Struggling Pelicans Visit Surging Thunder
The New Orleans Pelicans will travel to Oklahoma City on Thursday to take on the Thunder.
The Pelicans (22-26) have entered a dangerous stretch of their regular season, as not only have their lost three of their last four games and have dropped to four games under .500, but they will be without star player Anthony Davis for at least the next week due to a wrist injury. Davis' absence cost New Orleans in what was essentially a must-win game Wednesday at home against the Pistons, as the team struggled to get into any sort of offensive flow. Jrue Holiday did all he could to keep the Pelicans in the game with a team-high 29 points, but the team just didn't have enough scoring depth. A big reason for that was Nikola Mirotic leaving Wednesday's contest early due to a calf injury, and he should be considered questionable for Thursday's trip to Oklahoma City.
The Thunder (29-18) are trending in a much different direction than the Pelicans, having now won three games in a row after an impressive victory over the Trail Blazers on Tuesday. This comes after a rough stretch where Oklahoma City lost five out of six, but the team has managed to get back on track thanks to the stellar play of Paul George. After George failed to score more than 27 points in five of those six games, he has scored over 30 in each of the last three. George's re-emergence is part of what has been an recent offensive explosion for the Thunder, who were winning most of their games to start the season on the defensive end. In their last five games to end in regulation, Oklahoma City is averaging 123 points per game.
The Pelicans (22-26) have entered a dangerous stretch of their regular season, as not only have their lost three of their last four games and have dropped to four games under .500, but they will be without star player Anthony Davis for at least the next week due to a wrist injury. Davis' absence cost New Orleans in what was essentially a must-win game Wednesday at home against the Pistons, as the team struggled to get into any sort of offensive flow. Jrue Holiday did all he could to keep the Pelicans in the game with a team-high 29 points, but the team just didn't have enough scoring depth. A big reason for that was Nikola Mirotic leaving Wednesday's contest early due to a calf injury, and he should be considered questionable for Thursday's trip to Oklahoma City.
The Thunder (29-18) are trending in a much different direction than the Pelicans, having now won three games in a row after an impressive victory over the Trail Blazers on Tuesday. This comes after a rough stretch where Oklahoma City lost five out of six, but the team has managed to get back on track thanks to the stellar play of Paul George. After George failed to score more than 27 points in five of those six games, he has scored over 30 in each of the last three. George's re-emergence is part of what has been an recent offensive explosion for the Thunder, who were winning most of their games to start the season on the defensive end. In their last five games to end in regulation, Oklahoma City is averaging 123 points per game.
Warriors and Wizards Tangle at Capitol One Arena
Winners of eight straight games, the Golden State Warriors (33-14) spent Monday picking apart the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center, 130-111. Klay Thompson delivered a monster performance behind a team-high 44 points, shooting 17-of-20 from the field and 10-of-11 from beyond the arc. Thompson's 10 consecutive triples ties an NBA record. Kevin Durant finished with 20 points, six rebounds and four assists, going 8-of-13 from the field, while Stephen Curry logged a double-double with 11 points and 12 assists to his credit, cold from both field goal and long range where he shot 3-of-12 and 2-of-10, respectively. DeMarcus Cousins had a relatively subdued performance with eight points and nine boards, as the Warriors sit uncontested atop the Western Conference, a game ahead of the second place Denver Nuggets. The Warrior's five-game road jaunt continues through to Monday with stops at the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers.
Monday also saw the Washington Wizards (20-26) win their second straight and fourth of their last five, cruising past the visiting Detroit Pistons, 101-87. Seven members of the roster came away with double-digits in the victory, including Trevor Ariza, who had a team-leading 20 points and 12 rebounds on his way to a double-double. Thomas Bryant had one of his own with 11 points and 12 boards, while Bradley Beal finished with 16 points and four dimes on 7-of-8 shooting from the foul line. Otto Porter, Jr. had 19 points and four three-pointers in a reserve capacity as the Wizards are making a push for a hotly-contested eight seed in the East. Washington's defense remains the team's Achilles, one that is allowing teams to drop an average of 115.8 points per game, second-worst in the league behind only the Atlanta Hawks.
Monday also saw the Washington Wizards (20-26) win their second straight and fourth of their last five, cruising past the visiting Detroit Pistons, 101-87. Seven members of the roster came away with double-digits in the victory, including Trevor Ariza, who had a team-leading 20 points and 12 rebounds on his way to a double-double. Thomas Bryant had one of his own with 11 points and 12 boards, while Bradley Beal finished with 16 points and four dimes on 7-of-8 shooting from the foul line. Otto Porter, Jr. had 19 points and four three-pointers in a reserve capacity as the Wizards are making a push for a hotly-contested eight seed in the East. Washington's defense remains the team's Achilles, one that is allowing teams to drop an average of 115.8 points per game, second-worst in the league behind only the Atlanta Hawks.
Trail Blazers Tangle With Suns in Desert Showdown
The Portland Trail Blazers take on the Phoenix Suns at Walking Stick Resort Arena on Thursday evening.
The Trail Blazers (29-20) come into Thursday's game in the midst of a solid stretch in which they've won three of their last four games, and seven of their last 10 contests overall. However, the majority of their success continues to come on their home floor, as Portland sports just a 9-13 road mark. Their most recent stumble outside of Oregon came Tuesday night, when they dropped a 123-114 decision to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Damian Lillard led the way for the Trail Blazers with 34 points, adding eight assists, five rebounds and five steals. C.J. McCollum supplied 31 points, three rebounds, three assists and one block. Jusuf Nurkic generated a 22-point, 15-rebound double-double that also included one assist, two blocks and one steal. Al-Farouq Aminu mustered just four points but also hauled in 13 rebounds and dished out four assists. Meyers Leonard paced the second unit with nine points.
The Trail Blazers come into Thursday's game at full health.
The Suns (11-38) have been falling short in the majority of their contests lately, as they've dropped five straight contests, and six of their last seven games overall. Their most recent disappointment came at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, which took the second game of a home-and-home set by a 118-91 score Tuesday night. Josh Jackson paced the Suns with 27 points, adding 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks. Devin Booker supplied 14 points, four assists, three rebounds, one steal and one block before being ejected for fighting with Gorgui Dieng. Dragan Bender generated a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double that also included two assists. Kelly Oubre, Jr. matched Bender's scoring total and added three rebounds, three blocks and one steal.
The Suns will be without T.J. Warren on Thursday after he suffered an ankle injury during Tuesday's game. Deandre Ayton (ankle) and Richaun Holmes (foot) will be listed as questionable.
Thursday's game marks the second of three meetings between the teams this season. The Trail Blazers hold a 1-0 lead, having notched a 108-86 win Dec. 6.
The Trail Blazers (29-20) come into Thursday's game in the midst of a solid stretch in which they've won three of their last four games, and seven of their last 10 contests overall. However, the majority of their success continues to come on their home floor, as Portland sports just a 9-13 road mark. Their most recent stumble outside of Oregon came Tuesday night, when they dropped a 123-114 decision to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Damian Lillard led the way for the Trail Blazers with 34 points, adding eight assists, five rebounds and five steals. C.J. McCollum supplied 31 points, three rebounds, three assists and one block. Jusuf Nurkic generated a 22-point, 15-rebound double-double that also included one assist, two blocks and one steal. Al-Farouq Aminu mustered just four points but also hauled in 13 rebounds and dished out four assists. Meyers Leonard paced the second unit with nine points.
The Trail Blazers come into Thursday's game at full health.
The Suns (11-38) have been falling short in the majority of their contests lately, as they've dropped five straight contests, and six of their last seven games overall. Their most recent disappointment came at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, which took the second game of a home-and-home set by a 118-91 score Tuesday night. Josh Jackson paced the Suns with 27 points, adding 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks. Devin Booker supplied 14 points, four assists, three rebounds, one steal and one block before being ejected for fighting with Gorgui Dieng. Dragan Bender generated a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double that also included two assists. Kelly Oubre, Jr. matched Bender's scoring total and added three rebounds, three blocks and one steal.
The Suns will be without T.J. Warren on Thursday after he suffered an ankle injury during Tuesday's game. Deandre Ayton (ankle) and Richaun Holmes (foot) will be listed as questionable.
Thursday's game marks the second of three meetings between the teams this season. The Trail Blazers hold a 1-0 lead, having notched a 108-86 win Dec. 6.
Lakers Host Timberwolves on Thursday
The Los Angeles Lakers play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Staples Center on Thursday.
The Timberwolves (23-24) come into this matchup in the midst of a modest two-game winning streak, albeit both games coming against the putrid Phoenix Suns. With that said, Minnesota owns a 6-3 record across their last nine games, as they're hopeful this is the start of a playoff run. While Derrick Rose has been a pleasant surprise, it's clear that Karl-Anthony Towns is the straw that stirs the drink for this team. He's been especially good recently, averaging 26.1 points, 14.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.1 blocks across his last 14 games. Those are MVP-type numbers and he appears well on his way to yet another all-star appearance. In order to take the next step, they need more from Andrew Wiggins though. The top-pick has mixed stellar performances with duds throughout his career and Minnesota fans need to see some consistency before he wears out his welcome. They also need more from Jeff Teague, as he has been in and out of the lineup due to differing leg issues. Getting those two guys playing at their potential could get this team into the playoffs, as that's the only thing that would make this season not disappointing.
The Lakers (25-23) are really hurting right now and they could use some reinforcements. The good news is that they are on the way, with LeBron James and Rajon Rondo nearing a return. While James isn't expected to return for this game, Rondo is. The reason Rondo is needed more than ever is the fact that Lonzo Ball got injured himself, as he'll be out for at least four weeks. Rondo and Ball are actually very similar players and it should make for an easy swap considering their skill sets. There's no one that can replace King James though, as this team has been terrible without him. In fact, Los Angeles has lost 13 of their last 21 games, dropping them out of a playoff spot in the west. Where they're really hurting right now is on the defensive end, with the Lakers allowing at least 128 points in three-straight games. That obviously won't get it done and leadership from guys like James and Rondo will definitely help that out too.
This marks the fourth and final meeting between these teams, with Minnesota prevailing in two of three. In fact, the home team has won in all three matchups this season.
The Timberwolves (23-24) come into this matchup in the midst of a modest two-game winning streak, albeit both games coming against the putrid Phoenix Suns. With that said, Minnesota owns a 6-3 record across their last nine games, as they're hopeful this is the start of a playoff run. While Derrick Rose has been a pleasant surprise, it's clear that Karl-Anthony Towns is the straw that stirs the drink for this team. He's been especially good recently, averaging 26.1 points, 14.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.1 blocks across his last 14 games. Those are MVP-type numbers and he appears well on his way to yet another all-star appearance. In order to take the next step, they need more from Andrew Wiggins though. The top-pick has mixed stellar performances with duds throughout his career and Minnesota fans need to see some consistency before he wears out his welcome. They also need more from Jeff Teague, as he has been in and out of the lineup due to differing leg issues. Getting those two guys playing at their potential could get this team into the playoffs, as that's the only thing that would make this season not disappointing.
The Lakers (25-23) are really hurting right now and they could use some reinforcements. The good news is that they are on the way, with LeBron James and Rajon Rondo nearing a return. While James isn't expected to return for this game, Rondo is. The reason Rondo is needed more than ever is the fact that Lonzo Ball got injured himself, as he'll be out for at least four weeks. Rondo and Ball are actually very similar players and it should make for an easy swap considering their skill sets. There's no one that can replace King James though, as this team has been terrible without him. In fact, Los Angeles has lost 13 of their last 21 games, dropping them out of a playoff spot in the west. Where they're really hurting right now is on the defensive end, with the Lakers allowing at least 128 points in three-straight games. That obviously won't get it done and leadership from guys like James and Rondo will definitely help that out too.
This marks the fourth and final meeting between these teams, with Minnesota prevailing in two of three. In fact, the home team has won in all three matchups this season.