Blazers Face Key Matchup Against Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers will play the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday at Orlando.
The Clippers (46-22) have already locked a playoff berth in the Western Conference, and they hold 1.5-game lead over the Denver Nuggets in the race for the second seed. Los Angeles are coming off a 126-111 win over the Dallas Mavericks in their previous tilt, a game in which Paul George and Kawhi Leonard combined for 53 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. Both players will need to be at their best once again if Los Angeles wants to defeat a red-hot Portland squad.
Los Angeles lists Patrick Beverley (calf) and Montrezl Harrell (personal) as out for this game, although Beverley might be available for Sunday's tilt against the Brooklyn Nets.
On the other hand, the Trail Blazers (32-38) remain alive in the playoff race after securing a massive 125-115 win over the Denver Nuggets the last time, and that was Portland's second consecutive win. The Blazers have gone 3-1 in their four games in the bubble and are doing everything they can to force a play-in round, but they still have their backs against the wall entering this contest. Portland will trust in Damian Lillard ahead of this game, as the star point guard is averaging 31.3 points and 11.3 assists per contest since the restart.
Portland has Jaylen Adams (back) and Hassan Whiteside (hip) listed as questionable for Saturday's game, but Whiteside is extremely unlikely to see action. Meanwhile, Trevor Ariza (personal), Rodney Hood (Achilles) and Caleb Swanigan (personal) are all out for the remainder of the 2019-20 NBA season.
This will be the third meeting between these two franchises in the 2019-20 season, and the Clippers have won the two prior matchups.
The Clippers (46-22) have already locked a playoff berth in the Western Conference, and they hold 1.5-game lead over the Denver Nuggets in the race for the second seed. Los Angeles are coming off a 126-111 win over the Dallas Mavericks in their previous tilt, a game in which Paul George and Kawhi Leonard combined for 53 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. Both players will need to be at their best once again if Los Angeles wants to defeat a red-hot Portland squad.
Los Angeles lists Patrick Beverley (calf) and Montrezl Harrell (personal) as out for this game, although Beverley might be available for Sunday's tilt against the Brooklyn Nets.
On the other hand, the Trail Blazers (32-38) remain alive in the playoff race after securing a massive 125-115 win over the Denver Nuggets the last time, and that was Portland's second consecutive win. The Blazers have gone 3-1 in their four games in the bubble and are doing everything they can to force a play-in round, but they still have their backs against the wall entering this contest. Portland will trust in Damian Lillard ahead of this game, as the star point guard is averaging 31.3 points and 11.3 assists per contest since the restart.
Portland has Jaylen Adams (back) and Hassan Whiteside (hip) listed as questionable for Saturday's game, but Whiteside is extremely unlikely to see action. Meanwhile, Trevor Ariza (personal), Rodney Hood (Achilles) and Caleb Swanigan (personal) are all out for the remainder of the 2019-20 NBA season.
This will be the third meeting between these two franchises in the 2019-20 season, and the Clippers have won the two prior matchups.
Jazz, Nuggets Lock Horns In Battle Of Contenders
The Utah Jazz will play the Denver Nuggets on Saturday at Orlando.
The Jazz (43-25) were extremely shorthanded Friday against the San Antonio Spurs and it showed, as they stumbled to a 119-111 defeat. Utah now has a 2-3 record since the restart of the league and are losing ground in the race for a Top 4 finish in the Western Conference. Right now, they sit in fifth place, tied with the Houston Rockets and just 0.5 games over the sixth-placed Oklahoma City Thunder. This is not the end of the season Utah envisioned when things were suspended back in March 11 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Utah lists Royce O'Neale (calf), Nigel Williams-Goss (ankle), Donovan Mitchell (lower leg) and Mike Conley (knee) as questionable for this one, while Juwan Morgan (knee) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (wrist) are definitively not playing. Rudy Gobert should return to action after not playing Friday against the Spurs due to rest.
Things have not gone as expected for the Nuggets (45-24) since the restart of the league, as they have won just two of four games while dealing with several injuries to important players, and they're coming off a 125-115 loss against the Portland Trail Blazers the last time out. They still sit just 1.5 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers in the race for the second seed of the Western Conference, so not all hope is gone for them. One positive aspect for Denver has been the emergence of Michael Porter Jr. as a reliable piece in the starting unit, as the rookie is averaging 26.3 points and 10.0 rebounds in 34.8 minutes per game in four games at Orlando.
Denver could be massively weakened ahead of this fixture, with Gary Harris (hip), Will Barton (knee) and Vlatko Cancar (foot) all sidelined due to injuries. As if that wasn't enough, Jamal Murray (hamstring) and Troy Daniels (hip) are questionable, but Paul Millsap should return after not playing due to rest in the previous game.
This will be the third meeting between these two franchises in the 2019-20 season, and the Nuggets have won the two prior meetings -- although both by six points or fewer.
The Jazz (43-25) were extremely shorthanded Friday against the San Antonio Spurs and it showed, as they stumbled to a 119-111 defeat. Utah now has a 2-3 record since the restart of the league and are losing ground in the race for a Top 4 finish in the Western Conference. Right now, they sit in fifth place, tied with the Houston Rockets and just 0.5 games over the sixth-placed Oklahoma City Thunder. This is not the end of the season Utah envisioned when things were suspended back in March 11 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Utah lists Royce O'Neale (calf), Nigel Williams-Goss (ankle), Donovan Mitchell (lower leg) and Mike Conley (knee) as questionable for this one, while Juwan Morgan (knee) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (wrist) are definitively not playing. Rudy Gobert should return to action after not playing Friday against the Spurs due to rest.
Things have not gone as expected for the Nuggets (45-24) since the restart of the league, as they have won just two of four games while dealing with several injuries to important players, and they're coming off a 125-115 loss against the Portland Trail Blazers the last time out. They still sit just 1.5 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers in the race for the second seed of the Western Conference, so not all hope is gone for them. One positive aspect for Denver has been the emergence of Michael Porter Jr. as a reliable piece in the starting unit, as the rookie is averaging 26.3 points and 10.0 rebounds in 34.8 minutes per game in four games at Orlando.
Denver could be massively weakened ahead of this fixture, with Gary Harris (hip), Will Barton (knee) and Vlatko Cancar (foot) all sidelined due to injuries. As if that wasn't enough, Jamal Murray (hamstring) and Troy Daniels (hip) are questionable, but Paul Millsap should return after not playing due to rest in the previous game.
This will be the third meeting between these two franchises in the 2019-20 season, and the Nuggets have won the two prior meetings -- although both by six points or fewer.
Lakers and Pacers Face Off in Interconference Battle
The Los Angeles Lakers take on the Indiana Pacers in an NBA seeding game in Orlando on Saturday evening.
The Lakers (51-17) have already clinched the top seed in the Western Conference, and lately, they've been playing like a team that's now lacking a bit of incentive. Los Angeles has dropped two straight games, with their most recent stumble coming against the Houston Rockets by a 113-97 score on Thursday night. In LeBron James' (groin/rest) absence, Kyle Kuzma led the Lakers with 21 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Anthony Davis contributed a 17-point, 12-rebound double-double that also included three assists and one block. Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Talen Horton-Tucker furnished 10 points each.
The Lakers will list Davis (ankle), Markieff Morris (hip) and Dwight Howard (knee) as probable and both James (groin) and Alex Caruso (neck) as questionable for Saturday's game. Rajon Rondo (thumb) remains out.
The Pacers (42-27) have been enjoying their time in Orlando for the most part, as they've won three of their first four seeding games. However, their only stumble during that sample came in their most recent contest, when they fell to the Phoenix Suns by a 114-99 score on Thursday afternoon. Malcolm Brogdon overcame a questionable designation due to a neck injury to lead the Pacers with 25 points, a total he supplemented with six rebounds, six assists and one block. Myles Turner followed with 17 points, eight boards, two assists, three blocks and one steal. T.J. Warren and Victor Oladipo finished with matching 16-point tallies, with Warren also pulling down 11 rebounds. T.J. McConnell led the bench with eight points.
The Pacers will list Warren (foot), Turner (ankle) and Doug McDermott (knee) as questionable for Saturday's game,
Saturday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Lakers hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 105-102 win on Dec. 17.
The Lakers (51-17) have already clinched the top seed in the Western Conference, and lately, they've been playing like a team that's now lacking a bit of incentive. Los Angeles has dropped two straight games, with their most recent stumble coming against the Houston Rockets by a 113-97 score on Thursday night. In LeBron James' (groin/rest) absence, Kyle Kuzma led the Lakers with 21 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Anthony Davis contributed a 17-point, 12-rebound double-double that also included three assists and one block. Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Talen Horton-Tucker furnished 10 points each.
The Lakers will list Davis (ankle), Markieff Morris (hip) and Dwight Howard (knee) as probable and both James (groin) and Alex Caruso (neck) as questionable for Saturday's game. Rajon Rondo (thumb) remains out.
The Pacers (42-27) have been enjoying their time in Orlando for the most part, as they've won three of their first four seeding games. However, their only stumble during that sample came in their most recent contest, when they fell to the Phoenix Suns by a 114-99 score on Thursday afternoon. Malcolm Brogdon overcame a questionable designation due to a neck injury to lead the Pacers with 25 points, a total he supplemented with six rebounds, six assists and one block. Myles Turner followed with 17 points, eight boards, two assists, three blocks and one steal. T.J. Warren and Victor Oladipo finished with matching 16-point tallies, with Warren also pulling down 11 rebounds. T.J. McConnell led the bench with eight points.
The Pacers will list Warren (foot), Turner (ankle) and Doug McDermott (knee) as questionable for Saturday's game,
Saturday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Lakers hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 105-102 win on Dec. 17.
Suns and Heat Tangle In Interconference Clash
The Phoenix Suns take on the Miami Heat in an NBA seeding game in Orlando on Saturday night.
The Suns (30-39) have been one of the teams that have taken best to the format of the Orlando bubble, as they've won all four of their games and enter this contest just 2.5 games behind the No. 8-seed Memphis Grizzlies. Phoenix's most recent success came at the expense of the Indiana Pacers, which they toppled by a 114-99 score on Thursday afternoon. Deandre Ayton paced the Suns with a 23-point, 10-rebound double-double that also included one assist, four blocks and two steals. Devin Booker supplied 20 points, 10 assists and three rebounds. Dario Saric managed 16 points, eight rebounds and one assist off the bench. Cameron Payne registered 15 points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal. Cameron Johnson contributed a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double that also included three assists and one steal. Ricky Rubio and Mikal Bridges posted 13 and 10 points, respectively, while also totaling four rebounds apiece.
The Suns will continue without Elie Okobo (ankle) and Aron Baynes (knee) for Saturday's game. Kelly Oubre (knee) will be listed as doubtful.
The Heat (43-26) haven't been quite as successful as their Saturday opponent in the restarted season, as they've gone 2-2 over their first four games but still sit in the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. Miami's most recent stumble came Thursday afternoon against the Milwaukee Bucks in a game Erik Spoelstra's squad played without Jimmy Butler (foot), one in which the Bucks clinched the Eastern Conference's top seed with a 130-116 win. For the Heat, Duncan Robinson led the way with 21 points, complementing them with one rebound and one assist. Tyler Herro registered 20 points, five assists, four rebounds and one steal. Jae Crowder supplied 15 points, four boards, one assist and one steal. Kendrick Nunn went for 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and one block. Derrick Jones, Jr. and Andre Iguodala mustered 12 points each off the bench, with Iguodala adding eight assists and seven rebounds.
The Heat will remain without Butler (foot) and Nunn (personal) for Saturday's contest. Goran Dragic (ankle) will carry a questionable designation.
Saturday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Heat hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 124-108 win Nov. 7.
The Suns (30-39) have been one of the teams that have taken best to the format of the Orlando bubble, as they've won all four of their games and enter this contest just 2.5 games behind the No. 8-seed Memphis Grizzlies. Phoenix's most recent success came at the expense of the Indiana Pacers, which they toppled by a 114-99 score on Thursday afternoon. Deandre Ayton paced the Suns with a 23-point, 10-rebound double-double that also included one assist, four blocks and two steals. Devin Booker supplied 20 points, 10 assists and three rebounds. Dario Saric managed 16 points, eight rebounds and one assist off the bench. Cameron Payne registered 15 points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal. Cameron Johnson contributed a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double that also included three assists and one steal. Ricky Rubio and Mikal Bridges posted 13 and 10 points, respectively, while also totaling four rebounds apiece.
The Suns will continue without Elie Okobo (ankle) and Aron Baynes (knee) for Saturday's game. Kelly Oubre (knee) will be listed as doubtful.
The Heat (43-26) haven't been quite as successful as their Saturday opponent in the restarted season, as they've gone 2-2 over their first four games but still sit in the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. Miami's most recent stumble came Thursday afternoon against the Milwaukee Bucks in a game Erik Spoelstra's squad played without Jimmy Butler (foot), one in which the Bucks clinched the Eastern Conference's top seed with a 130-116 win. For the Heat, Duncan Robinson led the way with 21 points, complementing them with one rebound and one assist. Tyler Herro registered 20 points, five assists, four rebounds and one steal. Jae Crowder supplied 15 points, four boards, one assist and one steal. Kendrick Nunn went for 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and one block. Derrick Jones, Jr. and Andre Iguodala mustered 12 points each off the bench, with Iguodala adding eight assists and seven rebounds.
The Heat will remain without Butler (foot) and Nunn (personal) for Saturday's contest. Goran Dragic (ankle) will carry a questionable designation.
Saturday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Heat hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 124-108 win Nov. 7.
Mavericks and Bucks Face Off on Saturday
The Dallas Mavericks play host to the Milwaukee Bucks in Orlando on Saturday.
The Bucks (55-14) picked up a big win over the Miami Heat in their last game and that was a huge win with the way this team was playing before. Prior to that, Milwaukee lost five of their previous six games. It appears that this club is just coasting to the finish line, locking up the top-seed in the Eastern Conference a while back. That means that these games are all about finding a rhythm and it's clear this club has some work to do in that category. With all that said, this is still one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA and will be a heavy favorite to take down the east. Giannis Antetokounmpo looks well on his way to another MVP Award as well, his second-straight.
The Mavericks (41-30) are also struggling right now, losing five of their last seven games in total. Where they're really falling apart is on the defensive end, allowing over 120 points per game in those losses. That's going to happen with a guy like Luka Doncic out there but he does plenty to make up for it on the offensive end. In fact, he's averaging 29 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game for the season. He actually had a 30-20-10 game just a few days ago and a performance like that is truly scary for such a young player. He pairs beautifully with Kristaps Porzingis, who has also been one of the best players in the Orlando restart.
Dallas won the first and only matchup between these teams, 120-116.
The Bucks (55-14) picked up a big win over the Miami Heat in their last game and that was a huge win with the way this team was playing before. Prior to that, Milwaukee lost five of their previous six games. It appears that this club is just coasting to the finish line, locking up the top-seed in the Eastern Conference a while back. That means that these games are all about finding a rhythm and it's clear this club has some work to do in that category. With all that said, this is still one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA and will be a heavy favorite to take down the east. Giannis Antetokounmpo looks well on his way to another MVP Award as well, his second-straight.
The Mavericks (41-30) are also struggling right now, losing five of their last seven games in total. Where they're really falling apart is on the defensive end, allowing over 120 points per game in those losses. That's going to happen with a guy like Luka Doncic out there but he does plenty to make up for it on the offensive end. In fact, he's averaging 29 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game for the season. He actually had a 30-20-10 game just a few days ago and a performance like that is truly scary for such a young player. He pairs beautifully with Kristaps Porzingis, who has also been one of the best players in the Orlando restart.
Dallas won the first and only matchup between these teams, 120-116.