October 28th NBA Game Previews

The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on Monday night.

The Pacers (0-2) have gotten their season off to a forgettable start, following up a season-opening defeat at the hands of the Pistons with a 110-99 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night. Malcolm Brogdon led the way for Indiana with 30 points, adding 10 assists and two rebounds. Domantas Sabonis provided 14 points, five rebounds two assists and two steals. T.J. Warren delivered 12 points. Myles Turner generated an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double. Edmond Sumner contributed 10 points.

The Pacers will continue to be without Victor Oladipo (knee) in Monday's contest. Jeremy Lamb (hip) will carry a questionable tag.

The Pistons (1-2) have hit the skids after opening the season with a victory over the Pacers last Wednesday, as they've dropped two consecutive games. Their most recent stumble came at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers, which bested them by a 117-111 margin on Saturday night. Derrick Rose paced the Pistons with 31 points, adding three rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks. Markieff Morris managed 17 points, six rebounds, one assist, two steals and one block. Luke Kennard supplied 16 points, two assists and one rebound. Andre Drummond posted a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double that also included one assist and two blocks. Christian Wood collected 11 points and five rebounds.

The Pistons will continue to be without Blake Griffin (knee/hamstring) and Sekou Doumbouya (concussion) in Monday's contest. Reggie Jackson (back) will be listed as doubtful.

The Pistons hold a 1-0 advantage in the 2019-20 season series.

The Chicago Bulls take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.

The Bulls (1-2) have had a mixed bag of a start to their season, dropping a one-point decision against the Charlotte Hornets to open the season, putting together an impressive effort against the Memphis Grizzlies in their second contest, and most recently, getting routed by the Toronto Raptors, 108-84, on Saturday night. Wendell Carter, Jr. led the way with a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double. Zach LaVine mustered 11 points and four rebounds. Lauri Markkanen and Otto Porter, Jr. generated matching nine-point tallies while pulling down seven and four rebounds, respectively.

The Bulls will list Porter (mouth) as probable for Monday's game, while Chandler Hutchison (hamstring) is likely to remain out.

The Knicks (0-3) followed up two competitive defeats at the hands of the Spurs and Nets to open the season with a 118-95 defeat at the hands of the Boston Celtics on Saturday night. Rookie R.J. Barrett paced the Knicks with 26 points and added seven rebounds and three assists. Mitchell Robinson furnished 17 points, six rebounds and three blocks. Marcus Morris totaled 12 points, seven rebounds, one assist and one steal. Julius Randle turned in a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double.

The Knicks will list Dennis Smith, Jr. (personal) as doubtful for Monday's game, while Reggie Bullock (back) will remain out. Robinson (ankle) is probable for the contest.

The Knicks won the 2018-19 season series between the teams by a 2-1 margin, with Chicago's one victory coming by a single point in overtime.

The Philadelphia 76ers take on the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on Monday night.

The 76ers (2-0) have opened up the new season in impressive fashion, notching two straight wins. Their most recent success came at the expense of the Detroit Pistons, which they toppled by a 117-111 margin on Saturday night. Tobias Harris paced the 76ers with 29 points, adding seven rebounds, seven rebounds, one assist and two steals. Al Horford followed Harris with 23 points, adding nine rebounds, five assists and one steal. Mike Scott furnished 17 points, three rebounds and one assist. Ben SImmons generated a 13-point, 10-assist double-double that also included four rebounds and seven steals. Josh Richardson and Shake Milton posted matching 10-point tallies.

The 76ers will list Joel Embiid (ankle) as questionable for Monday's contest after he missed Saturday's game with the injury.

The Hawks (2-0) have also hit the ground running in the new campaign, following up a 17-point win over the Detroit Pistons in their opener before toppling the Orlando Magic by a 103-99 margin on Saturday night. Trae Young paced the Hawks with 39 points, complementing them with nine assists, seven rebounds and two steals. Jabari Parker and Kevin Huerter poured in 10 points apiece. John Collins posted nine points, 12 rebounds, one assist and four blocks. De'Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish delivered six points apiece while in the starting five.

The Hawks are likely to be without Allen Crabbe (knee) and Chandler Parsons (knees) again on Monday. Meanwhile, Len (ribs) will carry a probable designation.

The Hawks won the four-game 2018-19 season series between the teams by a 3-1 margin.

The Toronto Raptors play host to the Orlando Magic at Scotiabank Arena on Monday.

The Magic (1-1) have played two close games thus far and have split those two fixtures. The most recent one was really disappointing, taking a 103-99 defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks. Trae Young absolutely abused them in that game and it's clear that their defense at the point guard position may be an issue all season long. That may be the only position they struggle defensively though, allowing just 94 points per game so far this season. That's easily one of the best marks in the league and defense has become commonplace for this team over recent years. The thing they need to work on is their offense though. After ranking bottom-three in scoring last year, the Magic are averaging just 96.5 points per game this season. That won't get it done in today's up-tempo NBA and it remains to be seen if this slow-paced basketball can work in today's league.

The Raptors (2-1) split two very close games in their first two fixtures but the most recent game was easily the most satisfying win of the season. Toronto went on the road and handed the Chicago Bulls a 108-84 beatdown. While that's a bad Chicago team, a 24-point win against any NBA team on the road is impressive. Despite losing Kawhi Leonard, the pieces appear to be there for another deep run. Not only has Kyle Lowry returned to his All-Star form, they're also getting MVP-type play from Pascal Siakam in the early going. The next step is to get Marc Gasol going though, with the big man really struggling in the first three games.

Toronto has dominated this series over recent years, winning 20 of their last 25 games over Orlando dating back to 2012.

The Golden State Warriors take on the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Arena on Monday night.

The Warriors (0-2) have shockingly gotten their season off to a winless start, with their latest stumble coming in a rout at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday afternoon by a 120-92 margin. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 23 points, adding eight rebounds and five assists. Draymond Green and Marquese Chriss followed with matching 10-point tallies while pulling down five and four rebounds, respectively. D'Angelo Russell mustered six points, two assists and one rebound over 22 minutes before getting ejected for arguing officials' calls.

The Warriors will likely list Alec Burks (ankle) as questionable at best for Monday's contest. Kevon Looney (hamstring) and Willie Cauley-Stein (foot) will remain out.

The Pelicans (0-3) are off to a winless start in their own right, suffering three high-scoring losses. New Orleans' most recent stumble came at the hands of the Houston Rockets, which edged them by a 126-123 margin on Saturday night. Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans with 35 points, adding 15 rebounds and five assists. Josh Hart delivered 23 points, three rebounds, one assist, two steals and one block. Lonzo Ball generated an 18-point, 10-assist double-double that also included two rebounds and three steals. J.J. Redick poured in 14 points.

The Pelicans will list Jrue Holiday (knee) as questionable for Monday's game. Zion Williamson (knee) remains out.

The Warriors swept the three-game 2018-19 season series between the teams.

The Houston Rockets play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder, at Toyota Center on Monday evening.

The Rockets (1-1) dropped their first match of the season but bounced back with a win in their most recent contest. They defeated the visiting Pelicans 126-123 on Saturday to earn their first win of the season. It also marked their first home win of the season, while Monday marks their third straight home game to start the season and is a great chance for them to build some momentum at the Toyota Center. Russell Westbrook and James Harden have shown to be a solid duo so far and have managed to fill the stat sheet simultaneously. The Rockets are averaging 118.5 points per game, but have given up an average of 120 points against. They are shooting 31 percent from long range so far and have attempted an average of 46 attempts per game over their first two games.

Meanwhile, this marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Thunder (1-2), who are coming off an impressive home win over the Warriors on Sunday. Dennis Schroder was the high-point man with 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting, in 25 minutes off the bench in the win. Danilo Gallinari finished with 21 points, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 19 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Gilgeous-Alexander has looked great to start the season, including 26 points in the first game of the season and 28 points in the following contest, while Gallinari and Chris Paul have also had impressive outings already. The Thunder are the league's lowest scoring team at this early stage, as they are averaging just 90 point per game. However, after scoring 180 points over their first two games, the Thunder dropped 120 points in their most recent outing.

The Milwaukee Bucks play host to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Fiserv Forum on Monday.

The Cavaliers (1-1) look like a different team this season. The biggest indicator of that is their gem of a game on Saturday, traveling to Indianapolis to defeat the Indiana Pacers, 110-99. That's a very big road win against one of the best teams in the East and it says a lot about how much this Cavs team has improved. The biggest addition is that of a veteran who was already on this team, with Kevin Love flirting with a triple-double in that win. Many people forget just how good Love can be at times and his presence simply can't be overlooked when talking about such a young team. Players like Darius Garland, Larry Nance and Collin Sexton are the core of this team and it will be fascinating to see them drive Eastern Conference foes crazy all season long, with Love running the show.

The Bucks (1-1) had an impressive win in the opener against the Houston Rockets but followed that up with a disappointing overtime loss to the Miami Heat. What both of those games had in common is the fact that this team wants to play at an incredible tempo. Milwaukee is averaging 122 points in these first two games and it wouldn't be surprising to see this team finish first in every offensive category like they did last season. What's scary is the fact that Giannis Antetokounmpo appears to be getting better, averaging 29.5 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists over these first two fixtures. That's a scary sight for the rest of the league and Giannis will surely be in discussion to land back-to-back MVPs come June.

Milwaukee took care of business last season against Cleveland, winning three of their four meetings.

The San Antonio Spurs play host to the Portland Trail Blazers at AT&T Center on Monday evening.

This marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Trail Blazers (2-1), as they are coming off a hard-fought win over the Mavericks on Sunday. Damian Lillard made a clutch go-ahead bucket in the final seconds to give the Blazers the lift, while it was C.J. McCollum who was the high-point man with 35 points in the win. Rodney Hood also came up big on Sunday, as he poured in 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Hood has been solid through the first three games and gives Portland a third strong scoring option along with Lillard and McCollum. The Trail Blazers have topped 120 points and have shot better than 50 percent in each of their last two games. After they dropped their first game of the season at home, the Trail Blazers have now won two straight on the road, while Monday marks the third game of a four-game road trip.

Meanwhile, the Spurs (2-0) begin their season with a three-game home stand, where they have gone 2-0 so far, with wins over the Knicks and Wizards. They have topped 120 points in both of their games so far, while giving up an average of 116.5 points against. LaMarcus Aldridge has led the Spurs in scoring in both contests so far, with 22 points in the season opener, and 27 points in his most recent contest. DeMar DeRozan was quiet in the opener but poured in 26 points in his most recent contest. DeJounte Murray has been great in his first two games of the season and has been a major addition to the Spurs, who were without him last season. So far, Murray has tallied 18 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals in one contest, and 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block, in his most recent contest.

The Phoenix Suns play host to the Utah Jazz at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Monday.

The Suns (2-1) could easily be 3-0 and they truly look like one of the most improved teams in the NBA this season. The only loss was actually an overtime defeat at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, which was actually played on the road. The two victories came against a talented Sacramento Kings team and a Los Angeles Clippers club who many people consider the best club in the NBA. That has built quite the resume' for this club and it's scary to think how good they could be if Deandre Ayton weren't suspended. Both Devin Booker and Kelly Oubre Jr appear to be playing with some serious fire and that young duo is going to have to continue their stellar play to keep people talking about this Suns squad.

The Jazz (2-1) really struggled the first two games of the season but a 32-point beatdown of the Sacramento Kings on Saturday is hopefully a sign of things to come. The guy they really need to get going is the newly-acquired Mike Conley. The steady point guard has been one of the most underrated point guards throughout the last decade but he's really slumping right now. In fact, Conley is averaging just 10 points and 5.3 assists per game while shooting a nightmarish 23.7 percent from the field. That's something we're not used to seeing with an efficiency monster like Conley and it's just a matter of time before he gets it going. He's not the only one though, as Rudy Gobert and Joe Ingles are sliding themselves. All of these guys will eventually get going and Jazz fans have to be ecstatic that they're 2-1 despite all of their key pieces slumping.

Not only has Utah won seven-straight games over Phoenix, they've also won 14 of their last 15 games over them in total.

The Sacramento Kings play host to the Denver Nuggets, at Golden 1 Center on Monday evening.

The Kings (0-3) have had a rough start to their season as they have dropped three in a row. They have given up an average of 120 points per game and scored an average of 96 points per game, so far. Nonetheless, this marks the first game of a three-game home stand where they have the chance to get back on track. Buddy Hield had a great first two games of the season, where he scored 28 points followed by 21 points, but then he went quiet in the Kings' most recent contest, where he tallied three points on 1-of-7 shooting. De'Aaron Fox tallied 28 points, six rebounds and five assists in his second outing, but has had an otherwise quiet start to the season. Over their first three games, the Kings have shot an average of 39 percent from the field.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets (2-0) are off to a great start with two straight wins to begin their season. They scored 108 points in each of their wins, while their most recent contest went right down to the wire before they slipped away with a one-point win. Nikola Jokic tallied a triple-double with 23 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists, in the one-point home win over the Suns on Friday. Jokic tallied a double-double in the Nuggets' season opener, with 20 points and 13 rebounds, while Will Barton, Paul Millsap, Jamal Murray and Torrey Craig all scored in double digits as well. Jamal Murray also came up huge in the Nuggets' win on Friday, with 27 points, seven rebounds and three assists. The Nuggets have yet to shoot better than 45 percent from the field, but should certainly improve in the coming weeks. On the other hand they have done a good job to limit their opponents to an average of 103.5 points per game, which is one of the better marks in the league at this early stage.

The Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Charlotte Hornets at Staples Center on Monday.

The Hornets (1-2) surprised the basketball world when they got a win in their opener but they've regressed big time since. In fact, they've suffered double-digit losses in their two games since that victory and that's much more like the team we expected to see. Where they are really hurting is on the defensive end, allowing at least 120 points in all three fixtures this season. That's probably going to be an issue all year and this team simply doesn't have enough talent to compete with other NBA teams. With that said, they do have some good young pieces to build around. Players like P.J. Washington and DeVonte' Graham have shown flashes of brilliance this season and growth are really all this team can hope for this season in what's expected to be a long, rebuilding year.

The Clippers (2-1) looked like the best team in the league their first two games but a loss to the Phoenix Suns on Saturday was a bit baffling. That's a team that the Clippers expect to handle but the Suns simply outplayed them despite being shorthanded. The first two wins over the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers were extremely impressive though and that Phoenix game looks like a blip on the radar. The thing that really makes the Clippers scary is the fact that they look like an elite defensive team and haven't even gotten anything from Paul George yet. The superstar forward is currently rehabbing a shoulder issue and he won't be back in uniform for about a month. It's truly frightening for the rest of the league that this already improved team is going to add another superstar defender and elite scorer to their already scary roster.

Los Angeles has dominated this series over recent years, winning nine of their last 10 games over Charlotte.