Raptors, Heat Collide In Eastern Conference Matchup
The Toronto Raptors will play the Miami Heat on Monday in Orlando.
The Raptors (47-18) made a statement in their debut Sunday as they cruised their way in a big 107-92 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the biggest contenders in the Western Conference. The Raptors currently sit in second place of the Eastern Conference standings and are now riding a five-game winning streak if including what happened in the regular season before the league suspension back in March. Their best player during Saturday's win over the Lakers was Kyle Lowry, who notched 33 points (8-16 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 12-15 FT), 14 rebounds, six assists, and one steal in 35 minutes against the Western Conference giants.
The Raptors might be a bit thin in the frontcourt since both Patrick McCaw and Oshae Brissett are dealing with knee injuries. Both players have been listed as game-time decisions for Monday's tilt.
The Heat (42-24) are coming off a 125-105 win over the depleted Denver Nuggets, although they have been slightly inconsistent over their last few games and, if including the regular-season games before the suspension in March, then they have gone just 3-2 in their previous five. Miami is in fourth place of the Eastern Conference standings and currently hold a two-game lead over the fifth-placed Indiana Pacers. Their best players against Denver were Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, as both finished with 22 points.
KZ Okpala is dealing with an Achilles injury and should be listed as a game-time decision for Monday's game. Jimmy Butler will carry the same status after being absent from Sunday's practice.
This will be the third meeting between these two teams this season, and the Heat won the two previous meetings.
The Raptors (47-18) made a statement in their debut Sunday as they cruised their way in a big 107-92 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the biggest contenders in the Western Conference. The Raptors currently sit in second place of the Eastern Conference standings and are now riding a five-game winning streak if including what happened in the regular season before the league suspension back in March. Their best player during Saturday's win over the Lakers was Kyle Lowry, who notched 33 points (8-16 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 12-15 FT), 14 rebounds, six assists, and one steal in 35 minutes against the Western Conference giants.
The Raptors might be a bit thin in the frontcourt since both Patrick McCaw and Oshae Brissett are dealing with knee injuries. Both players have been listed as game-time decisions for Monday's tilt.
The Heat (42-24) are coming off a 125-105 win over the depleted Denver Nuggets, although they have been slightly inconsistent over their last few games and, if including the regular-season games before the suspension in March, then they have gone just 3-2 in their previous five. Miami is in fourth place of the Eastern Conference standings and currently hold a two-game lead over the fifth-placed Indiana Pacers. Their best players against Denver were Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, as both finished with 22 points.
KZ Okpala is dealing with an Achilles injury and should be listed as a game-time decision for Monday's game. Jimmy Butler will carry the same status after being absent from Sunday's practice.
This will be the third meeting between these two teams this season, and the Heat won the two previous meetings.
Nuggets Look To Fend Off Thunder
By Dan Bruno
The Denver Nuggets play the Oklahoma City Thunder, on Monday at Orlando
The Nuggets are coming off a, 125-105, loss against the Heat on Saturday, where they had five players score in double digits. Nikola Jokic and Jerami Grant led the way with 19 points each, while Monte Morris added 13 points, five assists, and three rebounds. Michael Porter Jr. chipped in 11 points, and Torrey Craig added 10 points. The Nuggets shot just 43 percent from the field and also gave up 35 points off turnovers in the loss. They will need to tighten up their offense in order to keep up with their opponent, as the Thunder are shooting an average of 47.4 percent from the field this season, which is fourth best in the league. Jamal Murray (hamstring), Will Barton (knee), and Garry Harris (hip), remain questionable for action on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Thunder are coming off an impressive, 110-94, win over the Jazz on Saturday, where they got out to a strong start and held a 24-point lead by halftime. They maintained their cushion through the third and took a confident lead into the final frame, where they had no trouble holding on for the win. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 19 points, six assists, three steals and two rebounds, in 32 minutes. Chris Paul tallied 18 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals, while Steven Adams totaled 16 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. The Thunder shot 53 percent from the field, including 10-of-26 from deep, in the win. However, they gave up 21 turnovers, in comparison to only 19 assists. The Thunder have already clinched their playoff spot but have a major chance to make a push up the standings, as they sit only 1.5 games behind the Nuggets, who hold third place in the West.
The Nuggets are coming off a, 125-105, loss against the Heat on Saturday, where they had five players score in double digits. Nikola Jokic and Jerami Grant led the way with 19 points each, while Monte Morris added 13 points, five assists, and three rebounds. Michael Porter Jr. chipped in 11 points, and Torrey Craig added 10 points. The Nuggets shot just 43 percent from the field and also gave up 35 points off turnovers in the loss. They will need to tighten up their offense in order to keep up with their opponent, as the Thunder are shooting an average of 47.4 percent from the field this season, which is fourth best in the league. Jamal Murray (hamstring), Will Barton (knee), and Garry Harris (hip), remain questionable for action on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Thunder are coming off an impressive, 110-94, win over the Jazz on Saturday, where they got out to a strong start and held a 24-point lead by halftime. They maintained their cushion through the third and took a confident lead into the final frame, where they had no trouble holding on for the win. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 19 points, six assists, three steals and two rebounds, in 32 minutes. Chris Paul tallied 18 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals, while Steven Adams totaled 16 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. The Thunder shot 53 percent from the field, including 10-of-26 from deep, in the win. However, they gave up 21 turnovers, in comparison to only 19 assists. The Thunder have already clinched their playoff spot but have a major chance to make a push up the standings, as they sit only 1.5 games behind the Nuggets, who hold third place in the West.
Pacers Look To Build Off Impressive Win In Restart Debut
By Dan Bruno
The Indiana Pacers play the Washington Wizards on Monday at Orlando.
The Pacers are coming off an impressive, 127-121, win over the Sixers in their restart debut. T.J. Warren led the way for Indiana with a massive performance, as he tallied a career-high 53 points on 20-of-29 shooting, including clutch buckets down the stretch to help seal the win. Victor Oladipo and Aaron Holiday added 15 points each, while Doug McDermott and T.J. McConnell chipped in 10 points each. The Pacers will look to build off the win and get some momentum going, as they could potentially break into the top four in the East, if they keep it up. The Pacers could be without Oladipo (knee) on Monday, as he is listed as doubtful for action. Malcolm Brogdon (neck) is considered questionable for action, while Domantas Sabonis (foot) and and Jeremy Lamb (knee) will remain sidelined.
Meanwhile, this marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Wizards, as they are coming off a, 118-110, loss to the Nets on Sunday. Thomas Bryant put on a show, with 30 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal, in 36 minutes. Troy Brown Jr. followed up with 22 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Ish Smith added 14 points, five assists, four rebounds, two blocks and a steal, in 28 minutes off the bench. The Wizards did a good job taking care of the ball, as they dished 26 assists and gave up just 12 turnovers, however, they got themselves into foul trouble and allowed their opponent to outscore them by 10 at the foul line. The Wizards remain shorthanded, as Bradley Beal (shoulder) and Davis Bertans (opted out of restart) remain sidelined.
The Pacers are coming off an impressive, 127-121, win over the Sixers in their restart debut. T.J. Warren led the way for Indiana with a massive performance, as he tallied a career-high 53 points on 20-of-29 shooting, including clutch buckets down the stretch to help seal the win. Victor Oladipo and Aaron Holiday added 15 points each, while Doug McDermott and T.J. McConnell chipped in 10 points each. The Pacers will look to build off the win and get some momentum going, as they could potentially break into the top four in the East, if they keep it up. The Pacers could be without Oladipo (knee) on Monday, as he is listed as doubtful for action. Malcolm Brogdon (neck) is considered questionable for action, while Domantas Sabonis (foot) and and Jeremy Lamb (knee) will remain sidelined.
Meanwhile, this marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Wizards, as they are coming off a, 118-110, loss to the Nets on Sunday. Thomas Bryant put on a show, with 30 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal, in 36 minutes. Troy Brown Jr. followed up with 22 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Ish Smith added 14 points, five assists, four rebounds, two blocks and a steal, in 28 minutes off the bench. The Wizards did a good job taking care of the ball, as they dished 26 assists and gave up just 12 turnovers, however, they got themselves into foul trouble and allowed their opponent to outscore them by 10 at the foul line. The Wizards remain shorthanded, as Bradley Beal (shoulder) and Davis Bertans (opted out of restart) remain sidelined.
Grizzlies and Pelicans Square Off in Key Western Conference Battle
The Memphis Grizzlies take on the New Orleans Pelicans in an NBA seeding game in Orlando on Monday evening.
The Grizzlies (32-35) come into Monday's contest reeling, as they've now seen their lead for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference get trimmed to two games following a 108-106 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday afternoon, a stumble preceded by a 140-135 overtime loss to the Trail Blazers on Friday in their first seeding game. Against San Antonio, Ja Morant paced the Grizzlies with 25 points, supplementing them with nine rebounds and nine assists. Jackson totaled 21 points, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Dillon Brooks supplied 16 points, three assists and two rebounds. Grayson Allen turned in 15 points to lead the bench, while Jonas Valanciunas churned out a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included two assists and one block.
The Grizzlies will continue to be without Tyus Jones (knee) on Monday.
The Pelicans (28-38) have gotten off to an equally unfavorable start in the Orlando bubble, as they've also dropped their first two games and aren't in worse shape only because of No. 8-seeded Memphis having suffered their aforementioned pair of defeats. New Orleans' most recent misstep came against the Los Angeles Clippers, which throttled them by a 126-103 score Saturday evening. Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the Pelicans off the bench with 15 points over 12 minutes. Brandon Ingram provided 14 points and two rebounds. Derrick Favors managed 12 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Frank Jackson and J.J. Redick turned in matching 11-point tallies, with Jackson adding six assists and five rebounds. Lonzo Ball (seven points) and Jrue Holiday (four points) turned in underwhelming efforts, while Zion Williamson was limited to 14 minutes and furnished seven points and five rebounds.
The Pelicans will come into Monday's game without any short-term injuries to report.
Monday's game marks the third and final meeting between the teams this season. The Pelicans hold a 2-0 series lead, having notched 126-116 and 139-111 wins on Jan. 20 and Jan. 31, respectively.
The Grizzlies (32-35) come into Monday's contest reeling, as they've now seen their lead for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference get trimmed to two games following a 108-106 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday afternoon, a stumble preceded by a 140-135 overtime loss to the Trail Blazers on Friday in their first seeding game. Against San Antonio, Ja Morant paced the Grizzlies with 25 points, supplementing them with nine rebounds and nine assists. Jackson totaled 21 points, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Dillon Brooks supplied 16 points, three assists and two rebounds. Grayson Allen turned in 15 points to lead the bench, while Jonas Valanciunas churned out a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included two assists and one block.
The Grizzlies will continue to be without Tyus Jones (knee) on Monday.
The Pelicans (28-38) have gotten off to an equally unfavorable start in the Orlando bubble, as they've also dropped their first two games and aren't in worse shape only because of No. 8-seeded Memphis having suffered their aforementioned pair of defeats. New Orleans' most recent misstep came against the Los Angeles Clippers, which throttled them by a 126-103 score Saturday evening. Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the Pelicans off the bench with 15 points over 12 minutes. Brandon Ingram provided 14 points and two rebounds. Derrick Favors managed 12 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Frank Jackson and J.J. Redick turned in matching 11-point tallies, with Jackson adding six assists and five rebounds. Lonzo Ball (seven points) and Jrue Holiday (four points) turned in underwhelming efforts, while Zion Williamson was limited to 14 minutes and furnished seven points and five rebounds.
The Pelicans will come into Monday's game without any short-term injuries to report.
Monday's game marks the third and final meeting between the teams this season. The Pelicans hold a 2-0 series lead, having notched 126-116 and 139-111 wins on Jan. 20 and Jan. 31, respectively.
Spurs Look To Keep Climbing Against 76ers
The San Antonio Spurs take on the Philadelphia 76ers in an NBA seeding game in Orlando on Monday night.
The Spurs (29-36) couldn't have asked for a better start to their seeding game schedule, as they've managed to notch two victories in as many contests. The most recent was particularly critical, as it came against the No. 8- seeded Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday afternoon, reducing San Antonio's deficit to two games in the process. Dejounte Murray led the way for the Spurs with 21 points, adding 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals. Derrick White provided 16 points, seven assists and six rebounds. DeMar DeRozan finished with 14 points, seven assists, four rebounds, one steal and one block. Rudy Gay contributed 12 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block off the bench, while Patty Mills poured in 10 points in 13 minutes.
The Spurs are likely to list Bryn Forbes (quadriceps) and Marco Belinelli (foot) as game-time decisions at best for Monday's contest. Trey Lyles and LaMarcus Aldridge are out for the season.
The 76ers (39-27) own the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference at the moment and have clinched a playoff spot, but their quest to improve positioning didn't get off to a good start Saturday with a 127-121 loss to the Indiana Pacers, a game in which Indy mounted a spirited second-half comeback spearheaded by a career-high 53 points from T.J. Warren. Joel Embiid led the way for the 76ers with a 41-point, 21-rebound double-double that also included four assists, three blocks and one steal. Tobias Harris followed with 30 points, complementing them with eight rebounds, one steal and one block. Ben Simmons generated a 19-point, 13-rebound double-double and also provided four assists and one steal. Al Horford turned in 10 points, six rebounds, two assists and one block off the bench.
The 76ers will be without Mike Scott (knee) for Monday's game. Glenn Robinson (hip) will carry a doubtful designation. Zhaire Smith and Ryan Broekhoff are both out of the remainder of the season.
Monday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The 76ers hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 115-104 win on Nov. 22.
The Spurs (29-36) couldn't have asked for a better start to their seeding game schedule, as they've managed to notch two victories in as many contests. The most recent was particularly critical, as it came against the No. 8- seeded Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday afternoon, reducing San Antonio's deficit to two games in the process. Dejounte Murray led the way for the Spurs with 21 points, adding 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals. Derrick White provided 16 points, seven assists and six rebounds. DeMar DeRozan finished with 14 points, seven assists, four rebounds, one steal and one block. Rudy Gay contributed 12 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block off the bench, while Patty Mills poured in 10 points in 13 minutes.
The Spurs are likely to list Bryn Forbes (quadriceps) and Marco Belinelli (foot) as game-time decisions at best for Monday's contest. Trey Lyles and LaMarcus Aldridge are out for the season.
The 76ers (39-27) own the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference at the moment and have clinched a playoff spot, but their quest to improve positioning didn't get off to a good start Saturday with a 127-121 loss to the Indiana Pacers, a game in which Indy mounted a spirited second-half comeback spearheaded by a career-high 53 points from T.J. Warren. Joel Embiid led the way for the 76ers with a 41-point, 21-rebound double-double that also included four assists, three blocks and one steal. Tobias Harris followed with 30 points, complementing them with eight rebounds, one steal and one block. Ben Simmons generated a 19-point, 13-rebound double-double and also provided four assists and one steal. Al Horford turned in 10 points, six rebounds, two assists and one block off the bench.
The 76ers will be without Mike Scott (knee) for Monday's game. Glenn Robinson (hip) will carry a doubtful designation. Zhaire Smith and Ryan Broekhoff are both out of the remainder of the season.
Monday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The 76ers hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 115-104 win on Nov. 22.
Jazz and Lakers Square Off on Monday
The Utah Jazz play host to the Los Angeles Lakers in Orlando on Monday.
The Lakers (50-15) had an amazing start to the Orlando restart with a narrow win over the Los Angeles Clippers but they followed that up with a 15-point loss at the hands of the Toronto Raptors. What was really frustrating about that loss was the stifling defense from the Raptors, holding LeBron James and Anthony Davis to just 34 combined points. That's a rare task for any team and it probably won't happen again this season. The good news is that the loss doesn't hurt them too badly in the standings, still sitting 5.5 games up on the Clippers. That means one more win will secure that top-seed and that's all fans could have hoped for at the beginning of the season.
The Jazz (42-24) were lucky to pull off a narrow win over the New Orleans Pelicans in their opener, following that up with a blowout loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, It has actually put them in a tie with the Houston Rockets for fourth and Oklahoma City is just half a game behind in sixth. That means these teams will likely be their opponents come postseason time and this is a club that needs to prove that they can win outside of Utah when it really matters. The recipe for success is the same as always for this club, stifling opponents on the defensive end. They currently sit ninth in points allowed but just 20th in scoring. Having Mike Conley perform so well in the Orlando opener is hopefully a sign of things to come too because he can get this offense to a place where it needs to be headed into the playoffs.
These teams have already played twice this season, with the Lakers winning both meetings by at least nine points apiece.
The Lakers (50-15) had an amazing start to the Orlando restart with a narrow win over the Los Angeles Clippers but they followed that up with a 15-point loss at the hands of the Toronto Raptors. What was really frustrating about that loss was the stifling defense from the Raptors, holding LeBron James and Anthony Davis to just 34 combined points. That's a rare task for any team and it probably won't happen again this season. The good news is that the loss doesn't hurt them too badly in the standings, still sitting 5.5 games up on the Clippers. That means one more win will secure that top-seed and that's all fans could have hoped for at the beginning of the season.
The Jazz (42-24) were lucky to pull off a narrow win over the New Orleans Pelicans in their opener, following that up with a blowout loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, It has actually put them in a tie with the Houston Rockets for fourth and Oklahoma City is just half a game behind in sixth. That means these teams will likely be their opponents come postseason time and this is a club that needs to prove that they can win outside of Utah when it really matters. The recipe for success is the same as always for this club, stifling opponents on the defensive end. They currently sit ninth in points allowed but just 20th in scoring. Having Mike Conley perform so well in the Orlando opener is hopefully a sign of things to come too because he can get this offense to a place where it needs to be headed into the playoffs.
These teams have already played twice this season, with the Lakers winning both meetings by at least nine points apiece.