Lakers and Thunder Tangle at Cheasapeake Energy Arena
The Los Angeles Lakers (35-42), firmly entrenched as a Draft Lottery team, picked the wrong time to get hot, as they've won four of their last five games, including a Sunday night road rout of the New Orleans Pelicans, 130-102. The Lakers stepped up in the absence of LeBron James, who has been shut down for the remainder of the team's disappointing 2018-19 campaign, as they were led in scoring by Rajon Rondo, who recorded a double-double behind 24 points and 12 assists, shooting 9-of-14 from the field and 4-of-7 from deep along the way. Alex Caruso exploded off the bench for 23 points, six assists and four steals, making all four of his attempts from downtown, while JaVale McGee posted 23 points of his own in a starting role, adding 16 boards and going 9-of-15 from field goal range. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 19 points for a Los Angeles team that wraps up a the season with a brutal schedule against the likes of the Golden State Warrior, Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers.
Saturday saw the Oklahoma City Thunder (44-33) fall in their second straight contest, losing to the visiting Dallas Mavericks, 106-103. The starting five did all of the heavy lifting offensively, as the Thunder's bench only managed a collective 16 points. Paul George put up 27 points and hauled in 11 rebounds for a double-double, going 5-of-12 from beyond the arc and making all but one of his attempts from the charity stripe. Russell Westbrook recorded yet another triple-double, his 30th of the season, with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 11 dimes, while Steven Adams came away with 20 points and 15 rebounds, shooting 10-of-17 from the paint. Jerami Grant had 14 points and pair of triples for OKC, who currently sit in eighth place in the Western Conference, currently on pace to take on the Warriors in the first round of the Playoffs. Unfortunately for the team, they wrap up the year with games against the Houston Rockets and Milwaukee Bucks.
Saturday saw the Oklahoma City Thunder (44-33) fall in their second straight contest, losing to the visiting Dallas Mavericks, 106-103. The starting five did all of the heavy lifting offensively, as the Thunder's bench only managed a collective 16 points. Paul George put up 27 points and hauled in 11 rebounds for a double-double, going 5-of-12 from beyond the arc and making all but one of his attempts from the charity stripe. Russell Westbrook recorded yet another triple-double, his 30th of the season, with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 11 dimes, while Steven Adams came away with 20 points and 15 rebounds, shooting 10-of-17 from the paint. Jerami Grant had 14 points and pair of triples for OKC, who currently sit in eighth place in the Western Conference, currently on pace to take on the Warriors in the first round of the Playoffs. Unfortunately for the team, they wrap up the year with games against the Houston Rockets and Milwaukee Bucks.
Spurs Play Host to Hawks on Tuesday
The Atlanta Hawks travel to Texas to play the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center on Tuesday.
The Hawks (28-49) come into this matchup winning four of their last six games and it's clear they want to play spoiler for the final few weeks. They have the talent to do just that, with Trae Young and John Collins showing monstrous improvement this season. Those youngsters have this team in great hands for the future and they're finally reaping the rewards from some nightmarish seasons. Where they do need to see improvement is on the defensive end though, as they've ranked dead-last in total defense for the majority of the season. Young teams tend to do that though and it should be fascinating to see what they look like next season.
The Spurs (44-33) come into this matchup sliding a bit, as they've lost four of their last six games. Prior to that, San Antonio won a season-best nine-straight games, as that secured a playoff berth for this club. Where they'll end up is a different question though, as they can land anywhere between fifth and eighth. What that does mean is that they won't have homecourt advantage in the first-round. That alone is a huge disadvantage for this club, considering they own a 30-9 home record and a 13-24 road record. That means they'll have to win on the road if they want to advance in the postseason and it's hard to see that happening against a top-four team.
This is the second and final meeting between these teams, with San Antonio winning the first matchup on the road, 111-104. That marked the Spurs 14th win in their last 16 games against the Hawks.
The Hawks (28-49) come into this matchup winning four of their last six games and it's clear they want to play spoiler for the final few weeks. They have the talent to do just that, with Trae Young and John Collins showing monstrous improvement this season. Those youngsters have this team in great hands for the future and they're finally reaping the rewards from some nightmarish seasons. Where they do need to see improvement is on the defensive end though, as they've ranked dead-last in total defense for the majority of the season. Young teams tend to do that though and it should be fascinating to see what they look like next season.
The Spurs (44-33) come into this matchup sliding a bit, as they've lost four of their last six games. Prior to that, San Antonio won a season-best nine-straight games, as that secured a playoff berth for this club. Where they'll end up is a different question though, as they can land anywhere between fifth and eighth. What that does mean is that they won't have homecourt advantage in the first-round. That alone is a huge disadvantage for this club, considering they own a 30-9 home record and a 13-24 road record. That means they'll have to win on the road if they want to advance in the postseason and it's hard to see that happening against a top-four team.
This is the second and final meeting between these teams, with San Antonio winning the first matchup on the road, 111-104. That marked the Spurs 14th win in their last 16 games against the Hawks.
Kings Play Host To Harden, Rockets
By Dan Bruno
The Sacramento Kings play host to the Houston Rockets, at Golden 1 Center on Tuesday evening.
This marks the first game of a two-game trip for the Rockets (49-28), who are 20-18 on the road this season. They have won seven of their last 10 games overall, including their last two in row. James Harden continues to put up wild numbers, as he finished with 50 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, in his last contest. He is averaging 36.4 points, 7.5 assists, 6.5 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. Chris Paul has been solid, averaging 15.6 points, 8.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. Clint Capela came up with 24 points and 15 rebounds in the Rockets' last outing, and is averaging 16.6 points, 12.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.5 blocks per game.
Meanwhile, this marks the first game back home for the Kings (38-39), after a five-game road trip where they went 2-3, including an impressive win in San Antonio in their most recent contest. The Kings have won their last two home games, and are 23-15 at home. De'Aaron Fox has been very good in his sophomore season, averaging 17.5 points, 7.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. Buddy Hield has emerged as a leader for Sacramento, as he is averaging 21.0 points on 46 percent shooting, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Harrison Barnes is still meshing with his new squad, and is averaging 15.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, over his last 10 games. The Kings give up an average of 114.7 points per game, which is fifth worst in the league.
This marks the first game of a two-game trip for the Rockets (49-28), who are 20-18 on the road this season. They have won seven of their last 10 games overall, including their last two in row. James Harden continues to put up wild numbers, as he finished with 50 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, in his last contest. He is averaging 36.4 points, 7.5 assists, 6.5 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. Chris Paul has been solid, averaging 15.6 points, 8.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. Clint Capela came up with 24 points and 15 rebounds in the Rockets' last outing, and is averaging 16.6 points, 12.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.5 blocks per game.
Meanwhile, this marks the first game back home for the Kings (38-39), after a five-game road trip where they went 2-3, including an impressive win in San Antonio in their most recent contest. The Kings have won their last two home games, and are 23-15 at home. De'Aaron Fox has been very good in his sophomore season, averaging 17.5 points, 7.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. Buddy Hield has emerged as a leader for Sacramento, as he is averaging 21.0 points on 46 percent shooting, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Harrison Barnes is still meshing with his new squad, and is averaging 15.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, over his last 10 games. The Kings give up an average of 114.7 points per game, which is fifth worst in the league.
Nuggets Visit Warriors in Battle of Western Conference Titans
By Oscar Heanue
The Denver Nuggets will visit the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena on Tuesday evening.
With only six games remaining in the regular season, Denver (51-25) trails Golden State (52-24) by only one game for first place in the Western Conference. The Nuggets could move into a tie with a win on Tuesday. Things have been shaky for Denver recently, though, as it has gone just 2-3 in its last five games. That stretch has included blowout losses to both Houston and Indiana. The Nuggets' most recent loss came on Sunday, when the team fell by five points to the struggling Washington Wizards. Superstar big man Nikola Jokic was ejected for the game after contesting a foul call late in the game. Jokic has continued to be at the center of the team's success this season, averaging 20.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game.
The Warriors, on the other hand, have picked up five wins in their last seven outings. Golden State has maintained the top offensive rating in the league since November and remains one of the biggest scoring threats across the NBA. The Warriors earned their biggest win of the season on Sunday, when they defeated the Charlotte Hornets by 47 points. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 11 three-pointers and 49 points in the win. Golden State has been cruising recently, and a win on Tuesday would make it a much easier road to securing the top spot in the West for the fourth time in five seasons.
The Warriors lead the season series 2-1, including a blowout win in their most recent meeting back in March.
With only six games remaining in the regular season, Denver (51-25) trails Golden State (52-24) by only one game for first place in the Western Conference. The Nuggets could move into a tie with a win on Tuesday. Things have been shaky for Denver recently, though, as it has gone just 2-3 in its last five games. That stretch has included blowout losses to both Houston and Indiana. The Nuggets' most recent loss came on Sunday, when the team fell by five points to the struggling Washington Wizards. Superstar big man Nikola Jokic was ejected for the game after contesting a foul call late in the game. Jokic has continued to be at the center of the team's success this season, averaging 20.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game.
The Warriors, on the other hand, have picked up five wins in their last seven outings. Golden State has maintained the top offensive rating in the league since November and remains one of the biggest scoring threats across the NBA. The Warriors earned their biggest win of the season on Sunday, when they defeated the Charlotte Hornets by 47 points. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 11 three-pointers and 49 points in the win. Golden State has been cruising recently, and a win on Tuesday would make it a much easier road to securing the top spot in the West for the fourth time in five seasons.
The Warriors lead the season series 2-1, including a blowout win in their most recent meeting back in March.