Wizards and Pacers Face Off in Key Battle
The Washington Wizards take on the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday night.
The Wizards (31-36) check into Saturday's game against the team that's just a half-game ahead of them in the standings for the No. 9 seed having won 12 of their last 15 games. Their most recent success came Thursday night, when they prevailed over the Toronto Raptors in a wild 131-129 overtime decision. Bradley Beal paced the Wizards with 28 points, complementing them with five rebounds and five assists. Raul Neto contributed 25 points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals. Robin Lopez furnished 24 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Davis Bertans delivered 14 points and five rebounds. Russell Westbrook generated a 13-point, 17-rebound, 17-assist triple-double that also included one steal. Alex Len totaled 10 points, four rebounds and one assist.
The Wizards will come into Saturday's game without any injuries to report.
The Pacers (31-35) are still hanging on to that aforementioned No. 9 spot in the Eastern Conference, but they've largely done so despite a skid that's seen them lose four of their last six games. Their most recent time on the floor did result in one of those wins, however, as they prevailed by a 133-126 score over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night. Caris LeVert led the way with 31 points, adding 12 assists, three rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Domantas Sabonis supplied 30 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and one steal. T.J. McConnell chipped in 19 points, five assists, two rebounds and four steals. Aaron Holiday and Doug McDermott went for 15 and 13 points, respectively.
The Pacers will list Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring), Edmond Sumner (knee) and Jeremy Lamb (knee) as questionable for Saturday's game. JaKarr Sampson (concussion) is expected to remain out.
Saturday's game marks the third and final meeting between the teams this season. The Wizards own a 2-0 series lead, having notched 132-124 and 154-141 wins March 29 and May 3, respectively.
The Wizards (31-36) check into Saturday's game against the team that's just a half-game ahead of them in the standings for the No. 9 seed having won 12 of their last 15 games. Their most recent success came Thursday night, when they prevailed over the Toronto Raptors in a wild 131-129 overtime decision. Bradley Beal paced the Wizards with 28 points, complementing them with five rebounds and five assists. Raul Neto contributed 25 points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals. Robin Lopez furnished 24 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Davis Bertans delivered 14 points and five rebounds. Russell Westbrook generated a 13-point, 17-rebound, 17-assist triple-double that also included one steal. Alex Len totaled 10 points, four rebounds and one assist.
The Wizards will come into Saturday's game without any injuries to report.
The Pacers (31-35) are still hanging on to that aforementioned No. 9 spot in the Eastern Conference, but they've largely done so despite a skid that's seen them lose four of their last six games. Their most recent time on the floor did result in one of those wins, however, as they prevailed by a 133-126 score over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night. Caris LeVert led the way with 31 points, adding 12 assists, three rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Domantas Sabonis supplied 30 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and one steal. T.J. McConnell chipped in 19 points, five assists, two rebounds and four steals. Aaron Holiday and Doug McDermott went for 15 and 13 points, respectively.
The Pacers will list Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring), Edmond Sumner (knee) and Jeremy Lamb (knee) as questionable for Saturday's game. JaKarr Sampson (concussion) is expected to remain out.
Saturday's game marks the third and final meeting between the teams this season. The Wizards own a 2-0 series lead, having notched 132-124 and 154-141 wins March 29 and May 3, respectively.
Sixers Looking To Extend Winning Run, Host Pistons
The Philadephia 76ers will host the Detroit Pistons at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday evening.
The 76ers (46-21) are coming off a big win the last time out, coming from behind to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans by a 109-107 score in a game that proved to be tighter than anyone could've predicted. Joel Embiid had an excellent performance for the Sixers and finished with 37 points and 13 rebounds, while Ben Simmons dished out 10 dimes to go along with nine rebounds and eight points. Tobias Harris had 17 points, and Seth Curry contributed 16 points, six rebounds and five assists. George Hill added 11 points off the bench. Dwight Howard had four points with nine boards. The Sixers have the edge when it comes to the win-loss record by a wide margin, and they have been one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference from a winning percentage perspective. One of the main reasons why they've been so good lies in the fact that they've won 26 of the 33 games they've played at Wells Fargo Center this season. Philadelphia also enters this game on a seven-game winning streak.
The Pistons (20-47) could easily be considered as the opposite of the 76ers, as they sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and have not been very good when playing away from home, as they own a meager 7-28 record when playing on the road. In fact, the Pistons were riding a losing streak before their most recent outing, as they came away with a 111-97 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday. Cory Joseph and Wayne Ellington co-led the Pistons with 18 points in that game, with Joseph also dishing out 11 assists and three steals. Isaiah Stewart posted 15 points, seven rebounds, one assist and three blocks. Seko Doumbouya managed 14 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Saddiq Bey and Jahlil Okafor posted matching 13-point, five-rebound tallies, while Frank Jackson poured in 11 points. The Pistons have been poor of late, though, posting a 3-7 mark in their last 10 contests.
The 76ers (46-21) are coming off a big win the last time out, coming from behind to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans by a 109-107 score in a game that proved to be tighter than anyone could've predicted. Joel Embiid had an excellent performance for the Sixers and finished with 37 points and 13 rebounds, while Ben Simmons dished out 10 dimes to go along with nine rebounds and eight points. Tobias Harris had 17 points, and Seth Curry contributed 16 points, six rebounds and five assists. George Hill added 11 points off the bench. Dwight Howard had four points with nine boards. The Sixers have the edge when it comes to the win-loss record by a wide margin, and they have been one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference from a winning percentage perspective. One of the main reasons why they've been so good lies in the fact that they've won 26 of the 33 games they've played at Wells Fargo Center this season. Philadelphia also enters this game on a seven-game winning streak.
The Pistons (20-47) could easily be considered as the opposite of the 76ers, as they sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and have not been very good when playing away from home, as they own a meager 7-28 record when playing on the road. In fact, the Pistons were riding a losing streak before their most recent outing, as they came away with a 111-97 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday. Cory Joseph and Wayne Ellington co-led the Pistons with 18 points in that game, with Joseph also dishing out 11 assists and three steals. Isaiah Stewart posted 15 points, seven rebounds, one assist and three blocks. Seko Doumbouya managed 14 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Saddiq Bey and Jahlil Okafor posted matching 13-point, five-rebound tallies, while Frank Jackson poured in 11 points. The Pistons have been poor of late, though, posting a 3-7 mark in their last 10 contests.
Raptors Look To End Two-Game Slide
By Dan Bruno
The Toronto Raptors play host to the Memphis Grizzlies at Amalie Arena on Saturday evening.
The Raptors (27-40) have dropped six of their last 10 games, including their last two in a row. They will look to get back on track and improve on their, 16-17, home record, as they face the second game of a three-game home stand. Pascal Siakam leads the team, averaging 21.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals, in 36 minutes per game. Kyle Lowry (rest) and Fred VanVleet (rest) are expected to be sidelined, while Chris Boucher (knee) and OG Anunoby (calf) will remain out. With the starting backcourt sidelined, Malachi Flynn will continue to see extended minutes, as he is averaging 8.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists, in 21 minutes per game, over the last 10 games. The Raptors continue to struggle on the offensive end, as they are shooting an average of 45.0 percent from the field, which is fifth worst in the league, but they limit themselves to 12.6 turnovers per game, which is eighth fewest in the league.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies (33-33) dropped six of their last 10 games and are coming off a loss in their most recent outing. They will look to get back on track and add to their, 19-15, road record, as they face the third and final game of a road trip. Ja Morant continues to lead the Grizz, averaging 19.4 points, 7.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds, in 32 minutes per game. Jonas Valanciunas is averaging 16.7 points and 12.3 rebounds, while Dillon Brooks is averaging 16.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game. The Grizzlies average a league-high 9.2 steals per game, but still need to improve on the defensive end, as they are giving up an average of 112.7 points per game. On the offensive end, they make an average of 11.2 three-pointers per game, which is seventh fewest in the league, while they shoot an average of 35.7 percent from deep.
The Raptors (27-40) have dropped six of their last 10 games, including their last two in a row. They will look to get back on track and improve on their, 16-17, home record, as they face the second game of a three-game home stand. Pascal Siakam leads the team, averaging 21.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals, in 36 minutes per game. Kyle Lowry (rest) and Fred VanVleet (rest) are expected to be sidelined, while Chris Boucher (knee) and OG Anunoby (calf) will remain out. With the starting backcourt sidelined, Malachi Flynn will continue to see extended minutes, as he is averaging 8.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists, in 21 minutes per game, over the last 10 games. The Raptors continue to struggle on the offensive end, as they are shooting an average of 45.0 percent from the field, which is fifth worst in the league, but they limit themselves to 12.6 turnovers per game, which is eighth fewest in the league.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies (33-33) dropped six of their last 10 games and are coming off a loss in their most recent outing. They will look to get back on track and add to their, 19-15, road record, as they face the third and final game of a road trip. Ja Morant continues to lead the Grizz, averaging 19.4 points, 7.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds, in 32 minutes per game. Jonas Valanciunas is averaging 16.7 points and 12.3 rebounds, while Dillon Brooks is averaging 16.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game. The Grizzlies average a league-high 9.2 steals per game, but still need to improve on the defensive end, as they are giving up an average of 112.7 points per game. On the offensive end, they make an average of 11.2 three-pointers per game, which is seventh fewest in the league, while they shoot an average of 35.7 percent from deep.
Nuggets Look To Bounce Back On Second Night Of Back-To-Back
By Dan Bruno
The Denver Nuggets play host to the Brooklyn Nets at Ball Arena on Saturday evening.
This marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Nuggets (44-23), as they are coming off a hard-fought loss in Utah on Friday night. The contest got out to a high-scoring start, with the Nuggets holding a, 41-40, lead after one quarter. They stayed strong in the second and pushed their advantage to four points by halftime. However, the Nuggets began to let it slip away in the second half, as their lead was cut to one, heading into the fourth, before they fell apart late, to end up with the road loss. Michael Porter Jr. was the high-point man for the Nuggets, with 31 points on 10-of-19 shooting, in 31 minutes. Nikola Jokic also continued his strong play, with 24 points, 13 assists, nine rebounds and a block, while Paul Millsap chipped in 19 points. The Nuggets will look to bounce back as they return home, where they have won seven straight contests, and have a, 25-10, record. Will Barton (hamstring) has been sidelined for the last couple of weeks but is listed as questionable for action on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Nets (43-24) have lost their last four games in a row, but they are, 5-5, in their last 10 games. They will look to get back on track and add to their, 18-16, home record, as they face the fourth game of a five-game trip. James Harden (hamstring) will remain out. Kevin Durant is averaging a team-high 28.0 points, in 33 minutes per game. Kyrie Irving continues to play well, averaging 27.4 points, 6.3 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game, while Joe Harris is averaging 14.2 points, while shooting an average of 48 percent from long range. The Nets are averaging 118.5 points per game, which is second most in the league, and they are shooting a league-best 49.1 percent from the field. On the defensive end, they are giving up an average of 114.5 points per game, which is ninth most in the league.
This marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Nuggets (44-23), as they are coming off a hard-fought loss in Utah on Friday night. The contest got out to a high-scoring start, with the Nuggets holding a, 41-40, lead after one quarter. They stayed strong in the second and pushed their advantage to four points by halftime. However, the Nuggets began to let it slip away in the second half, as their lead was cut to one, heading into the fourth, before they fell apart late, to end up with the road loss. Michael Porter Jr. was the high-point man for the Nuggets, with 31 points on 10-of-19 shooting, in 31 minutes. Nikola Jokic also continued his strong play, with 24 points, 13 assists, nine rebounds and a block, while Paul Millsap chipped in 19 points. The Nuggets will look to bounce back as they return home, where they have won seven straight contests, and have a, 25-10, record. Will Barton (hamstring) has been sidelined for the last couple of weeks but is listed as questionable for action on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Nets (43-24) have lost their last four games in a row, but they are, 5-5, in their last 10 games. They will look to get back on track and add to their, 18-16, home record, as they face the fourth game of a five-game trip. James Harden (hamstring) will remain out. Kevin Durant is averaging a team-high 28.0 points, in 33 minutes per game. Kyrie Irving continues to play well, averaging 27.4 points, 6.3 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game, while Joe Harris is averaging 14.2 points, while shooting an average of 48 percent from long range. The Nets are averaging 118.5 points per game, which is second most in the league, and they are shooting a league-best 49.1 percent from the field. On the defensive end, they are giving up an average of 114.5 points per game, which is ninth most in the league.
Thunder and Warriors Tangle in Bay Area Battle
The Oklahoma City Thunder takes on the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Saturday night.
The Thunder (21-46) continue to play out the string on their non-contending season, and they'll enter Saturday's game having dropped five straight decisions. Their most recent stumble came against these same Warriors on Thursday night, when they dropped a 118-97 decision. Ty Jerome led the way with 23 points, adding four rebounds, three assists and one steal. Darius Bazley followed with 22 points, three boards, two assists and one steal. Theo Maledon contributed 15 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals.
The Thunder will continue without Aleksej Pokusevski (knee) and Mike Muscala (knee) for Saturday's game, while Luguentz Dort (knee) will carry a questionable tag.
The Warriors' (34-33) win over the Thunder was their third in the last four games, a stretch that's helped them creep into the No. 8 slot in the Western Conference. Stephen Curry paced the Warriors with 34 points, supplementing them with seven assists, four rebounds and one steal. Mychal Mulder poured in 25 points, while Andrew Wiggins supplied 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists and one steal. Jordan Poole registered 14 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Kent Bazemore totaled 13 points, six boards and one assist.
The Warriors will continue without Kelly Oubre (wrist), Damion Lee (COVID-19 protocols) and Eric Paschall (hip) for Saturday's contest.
Saturday's game marks the third and final meeting between the teams this season. The Warriors hold a 2-0 series lead, having notched a 147-109 win April 14 before Thursday's victory.
The Thunder (21-46) continue to play out the string on their non-contending season, and they'll enter Saturday's game having dropped five straight decisions. Their most recent stumble came against these same Warriors on Thursday night, when they dropped a 118-97 decision. Ty Jerome led the way with 23 points, adding four rebounds, three assists and one steal. Darius Bazley followed with 22 points, three boards, two assists and one steal. Theo Maledon contributed 15 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals.
The Thunder will continue without Aleksej Pokusevski (knee) and Mike Muscala (knee) for Saturday's game, while Luguentz Dort (knee) will carry a questionable tag.
The Warriors' (34-33) win over the Thunder was their third in the last four games, a stretch that's helped them creep into the No. 8 slot in the Western Conference. Stephen Curry paced the Warriors with 34 points, supplementing them with seven assists, four rebounds and one steal. Mychal Mulder poured in 25 points, while Andrew Wiggins supplied 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists and one steal. Jordan Poole registered 14 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Kent Bazemore totaled 13 points, six boards and one assist.
The Warriors will continue without Kelly Oubre (wrist), Damion Lee (COVID-19 protocols) and Eric Paschall (hip) for Saturday's contest.
Saturday's game marks the third and final meeting between the teams this season. The Warriors hold a 2-0 series lead, having notched a 147-109 win April 14 before Thursday's victory.
Trail Blazers Host Spurs on Saturday
The Portland Trail Blazers play host to the San Antonio Spurs at Moda Center on Saturday.
The Spurs (32-34) pulled off a huge victory on Friday, beating the Sacramento Kings, 123-114. While that's a win they expect to get, it's critical when you see that they entered that matchup in the midst of a five-game losing streak. That poor stretch has put their playoff hopes in jeopardy, sitting just three games up on the New Orleans Pelicans in 11th. The good news is that the season is winding down quickly, and only a couple more wins will guarantee them a spot in the play-in tournament. This is certainly a club no one wants to see in that tourney, either, possessing dangerous players like DeMar DeRozan and Dejounte Murray.
The Trail Blazers (38-29) picked up a huge win themselves on Friday, beating the Los Angeles Lakers, 106-101. They were actually tied with the Lakers for the six-seed in the west before that, and that's arguably the most important seeding around. That's the final spot to avoid the dreaded play-in tournament, and that sort of result puts a huge gap between the two teams. It was really no surprise when you look at the form of those teams, though, with Portland winning six of their last seven games in total and Los Angeles freefalling down the standings. That's the club we've been waiting to see, and it directly correlates with Jusuf Nurkic finally getting a full workload. Everyone knows C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard are the MVPs of this team, but Nurkic's presence can't be overlooked.
These teams have played twice this season, splitting those two matchups. With that said, the Trail Blazers have won three of their last four games over the Spurs in this series.
The Spurs (32-34) pulled off a huge victory on Friday, beating the Sacramento Kings, 123-114. While that's a win they expect to get, it's critical when you see that they entered that matchup in the midst of a five-game losing streak. That poor stretch has put their playoff hopes in jeopardy, sitting just three games up on the New Orleans Pelicans in 11th. The good news is that the season is winding down quickly, and only a couple more wins will guarantee them a spot in the play-in tournament. This is certainly a club no one wants to see in that tourney, either, possessing dangerous players like DeMar DeRozan and Dejounte Murray.
The Trail Blazers (38-29) picked up a huge win themselves on Friday, beating the Los Angeles Lakers, 106-101. They were actually tied with the Lakers for the six-seed in the west before that, and that's arguably the most important seeding around. That's the final spot to avoid the dreaded play-in tournament, and that sort of result puts a huge gap between the two teams. It was really no surprise when you look at the form of those teams, though, with Portland winning six of their last seven games in total and Los Angeles freefalling down the standings. That's the club we've been waiting to see, and it directly correlates with Jusuf Nurkic finally getting a full workload. Everyone knows C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard are the MVPs of this team, but Nurkic's presence can't be overlooked.
These teams have played twice this season, splitting those two matchups. With that said, the Trail Blazers have won three of their last four games over the Spurs in this series.
Jazz Host Rockets on Saturday
The Houston Rockets travel to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Saturday.
The Rockets (16-51) have had a disastrous season and now own the worst record in the NBA. What makes that truly shocking is the fact that they started the season with an 11-10 record. That means they have just five wins in their last 46 games played, one of the worst stretches in NBA history. What makes it worse is that the injury bug keeps biting them, with John Wall, Eric Gordon, Christian Wood, and Kevin Porter all out right now. That has left Kenyon Martin and Kelly Olynyk with monster roles, and both guys have responded with the best stretches of their careers. That's a good core to build around for the future, but this club has a lot of things to do to get back to where they were before the James Harden trade.
The Jazz (49-18) pulled off a huge win on Friday, beating the Denver Nuggets, 127-120. That's a team that has given Utah problems over the last decade, and to grab a win like that with a shorthanded roster is a thing to behold. They played that game without Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley, allowing them to hold the best record in the NBA. Bojan Bogdanovic was absurd in that win, dropping a career-best 48 points on 8-of-11 from three-point range. They also got big games from Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles, showing just how good they can be around those two injured guards. Conley and Mitchell are both expected back soon, though, and they need both of them if they are to make the run Utah fans are hoping for.
These teams have already played twice this season, with Utah winning both by double-digit margins. Before that, the Rockets won eight of their previous 11 games over the Jazz in this series.
The Rockets (16-51) have had a disastrous season and now own the worst record in the NBA. What makes that truly shocking is the fact that they started the season with an 11-10 record. That means they have just five wins in their last 46 games played, one of the worst stretches in NBA history. What makes it worse is that the injury bug keeps biting them, with John Wall, Eric Gordon, Christian Wood, and Kevin Porter all out right now. That has left Kenyon Martin and Kelly Olynyk with monster roles, and both guys have responded with the best stretches of their careers. That's a good core to build around for the future, but this club has a lot of things to do to get back to where they were before the James Harden trade.
The Jazz (49-18) pulled off a huge win on Friday, beating the Denver Nuggets, 127-120. That's a team that has given Utah problems over the last decade, and to grab a win like that with a shorthanded roster is a thing to behold. They played that game without Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley, allowing them to hold the best record in the NBA. Bojan Bogdanovic was absurd in that win, dropping a career-best 48 points on 8-of-11 from three-point range. They also got big games from Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles, showing just how good they can be around those two injured guards. Conley and Mitchell are both expected back soon, though, and they need both of them if they are to make the run Utah fans are hoping for.
These teams have already played twice this season, with Utah winning both by double-digit margins. Before that, the Rockets won eight of their previous 11 games over the Jazz in this series.