with a loss against the Lakers on Friday. It marked the fourth consecutive loss for the Magic and they will bee looking to end the slide and add to their, 2-17, home record. Cole Anthony has been quiet lately, averaging 9.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists, over the last five games. Franz Wagner has been consistent for the Magic all season and is averaging 13.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists, over the last 10 games. The Magic are averaging 101.8 points per game, which is second fewest in the league, and they are giving up an average of 110.9 points against.

Meanwhile, this marks the second game of a three-game road trip for the Bulls (28-16), as they will look to bounce back from a loss in their most recent contest and add to their, 12-10, road record. Alex Caruso (wrist) left the Bulls' last game due to injury and will be sidelined for at least a month. Lonzo Ball (knee), Derrick Jones (knee) and Zach LaVine (knee) will also be sidelined, while Javonte Green (groin) is questionable for action. On the bright side, DeMar DeRozan continues his dominant play, averaging 23.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists, over the last 10 games. Nikola Vucevic has also been playing well, averaging 17.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks, over the last 10 games. Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White will continue to have to step up in the backcourt.

The Toronto Raptors play host to the Portland Trail Blazers at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday evening.

The Raptors (22-21) will be looking to build on the momentum from a win in their last game and add to their, 12-11, home record. Fred VanVleet has logged a double-double in the last two games, and he is averaging 24.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.8 steals, over the last 10 games. Pascal Siakam also continues to play well, averaging 23.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.0 steals, over the last 10 games. Scottie Barnes poured in 27 points to lead the team in the Raptors' last contest, and the rookie is averaging 14.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steals, this season. The Raptors are averaging 106.8 points per game, but they are shooting an average of 43.6 percent from the field, which is fourth worst in the league.

Meanwhile, this marks the sixth and final game of a road trip for the Trail Blazers (19-26), where they have gone, 3-2, so far, coming off a win in Boston in their last outing. They will look to keep up the strong play and add to their, 5-15, road record. Damian Lillard (abdomen), Larry Nance (knee), Norman Powell (personal) and Cody Zeller (knee) will remain sidelined. Anfernee Simons has been playing great in the absence of Lillard, averaging 25.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists, in his last nine games. C.J. McCollum is finding his rhythm, averaging 21.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks, over the last three games. Jusuf Nurkic remains solid, averaging 17.8 points, 13.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.7 steals, over the last 10 games. The Trail Blazers average 108.3 points per game, but they are giving up an average of 112.2 points against, which is fifth most in the league.

The San Antonio Spurs play host to the Philadelphia 76ers at AT&T Center on Sunday evening.

This marks the seventh and final game of a home stand for the Spurs (17-29), where they have gone, 2-4, so far, with a loss to the Nets in their most recent contest. The Spurs will look to close out the home stand on a high note and add to their, 9-14, home record. Dejounte Murray is coming off consecutive triple-doubles and has been playing great lately, averaging 23.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 9.4 assists and 2.0 steals, over the last 10 games. Jakob Poeltl remains consistent at the center position and is averaging 13.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steals, over his last 10 games. Derrick White has been regaining his rhythm after a week-long absence, as he is averaging 15.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.3 blocks, over the last four games.

Meanwhile, the 76ers (26-19) will be looking to bounce back from a home loss in their last game by adding to their,16-9, road record. Joel Embiid continues his stellar play, leading the team with an average of 33.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.3 blocks, over the last 10 games. Tobias Harris has remained consistent, averaging 17.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.0 steals, over the same span. After a bit of a slow stretch, Tyrese Maxey has picked up his play again, averaging 17.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists, over the last five games. The Sixers continue to deal with injury trouble, as Matisse Thybulle (shoulder) and Shake Milton (back) will remain sidelined, while Seth Curry (ankle) and Danny Green (hip) are listed as questionable for action.

The Charlotte Hornets play host to the Atlanta Hawks at Spectrum Center on Sunday evening.

The Hornets (26-20) will look to build on a three-game win streak and add to their, 13-6, home record. LaMelo Ball has been solid, averaging 17.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists, over his last 10 games. Terry Rozier is averaging 22.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.1 steals, over the last 10 games, while Miles Bridges is averaging 21.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks, over the same span. The Hornets are averaging 114.6 points per game, which is second most in the league, but they are giving up an average of 114.2 points per game, which is second most in the league.

Meanwhile, this marks the first game back on the road after a four-game home stand for the Hawks (20-25), where they went, 3-1, with a loss, followed by three consecutive wins. They will look to keep the momentum going with a chance to add to their. 9-14, road record. Bogdan Bogdanovic (knee) has missed a week of action and will remain sidelined, while Danilo Gallinari (achilles) missed the last game and is listed as questionable for action. Kevin Huerter (knee) is also listed as questionable. On the bright side, Trae Young continues his great play, averaging 29.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 1.2 steals, over the last five games. John Collins is averaging 15.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks, over the last five games. Clint Capela played just 25 minutes and finished with six points and six rebounds in he Hawks' last game, which marked his first game back from a 10-day absence. The Hawks are averaging 111.2 points per game, but they are giving up a league-high 116.3 points against.

The Dallas Mavericks play host to the Memphis Grizzlies at American Airlines Center on Sunday.

The Grizzlies (32-16) have the third-best record in the Western Conference and look better by the day. They're coming off an impressive road win against the Denver Nuggets on Friday, getting another 38 points from Ja Morant. The young point guard has been posting lines like that regularly, and he's been skyrocketing up the MVP ladder with his ridiculous play. What also makes this team scary is the fact that they've done this damage with numerous absences. Desmond Bane, Kyle Anderson and Dillon Brooks are all out now, and it'll be amazing to see how they look at full health. This is also the second-youngest team in the NBA, and it's frightening to see what they could become.

The Mavericks (26-20) are also one of the hottest teams in the NBA, entering this matchup winning 10 of their last 12 games. The most recent loss against the Phoenix Suns was discouraging though, blowing a late lead and allowing the Suns to win in comeback fashion. Losing to Phoenix is nothing to be ashamed of but suffering a defeat in that manner is crippling. In any case, this is the first week that this roster has been at full health, and it's awesome to watch Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis play together. Luka has been on another level recently, too, fliting with triple-double averages over the last three weeks.

Dallas has won five of their last seven games over Memphis in this series. They've dominated it historically as well, owning a 71-32 record against them in their 103 career matchups.

The Denver Nuggets play host to the Detroit Pistons at Ball Arena on Sunday.

The Pistons (11-34) have been playing much better recently, entering this matchup with a 6-6 record across their last 12 games. Some of the performances in there have been shocking, too, beating teams like the Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks. Having an extended .500 stretch like that makes this record hard to understand, with Detroit posting the second-worst record in the NBA. They were expected to have their fair share of struggles this season, and it's looking like another lost year. It has people talking about who Detroit will keep and who they'll move at the trade deadline, with Jerami Grant and Kelly Olynyk looking like the most likely candidates to be moved.

The Nuggets (23-21) have been playing well recently too, entering this matchup winning eight of their last 13 games. With that said, they were out-classed by the Memphis Grizzlies in their most recent outing on Friday. Nikola Jokic recorded his fourth straight triple-double in that defeat, but he needs some help going forward. Guys like Monte Morris, Will Barton, and Aaron Gordon have flashes moments of brilliance, but it's been far too inconsistent for a team that's expected to compete. The good news is that Jamal Murray is flirting the nine-month mark in his recovery from a torn ACL, and that means he could be on the floor sometime in the next month. Adding an All-Star point guard obviously won't hurt, and it'll be exciting to see him ad Jokic run their patented two-man game.

Denver has dominated this series over recent years, winning each of their last three meetings by 13 points or more.

The Minnesota Timberwolves play host to the Brooklyn Nets at Target Center on Sunday.

The Nets (28-16) have dealt with as much adversity as anyone, but they're in striking distance of the top spot in the Eastern Conference. After winning their last two games, Brooklyn is just one game back of that spot. The most recent win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday was sensational. James Harden tallied 37 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in that masterful performance, riding Brooklyn to a 67-51 second-half comeback. That's what we've been waiting to see from The Beard all season, and it's clear he's comfortable taking over this offense when asked. It's also nice to have Kyrie Irving in for the road games, scoring at least 24 points in each of the last three games.

The Timberwolves (22-23) have been tough to figure out, and a 134-122 loss against the Atlanta Hawks in their most recent game shows just why. Minnesota actually had a 15-point second-quarter lead in that game but allowed Atlanta to take control with a 45-20 third quarter. Anthony Edwards was ejected in that frame, and it shows the immaturity of this club. With all that said, the T'Wolves enter this matchup winning six of their last nine games. That had them over .500 for a short period of time, and Timberwolves fans would love to see this team finish above that threshold. That's something we haven't seen since the Kevin Love era, and it'd be impressive with youngsters like D'Angelo Russell, Edwards and Karl-Anthony Edwards running the show.

These teams played back on December 3, with Brooklyn prevailing, 110-105. That gives the Nets three straight wins in this series, which followed up five straight victories from the T'Wolves prior.

The Golden State Warriors play host to the Utah Jazz at Chase Center on Sunday.

The Jazz (31-16) have been reeling, entering this matchup losing six of their last eight games. It's easy to see why with Rudy Gobert missing time because of COVID protocols and Donovan Mitchell missing games due to a concussion. The good news is that Rudy just returned earlier in the week, and there's a chance Mitchell might be ready to come back for this critical matchup with the Warriors. Having those two guys in the lineup can't be overstated because those studs carried this club to the best record in the NBA last season. Even with the recent slide, Utah still sits third in the west, and they look well on their way to a home playoff series yet again.

The Warriors (33-13) are also in their worst stretch of the season, entering this matchup with a 5-6 record over their last 11 games. What's really horrifying is the fact that they're struggling with bad teams. They lost to an Indiana Pacers team missing four starters in overtime on Thursday, which followed up a 20-point loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves a few days prior. It didn't get any better on Friday either, with Golden State beating a 13-win Houston Rockets team on the final shot of the game. A win is a win, though, and getting a game-winner from Stephen Curry might be the sort of thing that gets them rolling once again.

These teams played back on January 1, with Golden State prevailing, 123-116. That gives the Warriors three straight wins in this series, which followed up a five-game winning streak by the Jazz before that.