December 1st NBA Game Previews

The Miami Heat takes on the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Sunday afternoon.

The Heat (13-5) has gotten off to a blazing start overall, although they'll come into Sunday's conference matchup a modest 2-2 over the last four games overall. Their most recent time on the court was a success, however, as they toppled the Golden State Warriors by a 122-105 score Friday night. Goran Dragic paced the Heat with 20 points, adding five rebounds, four assists and one steal. Tyler Herro turned in 19 points and five boards. Duncan Robinson poured in 17 points and also managed two rebounds and one assist. Jimmy Butler delivered 16 points, six assists, five rebounds and two steals. Kris Nunn and Kelly Olynyk pitched in matching 15-point tallies while pulling down four and two rebounds, respectively.

The Heat will list Derrick Jones Jr. (hip) as probable for Sunday's contest. Dion Waiters has also served his suspension and is once again eligible to play.

The Nets (10-9) are surging themselves, even as they've dealt with key long-term injuries. They'll come into Sunday's matchup having won five of their last six games, with their most recent success a 112-107 victory over the Boston Celtics on Friday afternoon. Spencer Dinwiddie paced the Nets with 32 points, supplementing them with 11 assists, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Taurean Prince delivered 16 points, four boards and one assist. Jarrett Allen generated a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included one assist, one steal and one block. Joe Harris and Garrett Temple pitched in matching 12-point efforts, with Harris adding six rebounds, four assists and two steals and Temple dishing out seven dimes and pulling down five boards.

The Nets will continue to be without Kyrie Irving (shoulder), Caris LeVert (thumb) and WIlson Chandler (suspension) for Sunday's game. Nicholas Claxton (hamstring) will be listed as probable.

The two teams split the four-game 2018-19 season series. Sunday's game marks the first of three 2019-20 meetings for Miami and Brooklyn.

The Memphis Grizzlies take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on Sunday afternoon.

The Grizzlies (5-13) are going through about as rough a start to the season was likely envisioned for them in this transitional season, and they'll enter Sunday's contest having lost six straight games. Their most recent stumble came against the Utah Jazz, which bested them by a 103-94 margin on Friday night. Jonas Valanciunas led the way for Memphis with a 22-point, 17-rebound double-double that also included two assists and three blocks. Brandon Clarke delivered 13 points, five rebounds and two assists. Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks managed 11 points apiece, while bringing down three and six rebounds, respectively.

The Grizzlies are slated to be without Morant (back) and Kyle Anderson (heel) for Sunday's game. Andre Iguodala (team decision) will be out as well.

The Timberwolves (10-8) have been pushing the pace this season and having success more often than not with that approach. They'll come into Sunday's contest having won three of their past five games, with their most recent success a 113-101 triumph over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. Andrew Wiggins led the way with 26 points, complementing them with eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Karl-Anthony Towns generated a 23-point, 14-rebound double-double that also included six assists and one block. Keita Bates-Diop managed 16 points, four boards and one steal. Josh Okogie tallied 11 points and eight rebounds. Jarrett Culver and Gorgui Dieng delivered 10 points apiece, with Culver also dishing out five assists and Dieng pulling five rebounds.

The Timberwolves will be without Jake Layman (toe) on Sunday. Shabazz Napier (hamstring) will be listed as questionable, while Treveon Graham (forearm) and Okogie (knee) will carry probable tags.

Sunday's game marks the second of three 2019-20 meetings between the teams. The Grizzlies hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 137-121 win back on Nov. 6.

The Boston Celtics take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon.

The Celtics (13-5) have encountered few bumps along the way in the early part of the new season, and they'll come into Sunday's game having prevailed in two of their last three games. However, their one loss during that sample came their last time on the court, as they dropped a 112-107 decision to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday afternoon. Jayson Tatum led the way for the Celtics with 26 points, adding nine rebounds and four steals. Kemba Walker provided 17 points, six assists and five rebounds. Marcus Smart followed with 15 points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Brad Wanamaker paced the bench with 11 points, eight boards, three assists and one block. Enes Kanter contributed 10 points, six rebounds, one assist and one block.

The Celtics will continue to be without Gordon Hayward (hand) for Sunday's game.

The Knicks (4-15) check into Sunday's game looking to snap their current skid, as they've dropped five consecutive games, and eight of their last 10 overall. Their most recent stumble came against the Philadelphia 76ers, which edged them by a 101-95 margin Friday night. Julius Randle led the Knicks with a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double that also included four assists and one steal. Marcus Morris followed with 20 points and seven boards. R.J. Barrett poured in 18 points and also supplied three rebounds and two assists. Frank Ntilikina turned in 13 points, four assists, two rebounds and one steal. Dewayne Dotson led the bench with 10 points.

The Knicks will be without Elfrid Payton (hamstring) and Reggie Bullock (back) for Sunday's game. Morris (neck) will be listed as questionable, while Dennis Smith, Jr. (quadriceps) will carry a probable tag.

Sunday's game marks the third of four meetings between the teams this season. The Celtics own a 2-0 series lead, having notched 118-95 and 104-102 wins on Oct. 26 and Nov. 1, respectively.

The Los Angeles Lakers play host to the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center on Sunday.

The Lakers (17-2) have been unstoppable, as they have won 10 in a row and boast the best record in the league. LeBron James has been playing incredibly, averaging 25.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and a team-high 11.0 assists per game. Anthony Davis has been equally dominant, averaging team highs with 26.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard are both playing well, giving the Lakers plenty of energy at the center position. They are averaging a combined 14.2 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. The Lakers are shooting 48.3 percent from the field, which is the best in the NBA. They are averaging 26.6 assists per game, which is fourth best, and they are averaging 8.5 steals per game, which is sixth most in the league.

Meanwhile, this marks the second game of a three-game road trip for the Mavs (12-6), which they began with a win in Phoenix on Friday. The Mavs have found their groove lately, as they have won six of their last seven games. Luka Doncic has been on fire, as he is averaging team highs of 30.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 9.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Kristaps Porzingis is averaging 17.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and a team-high 2.2 blocks per game. Tim Hardaway Jr. as been playing well lately, as he is averaging 14.6 points on 46 percent shooting, over his last 10 games. The Mavericks are averaging 118.0 points per game, which is fourth most in the league. They are limiting themselves to 12.6 turnovers per game, which is second fewest in the league.

The New Orleans Pelicans play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Smoothie King Center on Sunday.

This marks the second game of a home-and-home between the Pelicans and Thunder, as they faced off in OKC on Friday. The Thunder won the contest 109-104, behind a big night from their bench, led by Dennis Schroder who finished with 25 points.

The Pelicans (6-13) have lost four in a row but have a chance to turn things around as they kick off a three-game home stand. They have won three of their last four games at home and are 4-5 at home this season. The Pelicans are averaging 115.1 points per game, which is fifth most in the league. They are averaging 14.9 threes per game, which is second most in the league. Brandon Ingram leads the Pelicans with a team-high of 25.9 points per game. Jrue Holiday has picked up his play after a slower start, as he is averaging 22.4 points, 7.6 assists 5.3 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. J.J. Redick is playing well, averaging 15.3 points, while shooting 46.3 percent from long range.

Meanwhile, the Thunder (7-11) are just 1-7 on the road this season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging a team-high 18.3 points per game, while Chris Paul is averaging 15.7 points and team highs with 5.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Danilo Gallinari is averaging 18.2 points on 43 percent shooting, while Dennis Schroder is averaging 15.4 points, in 29 minutes per game off the bench. The Thunder are averaging a league-low 7.9 offensive rebounds per game. They are scoring an average of 107.5 points per game, while giving up an average of 108.6 points against.

The Detroit Pistons play host to the San Antonio Spurs at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday.

The Pistons (6-13) have lost two in a row and eight of their last 10 games, however, they have won two of their last three at home and are 5-4 at home. They need to do a better job of taking care of the ball, as they are giving up 15.9 turnovers per game, which is fifth most in the league. Blake Griffin is retuning to form, as he is averaging 19.7 points 5.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists in seven games played so far. Andre Drummond is averaging 17.5 points, 17.1 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. Derrick Rose is averaging 16.7 points and a team-high 5.3 assists, in 23 minutes per game. Luke Kennard has bounced back from a quiet few game, as he has topped 20 points in his last three contests.

Meanwhile, the Spurs (7-13) are coming off an impressive win over the Clippers in their most recent contest but still have a long way to go in order to recover from a recent eight-game losing streak. They have dropped three of their last four road games and are 2-7 on the road. DeMar DeRozan has been solid through the struggles, averaging a team-high 21.7 points on 52.6 percent shooting. LaMarcus Aldridge (thigh) will miss Sunday's action, leaving the Spurs without their second leading scorer. Jakob Poeltl is averaging 5.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks, in 17.5 minutes per game and could see some extra time with Aldridge sidelined. Rudy Gay is also a go-to offensive option for the Spurs, as he is averaging 11.3 points, in 23 minutes per game. The Spurs are averaging a league-low 9.1 three per game but are shooting 46.9 percent from the field, which is seventh best in the league.

The Golden State Warriors travel to Florida to play the Orlando Magic at Amway Center on Sunday.

The Warriors (4-16) were one of the most interesting teams heading into the 2019-20 season and that hasn't changed much. What has changed is the perspective of the interest, as people are wondering what to make of this team. With Kevin Durant in Brooklyn, Klay Thompson out for the year and Stephen Curry suffering a broken hand, this group of misfits have had to come together and compete. That doesn't even take into consideration that D'Angelo Russell also got injured, leaving players like Ky Bowman, Eric Paschall and Glenn Robinson III as starters. That's why the record is where it's at and it's hard to see it getting much better over time. At least Russell is due back soon, as he could give this team some trade pieces for the future, which is where this team needs to keep their eyes.

The Magic (7-11) are doing all they can to remain relevant while Nikola Vucevic is out. In fact, the big man is expected to miss another week or so because of an ankle issue and it's led to four losses over Orlando's last five games. Losing your only All-Star is obviously a detriment for any team, especially one with such a putrid offense. The Magic are averaging just 101.1 points per game this season which happens to be the lowest total in the NBA. That obviously won't get it done, even though this is a Top-5 defense. The good news is that it all hasn't fallen apart yet and they remain well in the playoff hunt. If they can get improvement from players like Markelle Fultz and Aaron Gordon in this stretch and get Vucevic back soon, this team looks like a good bet to reach the postseason after all.

Despite Orlando winning in their last meeting with Golden State, the Warriors actually won their previous 11 games over the Magic.

The Utah Jazz travel north of the border to play the Toronto Raptors at Scotia Bank Arena on Sunday.

The Jazz (12-7) come into this matchup losing two of their last three games. While that's obviously disappointing, losing to the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks on the road is nothing to be ashamed of. It does present something that this team has been dealing with for years though. For whatever reason, Utah has been dominant at home and has struggled on the road. That's evident when you see Utah's 4-6 record on the road this season and that's simply inexcusable from a team who's expected to be a Finals contender. They also need to see some improvement from their 24th-ranked offense too, as the defensive and offensive splits have been an issue in that span as well.

The Raptors (14-4) looked to have some major regression headed their way after a miraculous Finals run last season but some would argue that they've been even better this year. In fact, Toronto has the second-best record in the Eastern Conference right now despite being extremely shorthanded. They've been playing without Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka over the last few weeks and both guys are actually expected to return sometime within the 7-10 days. That's a scary thought that one of the best teams in the league is getting back two of its best players but it emphasizes just how good the rest of these guys have been. Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam have taken their games to another level and it has the Raptors looking like a Finals threat yet again this season. Not to mention, Toronto is a perfect 8-0 at home this season.

Toronto swept the season series over Utah last year and has won six of their last seven games over them in total dating back three seasons.

The Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Washington Wizards at Staples Center on Sunday.

The Wizards (6-11) come into this matchup losing three of their last four games and it's easy to understand why. This team is allowing 120 points per game, which is obviously the worst mark in the NBA. Some of it does have to do with their pace though, with this club sitting Top-3 in offensive efficiency. That's a truly mind-blowing statistic from such a weak roster and it does paint a brighter picture than most would anticipate. Bradley Beal is certainly the major reason why, with the All-Star averaging 28.3 points and 7.1 assists per game this season. That won't get John Wall back anytime sooner though and this club simply can't compete with him off the floor.

The Clippers (14-6) had some high hopes coming into the year and they haven't disappointed one bit. In fact, half of their losses have come with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both sidelined, showing just how valuable these guys are to this team. While their numbers have been down since playing together, they still remain one of the most dynamic duos in the NBA. What makes them even scarier is the fact that they have the best bench duo in the NBA too. Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell have formed a beautiful rapport off the pine and it's no surprise that they're so good throughout the full 48-minute game with this dynamic in their favor.

These teams have split each of the last three season series against one another. In fact, the home team has prevailed in all six games in that span.