May 7th NBA Game Previews

The Philadelphia 76ers play host to the New Orleans Pelicans at Wells Fargo Center on Friday.

The Pelicans (30-36) are coming off a win in their most recent contest, but they are, 5-5, in their last 10 games. They will look to build on the momentum and add to their, 12-19, road record, as they face the first game of a five-game road trip. Zion Williamson continues to lead the way for the Pelicans, averaging 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists, in 33 minutes per game. Brandon Ingram is averaging 23.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists, while Lonzo Ball is averaging 14.6 points, 5.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. The Pelicans are averaging 115.1 points per game, which is six most in the league, and they are shooting an average of 48.0 percent from the field, which is seventh best in the league. However, they are giving up an average of 114.8 points per game, which is seventh most in the league.

Meanwhile, the 76ers (45-21) have won their last six games in a row. They will look to keep rolling and add to their, 25-7, home record, as they face the first game of a two-game home stand. Joel Embiid continues to lead the team, averaging 29.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. Tobias Harris also continues to play well, averaging 19.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, while Ben Simmons averages 14.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game. The 76ers are shooting an average of 47.7 percent from the field, which is eighth best in the league. They also do a good job on the defensive end, averaging 9.2 steals per game, which is second most in the league, and they are holding opponents to an average of 108.3 points per game, which is sixth lowest in the league.

The Chicago Bulls will host the Boston Celtics at United Center on Friday evening.

The Bulls (27-39) are coming off a 120-99 win over the Charlotte Hornets the last time out, and that win ended Chicago's four-game losing streak. Nikola Vucevic was the best player on the court for the Bulls, as he finished with a team-high 29 points while also adding 14 rebounds, three assists and two steals. Zach LaVine returned from a lengthy absence and posted 14 points with three rebounds and two assists while logging just 27 minutes, and Coby White chipped in with 14 points, six dimes and four boards. Patrick Williams notched 11 points with nine rebounds, and Garrett Temple added 12 points off the bench. The Bulls are fighting to earn a play-in berth but sit 12 games below the .500 threshold, meaning they'd have to get scorching hot down the stretch to have a chance. Playing at home hasn't been kind to Chicago, however, as the Bulls own a meager 12-20 record in front of their fans.

The Celtics (35-31) are coming off a huge 132-96 win over the Orlando Magic, a game in which Boston allowed 14 players to take the court in this game. However, the usual suspects led the way -- Kemba Walker scored 32 points and added four assists, while Jayson Tatum chipped in with 27 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Evan Fournier added 18 points with five boards and four assists as well, and Payton Pritchard added 14 points across 18 minutes off the bench. The Celtics enter this game on a strong run since they've won three of their last four contests and are settling nicely in playoff spots despite slumping through much of February and March. Boston has been struggling a bit on the road, though, and have posted a meager 14-18 record away from TD Garden.

The Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena on Friday night.

The Timberwolves (20-46) have played much better over the second half of their non-contending season overall, but they've followed up a recent four-game winning streak with back-to-back losses. Their most recent stumble came Wednesday night, when they dropped a narrow 139-135 decision to the Memphis Grizzlies. Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 42 points, adding seven assists, six rebounds, one steal and one block. D'Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns posted 22 points apiece, with Russell also dishing out 14 assists. Naz Reid furnished 14 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and one steal. Juancho Hernangomez managed 11 points and three boards.

The Timberwolves will be without Jaden McDaniels (personal) and Malik Beasley (hamstring) for Friday's contest.

The Heat (35-31), which currently slots into the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, just saw a multi-game stretch of success snapped in their own right, as they fell to the Dallas Mavericks, 127-113, on Tuesday night. In the loss that ended a three-game winning streak, Duncan Robinson and Goran Dragic co-led Miami with 19 points each while pulling down nine and five rebounds, respectively. Trevor Ariza supplied 18 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. Kendrick Nunn and Gabe Vincent registered 14 points apiece. Bam Adebayo generated an 11-point, 11-assist double-double that also included nine rebounds and two steals.

The Heat will list Jimmy Butler (illness) and Tyler Herro (foot) as questionable for Friday's game. Victor Oladipo (knee) will remain out.

Friday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Timberwolves hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 119-111 win April 16.

The Houston Rockets take on the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on Friday night.

The Rockets (16-50) have had a handful of moments to celebrate this season, but as their record implies, a lottery pick in the draft later this year is likely their only motivator at this point. Houston checks into Friday's game having dropped three straight games and eight of their last nine contests overall. Their most recent stumble came Wednesday, when they were throttled, 135-115, by the Philadelphia 76ers. Kelly Olynyk led the Rockets with a 27-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included eight assists, three blocks and one steal. Kenyon Martin, Jr. managed 23 points, 10 boards, six assists and two blocks. Anthony Lamb posted 22 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal. Armoni Brooks poured in 20 points, while Kevin Porter supplied 16 points, five assists and one rebound.

The Rockets will be without Porter (ankle), Avery Bradley (personal), Sterling Brown (knee), D.J. Wilson (COVID-19 protocols) and Eric Gordon (groin) for Friday's game. Olynyk (ankle), Tate (COVID-19 protocol) and Wood (ankle) will all carry questionable tags, while Danuel House (ankle) is doubtful.

The Bucks (42-24) check into Friday's battle on an upward trajectory, as they've prevailed in four straight and seven of the last nine overall. Their most recent success was a memorable one, as they recorded a 135-134 win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night. Jrue Holiday led the way for Milwaukee with 29 points, adding six assists, five rebounds and one block. Giannis Antetokounmpo provided 23 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and two blocks. Donte DiVincenzo supplied 19 points, four assists, three rebounds and one steal. Patrick Connaughton turned in 16 points, six rebounds, three assists and one block. Bryn Forbes offered 14 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Brook Lopez and Jeff Teague delivered 11 points each while pulling down eight rebounds and dishing out four assists, respectively.

The Bucks will list P.J. Tucker (neck) as probable for Friday's contest.

Friday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Rockets own a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 143-136 win April 29.

The Charlotte Hornets will host the Orlando Magic at Spectrum Center on Friday night.

The Hornets (32-34) are coming off a 120-99 loss against the Chicago Bulls the last time out, and now Charlotte has lost four of its last six games as a result. P.J. Washington contributed 24 points to lead the Hornets in this one, but his efforts weren't enough -- he also had six boards, two rebounds and two steals. Terry Rozier had 12 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. LaMelo Ball had four points while shooting 1-10 FG. Malik Monk had 20 points coming off the bench as well, but his efforts were not enough to turn things around. The Hornets have a strong 17-15 record at home this season, but their recent should be cause for concern -- especially since they're still looking to earn a postseason berth once the regular season comes to an end.

The Magic (21-45) are coming off a 132-96 loss against the Boston Celtics the last time out, a game in which they looked completely overmatched. Dwayne Bacon and Moritz Wagner were the best players for the Magic since both ended with 20 points -- Bacon also added four boards while Wagner chipped in with four rebounds, two steals and a block. Mo Bamba got the start and looked impressive, as he posted a double-double of 19 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks and three steals. R.J. Hampton had 18 points off the bench. That loss against Boston means the Magic's short two-game winning streak came to an end, but they've still looked decent of late with a 3-2 mark over their last five games. Another area of concern for Orlando lies in the fact that they've posted a 10-21 mark on the road.

The Dallas Mavericks will host the Cleveland Cavaliers at American Airlines Center on Friday night.

The Mavericks (38-28) have moved 10 games over the .500 threshold with a come-from-behind victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, and that result extended Dallas' solid run of late with five wins out of its last six contests. Luka Doncic led the Mavericks in this win with a 24-point while adding 10 rebounds, eight assists and two steals, while Tim Hardaway Jr. chipped in with 23 points and six rebounds. Dorian Finney-Smith posted 17 points with eight rebounds, while Josh Richardson had 10 points. Dwight Powell contributed a double-double off the bench thanks to 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, while Jalen Brunson added 15 points off the bench as well. Dallas had a huge edge from the field -- the Mavs made 44.9 percent of their shots and drained 44.1 percent from beyond the arc. As if the recent form wasn't enough, it's worth mentioning the Mavericks also own a decent 18-15 record at home.

The Cavaliers (21-45) continue to struggle and suffered yet another loss, falling 141-105 to the Portland Trail Blazers the last time out. The Cavs were led by Kevin Love and his 18 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Collin Sexton accrued 15 points, four assists and two steals. Cedi Osman generated 14 points, two rebounds and two assists while Jarrett Allen compiled nine points, 13 rebounds and two assists. Dean Wade led the bench with 16 points and five rebounds. Cleveland has now lost five games in a row and it has also posted a 1-9 mark in its last 10 games, which goes to show the team is clearly thinking about the next season already. Playing on the road is not going to boost Cleveland's chances of ending their negative run of results, as the Cavs have posted a below-average 9-24 record away from home this season.

The Denver Nuggets travel to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Friday.

The Nuggets (44-22) are among the hottest teams in the NBA, winning 18 of their last 22 games. That amazing stretch is hard to understand when you look at the injury report, with Denver losing Jamal Murray, Monte Morris, Will Barton, and PJ Dozier in that stretch. That's about every ball-handler on this team, and it's left Facundo Campazzo as the starting point guard. He's been awesome in this expanded role, too, playing some feisty defense while distributing the ball at ease. It's all Nikola Jokic's show, though, averaging 26.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game. That has him as the heavy favorite for MVP, and he'd be the first Nugget ever to accomplish that impressive feat.

The Jazz (48-18) still have the best record in the NBA, but they're desperately holding on to that spot, posting a 10-7 record over their last 17 games played. That still sounds like a good stretch, but it's easily the worst period this club has had all year. It's easy to understand why though, missing Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley for much of it. The good news is that both are expected back very soon, and that'd be a huge boost going into the playoffs. The Jazz now sit one game up on the Phoenix Suns for in second in the west, and if they win five of their final six games, they'll guarantee homecourt throughout the postseason.

These teams have played twice this season, splitting those two meetings. Denver has won four of their last five regular-season games over them, though, and took care of the playoff series against them last year.

The Phoenix Suns play host to the New York Knicks at Phoenix Suns Arena on Friday evening.

The Knicks (37-29) have won eight of their last 10 games, but they are coming off a loss in their most recent contest. They will look to get back on track and add to their, 15-18, road record, as they face the fourth game of a six-game road trip. Julius Randle leads the team, averaging 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists, in 37 minutes per game. R.J. Barrett is averaging 17.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists, while Reggie Bullock is averaging 10.6 points, while shooting 41 percent from long range. The Knicks continue to do a great job on the defensive end, where they are holding opponents to league-low averages of 104.7 points per game, and 44.2 percent shooting per game. However, they are averaging 107.3 points per game, which is sixth fewest in the league, and they are shooting an average of 45.7 percent from the field, which is ninth worst in the league.

Meanwhile, the Suns (47-19) are coming off a loss in their most recent contest, but they have won seven of their last 10 games. They will look to get back on track and add to a two-game home winning streak, with the chance to add to their, 25-9, home record. Devin Booker continues to play great, averaging 25.7 points, 4.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. Chris Paul is also playing great, averaging 16.2 points, 8.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. Deandre Ayton is averaging 14.5 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. The Suns are averaging 114.6 points per game, and they are shooting an average of 48.9 percent from the field, which is second best in the league. They also do a solid job on the defensive end, holding opponents to an average of 108.9 points per game, which is fourth fewest in the league.

The Portland Trail Blazers play host to the Los Angeles Lakers at Moda Center on Friday.

The Lakers (37-29) come into this matchup losing seven of their last nine games, trying to cope without LeBron James. He missed over a month due to an ankle issue and then re-aggravated it two games after returning. That means nobody knows when he'll be ready to play, and it has the Lakers freefalling down the standings. They currently sit sixth in the Western Conference, tied with the Trail Blazers to avoid the play-in game. That makes this a pseudo playoff game because neither of these teams wants to play in that play-in tournament. In any case, the defending champs are among the most dangerous teams, no matter where they end up seeded. With that said, Anthony Davis left Thursday's loss with yet another injury and his status is unknown at this time.

The Trail Blazers (37-29) have won five of their last six games, doing everything possible to avoid that dreaded play-in game. They're actually one of the only teams in the NBA who has played in that play-in game, and they were successful in it last season. In any case, they don't want to put that to chance again, and a victory here could put them in a great spot with only six games remaining. The guy who's really turned it around recently is Jusuf Nurkic. The big man was a revelation in the bubble last year, and he's shown glimpses of that since he started receiving a full workload just two weeks back. Over his last eight games, Nurk is averaging 15.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game.

These teams have played twice in Los Angeles already this year, splitting those two meetings. With that said, Portland has won 19 of their last 23 games over Los Angeles in this series.

The Sacramento Kings play host to the San Antonio Spurs at Golden 1 Center on Friday.

The Spurs (31-34) come into this matchup in the midst of a five-game losing streak. This terrible stretch has dropped them to 10th in the Western Conference, putting their playoff lives in jeopardy. They are now just 1.5 games up on the New Orleans Pelicans in 11th, and it would be hard to find anyone who would say San Antonio is the more talented team of those two. It is a testament to this organization, though, because this club continues to compete despite being mismatched on a nightly basis. The guy who's really gotten them to this point is DeMar DeRozan, leading the team with 21.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game.

The Kings (29-37) are trying their best to stay alive, but they have an uphill battle ahead of them. They are 2.5 games back of these Spurs for the final playoff spot, but the injuries have completely killed this club. Harrison Barnes and Tyrese Haliburton have both suffered injuries over the last week, while De'Aaron Fox continues to miss games due to COVID protocols. There is some thought he could return here, and they need him back if they are to make this final push. The speedy point guard is in the midst of a breakout season, averaging 25.2 points and 7.2 assists per game. If anyone can get them out of this whole, he's the one, and now's the time with Sacramento winning their last four games.

These teams have played twice this season, splitting those two meetings. Before that, the Spurs have dominated this series, winning 46 of their previous 54 games over the Kings.