February 4th NBA Game Previews

The Detroit Pistons will host the Boston Celtics at Little Caesars Arena on Friday night.

The Pistons (12-39) are coming off another loss, this time against the Minnesota Timberwolves, by a 128-117 score. Saddiq Bey led the Pistons with 21 points and came quite close to posting a triple-double since he also had 13 rebounds and eight assists, while Isaiah Stewart also had a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds. Jerami Grant notched 20 points and five boards, while Trey Lyles had 13 points off the bench. Surprisingly, Detroit’s leading scorer came off the bench since Frank Jackson had 25 points.

The Celtics (28-25) are coming off a 113-107 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. Marcus Smart had 22 points to lead the Celtics, and he also added six assists and four rebounds. Jaylen Brown had 15 points, six boards and six assists, while Jayson Tatum posted 19 points, nine assists and six rebounds. The leading scorer for Boston came off the bench, though, as Jason Richardson delivered 23 points. Robert Williams III had 10 points and eight rebounds, and Grant Williams ended with 12 points while coming off the bench.

The Chicago Bulls take on the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday night.

The Bulls (32-19) have mostly been on the right track of late with a 4-2 mark in their last six, but they'll enter Friday's game coming off a disappointing 127-120 overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors. Nikola Vucevic led the Bulls with 30 points, supplementing them with 18 rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. DeMar DeRozan turned in 28 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals. Coby White furnished 16 points, two assists and one rebound. Zach LaVine delivered 15 points, seven assists, five rebounds, two steals and one block. Javonte Green supplied 13 points, six rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block. Ayo Dosunmu managed 11 points, eight assists, four rebounds and one block.

The Bulls will list LaVine (back) as a game-time decision for Friday's contest. Lonzo Ball (knee), Alex Caruso (wrist) and Derrick Jones (finger) will remain out.

The Pacers (19-34), in contrast to their opponents, have been spiraling for a good portion of the season. That includes the last two-plus week, a stretch during which Indiana has lost nine of 13 games. Their most recent stumble was a particularly frustrating 119-118 loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night. Caris LeVert led the way with 26 points, complementing them with five rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block. Terry Taylor generated a 24-point, 16-rebound double-double that included three assists and one steal. Torrey Craig managed 22 points, five boards, three assists and one steal. Lance Stephenson delivered 14 points, six assists, three rebounds and one steal. Justin Holiday totaled 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal.

The Pacers are expected to remain without Malcolm Brogdon (Achilles), Myles Turner (foot), Domantas Sabonis (COVID-19 protocols) and Isaiah Jackson (ankle) for Friday's game. Oshae Brissett (ankle) and Goga Bitadze (foot) will likely be listed as no better than questionable.

Friday's game marks the fourth and final meeting between the teams this season. The Bulls own a 2-1 series lead.

The Charlotte Hornets will host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Spectrum Center on Friday night.

The Hornets (28-24) are coming off a 113-107 loss against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. LaMelo Ball did everything to prevent the Hornets' loss and finished with 38 points, nine assists and six boards, while Terry Rozier posted 23 points, five rebounds and four dimes. P.J. Washington delivered 16 points and seven rebounds, and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 15 points off the bench. No other Charlotte player scored in double digits in this one.

The Cavaliers (31-21) are coming off a 115-104 loss against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. Evan Mobley led the Cavs with 29 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and a steal, in 36 minutes. Kevin Love followed up with 21 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and a block, while Cedi Osman added 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting. The Cavs shot 51 percent from the field, including 7-of-21 from long range.

The Atlanta Hawks take on the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on Friday night.

The Hawks (25-26) appear to finally be hitting their stride after a rough first half of the campaign, as they'll enter Friday's clash having won eight of the last nine. Their most recent success was particularly impressive, as they notched a 124-115 win over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night. Trae Young paced the Hawks with 43 points, complementing them with five assists and one steal. John Collins posted a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double that included one assist. Kevin Huerter matched Collins' scoring and added three rebounds, three assists and one steal. De'Andre Hunter netted 13 points, while Danilo Gallinari totaled 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and one steal. Bogdan Bogdanovic poured in 11 points and also recorded six assists, two rebounds and one steal.

The Hawks will likely list Collins (shoulder) as no better than questionable for Friday's game. Lou Williams (back) is likely to carry the same designation at best.

The Raptors (27-23) have had plenty of success their own right lately, going 5-1 over their last six contests. Their most recent victory was hard-fought one, as they toppled the Chicago Bulls by a 127-120 margin in overtime. Pascal Siakam paced the Raptors with 25 points, complementing them with 13 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block. Fred VanVleet, Scottie Barnes and OG Anunoby compiled matching 21-point efforts, with VanVleet and Anunoby dishing out nine and six assists, respectively. Chris Boucher and Gary Trent posted 16 points each, with Boucher also pulling down 10 rebounds.

The Raptors 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 Raptors own a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 106-100 win Monday.

The San Antonio Spurs play host to the Houston Rockets at AT&T Center on Friday evening.

This marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Spurs (19-34), as they are coming off a rough home loss against the Heat on Thursday night. The contest got out to a slow start as the Spurs trailed, 21-19, after one quarter. Things got worse in the second, and they faced a 10-point deficit by halftime. The Spurs came out flat again in the third and were outscored, 31-19, to make it a 22-point game heading into the final frame. They put up a fight in the fourth, but it was not enough, as they fell short for a third straight loss. Derrick White led the team with 22 points, four rebounds and two assists, while Tre Jones was the only other player to score in double digits, with 16 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Dejounte Murray (wrist) did not play in the contest and remains questionable for action on Friday. The Spurs face the third and final game of a home stand and will look to add to their, 10-18, home record.

Meanwhile, this marks the first game back on the road for the Rockets (15-36), after a four-game home stand, where they went, 1-3, with three losses followed by a win in their most recent contest. They will look to carry over the momentum onto the road for a chance to improve on their, 7-20, road record. Christian Wood leads the team, averaging 17.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Eric Gordon is averaging 14.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists, while Jalen Green is averaging 14.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. The Rockets are averaging 108.4 points per game, but they are giving up a league-high 116.7 points per game.

The Denver Nuggets play host to the New Orleans Pelicans at Ball Arena on Friday evening.

This marks the first game of a three-game home stand for the Nuggets (28-23), as they look to put an end to a two-game slide and add to their, 13-9, home record. Nikola Jokic (toe) and Aaron Gordon (hamstring) both missed the last game and are questionable for action on Friday. If they are sidelined, then Zeke Nnaji and JaMychal Green will have to step up for big minutes in the frontcourt. Will Barton continues to play well, averaging 16.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists, over the last 10 games. Monte Morris has also been solid lately, averaging 13.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, over the last 10 games. The Nuggets are averaging 109.1 points per game, and they are shooting an average of 47.2 percent from the field, while they hold opponents to an average of 107.4 points per game.

Meanwhile, this marks the third game of a four-game road trip for the Pelicans (19-32), where they have gone, 1-1, with a loss in Cleveland, followed by a win in Detroit in their last game. They will look to build off the win and add to their, 8-19, road record. Josh Hart (knee) missed the last game and remains questionable for action while Willy Hernangomez (COVID-19) and Garrett Temple (COVID-19) will be sidelined. Brandon Ingram leads the team, averaging 22.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists, while Jonas Valanciunas averages 18.2 points, 12.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists, per game. The Pelicans are averaging 105.4 points per game, which is fifth fewest in the league, and they are giving up an average of 109.5 points against.

The Brooklyn Nets travel to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Jazz at Vivint Arena on Friday.

The Nets (29-22) were expected to be the best teams in the NBA this season, but adversity has hit them hard recently. They enter this matchup amid a six-game losing streak, posting a 6-12 record over their last 18 games. That has dropped them to the six-seed in the east, and it has many people speculating that Brooklyn wants to start on the road in the postseason. That would give Kyrie Irving more opportunities to play due to vaccine rules, but it's a silly notion to think they're throwing games to get to that spot. They're just playing poorly, and it's easy to understand why. James Harden had a season-low four points in a loss against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, and performances like that are simply unacceptable from one of the best players in the world.

The Jazz (31-21) have had their fair share of struggles recently, entering this matchup losing 11 of their last 14 games. That's the worst stretch this organization has had in three years, but it's easy to figure out why. Donovan Mitchell (concussion) and Rudy Gobert (calf) have missed most of that time, and it's left this roster in shambles. The good news is that Mitchell cleared concussion protocols on Thursday and is in line to return here. That's 25 points back in the lineup and their primary playmaker. The next step is to get the best defender back because this team isn't the same unless Gobert is gobbling up rebounds and blocks in the paint.

These teams played two lopsided games last season, with the home team winning each by at least 30 points apiece. With that said, Utah has won eight of their previous 10 games over Brooklyn in this series.

The Philadelphia 76ers travel to Texas to face the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on Friday.

The Sixers (31-20) have been one of the best teams in the NBA over recent weeks, entering this matchup with a 15-4 record over their last 19 games played. That's quite the run since they've been playing without their second-best player, with the disgruntled Ben Simmons still sitting games. It's unclear if he'll be moved at the trade deadline next week, but Tyrese Maxey is helping fans forget about Simmons. Maxey is averaging 27.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists in the last two games without him. That's a fantastic run from a sophomore player, and he plays at a level that many people couldn't have anticipated. The guy who's carrying them is Joel Embiid, though, averaging 29.1 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.

The Mavericks (29-23) enter this matchup losing their last two games. They've been astounding aside from that, though, posting a 13-3 record through their previous 16 games. A run like that has catapulted them up the Western Conference standings, with Luka Doncic playing some of the best basketball of his career. The one main issue remains, though, with Kristaps Porzingis missing games right now. Porzingis and Doncic have barely played 20 games together this season, and it seems impossible to get them on the floor simultaneously. This team simply won't be elite until that happens, and it remains to be seen if that's even possible.

Philly swept the two-game season series over Dallas last year. With that said, the Mavericks won the three previous meetings before that by an average of 19 points per game.

The Portland Trail Blazers play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Moda Center on Friday.

The Thunder (16-34) come into this matchup losing five of their last six games. Stretches like that have become typical for this team, and it's likely to continue with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out for the foreseeable future. He's been running the show in OKC for a few years now, and they simply don't have much outside of him. The one piece that's stepped up in his absence is Josh Giddey. He's been one of the most impressive rookies in the NBA, flirting with triple-doubles on a nightly basis. He was the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double, and it'll be fun to watch him and SGA work over the next few years.

The Trail Blazers (21-31) have been one of the biggest disappointments in the NBA. Losing a guy like Damian Lillard to abductor surgery will do that, but they were this bad before he got injured. The main issue has been the defense, with Portland ranked 28th in defensive efficiency ratings. They played some better defense in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, but they scored just 94 points and shot 37 percent from the field. Players like C.J. McCollum, Anfernee Simons and Jusuf Nurkic have been great filling in, but it really doesn't matter when they allow 120 points per game. That has many fans believing a rebuild is coming, and that'd be a sad development since this team has been a title contender for the last decade.

These teams played on January 31, with Oklahoma City prevailing, 98-81. That gives the Thunder four wins in their last six meetings with the Trail Blazers in total.