Scotiabank Arena Hosts Cavaliers and Raptors
The Cleveland Cavaliers (8-24) have lost three of their last four games, and fell on the road to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, 110-99. The injury-plagued Cavs' top scorer was bench player Jordan Clarkson, who came away with 20 points on 8-of-19 shooting from the field and 4-of-10 from deep. Fellow sub Jarod Blossomgame put up 15 points and added three triples of his own, while Larry Nance, Jr. logged a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds. Rodney Hood had 12 points while the returning Matthew Dellavedova sat out the game with left knee soreness. Sitting at 13th place in the Eastern Conference, Cleveland owns the dubious stat of owning the third-most anemic offense in the league, one that, in stark contrast to their 2017-18 campaign, is averaging only 102.9 points per game.
After a brutal four-game West Coast road trip that saw the Toronto Raptors (24-9) go 2-2, the team bounced back from a two-game losing streak to put away the visiting Indiana Pacers in dramatic fashion on Wednesday night, 99-96. Fred VanVleet delivered the winning dagger for the Raps, and finished with 11 points and three triples to his credit. Kawhi Leonard led the team on both ends of the floor with 28 points and 10 rebounds, but struggled along with his teammates in going 0-of-3 from long range. The Raptors, looking every bit a team that just returned from a grueling road jaunt, shot a collective 23.3 percent from beyond the arc. Pascal Siakam recorded 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Greg Monroe came away with 13 points and eight boards. Toronto's December run continues to keep the second place Milwaukee Bucks at bay, who they sit a game-and-a-half ahead of.
After a brutal four-game West Coast road trip that saw the Toronto Raptors (24-9) go 2-2, the team bounced back from a two-game losing streak to put away the visiting Indiana Pacers in dramatic fashion on Wednesday night, 99-96. Fred VanVleet delivered the winning dagger for the Raps, and finished with 11 points and three triples to his credit. Kawhi Leonard led the team on both ends of the floor with 28 points and 10 rebounds, but struggled along with his teammates in going 0-of-3 from long range. The Raptors, looking every bit a team that just returned from a grueling road jaunt, shot a collective 23.3 percent from beyond the arc. Pascal Siakam recorded 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Greg Monroe came away with 13 points and eight boards. Toronto's December run continues to keep the second place Milwaukee Bucks at bay, who they sit a game-and-a-half ahead of.
Pistons Tangle with Hornets at Spectrum Center
The Detroit Pistons (15-14) kicked off their road trip on Wednesday night in Minneapolis with a victory over the Timberwolves, 129-123, thanks to two 30+-point performances. Blake Griffin led the way for the Pistons, pouring in 34 points, grabbing eight rebounds, and facilitating four assists, going 5-of-10 from downtown in the process. Reggie Bullock added 33 points of his own, shooting 12-of-21 from field goal range and 7-of-12 from deep. Griffin and Bullock are the main reason why Detroit currently ranks fifth in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage, averaging a collective 37.3 percent from beyond the arc. The league's rebounding leader, Andre Drummond, delivered another double-double with 16 points and 16 boards, while Reggie Jackson posted 24 points and six dimes in the team's fifth road win this season. The Pistons' inability to string an extended series of victories together keeps them mired in the mid-tier logjam in the Eastern Conference, where they currently sit in sixth place, a half game ahead of their opponents on Friday evening.
Wednesday night saw the Charlotte Hornets (15-15) snap a two-game skid, defeating the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers, 110-99. The team managed the feat despite shooting only six free throws on the night, led once again offensively by Kemba Walker, who had 30 points and six assists in an 11-of-26 outing from the paint. Through 30 games, Walker is averaging 25.1 points and ranks 11th in the league in scoring. Marvin Williams and Jeremy Lamb both logged double-doubles, Williams with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Lamb behind 18 points and 12 boards. Subs Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and veteran Tony Parker recorded 12 points apiece for a Hornets outfit that will wrap up 2018 with a visit to the Boston Celtics and a back-to-back series with the red-hot Brooklyn Nets.
Wednesday night saw the Charlotte Hornets (15-15) snap a two-game skid, defeating the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers, 110-99. The team managed the feat despite shooting only six free throws on the night, led once again offensively by Kemba Walker, who had 30 points and six assists in an 11-of-26 outing from the paint. Through 30 games, Walker is averaging 25.1 points and ranks 11th in the league in scoring. Marvin Williams and Jeremy Lamb both logged double-doubles, Williams with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Lamb behind 18 points and 12 boards. Subs Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and veteran Tony Parker recorded 12 points apiece for a Hornets outfit that will wrap up 2018 with a visit to the Boston Celtics and a back-to-back series with the red-hot Brooklyn Nets.
Streaking Nets Play Host to Pacers
The Indiana Pacers travel to The Big Apple to play the Brooklyn Nets at Barclay's Center on Friday.
The Pacers (20-12) have suffered devastating back-to-back defeats in their last two games, as that snapped a season-best seven-game winning streak. The nature of those losses is what's really disturbing, as Indiana lost on a tip-in at the buzzer against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday and followed that up with a huge blown lead against a shorthanded Toronto Raptors club on Wednesday. The Pacers completely collapsed in that loss to the Raptors, as they went 5-of-18 from the field and committed seven turnovers in an 11-point fourth quarter to allow Toronto to come back, 98-95. That's obviously annoying for fans but it overshadows an incredible run by this team. In fact, Indiana owns the best defense in the NBA right now, allowing 101 points per game. It's no surprise either with Myles Turner controlling the paint, as he's one of the league leaders with 2.8 blocks per game. He's really stepped up his game over recent weeks and it's a scary thought that this 22-year-old is playing at this sort of level and improving game-by-game.
The Nets (15-18) come into this matchup in the midst of a seven-game winning streak, as that's their best stretch in quite some time. In fact, this marks their longest winning streak since the notorious Boston Celtics trade and it says a lot about how much this team has developed. It's the backcourt that's really made this team dangerous, with D'Angelo Russell running the show and Spencer Dinwiddie playing career-ball off the bench. What's really impressive about this stretch is the competition, as Brooklyn has beat the Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers in their current winning streak. That's all Brooklyn fans could hope for, as the years of rebuilding finally appear to be showing some results.
Indiana won their one game over Brooklyn earlier this season, 132-112, on October 20. That actually marked the Pacers eighth-straight victory over the Nets.
The Pacers (20-12) have suffered devastating back-to-back defeats in their last two games, as that snapped a season-best seven-game winning streak. The nature of those losses is what's really disturbing, as Indiana lost on a tip-in at the buzzer against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday and followed that up with a huge blown lead against a shorthanded Toronto Raptors club on Wednesday. The Pacers completely collapsed in that loss to the Raptors, as they went 5-of-18 from the field and committed seven turnovers in an 11-point fourth quarter to allow Toronto to come back, 98-95. That's obviously annoying for fans but it overshadows an incredible run by this team. In fact, Indiana owns the best defense in the NBA right now, allowing 101 points per game. It's no surprise either with Myles Turner controlling the paint, as he's one of the league leaders with 2.8 blocks per game. He's really stepped up his game over recent weeks and it's a scary thought that this 22-year-old is playing at this sort of level and improving game-by-game.
The Nets (15-18) come into this matchup in the midst of a seven-game winning streak, as that's their best stretch in quite some time. In fact, this marks their longest winning streak since the notorious Boston Celtics trade and it says a lot about how much this team has developed. It's the backcourt that's really made this team dangerous, with D'Angelo Russell running the show and Spencer Dinwiddie playing career-ball off the bench. What's really impressive about this stretch is the competition, as Brooklyn has beat the Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers in their current winning streak. That's all Brooklyn fans could hope for, as the years of rebuilding finally appear to be showing some results.
Indiana won their one game over Brooklyn earlier this season, 132-112, on October 20. That actually marked the Pacers eighth-straight victory over the Nets.
Knicks, Hawks Go Head-To-Head In New York
By Dan Bruno
The New York Knicks play host to the Atlanta Hawks, at Madison Square Garden on Friday evening.
The Knicks (9-24) have dropped three in a row, and eight of their last 10 games. They have become separated from the upper-tier teams in the Eastern Conference standings, where they sit 12th place, 7.0 games behind the eighth seed. The Knicks have lost four straight at home, where they are 4-10 this season. They are dealing with a few injuries, as Alonzo Trier (hamstring) has missed a couple of weeks already and remains doubtful for action on Friday, while Mitchell Robinson (ankle) has missed the last three games and remains questionable for Friday's action. Tim Hardaway Jr. leads the Knicks with 21.2 points per game, but is shooting just 39 percent from the field this season. Enes Kanter has put up solid numbers all season, averaging 15.1 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, while Kevin Knox has begun to show more consistency, with six games in a row where he totaled more than 15 points.
Meanwhile, the Hawks (7-23) are one of the three teams below the Knicks in the East, as they are 3-7 in their last 10 games. However, they are coming off a solid win in their most recent contest, where they topped the visiting Wizards. The Hawks are in the rebuild phase and have some bright spots to look forward to, as Trae Young has already shown flashes of greatness, and is averaging 15.5 points, 7.1 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game. Kent Bazemore has been quiet for the most part this season, averaging 13.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game. John Collins has topped 20 points in six of the Hawks' last seven games, including a 30-point, 12-rebound performance against the Nuggets earlier in the month. This marks the first game of a two-game road trip for the Hawks, who are 2-14 on the road this season.
The Knicks (9-24) have dropped three in a row, and eight of their last 10 games. They have become separated from the upper-tier teams in the Eastern Conference standings, where they sit 12th place, 7.0 games behind the eighth seed. The Knicks have lost four straight at home, where they are 4-10 this season. They are dealing with a few injuries, as Alonzo Trier (hamstring) has missed a couple of weeks already and remains doubtful for action on Friday, while Mitchell Robinson (ankle) has missed the last three games and remains questionable for Friday's action. Tim Hardaway Jr. leads the Knicks with 21.2 points per game, but is shooting just 39 percent from the field this season. Enes Kanter has put up solid numbers all season, averaging 15.1 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, while Kevin Knox has begun to show more consistency, with six games in a row where he totaled more than 15 points.
Meanwhile, the Hawks (7-23) are one of the three teams below the Knicks in the East, as they are 3-7 in their last 10 games. However, they are coming off a solid win in their most recent contest, where they topped the visiting Wizards. The Hawks are in the rebuild phase and have some bright spots to look forward to, as Trae Young has already shown flashes of greatness, and is averaging 15.5 points, 7.1 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game. Kent Bazemore has been quiet for the most part this season, averaging 13.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game. John Collins has topped 20 points in six of the Hawks' last seven games, including a 30-point, 12-rebound performance against the Nuggets earlier in the month. This marks the first game of a two-game road trip for the Hawks, who are 2-14 on the road this season.
Celtics Host Bucks
The Boston Celtics will play host to the Milwaukee Bucks at TD Garden on Friday.
After rattling off eight straight wins, the Celtics (18-12) have hit a bit of a slide. They've lost two games in a row with their most recent loss coming at home against the Suns in fairly embarrassing fashion. After the Celtics opened up an 11-point first-quarter lead in that game, Phoenix slowly chipped away before handing the home team one of its worse losses of the season. Boston's scoring struggles that plagued them for the start of the season resurfaced in the final three quarters, as they scored just 66 points in the last 36 minutes, which allowed the Suns to creep back into the game. Injuries in the frontcourt continue to hurt the Celtics, as Aron Baynes left two minutes into Wednesday's contest with a broken hand and will miss a month following surgery. On top of that, Al Horford (knee) remains out while Marcus Morris (knee) is questionable for Friday's game.
The Bucks (21-9), on the other hand, have won three games in a row and five of their last six. Friday provides a great opportunity for Milwaukee to not only even up the season series with the Celtics, but to put four games of separation between them. The Bucks will also be looking for revenge on Boston, as the Celtics handed Milwaukee its first loss of the season after a 7-0 start. The Celtics made 24 three-pointers that game, which is two off the NBA record, and still only managed to beat the Bucks by four points. Giannis Antetokounmpo had his way in that game, scoring a game-high 33 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, and he'll look to take advantage of Boston's banged up backcourt Friday.
After rattling off eight straight wins, the Celtics (18-12) have hit a bit of a slide. They've lost two games in a row with their most recent loss coming at home against the Suns in fairly embarrassing fashion. After the Celtics opened up an 11-point first-quarter lead in that game, Phoenix slowly chipped away before handing the home team one of its worse losses of the season. Boston's scoring struggles that plagued them for the start of the season resurfaced in the final three quarters, as they scored just 66 points in the last 36 minutes, which allowed the Suns to creep back into the game. Injuries in the frontcourt continue to hurt the Celtics, as Aron Baynes left two minutes into Wednesday's contest with a broken hand and will miss a month following surgery. On top of that, Al Horford (knee) remains out while Marcus Morris (knee) is questionable for Friday's game.
The Bucks (21-9), on the other hand, have won three games in a row and five of their last six. Friday provides a great opportunity for Milwaukee to not only even up the season series with the Celtics, but to put four games of separation between them. The Bucks will also be looking for revenge on Boston, as the Celtics handed Milwaukee its first loss of the season after a 7-0 start. The Celtics made 24 three-pointers that game, which is two off the NBA record, and still only managed to beat the Bucks by four points. Giannis Antetokounmpo had his way in that game, scoring a game-high 33 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, and he'll look to take advantage of Boston's banged up backcourt Friday.
Banged Up Bulls Host Magic
The Chicago Bulls will host the Orlando Magic on Friday at United Center.
Things aren't exactly going great for the Bulls (7-25), and they are only steadily getting worse. Not only has Chicago lost five of their last six games, but the injuries are starting to pile up for the young Bulls. One day after star player Zach LaVine was ruled out for 2-to-4 weeks with a sprained right ankle, Bobby Portis was given the same recovery timeline with a sprained ankle of his own. Portis suffered the injury in Wednesday's last-second loss to the Nets and leaves Chicago without two of its best players. As a result, head coach Jim Boylen said Thursday that Jabari Parker may be re-entering the rotation just one week after being benched completely.
As for the Magic (14-16), they, for the most part, are healthy. Most importantly, they'll get Nikola Vucevic back for Friday's trip to Chicago after the big man was away from the team for Wednesday's loss to the Spurs due to the birth of his first child. In his absence, rookie Mo Bamba got the first start of his Magic career, but it didn't go too well for the young center. Bamba was a team-worst minus-23 across 26 minutes and posted seven points on 2-of-7 shooting and eight rebounds in that time. The only Magic player at risk of missing Friday's contest is swingman Jonathan Simmons, who sprained his right ankle for the second time in a week and is currently listed as questionable. The Magic downed the Bulls, 97-91, in a recent trip to Mexico City. x
Things aren't exactly going great for the Bulls (7-25), and they are only steadily getting worse. Not only has Chicago lost five of their last six games, but the injuries are starting to pile up for the young Bulls. One day after star player Zach LaVine was ruled out for 2-to-4 weeks with a sprained right ankle, Bobby Portis was given the same recovery timeline with a sprained ankle of his own. Portis suffered the injury in Wednesday's last-second loss to the Nets and leaves Chicago without two of its best players. As a result, head coach Jim Boylen said Thursday that Jabari Parker may be re-entering the rotation just one week after being benched completely.
As for the Magic (14-16), they, for the most part, are healthy. Most importantly, they'll get Nikola Vucevic back for Friday's trip to Chicago after the big man was away from the team for Wednesday's loss to the Spurs due to the birth of his first child. In his absence, rookie Mo Bamba got the first start of his Magic career, but it didn't go too well for the young center. Bamba was a team-worst minus-23 across 26 minutes and posted seven points on 2-of-7 shooting and eight rebounds in that time. The only Magic player at risk of missing Friday's contest is swingman Jonathan Simmons, who sprained his right ankle for the second time in a week and is currently listed as questionable. The Magic downed the Bulls, 97-91, in a recent trip to Mexico City. x
Timberwolves and Spurs Tangle In Lone Star State Battle
The Minnesota Timberwolves take on the San Antonio Spurs at AT & T Center on Friday night.
The Timberwolves (14-17) have been one of the worst road teams in the NBA, securing just two wins in 14 tries. Minnesota comes in struggling overall, as they've dropped five of their last six games. Their most recent stumble came against the Detroit Pistons, which toppled them by a 129-123 score in overtime on Wednesday. Derrick Rose paced the Timberwolves with 33 points, a total he supplemented with seven assists, three rebounds and one steal. Robert Covington followed with 22 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins generated matching 16-point efforts while also hauling in eight and six rebounds, respectively. Dario Saric led the bench with 15 points.
The Timberwolves will continue to be without Jeff Teague (ankle) for Friday's game.
In contrast to their opponents, the Spurs (17-15) come into Friday's contest as one of the hotter teams in the NBA. San Antonio has notched wins in six of their last seven games, with their most recent success coming at the expense of Orlando Magic by a 129-90 score on Wednesday night. LaMarcus Aldridge paced the Spurs with 20 points, a total he supplemented with four assists, three rebounds and two steals. Marco Belinelli poured in 18 points to lead the bench. DeMar DeRozan and Bryn Forbes contributed matching 17-point tallies. DeRozan added seven rebounds, six assists and one steal, while Forbes posted four boards. Rudy Gay supplied 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and one block.
The Spurs will continue to be without Pau Gasol (foot) in Friday's contest.
The season series between the teams currently sits at 1-1. The Spurs notched a 112-108 victory on Opening Night, while the Timberwolves countered with a 128-89 win on Nov. 28.
The Timberwolves (14-17) have been one of the worst road teams in the NBA, securing just two wins in 14 tries. Minnesota comes in struggling overall, as they've dropped five of their last six games. Their most recent stumble came against the Detroit Pistons, which toppled them by a 129-123 score in overtime on Wednesday. Derrick Rose paced the Timberwolves with 33 points, a total he supplemented with seven assists, three rebounds and one steal. Robert Covington followed with 22 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins generated matching 16-point efforts while also hauling in eight and six rebounds, respectively. Dario Saric led the bench with 15 points.
The Timberwolves will continue to be without Jeff Teague (ankle) for Friday's game.
In contrast to their opponents, the Spurs (17-15) come into Friday's contest as one of the hotter teams in the NBA. San Antonio has notched wins in six of their last seven games, with their most recent success coming at the expense of Orlando Magic by a 129-90 score on Wednesday night. LaMarcus Aldridge paced the Spurs with 20 points, a total he supplemented with four assists, three rebounds and two steals. Marco Belinelli poured in 18 points to lead the bench. DeMar DeRozan and Bryn Forbes contributed matching 17-point tallies. DeRozan added seven rebounds, six assists and one steal, while Forbes posted four boards. Rudy Gay supplied 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and one block.
The Spurs will continue to be without Pau Gasol (foot) in Friday's contest.
The season series between the teams currently sits at 1-1. The Spurs notched a 112-108 victory on Opening Night, while the Timberwolves countered with a 128-89 win on Nov. 28.
Jazz and Trail Blazers Meet For Friday Showdown
The Utah Jazz takes on the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on Friday night.
The Jazz (15-17) have largely underachieved this season, and they'll come into Friday's contest in another one of their tailspins. Utah has dropped four of its last six games, but their most recent time on the court was a rousing success. The Jazz toppled the Golden State Warriors by a 108-103 score on Wednesday night. Joe Ingles paced Utah with 20 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Jae Crowder followed with an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double off the bench. Rudy Gobert also accomplished the feat, compiling 17 points, 15 boards, one assist and four blocks. Donovan Mitchell supplied 17 points as well and added six assists, five rebounds, two steals and one block. Derrick Favors contributed 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Jazz will come into Friday's game without any injuries to report.
The Trail Blazers (18-13) have been trending in the right direction of late, as they'll come in having logged five wins in their last seven games, including three straight. Their most recent success came at the expense of the Memphis Grizzlies, which they defeated by a 99-92 score on Wednesday night. Damian Lillard led the way with 24 points and added five rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. Meyers Leonard followed with 12 points, eight rebounds and two assists. C.J. McCollum supplied 11 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. Maurice Harkless managed nine points, two rebounds and one steal. Jusuf Nurkic turned in eight points and seven rebounds.
The Trail Blazers' only injury designation belongs to Anfernee Simmons, who's listed as questionable with an illness.
Friday's game marks the first of four meetings between the teams this season. The two clubs split the four-game series during the 2017-18 campaign.
The Jazz (15-17) have largely underachieved this season, and they'll come into Friday's contest in another one of their tailspins. Utah has dropped four of its last six games, but their most recent time on the court was a rousing success. The Jazz toppled the Golden State Warriors by a 108-103 score on Wednesday night. Joe Ingles paced Utah with 20 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Jae Crowder followed with an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double off the bench. Rudy Gobert also accomplished the feat, compiling 17 points, 15 boards, one assist and four blocks. Donovan Mitchell supplied 17 points as well and added six assists, five rebounds, two steals and one block. Derrick Favors contributed 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Jazz will come into Friday's game without any injuries to report.
The Trail Blazers (18-13) have been trending in the right direction of late, as they'll come in having logged five wins in their last seven games, including three straight. Their most recent success came at the expense of the Memphis Grizzlies, which they defeated by a 99-92 score on Wednesday night. Damian Lillard led the way with 24 points and added five rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. Meyers Leonard followed with 12 points, eight rebounds and two assists. C.J. McCollum supplied 11 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. Maurice Harkless managed nine points, two rebounds and one steal. Jusuf Nurkic turned in eight points and seven rebounds.
The Trail Blazers' only injury designation belongs to Anfernee Simmons, who's listed as questionable with an illness.
Friday's game marks the first of four meetings between the teams this season. The two clubs split the four-game series during the 2017-18 campaign.
Grizzlies, Kings Clash Amidst Slumps
By Oscar Heanue
The Memphis Grizzlies will visit the Sacramento Kings at Golden One Center on Friday night.
After starting the season as one of the league's top teams, Memphis (16-15) has slowed down considerably in the last two weeks. The team is just 1-6 over its last seven games, and its offense has been the league's worst since mid-November. Memphis ranks just 29th in scoring at 101.9 points per game and has eclipsed the 100-point mark just once in its last ten games. The Grizzlies' offensive play has left much to be desired across the board, as the team ranks last in the league in offensive rebounding and just 28th in three-pointers made. A bright spot, though, has been rookie Jaren Jackson. Jackson is shooting over 50 percent from the field on the season and is averaging 12.8 points per game in just 25.3 minutes of action. He tallied 16 points for Memphis on Wednesday evening.
Sacramento (16-15), too, has found itself in a tough spot recently. The Kings have gone 1-3 in their last four games, most recently losing in a blowout to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. Some regression was to be expected for the young Kings squad, which owns just the 15th-best offensive rating and 23rd-best defensive rating in the league. Still, there is plenty for Sacramento fans to smile about, as the young back court duo of De'Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield continue their breakout seasons. On Wednesday, Hield scored 37 points and Fox recorded 28 points to go with 12 assists in the team's loss. The budding stars will hope to help their team reverse its fortunes on Friday.
After starting the season as one of the league's top teams, Memphis (16-15) has slowed down considerably in the last two weeks. The team is just 1-6 over its last seven games, and its offense has been the league's worst since mid-November. Memphis ranks just 29th in scoring at 101.9 points per game and has eclipsed the 100-point mark just once in its last ten games. The Grizzlies' offensive play has left much to be desired across the board, as the team ranks last in the league in offensive rebounding and just 28th in three-pointers made. A bright spot, though, has been rookie Jaren Jackson. Jackson is shooting over 50 percent from the field on the season and is averaging 12.8 points per game in just 25.3 minutes of action. He tallied 16 points for Memphis on Wednesday evening.
Sacramento (16-15), too, has found itself in a tough spot recently. The Kings have gone 1-3 in their last four games, most recently losing in a blowout to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. Some regression was to be expected for the young Kings squad, which owns just the 15th-best offensive rating and 23rd-best defensive rating in the league. Still, there is plenty for Sacramento fans to smile about, as the young back court duo of De'Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield continue their breakout seasons. On Wednesday, Hield scored 37 points and Fox recorded 28 points to go with 12 assists in the team's loss. The budding stars will hope to help their team reverse its fortunes on Friday.
Pelicans Visit Lakers at Staples Center
By Oscar Heanue
The New Orleans Pelicans will visit the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on Friday evening.
For the Pelicans (15-17), Friday's game will be the second of a four-game road trip that will last through Christmas. The team kicked off its travels with an unsuccessful trip to Milwaukee on Wednesday, where they lost to the Bucks, 123-115. New Orleans had trouble containing Milwaukee's offense, continuing a trend of defensive inconsistency that has haunted the Pelicans this season. The Pelicans rank just 24th in the league in defensive rating, despite boasting reigning All-Defense team players in Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday. Regardless of the team's defensive struggles, though, both Davis and Holiday have put together excellent seasons. Davis boasts impressive averages of 28.0 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game, while Holiday is dishing out a team-high 8.8 assists per game.
Los Angeles (18-13), meanwhile, has cooled off considerably in the last week. The team is just 1-3 in its last four games, with two of its losses coming to sub-.500 Eastern Conference teams. On Sunday, the Lakers took a 128-110 blowout loss to the Wizards, giving up 40 points to Washington star John Wall. Still, despite the team's recent struggles, Los Angeles finds itself in a strong position. The Lakers rank fourth in the Western Conference and are enjoying an excellent first season from superstar LeBron James, who is leading the team with averages of 28.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists in his first season as a Laker.
For the Pelicans (15-17), Friday's game will be the second of a four-game road trip that will last through Christmas. The team kicked off its travels with an unsuccessful trip to Milwaukee on Wednesday, where they lost to the Bucks, 123-115. New Orleans had trouble containing Milwaukee's offense, continuing a trend of defensive inconsistency that has haunted the Pelicans this season. The Pelicans rank just 24th in the league in defensive rating, despite boasting reigning All-Defense team players in Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday. Regardless of the team's defensive struggles, though, both Davis and Holiday have put together excellent seasons. Davis boasts impressive averages of 28.0 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game, while Holiday is dishing out a team-high 8.8 assists per game.
Los Angeles (18-13), meanwhile, has cooled off considerably in the last week. The team is just 1-3 in its last four games, with two of its losses coming to sub-.500 Eastern Conference teams. On Sunday, the Lakers took a 128-110 blowout loss to the Wizards, giving up 40 points to Washington star John Wall. Still, despite the team's recent struggles, Los Angeles finds itself in a strong position. The Lakers rank fourth in the Western Conference and are enjoying an excellent first season from superstar LeBron James, who is leading the team with averages of 28.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists in his first season as a Laker.