January 28th NBA Game Previews

The Detroit Pistons travel south to face the Orlando Magic at Amway Center on Friday.

The Pistons (11-36) come into this matchup losing five of their last six games. Stretches like that have been happening all season, and it's likely going to continue for the final three months. It's nice to see them play competitively, though, barely losing to the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets in each of their last three games. Cade Cunningham had one of the performances of the season in the most recent loss to Denver, collecting 34 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and four blocks on Tuesday night. That has him right back in the thick of things for the Rookie of the Year because it looked like Evan Mobley was running away with it before that magical performance.

The Magic (9-40) have the worst record in the NBA. Having single-digit wins with the All-Star break approaching is a horrific sign, and it looks like the Magic are well on their way to another top pick. That is one thing they've been getting right recently, though, because this team has a ton of great young options. Franz Wagner, Cole Anthony, Mo Bamba and Wendell Carter Jr have all shown flashes this season, and adding a top pick with those guys could be just what the doctor ordered. That's way too many good players to have this poor of a record, though, and while they'd like the top pick, seeing some wins would give fans even more encouragement going forward.

These teams have played two narrow games this season, with Detroit winning both outings. That gives the Pistons six wins in their last nine meetings with the Magic, dating back three years.

The Atlanta Hawks play host to the Boston Celtics at State Farm Arena on Friday evening.

This marks the second game of a five-game home stand for the Hawks (22-25), which they began with a win over the Kings on Wednesday. They have won five in a row and will look to keep it rolling for a chance to add to their, 12-11, home record. Trae Young continues to put up major numbers for the Hawks, averaging 27.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 1.0 steals, per game. John Collins is averaging 16.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists, while Clint Capela is averaging 11.4 points, 12.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. The Hawks are averaging 111.4 points per game, but they are giving up an average of 111.5 points against, which is seventh most in the league.

Meanwhile, this marks the first game of a two-game road for the Celtics (25-24), as they look to build on a two-game win streak and add to their, 9-14, road record. Jayson Tatum leads the team, averaging 26.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists, per game. Jaylen Brown is averaging 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.1 steals, while Robert Williams is averaging 9.9 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. The Celtics are averaging 108.8 points per game, and they are holding opponents to an average of 104.9 points per game, which is seventh fewest in the league.

The Charlotte Hornets play host to the Los Angeles Lakers at Spectrum Center on Friday evening.

The Hornets (27-22) will look to build off a win in their last outing and add to their, 13-7, home record. LaMelo Ball is coming off a massive outing, where he logged 29 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists, a steal and a block, and he is averaging 19.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 8.4 assists, over the last five games Miles Bridges continues to play well, averaging 22.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists, over the last 10 games. Terry Rozier has also been playing great, averaging 20.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.5 steals, over the last 10 games. The Hornets will be shorthanded on Friday, as Gordon Hayward (COVID-19) and Jalen McDaniels (ankle) will be sidelined, while Kelly Oubre (ankle) is listed as questionable for action. The Hornets are averaging a league-high 114.9 points per game, but they are giving up an average of 114.6 points against, which is third most in the league.

Meanwhile, this marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Lakers (24-25), as they are coming off a loss in Philadelphia on Thursday night. They fell behind early in the contest and trailed by 10 points, after one quarter. They came out stronger in the second, but the hosts maintained control and took a six-point lead into the break The hosts kept the upper hand through the third quarter and outscored the Lakers by 14 points, to take a 20-point lead into the final frame. The Lakers had no answers in the fourth, as they fell short for the road loss. Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 31 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and two steals, while Russell Westbrook followed up with 20 points, four rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block, and Malik Monk chipped in 11 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals. LeBron James (knee) did not play in the contest and remains questionable for action on Friday.

The Denver Nuggets take on the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on Friday night.

The Nuggets (26-21) check into Friday's contest on an upswing, having won three straight games and four of the last five overall. Their most recent success came Wednesday night, when they notched a 124-118 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Nikola Jokic led the way with 26 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and one steal. Austin Rivers poured in 25 points. Will Barton generated a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double that included four assists, two steals and one block. DeMarcus Cousins supplied 13 points, six boards and one steal. Aaron Gordon and Monte Morris posted matching 10-point tallies while pulling down five and four rebounds, respectively.

The Nuggets come into Friday's contest without any short-term injuries to report.

The Pelicans (18-29) have recently continued to encounter trouble with respect to consistency, as they've dropped three of their past five games heading into Friday's game. Their most recent stumble unfolded Tuesday night, when they dropped a 117-107 decision to the Philadelphia 76ers. Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the way with 31 points, supplementing them with five assists, four rebounds and one block. Willy Hernangomez turned in a 29-point, 10-rebound double-double that included one assist and one block. Jaxson Hayes posted 15 points, five boards, one assist and one steal. Herbert Jones furnished 12 points, six rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal. Jose Alvarado delivered 11 points, five assists, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

The Pelicans are likely to list Brandon Ingram (ankle), Josh Hart (ankle) and Devonte' Graham (ankle) as no better than questionable for Friday's game. Trey Murphy (COVID-19 protocols) and Zion Williamson (foot) will remain out.

Friday's game marks the second of four meetings between the teams this season. The Nuggets own a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 120-114 overtime victory Dec. 8.

The Portland Trail Blazers take on the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on Friday night.

The Trail Blazers (20-28) come into Friday's contest wielding a short-handed squad and having three of their last five, including two straight. Their most recent stumble unfolded Wednesday night in the form of a 132-112 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Anfernee Simons led the way with 23 points, complementing them with seven assists and two rebounds. CJ McCollum totaled 20 points, six assists, four rebounds and one steal. Norman Powell supplied 19 points, nine rebounds, one assist and one steal. Jusuf Nurkic registered 18 points, eight boards, three assists and one steal.

The Trail Blazers are expected to remain without Damian Lillard (abdominal), Larry Nance (knee) and Cody Zeller (knee) for Friday's contest. Dennis Smith (ankle), Nassir Little (shoulder) and Robert Covington (knee) will likely be listed as game-time decisions.

The Rockets (14-34) continue to frequently play hard with very few victories to show for it, and they'll also enter Friday's contest with three losses in the last five games. Additionally, their most recent stumble was a lopsided one, as they fell to the San Antonio Spurs by a 134-104 score Tuesday night. Kevin Porter paced the Rockets with 16 points, adding nine assists and five rebounds. Christian Wood managed 15 points and seven rebounds. Jae'Sean Tate and Alperen Sengun compiled 14 points each while recording six and five rebounds, respectively. Kenyon Martin, Jr. and Josh Christopher mustered matching 13-point, two-steal tallies while pulling down eight and two rebounds, respectively.

The Rockets will come into Friday's game without any short-term injuries to report.

Friday's game marks the second of four meetings between the teams this season. The Trail Blazers own a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 104-92 win Nov. 12.

The Los Angeles Clippers take on the Miami Heat at FTX Arena on Friday night.

The Clippers (25-25) have been up and down all season while missing key players for large swaths of games, but they'll come into Friday's contest having three of their last four contests. Their most recent success came Wednesday night, when they notched a 111-102 win over the Orlando Magic. Amir Coffey paced the Clippers with 19 points, complementing them with six rebounds, five assists and one steal. Luke Kennard totaled 17 points, five rebounds and one assist. Terance Mann recorded 14 points, two assists and one steal. Eric Bledsoe finished with 13 points, four boards, three assists and one steal. Nicolas Batum posted 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one steal.

The Clippers are likely to list Marcus Morris (personal) as questionable at best for Friday's game. Paul George (elbow) will remain out.

The Heat (31-17) has been in much better form than their opponent for most of the season, and they'll enter Friday's contest having won three of their past four contests. Their most recent success came Wednesday night, when they toppled the New York Knicks by a 110-96 score. Duncan Robinson paced the Heat with 25 points, supplementing them with two rebounds, one assist and one block. Jimmy Butler managed 22 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. Tyler Herro furnished 21 points, six rebounds and four assists. P.J. Tucker poured in 20 points.

The Heat are likely to list Kyle Lowry (personal), KZ Okpala (wrist) and Chris Silva (non-injury related) as questionable at best for Friday's contest. Markieff Morris (conditioning) is expected to remain out.

Friday's game marks the first of two meetings between the teams this season. The Clippers own a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 112-109 victory Nov. 11.

The Oklahoma City Thunder play host to the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center on Friday evening.

This marks the second game of a three-game home stand for the Thunder (14-33), which they began with a loss against the Bulls on Monday. The Thunder have lost six in a row but will look to break the slide and add to their, 8-15, home record. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to play well, averaging 24.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks, over the last 10 games. Josh Giddey continues his solid play, averaging 12.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists, over the last 10 games. Luguentz Dort has also been solid, averaging 15.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists, over the last 10 games. The Thunder are averaging a league-low 100.6 points per game, while they are giving up an average of 107.9 points against.

Meanwhile, this marks the first game of a two-game road trip for the Pacers (17-32), as they look to snap a three-game slide and add to their, 5-19, road record. The Pacers continue to deal with injury trouble, as Malcolm Brogdon (achilles), Myles Turner (foot) and T.J. McConnell (wrist) will be sidelined, while Domantas Sabonis (ankle) is listed as questionable for action. Chris Duarte will continue to see a boost in playing time and is averaging 13.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Caris LeVert will also pick up extra responsibility and is averaging 18.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Justin Holiday is averaging 10.9 points on 41 percent shooting. The Pacers are averaging 108.6 points per game, but they are giving up an average of 110.2 points against.

The Memphis Grizzlies play host to the Utah Jazz at FedEx Forum on Friday evening.

This marks the first game of a two-game home stand for the Grizzlies (33-17), as they look to build off a win in their most recent contest and add to their, 17-9, home record. Ja Morant continues his stellar play, averaging 27.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 7.5 assists, over his last 10 games. Jaren Jackson is averaging 18.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.9 blocks, over the last 10 games, while Steven Adams is averaging 3.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 steals, over the last five games. The Grizzlies are averaging 111.8 points per game, which is fifth most in the league, and they are holding opponents to an average of 108.4 points per game.

Meanwhile, this marks the first game of a two-game road trip for the Jazz (30-19), as they will look to snap a three-game slide and to their, 15-9, road record. Donovan Mitchell (concussion) has missed the last five games and is listed as questionable for action on Friday. Rudy Gobert (calf) has missed the last two-games and also remains questionable to play. Jordan Clarkson and Bojan Bogdanovic will have to step up on offense if Mitchell remains out. Bogdanovic is averaging 17.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists, over the last five games, while Clarkson is averaging 19.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists, over the same span. Hassan Whiteside averaged 13.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.5 blocks, through two starts in Gobert's absence, and he will have to step up again, if the all-star big man remains out. The Jazz are averaging 113.8 points per game, which is second most in the league, while they are giving up an average of 107.2 points against.

The Chicago Bulls travel to Texas to face the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center on Friday.

The Bulls (30-17) pulled out narrow wins in their two most recent games, snapping a stretch where they lost six of seven before that. The direct correlation with the bump in production is getting Zach LaVine back in the lineup. He missed all of that poor seven-game stretch and returned when this mini two-game winning streak started. That means they have the best record in the Eastern Conference when LaVine is in the lineup, sitting third for the whole season. That alone is a shocking number, and it's a testament to how well LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic have gelled together in such a short period of time. That's one of the best trios around, and it makes this one of the scariest teams in the NBA.

The Spurs (18-31) suffered another tough loss on Tuesday against the Memphis Grizzlies, marking their 13th loss in their last 17 games. That's a horrific stretch from such a talented team, and it's hard to understand why they can't get any wins. They compete night after night, but they just can't get the buckets late when they matter most. It's certainly not the fault of Dejounte Murray, though, with the versatile point guard flirting with triple-double averages. They've also discovered a gem in Jakob Poeltl as well, and it looks like a great one-two punch for the future. In any case, looking towards the future looks like the next plan for this organization because this hole is becoming too deep to dig out of.

These teams played twice last season, with San Antonio sweeping the season series. That gives San Antonio six wins in their last eight meetings with Chicago, dating back to 2016.

The Minnesota Timberwolves travel to Arizona to face the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on Friday.

The Timberwolves (24-24) have quietly been one of the best teams in the NBA recently, entering this matchup winning eight of their last 12 games. That has them right back to .500, and it's impressive to watch this young core play so well together. Two of those four losses came against the Warriors and Grizzlies too, and not many teams are matching up with those clubs right now. The simple fact is, the young core of Karl-Anthony Towns, D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards has carried them to this point. There's not much help outside of those guys, but it has Timberwolves fans excited about this team for the first time since the Kevin Love era.

The Suns (38-9) have the best record in the NBA right now, and they look like the best team too. Phoenix continues to bombard their opponents night after night, entering this matchup amid an eight-game winning streak. Many people expected to see regression after a shocking run to the Finals last season, but this is the best team in the NBA. Devin Booker provides his usual 25 points, while Chris Paul is leading the NBA with 10.1 assists per game. That's a dynamic duo, and it's crazy to think that they've played most of the season without Deandre Ayton (ankle). He was a revelation in last year's playoffs, and it'll be scary to see this team when he's back and fully healthy!

These teams played on November 15, with Phoenix prevailing, 99-96. That gives the Suns five wins in their last six meetings with the T'Wolves, dating back to 2019.

The Milwaukee Bucks play host to the New York Knicks at Fiserv Forum on Friday.

The Knicks (23-26) are really struggling right now, entering this matchup losing five of their last six games. That stretch has dropped them below .500, and it's looking like it's going to be an uphill battle to reach the postseason. The simple fact is, these players are not performing up to expectations. After an All-Star season last year, Julius Randle has regressed to the guy that the Lakers didn't want. He's not the only one, though, with Kemba Walker being one of the most inconsistent players in the NBA as well. Those two were expected to run the show for the Knicks this year, and they're going to continue to struggle unless both of those guys start playing better.

The Bucks (30-20) come into this matchup winning three of their last four games, but it's overshadowing an otherwise disappointing stretch. In fact, Milwaukee has a 5-7 record over their last 12 games in total. That's a shocking stretch from the NBA champs, but it's their second such stretch of the season. It's hard to put a finger on what the issue is either because this club is almost fully healthy for the first time all season. In any case, the Bucks still sit near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, and a short winning streak could bump them right to the top. There's also some talk that Brook Lopez could return from his back issue soon, and he's the final piece to the puzzle from the 2020-21 champs.

These teams have already played three times this season, with Milwaukee winning two of three. All of them were lopsided results, decided by 12 points or more in each.