Pistons Looking To Stop Timberwolves Winning Run
The Detroit Pistons will host the Minnesota Timberwolves at Little Caesar Arena on Thursday night.
The Pistons (12-38) are coming off a 111-101 loss against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. Jerami Grant scored 17 points in his return, while Cory Joseph was the leading scorer for Detroit since he delivered 18 points and three assists. Isaiah Stewart had 11 rebounds and also scored eight points. Frank Jackson had 14 points off the bench and Hamidou Diallo also ended with 12 points. This means the Pistons have now dropped four of their last five, and it’s worth noting that they’ve also gone just 8-16 at home to date.
The Timberwolves (26-25) are coming off a 130-115 win over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 24 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block, in 28 minutes. Taurean Prince followed up with 23 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block, while Jarred Vanderbilt totaled 18 points, nine rebounds, two assists and a steal. The Timberwolves shot 49.5 percent from the field, including 19-of-45 from deep. Minnesota has won two in a row and three of its last five, but the team is still struggling on the road and owns an 11-15 record away from home.
The Pistons (12-38) are coming off a 111-101 loss against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. Jerami Grant scored 17 points in his return, while Cory Joseph was the leading scorer for Detroit since he delivered 18 points and three assists. Isaiah Stewart had 11 rebounds and also scored eight points. Frank Jackson had 14 points off the bench and Hamidou Diallo also ended with 12 points. This means the Pistons have now dropped four of their last five, and it’s worth noting that they’ve also gone just 8-16 at home to date.
The Timberwolves (26-25) are coming off a 130-115 win over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 24 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block, in 28 minutes. Taurean Prince followed up with 23 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block, while Jarred Vanderbilt totaled 18 points, nine rebounds, two assists and a steal. The Timberwolves shot 49.5 percent from the field, including 19-of-45 from deep. Minnesota has won two in a row and three of its last five, but the team is still struggling on the road and owns an 11-15 record away from home.
Spurs Look To Bounce Back At Home
By Dan Bruno
The San Antonio Spurs play host to the Miami Heat at AT&T Center on Thursday evening.
This marks the second game of a three-game home stand for the Spurs (19-33), as they will look to bounce back from two consecutive losses and add to their, 10-17, home record. Jakob Poeltl (head) was forced to leave the Spurs' last game and remains questionable for action on Wednesday. On the bright side, Dejounte Murray continues to play well, averaging 22.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 9.9 assists and 1.8 steals, over his last 10 games. Keldon Johnson is averaging 15.3 points and 6.1 rebounds, while Derrick White is averaging 14.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 10 steals, per game. The Spurs are averaging 111.4 points per game, but they are giving up an average of 111.6 points against.
Meanwhile, this marks the third game of a six-game road trip for the Heat (32-20), where they are winless, so far. The Heat have lost their last three games and will be looking to end the slide and add to their, 14-14, road record. Kyle Lowry (personal) has been out for nearly three weeks and remains questionable for action on Thursday. If Lowry is out, then Gabe Vincent will continue to start. Vincent has started the last nine games and is averaging 12.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.4 steals, over that span. Bam Adebayo has been solid since returning from a six-week absence, as he is averaging 17.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.2 blocks, over the last nine games. Jimmy Butler continues to contribute at a high level, averaging 18.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.9 steals, over his last 10 games.
This marks the second game of a three-game home stand for the Spurs (19-33), as they will look to bounce back from two consecutive losses and add to their, 10-17, home record. Jakob Poeltl (head) was forced to leave the Spurs' last game and remains questionable for action on Wednesday. On the bright side, Dejounte Murray continues to play well, averaging 22.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 9.9 assists and 1.8 steals, over his last 10 games. Keldon Johnson is averaging 15.3 points and 6.1 rebounds, while Derrick White is averaging 14.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 10 steals, per game. The Spurs are averaging 111.4 points per game, but they are giving up an average of 111.6 points against.
Meanwhile, this marks the third game of a six-game road trip for the Heat (32-20), where they are winless, so far. The Heat have lost their last three games and will be looking to end the slide and add to their, 14-14, road record. Kyle Lowry (personal) has been out for nearly three weeks and remains questionable for action on Thursday. If Lowry is out, then Gabe Vincent will continue to start. Vincent has started the last nine games and is averaging 12.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.4 steals, over that span. Bam Adebayo has been solid since returning from a six-week absence, as he is averaging 17.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.2 blocks, over the last nine games. Jimmy Butler continues to contribute at a high level, averaging 18.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.9 steals, over his last 10 games.
Suns and Hawks Clash in Peach State Battle
The Phoenix Suns take on the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on Thursday night.
The Suns (41-9) are enjoying a wildly successful Western Conference title-defense season, and they'll enter Thursday's contest riding an NBA-high 11-game winning streak. Phoenix's most recent success came Tuesday night at the expense of the Brooklyn Nets, which they toppled by a 121-111 score. Devin Booker paced the Suns with 35 points, complementing them with six rebounds, two assists and one steal. Mikal Bridges supplied 27 points, eight boards, four assists, two steals and one block. Chris Paul generated a 20-point, 14-assist double-double that included four rebounds and two steals. Cameron Johnson totaled 16 points and three rebounds. Deandre Ayton posted 12 points, six rebounds and one steal.
The Suns will remain without Cameron Payne (wrist), Landry Shamet (ankle), Abdel Nader (knee) and Frank Kaminsky (knee) for Thursday's contest. Deandre Ayton (ankle) will carry a probable tag.
The Hawks (24-26) had been on quite the run themselves recently, rattling off seven straight wins before succumbing to the Toronto Raptors by a 106-100 score on Monday night in a game Trae Young sat out with a shoulder injury. Kevin Huerter led the Hawks with 26 points, complementing them with two rebounds, two assists and two steals. Bogdan Bogdanovic furnished 18 points, five boards and four assists. De'Andre Hunter posted 17 points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal.
The Hawks will list Young as questionable for Thursday's contest, while Hunter (ankle) will be listed as probable.
Thursday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Suns hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 121-117 win Nov. 6.
The Suns (41-9) are enjoying a wildly successful Western Conference title-defense season, and they'll enter Thursday's contest riding an NBA-high 11-game winning streak. Phoenix's most recent success came Tuesday night at the expense of the Brooklyn Nets, which they toppled by a 121-111 score. Devin Booker paced the Suns with 35 points, complementing them with six rebounds, two assists and one steal. Mikal Bridges supplied 27 points, eight boards, four assists, two steals and one block. Chris Paul generated a 20-point, 14-assist double-double that included four rebounds and two steals. Cameron Johnson totaled 16 points and three rebounds. Deandre Ayton posted 12 points, six rebounds and one steal.
The Suns will remain without Cameron Payne (wrist), Landry Shamet (ankle), Abdel Nader (knee) and Frank Kaminsky (knee) for Thursday's contest. Deandre Ayton (ankle) will carry a probable tag.
The Hawks (24-26) had been on quite the run themselves recently, rattling off seven straight wins before succumbing to the Toronto Raptors by a 106-100 score on Monday night in a game Trae Young sat out with a shoulder injury. Kevin Huerter led the Hawks with 26 points, complementing them with two rebounds, two assists and two steals. Bogdan Bogdanovic furnished 18 points, five boards and four assists. De'Andre Hunter posted 17 points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal.
The Hawks will list Young as questionable for Thursday's contest, while Hunter (ankle) will be listed as probable.
Thursday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Suns hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 121-117 win Nov. 6.
Bulls and Raptors Face Off for Thursday Tussle
The Chicago Bulls take on the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday night.
The Bulls (32-18) have emerged from a recent rough stretch that saw them drop seven of nine decisions to prevail in four of their subsequent five contests to climb back to the top of the Eastern Conference. Their most recent success came Tuesday night, when they toppled the Orlando Magic by a 126-115 score. DeMar DeRozan led the way with a 29-point, 10-rebound double-double that included five assists, two steals and one block. Zach LaVine followed with 26 points, five rebounds and three assists. Nikola Vucevic generated an 18-point, 13-rebound double-double that included two assists and three blocks. Ayo Dosunmu provided 13 points, nine assists, one rebound and one steal. Javonte Green delivered 11 points and seven rebounds.
The Bulls will list LaVine (back) as probable for Thursday's game. Lonzo Ball (knee), Alex Caruso (wrist) and Derrick Jones (finger) will remain out.
The Raptors (26-23) have demonstrated some improved play in their own right recently, winning three straight and four of their last five. Their most recent success came Tuesday night, when they toppled the Miami Heat for the second straight encounter, this time by a 110-106 score. Gary Trent led the Raptors with 33 points, supplementing them with two rebounds, one assist and one steal. Fred VanVleet tallied 21 points, six assists, four rebounds, three steals and one block. Pascal Siakam posted a 16-point, 14-rebound double-double that included four assists and three steals. OG Anunoby managed 13 points, three boards, three assists and one steal. Precious Achiuwa totaled 12 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block. Scottie Barnes pitched in 11 points, nine boards and two assists.
The Raptors will likely list Khem Birch (nose) as no better than questionable for Thursday's contest.
Thursday's game marks the third of four meetings between the teams this season. The Bulls hold a 2-0 series lead, having notched 111-108 and 111-105 wins Oct. 25 and Jan. 26, respectively.
The Bulls (32-18) have emerged from a recent rough stretch that saw them drop seven of nine decisions to prevail in four of their subsequent five contests to climb back to the top of the Eastern Conference. Their most recent success came Tuesday night, when they toppled the Orlando Magic by a 126-115 score. DeMar DeRozan led the way with a 29-point, 10-rebound double-double that included five assists, two steals and one block. Zach LaVine followed with 26 points, five rebounds and three assists. Nikola Vucevic generated an 18-point, 13-rebound double-double that included two assists and three blocks. Ayo Dosunmu provided 13 points, nine assists, one rebound and one steal. Javonte Green delivered 11 points and seven rebounds.
The Bulls will list LaVine (back) as probable for Thursday's game. Lonzo Ball (knee), Alex Caruso (wrist) and Derrick Jones (finger) will remain out.
The Raptors (26-23) have demonstrated some improved play in their own right recently, winning three straight and four of their last five. Their most recent success came Tuesday night, when they toppled the Miami Heat for the second straight encounter, this time by a 110-106 score. Gary Trent led the Raptors with 33 points, supplementing them with two rebounds, one assist and one steal. Fred VanVleet tallied 21 points, six assists, four rebounds, three steals and one block. Pascal Siakam posted a 16-point, 14-rebound double-double that included four assists and three steals. OG Anunoby managed 13 points, three boards, three assists and one steal. Precious Achiuwa totaled 12 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block. Scottie Barnes pitched in 11 points, nine boards and two assists.
The Raptors will likely list Khem Birch (nose) as no better than questionable for Thursday's contest.
Thursday's game marks the third of four meetings between the teams this season. The Bulls hold a 2-0 series lead, having notched 111-108 and 111-105 wins Oct. 25 and Jan. 26, respectively.
Warriors Host Kings on Thursday
The Golden State Warriors play host to the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center on Thursday.
The Kings (19-34) have been terrible recently, but they pulled off one of their most impressive wins of the season on Wednesday. They beat the Brooklyn Nets and held them to just 102 points. Holding a team down like that is shocking, especially with the Kings ranked 29th in total defense. What's even more bizarre is that they held the Nets to just 15 points in the closing quarter, holding Kyrie Irving and James Harden to 18 combined points on 7-of-26 shooting. That sort of defensive effort is the one thing holding this team back, and it makes the poor start even more frustrating. With all that said, it's just a band-aid on a bullet wound because Sacramento entered that matchup amid a seven-game losing streak.
The Warriors (39-13) enter this matchup amid a seven-game winning streak, with the most recent win being one of the most impressive of the season. Beating the San Antonio Spurs is nothing to celebrate, but it certainly is when you look at Golden State's personnel in that win. They rested Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Otto Porter in that masterpiece, getting gems from Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney. Big Loon has actually been one of the biggest surprises for this team, averaging 11 rebounds a game over the last 14 fixtures. That's a monster total from a guy who's been oft-injured for most of his career, and it's a boost that no one could have anticipated at the beginning of the season.
These teams have played twice this year, with Golden State winning both outings by double-digit margins. That gives the Warriors four wins in their last five meetings with the Kings in total.
The Kings (19-34) have been terrible recently, but they pulled off one of their most impressive wins of the season on Wednesday. They beat the Brooklyn Nets and held them to just 102 points. Holding a team down like that is shocking, especially with the Kings ranked 29th in total defense. What's even more bizarre is that they held the Nets to just 15 points in the closing quarter, holding Kyrie Irving and James Harden to 18 combined points on 7-of-26 shooting. That sort of defensive effort is the one thing holding this team back, and it makes the poor start even more frustrating. With all that said, it's just a band-aid on a bullet wound because Sacramento entered that matchup amid a seven-game losing streak.
The Warriors (39-13) enter this matchup amid a seven-game winning streak, with the most recent win being one of the most impressive of the season. Beating the San Antonio Spurs is nothing to celebrate, but it certainly is when you look at Golden State's personnel in that win. They rested Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Otto Porter in that masterpiece, getting gems from Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney. Big Loon has actually been one of the biggest surprises for this team, averaging 11 rebounds a game over the last 14 fixtures. That's a monster total from a guy who's been oft-injured for most of his career, and it's a boost that no one could have anticipated at the beginning of the season.
These teams have played twice this year, with Golden State winning both outings by double-digit margins. That gives the Warriors four wins in their last five meetings with the Kings in total.
Clippers Host Lakers on Thursday
The Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto Center on Thursday.
The Lakers (25-27) played an ugly game on Wednesday but got a 99-94 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Both offenses battled their way through that nasty game, but Los Angeles was able to prevail thanks to one of their best defensive efforts of the season. They held Portland below 36 percent from the field, 33 percent from three-point range, and 53 percent from the free-throw line. That victory snapped a streak in which LA lost four of its previous five games, and it's encouraging to finally see them grab a win without LeBron James. It's unclear exactly when the superstar small forward will be back, but it'll be a struggle for this team until then.
The Clippers (26-27) have been middling around .500 for most of the season, and it looks like a mediocre team at best. Having to play the whole season without Kawhi Leonard (knee) started that downward fall, but losing Paul George (elbow) for the last month makes it even more challenging. It's tough for any team to play without their two best players, let alone two superstars. It's put more responsibilities on guys like Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris, Amir Coffey and Ivica Zubac. Those guys have responded as well as they could, but the inconsistencies from those players speak loudly on how valuable Kawhi and PG13 are for this team. In any case, it's impressive for this club to hover around .500 with so much adversity, and they could be a threat in the postseason if those superstars do end up returning.
These teams played back on December 3, with the Clippers prevailing, 119-115. That gives the Clippers four straight wins in this series, dating back to last season.
The Lakers (25-27) played an ugly game on Wednesday but got a 99-94 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Both offenses battled their way through that nasty game, but Los Angeles was able to prevail thanks to one of their best defensive efforts of the season. They held Portland below 36 percent from the field, 33 percent from three-point range, and 53 percent from the free-throw line. That victory snapped a streak in which LA lost four of its previous five games, and it's encouraging to finally see them grab a win without LeBron James. It's unclear exactly when the superstar small forward will be back, but it'll be a struggle for this team until then.
The Clippers (26-27) have been middling around .500 for most of the season, and it looks like a mediocre team at best. Having to play the whole season without Kawhi Leonard (knee) started that downward fall, but losing Paul George (elbow) for the last month makes it even more challenging. It's tough for any team to play without their two best players, let alone two superstars. It's put more responsibilities on guys like Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris, Amir Coffey and Ivica Zubac. Those guys have responded as well as they could, but the inconsistencies from those players speak loudly on how valuable Kawhi and PG13 are for this team. In any case, it's impressive for this club to hover around .500 with so much adversity, and they could be a threat in the postseason if those superstars do end up returning.
These teams played back on December 3, with the Clippers prevailing, 119-115. That gives the Clippers four straight wins in this series, dating back to last season.