Knicks, Nuggets Collide At MSG
The New York Knicks will host the Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden on Saturday afternoon.
The Knicks (11-11) are coming off a 119-115 loss against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday. Julius Randle was the best player for the Knicks and ended with 30 points and 12 rebounds while also adding six assists and two blocks, while both Alec Burks and Evan Fournier chipped in with 16 points -- Burks also posted seven boards, three assists and two steals, while Fournier racked up four steals. Immanuel Quickley had 15 points, and Derrick Rose chipped in with 16 points off the bench. The Knicks shot 51.2 percent from the field and a meager 34.6 percent from deep in this loss. New York has gone 5-7 at home this season.
The Nuggets (10-11) have been struggling on the road and own a 3-7 mark, but those woes can be explained by the fact that they’re been complicated by injuries all season long. Denver is coming off a 108-103 loss at the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Monte Morris paced the Nuggets with 22 points, complementing them with two rebounds, two assists and one block. Nikola Jokic generated an 18-point, 15-rebound double-double that included seven assists and one steal. Aaron Gordon furnished 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Will Barton delivered 14 points, four rebounds and three assists. The Nuggets have gone 2-3 of late but have dropped three of their last four.
The Knicks (11-11) are coming off a 119-115 loss against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday. Julius Randle was the best player for the Knicks and ended with 30 points and 12 rebounds while also adding six assists and two blocks, while both Alec Burks and Evan Fournier chipped in with 16 points -- Burks also posted seven boards, three assists and two steals, while Fournier racked up four steals. Immanuel Quickley had 15 points, and Derrick Rose chipped in with 16 points off the bench. The Knicks shot 51.2 percent from the field and a meager 34.6 percent from deep in this loss. New York has gone 5-7 at home this season.
The Nuggets (10-11) have been struggling on the road and own a 3-7 mark, but those woes can be explained by the fact that they’re been complicated by injuries all season long. Denver is coming off a 108-103 loss at the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Monte Morris paced the Nuggets with 22 points, complementing them with two rebounds, two assists and one block. Nikola Jokic generated an 18-point, 15-rebound double-double that included seven assists and one steal. Aaron Gordon furnished 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Will Barton delivered 14 points, four rebounds and three assists. The Nuggets have gone 2-3 of late but have dropped three of their last four.
Bucks Host Heat Looking To Bounce Back
The Miami Heat will visit the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on Saturday night.
The Bucks (14-9) have gone 7-4 at home this season and should be happy about coming back to Fiserv Forum since they’re coming off a 97-93 loss against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday the last time out. Jrue Holiday led the way for the Bucks with 26 points, adding eight assists, six rebounds and one block. Khris Middleton totaled 22 points, eight rebounds, two assists and one block. Bobby Portis generated a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double that included one steal and one block. Grayson Allen poured in 10 points. Milwaukee has gone 4-1 in its last five contests, though.
The Heat (14-9) are coming off a 113-104 road win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday. Kyle Lowry was the best player for the Heat since he ended with 26 points and nine assists, while Duncan Robinson contributed 24 points. Tyler Herro added 18 points, and P.J. Tucker filled the stat sheet with six points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. Omer Yertseven and Gabe Vincent both had 12 points coming off the bench. No other Heat player scored in double digits. Miami has gone 8-6 on the road this season and enters this contest having won three of its last six.
The Bucks (14-9) have gone 7-4 at home this season and should be happy about coming back to Fiserv Forum since they’re coming off a 97-93 loss against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday the last time out. Jrue Holiday led the way for the Bucks with 26 points, adding eight assists, six rebounds and one block. Khris Middleton totaled 22 points, eight rebounds, two assists and one block. Bobby Portis generated a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double that included one steal and one block. Grayson Allen poured in 10 points. Milwaukee has gone 4-1 in its last five contests, though.
The Heat (14-9) are coming off a 113-104 road win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday. Kyle Lowry was the best player for the Heat since he ended with 26 points and nine assists, while Duncan Robinson contributed 24 points. Tyler Herro added 18 points, and P.J. Tucker filled the stat sheet with six points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. Omer Yertseven and Gabe Vincent both had 12 points coming off the bench. No other Heat player scored in double digits. Miami has gone 8-6 on the road this season and enters this contest having won three of its last six.
Bulls and Nets Meet in Big Apple
The Chicago Bulls take on the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Saturday night.
The Bulls (15-8) have had some ups and downs after a hot start to the season, but they'll check into Saturday's marquee showdown on an upswing in the form of three victories in the last four games. Their most recent success came at the expense of the New York Knicks, which they toppled by a 119-115 score Thursday night. DeMar DeRozan led the way for the Bulls with 34 points, adding six rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block. Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine had matching 27-point, seven-rebound tallies.
The Bulls will be without Javonte Green and Coby White due to COVID-19 protocols on Saturday. Alex Caruso (hamstring) will be listed as questionable.
The Nets (16-6) have also been piling up the wins lately, posting six victories in the last seven games. Their most recent success came Friday night, when they notched a narrow 110-105 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kevin Durant paced the Nets with 30 points, supplementing them with 10 rebounds and six assists. Patty Mills supplied 23 points, three assists and one steal. James Harden delivered 20 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and two steals. LaMarcus Aldridge managed 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and one block. James Johnson posted 11 points and six boards.
The Nets will likely list Cam Thomas (quadriceps) as no better than questionable for Saturday's game, while Joe Harris (ankle) and Kyrie Irving (personal) will remain out.
Saturday's game marks the second of three meetings between the teams this season. The Bulls own a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 118-95 win Nov. 8.
The Bulls (15-8) have had some ups and downs after a hot start to the season, but they'll check into Saturday's marquee showdown on an upswing in the form of three victories in the last four games. Their most recent success came at the expense of the New York Knicks, which they toppled by a 119-115 score Thursday night. DeMar DeRozan led the way for the Bulls with 34 points, adding six rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block. Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine had matching 27-point, seven-rebound tallies.
The Bulls will be without Javonte Green and Coby White due to COVID-19 protocols on Saturday. Alex Caruso (hamstring) will be listed as questionable.
The Nets (16-6) have also been piling up the wins lately, posting six victories in the last seven games. Their most recent success came Friday night, when they notched a narrow 110-105 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kevin Durant paced the Nets with 30 points, supplementing them with 10 rebounds and six assists. Patty Mills supplied 23 points, three assists and one steal. James Harden delivered 20 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and two steals. LaMarcus Aldridge managed 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and one block. James Johnson posted 11 points and six boards.
The Nets will likely list Cam Thomas (quadriceps) as no better than questionable for Saturday's game, while Joe Harris (ankle) and Kyrie Irving (personal) will remain out.
Saturday's game marks the second of three meetings between the teams this season. The Bulls own a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 118-95 win Nov. 8.
Mavs Looking To Bounce Back At Home
By Dan Bruno
The Dallas Mavericks play host to the Memphis Grizzlies at American Airlines Center on Saturday evening.
This marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Mavericks (11-10), as they are coming off a rough loss at home against the Pelicans on Friday night. The contest got out to a slow start as the Mavs led, 19-14, after one quarter. The pace picked up in the second, and they held on to four-point advantage at halftime. The visitors came out stronger in the third and the Mavs were outscored by 15 points in the quarter, resulting in an 11-point deficit heading into the final frame. The visitors stayed in control through the fourth and charged to a game-high 18-point lead with less than a minute to go, as the Mavs fell short. Luka Doncic led the way with 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Jalen Brunson followed up with 16 points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal, and Maxi Kleber tallied 13 points, nine rebounds and a steal. Kristaps Porzingis (knee) did not play on Friday night, and he remains questionable for action on Saturday. It will mark the second game of a three-game home stand for the Mavs, as they look to build on their, 6-4, home record.
Meanwhile, this marks the first game of a two-game road trip for the Grizzlies (12-10), as they will look to build on the momentum of a three-game winning streak and add to their, 4-5, road record. Ja Morant (knee) has missed the last three games and is expected to remain sidelined through Saturday's contest. Kyle Anderson missed the most recent contest and is also expected to remain out through Saturday. Tyus Jones should pick up another start, while De'Anthony Melton and John Konchar should see some extra minutes with Anderson sidelined. Jaren Jackson has been playing well lately, averaging 17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.0 steals, over the last 10 games. The Grizzlies are averaging 112.0 points per game, which is fifth most in the league, but they are giving up an average of 112.8 points against.
This marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Mavericks (11-10), as they are coming off a rough loss at home against the Pelicans on Friday night. The contest got out to a slow start as the Mavs led, 19-14, after one quarter. The pace picked up in the second, and they held on to four-point advantage at halftime. The visitors came out stronger in the third and the Mavs were outscored by 15 points in the quarter, resulting in an 11-point deficit heading into the final frame. The visitors stayed in control through the fourth and charged to a game-high 18-point lead with less than a minute to go, as the Mavs fell short. Luka Doncic led the way with 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Jalen Brunson followed up with 16 points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal, and Maxi Kleber tallied 13 points, nine rebounds and a steal. Kristaps Porzingis (knee) did not play on Friday night, and he remains questionable for action on Saturday. It will mark the second game of a three-game home stand for the Mavs, as they look to build on their, 6-4, home record.
Meanwhile, this marks the first game of a two-game road trip for the Grizzlies (12-10), as they will look to build on the momentum of a three-game winning streak and add to their, 4-5, road record. Ja Morant (knee) has missed the last three games and is expected to remain sidelined through Saturday's contest. Kyle Anderson missed the most recent contest and is also expected to remain out through Saturday. Tyus Jones should pick up another start, while De'Anthony Melton and John Konchar should see some extra minutes with Anderson sidelined. Jaren Jackson has been playing well lately, averaging 17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.0 steals, over the last 10 games. The Grizzlies are averaging 112.0 points per game, which is fifth most in the league, but they are giving up an average of 112.8 points against.
Warriors Host Spurs on Saturday
The Golden State Warriors play host to the San Antonio Spurs at Chase Center on Saturday.
The Spurs (7-13) got off to a nightmarish schedule with 13 losses in their first 17 games, but a three-game winning streak has fans hopeful for the future. The terrible start really wasn't as much about the Spurs as it was about the competition. San Antonio had one of the most demanding schedules in the NBA, and many of those defeats came down to the wire. The most recent run is a better indicator of how good they can be, beating tough teams like the Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards and Portland Trail Blazers. The guy who's opened eyes is Dejounte Murray, with the stud point guard flirting with triple-double averages on a nightly basis. As long as he keeps doing that, this team will get out of this deep hole.
The Warriors (19-3) suffered an ugly loss against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday but bounced back by beating them on Friday. Those are the two best teams in the NBA right now and for them to hold serve at home shows just how scary they can be. Golden State has been holding their own at home for quite some time, entering this matchup in the midst of a 10-game winning streak at Chase Center. What makes that even scarier is the fact that Klay Thompson will be back in the coming "weeks". Adding one of the best shooters and defenders to an already elite team is a horrifying thought for the rest of the NBA, and it'll be interesting to see how he looks after 18 months off.
These teams played three times last season, with Golden State winning two of three. With that said, the Spurs won five of their previous six games over the Warriors in this series.
The Spurs (7-13) got off to a nightmarish schedule with 13 losses in their first 17 games, but a three-game winning streak has fans hopeful for the future. The terrible start really wasn't as much about the Spurs as it was about the competition. San Antonio had one of the most demanding schedules in the NBA, and many of those defeats came down to the wire. The most recent run is a better indicator of how good they can be, beating tough teams like the Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards and Portland Trail Blazers. The guy who's opened eyes is Dejounte Murray, with the stud point guard flirting with triple-double averages on a nightly basis. As long as he keeps doing that, this team will get out of this deep hole.
The Warriors (19-3) suffered an ugly loss against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday but bounced back by beating them on Friday. Those are the two best teams in the NBA right now and for them to hold serve at home shows just how scary they can be. Golden State has been holding their own at home for quite some time, entering this matchup in the midst of a 10-game winning streak at Chase Center. What makes that even scarier is the fact that Klay Thompson will be back in the coming "weeks". Adding one of the best shooters and defenders to an already elite team is a horrifying thought for the rest of the NBA, and it'll be interesting to see how he looks after 18 months off.
These teams played three times last season, with Golden State winning two of three. With that said, the Spurs won five of their previous six games over the Warriors in this series.
Celtics Look To Bounce Back on Second Night of Back-To-Back
By Dan Bruno
The Portland Trail Blazers play host to the Boston Celtics at Moda Center on Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, this marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Celtics (12-11), as they are coming off a hard-fought loss in Utah on Friday. They got out to a rough start in the contest and trailed, 38-25, after one quarter. They came out stronger in the second and outscored the hosts by 10 points, to cut it to a three-point game by halftime. Both teams poured in 41 points each in the third quarter, as the Celtics still trailed by three heading into the final frame. They picked up the play in the fourth and took the lead early in the quarter, but they were outscored, 28-21, through the final six minutes, resulting in the road loss and the end of a two-game winning streak. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 37 points, six rebounds, five assists and a block, in the loss. Dennis Schroder followed up with 26 points, two rebounds, three assists and a steal, while Al Horford added 21 points, six rebounds, nine assists, a steal and a block. Jaylen Brown (hamstring) did not play on Friday night and remains questionable for action on Saturday, The contest will mark the second game of a five-game road trip for the Celtics, as they look to bounce back and improve on their, 6-6, road record.
Meanwhile, the this marks the third game of a four-game home stand for the Trail Blazers (11-12), as they will look to bounce back from a loss in their most recent contest and get back to building on their impressive, 10-2, home record. Damian Lillard (abdomen) has missed the last two games and remains questionable for action on Saturday. Anfernee Simons (ankle), who had been filling in for Lillard is also expected to be out for Saturday's contest, which leave the way for Dennis Smith Jr. to step up for some big minutes. Nassir Little (ankle) has missed the last two games and will remain sidelined. C.J. McCollum, who is averaging 20.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.1 steals, will be crucial in leading the shorthanded squad.
Meanwhile, this marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Celtics (12-11), as they are coming off a hard-fought loss in Utah on Friday. They got out to a rough start in the contest and trailed, 38-25, after one quarter. They came out stronger in the second and outscored the hosts by 10 points, to cut it to a three-point game by halftime. Both teams poured in 41 points each in the third quarter, as the Celtics still trailed by three heading into the final frame. They picked up the play in the fourth and took the lead early in the quarter, but they were outscored, 28-21, through the final six minutes, resulting in the road loss and the end of a two-game winning streak. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 37 points, six rebounds, five assists and a block, in the loss. Dennis Schroder followed up with 26 points, two rebounds, three assists and a steal, while Al Horford added 21 points, six rebounds, nine assists, a steal and a block. Jaylen Brown (hamstring) did not play on Friday night and remains questionable for action on Saturday, The contest will mark the second game of a five-game road trip for the Celtics, as they look to bounce back and improve on their, 6-6, road record.
Meanwhile, the this marks the third game of a four-game home stand for the Trail Blazers (11-12), as they will look to bounce back from a loss in their most recent contest and get back to building on their impressive, 10-2, home record. Damian Lillard (abdomen) has missed the last two games and remains questionable for action on Saturday. Anfernee Simons (ankle), who had been filling in for Lillard is also expected to be out for Saturday's contest, which leave the way for Dennis Smith Jr. to step up for some big minutes. Nassir Little (ankle) has missed the last two games and will remain sidelined. C.J. McCollum, who is averaging 20.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.1 steals, will be crucial in leading the shorthanded squad.
Kings Host Clippers on Saturday
The Sacramento Kings play host to the Los Angeles Clippers at Golden 1 Center on Saturday.
The Clippers (12-11) got off to an impressive start, but seven losses through their last 11 games have undone all the good work early on. That bad stretch directly correlates with the returns of Marcus Morris and Serge Ibaka, with the Clippers struggling to gel with this new unit. The good news is that they grabbed a tough road win against the Los Angele Lakers on Friday, and that's hopefully a sign of things to come. It does mean that this is the second half of a back-to-back set, though, which could lead to some key players resting. This team is already shorthanded with Kawhi Leonard (knee) injured for the year, and it's becoming clear they need all horses on deck for every game to stay in the playoff hunt.
The Kings (9-14) were the first team to fire their head coach this season, and results have been encouraging since then. In fact, they enter this matchup winning three of their last five games, beating the Portland Trail Blazers and the two Los Angeles teams in that span. Those are some good teams to be beating, and it says a lot about how talented this team can be when the right pieces are in play. Guys like Richaun Holmes, De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton have developed into fantastic NBA players, and it pairs wonderfully with a veteran like Harrison Barnes. The one thing that's been holding them back is their defense, though, ranked 27th in defensive efficiency this season. That's sadly an improvement on their numbers last year but having the fourth-worst defense in the NBA is nothing worth writing home about.
These teams played on December 1, with Sacramento winning, 124-115. The Kings actually dominated that game, leading by nearly 30 points at times, despite the final scoreline.
The Clippers (12-11) got off to an impressive start, but seven losses through their last 11 games have undone all the good work early on. That bad stretch directly correlates with the returns of Marcus Morris and Serge Ibaka, with the Clippers struggling to gel with this new unit. The good news is that they grabbed a tough road win against the Los Angele Lakers on Friday, and that's hopefully a sign of things to come. It does mean that this is the second half of a back-to-back set, though, which could lead to some key players resting. This team is already shorthanded with Kawhi Leonard (knee) injured for the year, and it's becoming clear they need all horses on deck for every game to stay in the playoff hunt.
The Kings (9-14) were the first team to fire their head coach this season, and results have been encouraging since then. In fact, they enter this matchup winning three of their last five games, beating the Portland Trail Blazers and the two Los Angeles teams in that span. Those are some good teams to be beating, and it says a lot about how talented this team can be when the right pieces are in play. Guys like Richaun Holmes, De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton have developed into fantastic NBA players, and it pairs wonderfully with a veteran like Harrison Barnes. The one thing that's been holding them back is their defense, though, ranked 27th in defensive efficiency this season. That's sadly an improvement on their numbers last year but having the fourth-worst defense in the NBA is nothing worth writing home about.
These teams played on December 1, with Sacramento winning, 124-115. The Kings actually dominated that game, leading by nearly 30 points at times, despite the final scoreline.