Doncic, Mavericks welcome in Hawks on Thursday
The Dallas Mavericks start a three-game homestand Thursday when they welcome in the Atlanta Hawks at American Airlines Center.
The Hawks (36-40) beat the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, 121-113, despite a 50-point performance from Malachai Flynn off the bench. Atlanta has won two in a row and six of its last seven games, and have clinched a spot in the NBA Play-In tournament. The Hawks are essentially locked into the ninth or 10th seed, meaning that they could look to rest their main players down the stretch of the regular season. If they want to make it to the first round of the postseason, they’ll need Trae Young to return from a torn ligament in his left finger that he underwent surgery for February 27. Dejounte Murray has stepped up in Young’s absence, with the former averaging 25.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 9.0 assist and 1.8 steals over 37.4 minutes per game in that span.
Meanwhile the Mavericks (45-30) saw their seven-game win streak come to an end Tuesday in a 104-100 loss to the Golden State Warriors, in a game that saw All-NBA guard Luka Doncic register his 20th triple-double of the season with 30 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Dallas is 11-4 over its last 15 games and sit in a tie for fifth place in the Western Conference with the New Orleans Pelicans. Outside of Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks will need contributions from role players like P.J. Washington, Derek Lively and Tim Hardaway if they wish to stay above the cutoff line for the NBA Play-In Tournament.
Thursday’s contest is the second and final game between the Hawks and Mavericks this season, with Dallas taking the 148-143 victory in the first matchup Jan. 26.
The Hawks (36-40) beat the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, 121-113, despite a 50-point performance from Malachai Flynn off the bench. Atlanta has won two in a row and six of its last seven games, and have clinched a spot in the NBA Play-In tournament. The Hawks are essentially locked into the ninth or 10th seed, meaning that they could look to rest their main players down the stretch of the regular season. If they want to make it to the first round of the postseason, they’ll need Trae Young to return from a torn ligament in his left finger that he underwent surgery for February 27. Dejounte Murray has stepped up in Young’s absence, with the former averaging 25.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 9.0 assist and 1.8 steals over 37.4 minutes per game in that span.
Meanwhile the Mavericks (45-30) saw their seven-game win streak come to an end Tuesday in a 104-100 loss to the Golden State Warriors, in a game that saw All-NBA guard Luka Doncic register his 20th triple-double of the season with 30 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Dallas is 11-4 over its last 15 games and sit in a tie for fifth place in the Western Conference with the New Orleans Pelicans. Outside of Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks will need contributions from role players like P.J. Washington, Derek Lively and Tim Hardaway if they wish to stay above the cutoff line for the NBA Play-In Tournament.
Thursday’s contest is the second and final game between the Hawks and Mavericks this season, with Dallas taking the 148-143 victory in the first matchup Jan. 26.
Heat, Sixers Battle In South Beach
The Miami Heat will host the Philadelphia 76ers at Kaseya Center on Thursday.
The Heat (42-33) are trending in the right direction recently. Looking to secure the highest possible seed in the Eastern Conference, the Heat enter this game on the heels of a three-game winning run following their 109-99 victory over the New York Knicks on Tuesday. Miami has recorded each of those three wins by 10 or more points, and the team should also be confident based on their play at home, where it has gone 20-17. The Heat enter Thursday’s action in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings, but another win here could create separation from the seventh-placed team, the Indiana Pacers. The Heat will also aim to win the season series, where they lead the Sixers by a 2-1 record.
The Heat are listing Tyler Herro (foot) as injured. Josh Richardson (shoulder) is out for the season.
The 76ers (41-35) celebrated Joel Embiid's return in their most recent game, and the star big man played a prominent role in Tuesday’s 109-105 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Embiid posted 24 points, seven assists, and six rebounds across 30 minutes in his first game in nine weeks following knee surgery. Having Embiid back in the lineup should boost the team on both ends of the court. Even though his return came too late to push the Sixers to a Top 6 finish in the East, there’s no question Philadelphia will be a difficult team in the playoffs as long as Embiid stays healthy. The Sixers aim to snap Miami’s winning run while holding a two-game winning streak of their own.
Tobias Harris (knee), Joel Embiid (knee), Mo Bamba (illness) and Tyrese Maxey (hip) are game-time calls for Thursday. Robert Covington (knee) and De’Anthony Melton (back) are out.
The Heat (42-33) are trending in the right direction recently. Looking to secure the highest possible seed in the Eastern Conference, the Heat enter this game on the heels of a three-game winning run following their 109-99 victory over the New York Knicks on Tuesday. Miami has recorded each of those three wins by 10 or more points, and the team should also be confident based on their play at home, where it has gone 20-17. The Heat enter Thursday’s action in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings, but another win here could create separation from the seventh-placed team, the Indiana Pacers. The Heat will also aim to win the season series, where they lead the Sixers by a 2-1 record.
The Heat are listing Tyler Herro (foot) as injured. Josh Richardson (shoulder) is out for the season.
The 76ers (41-35) celebrated Joel Embiid's return in their most recent game, and the star big man played a prominent role in Tuesday’s 109-105 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Embiid posted 24 points, seven assists, and six rebounds across 30 minutes in his first game in nine weeks following knee surgery. Having Embiid back in the lineup should boost the team on both ends of the court. Even though his return came too late to push the Sixers to a Top 6 finish in the East, there’s no question Philadelphia will be a difficult team in the playoffs as long as Embiid stays healthy. The Sixers aim to snap Miami’s winning run while holding a two-game winning streak of their own.
Tobias Harris (knee), Joel Embiid (knee), Mo Bamba (illness) and Tyrese Maxey (hip) are game-time calls for Thursday. Robert Covington (knee) and De’Anthony Melton (back) are out.
Kings and Knicks Set for Big Apple Showdown
The Sacramento Kings take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.
The Kings (44-31) are getting closer to escaping the play-in level in the Western Conference, as they entered Wednesday's action just a game behind the New Orleans Pelicans for the No. 6 seed. Their current two-game winning streak has certainly been helpful, with their most recent success coming at the expense of the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night. Domantas Sabonis led the way with a 22-point, 20-rebound double-double that included nine assists and two steals. De'Aaron Fox supplied 20 points, seven assists, three rebounds, one steal and one block. Keegan Murray delivered 19 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Trey Lyles registered 15 points, five assists, four rebounds, one steal and one block. Davion Mitchell finished with 14 points, four boards and three assists.
The Kings will be without Malik Monk (knee) for Thursday's game.
The Knicks (44-31) are in a diametrically opposite position from their opponent in a couple of ways despite having an identical record, as New York is trying to prevent a fall out of the top 6 in the Eastern Conference and has lost three consecutive contests. Their most recent stumble came Tuesday night, when they fell to the Miami Heat by a 109-99 score. Donte DiVincenzo led the Knicks with 31 points, complementing them with four rebounds, four assists and four steals. Miles McBride posted 24 points, two boards, two assists and one block. Jalen Brunson generated a 20-point, 10-assist double-double that included two rebounds. Bojan Bogdanovic furnished 16 points and six rebounds.
The Knicks will list Josh Hart (wrist) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle) as questionable for Thursday's contest. Julius Randle (shoulder) and OG Anunoby (elbow) will remain out.
Thursday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Knicks hold a 1-0 series lead.
The Kings (44-31) are getting closer to escaping the play-in level in the Western Conference, as they entered Wednesday's action just a game behind the New Orleans Pelicans for the No. 6 seed. Their current two-game winning streak has certainly been helpful, with their most recent success coming at the expense of the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night. Domantas Sabonis led the way with a 22-point, 20-rebound double-double that included nine assists and two steals. De'Aaron Fox supplied 20 points, seven assists, three rebounds, one steal and one block. Keegan Murray delivered 19 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Trey Lyles registered 15 points, five assists, four rebounds, one steal and one block. Davion Mitchell finished with 14 points, four boards and three assists.
The Kings will be without Malik Monk (knee) for Thursday's game.
The Knicks (44-31) are in a diametrically opposite position from their opponent in a couple of ways despite having an identical record, as New York is trying to prevent a fall out of the top 6 in the Eastern Conference and has lost three consecutive contests. Their most recent stumble came Tuesday night, when they fell to the Miami Heat by a 109-99 score. Donte DiVincenzo led the Knicks with 31 points, complementing them with four rebounds, four assists and four steals. Miles McBride posted 24 points, two boards, two assists and one block. Jalen Brunson generated a 20-point, 10-assist double-double that included two rebounds. Bojan Bogdanovic furnished 16 points and six rebounds.
The Knicks will list Josh Hart (wrist) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle) as questionable for Thursday's contest. Julius Randle (shoulder) and OG Anunoby (elbow) will remain out.
Thursday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Knicks hold a 1-0 series lead.
Rockets Host Streaking Warriors
By Dan Bruno
The Houston Rockets play host to the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center on Thursday evening.
The Rockets (38-37) have dropped two in a row but hope to get back on track as they return home for a two-game stand with the opportunity to improve on their, 26-12, home record. Jalen Green remains in a dominant groove, averaging 30.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals over the last 10 games. Fred VanVleet is averaging 17.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 2.2 steals over the same stretch. Amen Thompson is also playing well, averaging 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals across the last five outings. The Rockets average 114.1 points per game, and they hold opponents to an average of 112.6 points, which is 10th fewest in the league. Alperen Sengun (ankle) remains sidelined.
Meanwhile, the Warriors (41-34) have won five in a row and look to keep rolling as they head back out on the road for a one-game trip with the chance to add to their, 22-15, road record. Stephen Curry continues to lead the way averaging 26.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. Klay Thompson averages 17.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists, while Andrew Wiggins is averaging 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Draymond Green also continues to offer a well-rounded effort, averaging 8.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game. The Warriors average 117.8 points per game, which is eighth most in the league, and they give up an average of 115.6 points per game. Jonathan Kuminga (knee) has missed the last four games and is listed as questionable for action.
The Rockets (38-37) have dropped two in a row but hope to get back on track as they return home for a two-game stand with the opportunity to improve on their, 26-12, home record. Jalen Green remains in a dominant groove, averaging 30.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals over the last 10 games. Fred VanVleet is averaging 17.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 2.2 steals over the same stretch. Amen Thompson is also playing well, averaging 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals across the last five outings. The Rockets average 114.1 points per game, and they hold opponents to an average of 112.6 points, which is 10th fewest in the league. Alperen Sengun (ankle) remains sidelined.
Meanwhile, the Warriors (41-34) have won five in a row and look to keep rolling as they head back out on the road for a one-game trip with the chance to add to their, 22-15, road record. Stephen Curry continues to lead the way averaging 26.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. Klay Thompson averages 17.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists, while Andrew Wiggins is averaging 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Draymond Green also continues to offer a well-rounded effort, averaging 8.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game. The Warriors average 117.8 points per game, which is eighth most in the league, and they give up an average of 115.6 points per game. Jonathan Kuminga (knee) has missed the last four games and is listed as questionable for action.
Clippers Host Nuggets on Thursday
The Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday.
The Nuggets (53-23) grabbed a narrow win over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, moving them to the top spot in the Western Conference. They were fortunate that Oklahoma City lost as well because both of their studs were sidelined in that defeat. Denver isn't exactly the most healthy team either, with Jamal Murray missing the last week due to an ankle issue. This team needs their star point guard if they want to make another deep run, but it's impossible to defend the defending champs whenever Nikola Jokic is out there. The big man had 40 points and 16 rebounds in that victory on Tuesday, putting an exclamation mark on another MVP campaign.
The Clippers (47-28) had an ugly showing in their most recent outing, getting blown out by the Sacramento Kings. What really scares fans about that defeat is that Kawhi Leonard sat with knee soreness. It's possible it was just some maintenance late in the season, but hearing any sort of knee injury for a guy like Kawhi is horrifying. He's quietly been one of the best players in the NBA, and this club won't get far without him. That was clear on Tuesday when they trailed by 27 points at times in their blowout defeat against the Kings. James Harden made just one shot in that game, which is unacceptable since Kawhi was sidelined. They did get 20 points from Russell Westbrook off of the bench, but it needs to be a team effort if this team wants to win without Leonard.
This is the fourth and final matchup between these teams, with Denver winning two of three. The Nuggets have won eight of their last nine games over the Clippers in total.
The Nuggets (53-23) grabbed a narrow win over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, moving them to the top spot in the Western Conference. They were fortunate that Oklahoma City lost as well because both of their studs were sidelined in that defeat. Denver isn't exactly the most healthy team either, with Jamal Murray missing the last week due to an ankle issue. This team needs their star point guard if they want to make another deep run, but it's impossible to defend the defending champs whenever Nikola Jokic is out there. The big man had 40 points and 16 rebounds in that victory on Tuesday, putting an exclamation mark on another MVP campaign.
The Clippers (47-28) had an ugly showing in their most recent outing, getting blown out by the Sacramento Kings. What really scares fans about that defeat is that Kawhi Leonard sat with knee soreness. It's possible it was just some maintenance late in the season, but hearing any sort of knee injury for a guy like Kawhi is horrifying. He's quietly been one of the best players in the NBA, and this club won't get far without him. That was clear on Tuesday when they trailed by 27 points at times in their blowout defeat against the Kings. James Harden made just one shot in that game, which is unacceptable since Kawhi was sidelined. They did get 20 points from Russell Westbrook off of the bench, but it needs to be a team effort if this team wants to win without Leonard.
This is the fourth and final matchup between these teams, with Denver winning two of three. The Nuggets have won eight of their last nine games over the Clippers in total.