Celtics Host Knicks Looking To Extend Winning Run
The Boston Celtics will host the New York Knicks at TD Garden on Sunday afternoon.
The Celtics (8-3) finally resumed play after several postponements and delivered an excellent performance, as they cruised their way to a 124-97 win over the Orlando Magic on Friday. Aside from the stress that represents playing amid a COVID-19 outbreak, it's worth noting the Celtics looked impressive on both ends of the court despite being notoriously depleted. Jaylen Brown paced the Celtics with 21 points and eight assists, as he thrived in a playmaking role with Jayson Tatum sidelined. Jeff Teague started at point guard and delivered 17 points, while Marcus Smart ended with 14 points while draining four of his 10 shots from beyond the arc. Semi Ojeleye (18 points, six rebounds), Payton Pritchard (16 points, four rebounds, three assists) and Javonte Green (10 points) all posted solid games off the bench as well. The Celtics have now won five straight games and should only get better moving forward as they get stronger. They are 4-1 at home.
The Celtics are listing Romeo Langford (wrist), Jayson Tatum, Robert Williams and Carsen Edwards (all three due to COVID-19) as out, while several other players are game-time calls. That latter list includes Daniel Theis (finger), Tacko Fall (ankle) and star point guard Kemba Walker (knee), who might be in line to make his season debut here.
The Knicks (5-8) might sit three games below the .500 threshold and might be coming off a disappointing loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers the last time out, but there's no question they're playing harder under the tutelage of Tom Thibodeau as head coach. The Knicks are also coming off five straight losses and are desperate for a win to get things back on track. Julius Randle led the way for the Knicks in Friday's loss with 28 points, adding six rebounds and six assists. Immanuel Quickley furnished 23 points, five boards, four assists, one steal and one block. R.J. Barrett delivered 20 points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Elfrid Payton posted nine points and three rebounds. The Knicks are 3-4 playing on the road this season.
The Knicks will list Mitchell Robinson (heel), Nerlens Noel (back) and Alec Burks (ankle) as game-time calls for Sunday's game. Frank Ntilikina (knee) will remain out.
The Celtics (8-3) finally resumed play after several postponements and delivered an excellent performance, as they cruised their way to a 124-97 win over the Orlando Magic on Friday. Aside from the stress that represents playing amid a COVID-19 outbreak, it's worth noting the Celtics looked impressive on both ends of the court despite being notoriously depleted. Jaylen Brown paced the Celtics with 21 points and eight assists, as he thrived in a playmaking role with Jayson Tatum sidelined. Jeff Teague started at point guard and delivered 17 points, while Marcus Smart ended with 14 points while draining four of his 10 shots from beyond the arc. Semi Ojeleye (18 points, six rebounds), Payton Pritchard (16 points, four rebounds, three assists) and Javonte Green (10 points) all posted solid games off the bench as well. The Celtics have now won five straight games and should only get better moving forward as they get stronger. They are 4-1 at home.
The Celtics are listing Romeo Langford (wrist), Jayson Tatum, Robert Williams and Carsen Edwards (all three due to COVID-19) as out, while several other players are game-time calls. That latter list includes Daniel Theis (finger), Tacko Fall (ankle) and star point guard Kemba Walker (knee), who might be in line to make his season debut here.
The Knicks (5-8) might sit three games below the .500 threshold and might be coming off a disappointing loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers the last time out, but there's no question they're playing harder under the tutelage of Tom Thibodeau as head coach. The Knicks are also coming off five straight losses and are desperate for a win to get things back on track. Julius Randle led the way for the Knicks in Friday's loss with 28 points, adding six rebounds and six assists. Immanuel Quickley furnished 23 points, five boards, four assists, one steal and one block. R.J. Barrett delivered 20 points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Elfrid Payton posted nine points and three rebounds. The Knicks are 3-4 playing on the road this season.
The Knicks will list Mitchell Robinson (heel), Nerlens Noel (back) and Alec Burks (ankle) as game-time calls for Sunday's game. Frank Ntilikina (knee) will remain out.
Cavaliers and Wizards Postponed Sunday
The Cleveland Cavaliers-Washington Wizards game scheduled for Sunday afternoon has been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols.
Bulls and Mavericks Face Off in Lone Star State Showdown
The Chicago Bulls take on the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on Sunday afternoon.
The Bulls (4-8) check into Sunday's game on a discouraging skid after a 4-4 start to their season, as Chicago has dropped four consecutive decisions. Their most recent stumble came in a wild back-and-forth affair with the Oklahoma City Thunder, which edged them by a 127-125 margin in overtime Friday night. Zach LaVine led the way for the Bulls with 35 points, adding seven rebounds, six assists and one steal. Coby White followed with 22 points, complementing them with nine rebounds and seven assists. Wendell Carter, Jr. and Lauri Markkanen produced matching 16-point tallies while pulling down 11 and six rebounds, respectively. Patrick WIlliams contributed 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
The Bulls will list Tomas Satoransky and Chandler Hutchison as out for Sunday's game due to COVID-19 protocols, while Luke Kornet (undisclosed) will also remain out.
The Mavericks (6-5) have been trending in a much better direction than their opponent, as they'll come into Sunday's contest with victories in four of their last five games. However, their one loss during that span came in their most recent contest, with Dallas dropping a narrow 112-109 decision to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Luka Doncic paced the Mavericks with 28 points, adding 13 assists and nine rebounds. Tim Hardaway registered 22 points, six boards and one block. Kristaps Porzingis generated a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double that also included one assist and two blocks. James Johnson and Trey Burke posted matching 13-point tallies.
The Mavericks will list Porzingis (ankle) as probable for Sunday's contest. Josh Richardson, Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell and Dorian Finney-Smith will remain out due to COVID-19 protocols, while Jalen Brunson will carry a questionable tag for the same reason. Hardaway (groin) will also be listed as questionable.
Sunday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Bulls hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 118-108 victory back on Jan. 3.
The Bulls (4-8) check into Sunday's game on a discouraging skid after a 4-4 start to their season, as Chicago has dropped four consecutive decisions. Their most recent stumble came in a wild back-and-forth affair with the Oklahoma City Thunder, which edged them by a 127-125 margin in overtime Friday night. Zach LaVine led the way for the Bulls with 35 points, adding seven rebounds, six assists and one steal. Coby White followed with 22 points, complementing them with nine rebounds and seven assists. Wendell Carter, Jr. and Lauri Markkanen produced matching 16-point tallies while pulling down 11 and six rebounds, respectively. Patrick WIlliams contributed 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
The Bulls will list Tomas Satoransky and Chandler Hutchison as out for Sunday's game due to COVID-19 protocols, while Luke Kornet (undisclosed) will also remain out.
The Mavericks (6-5) have been trending in a much better direction than their opponent, as they'll come into Sunday's contest with victories in four of their last five games. However, their one loss during that span came in their most recent contest, with Dallas dropping a narrow 112-109 decision to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Luka Doncic paced the Mavericks with 28 points, adding 13 assists and nine rebounds. Tim Hardaway registered 22 points, six boards and one block. Kristaps Porzingis generated a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double that also included one assist and two blocks. James Johnson and Trey Burke posted matching 13-point tallies.
The Mavericks will list Porzingis (ankle) as probable for Sunday's contest. Josh Richardson, Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell and Dorian Finney-Smith will remain out due to COVID-19 protocols, while Jalen Brunson will carry a questionable tag for the same reason. Hardaway (groin) will also be listed as questionable.
Sunday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Bulls hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 118-108 victory back on Jan. 3.
Postponed
By Dan Bruno
This game has been postponed
Nuggets Host Rolling Jazz
By Dan Bruno
The Denver Nuggets play host to the Utah Jazz at Ball Arena on Sunday evening.
This marks the second game of a three-game home stand for the Nuggets (6-6), which they began with a win over the Warriors on Thursday. They will be looking to build off the win and keep some momentum going to add to their, 3-4, home record. The Nuggets are averaging 116.3 points per game, which is fifth most in the league, and they are holding opponents to an average of 112.8 points per game. Nikola Jokic has been fantastic to start the season, averaging team highs of 24.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, 10.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Jamal Murray is averaging 19.5 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game. JaMychal Green has been a good addition, providing good energy off the bench, with 11.9 points and 6.8 rebounds, in 21 minutes per game. Gary Harris (personal) missed the Nuggets' last contest and remains questionable for action on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Jazz (8-4) have won four in a row and will be looking to keep the momentum rolling to help add to their, 6-2, road record. They are coming off an impressive home win over the Hawks in their most recent contest, where they led by as many as 30 points. Donovan Mitchell was the high-point man for Utah in the win, with 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting, in 29 minutes. Mitchell has been off to a strong start to the season, averaging 23.6 points on 42 percent shooting. Rudy Gobert has also been strong, averaging 11.9 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. Jordan Clarkson continues to provide a boost off the bench, averaging 17.1 points on 48 percent shooting, in 25 minutes per game. The Jazz are averaging 110.7 points per game, and they are holding opponents to an average of 105.4 points per game, which is fourth fewest in the league.
This marks the second game of a three-game home stand for the Nuggets (6-6), which they began with a win over the Warriors on Thursday. They will be looking to build off the win and keep some momentum going to add to their, 3-4, home record. The Nuggets are averaging 116.3 points per game, which is fifth most in the league, and they are holding opponents to an average of 112.8 points per game. Nikola Jokic has been fantastic to start the season, averaging team highs of 24.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, 10.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Jamal Murray is averaging 19.5 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game. JaMychal Green has been a good addition, providing good energy off the bench, with 11.9 points and 6.8 rebounds, in 21 minutes per game. Gary Harris (personal) missed the Nuggets' last contest and remains questionable for action on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Jazz (8-4) have won four in a row and will be looking to keep the momentum rolling to help add to their, 6-2, road record. They are coming off an impressive home win over the Hawks in their most recent contest, where they led by as many as 30 points. Donovan Mitchell was the high-point man for Utah in the win, with 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting, in 29 minutes. Mitchell has been off to a strong start to the season, averaging 23.6 points on 42 percent shooting. Rudy Gobert has also been strong, averaging 11.9 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. Jordan Clarkson continues to provide a boost off the bench, averaging 17.1 points on 48 percent shooting, in 25 minutes per game. The Jazz are averaging 110.7 points per game, and they are holding opponents to an average of 105.4 points per game, which is fourth fewest in the league.
Kings Host Pelicans on Sunday
The Sacramento Kings play host to the New Orleans Pelicans at Golden 1 Center on Sunday.
The Pelicans (4-7) come into this matchup in the midst of a five-game losing streak. The most recent loss came on Friday, with the Los Angeles Lakers handing them a 112-95 beatdown. What made that blowout loss even more frustrating was the fact that the Pelicans had a 15-point lead in the second quarter. An epic collapse like that has become way too common for this team and it was embarrassing for guys like Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart to get obliterated by the team that traded them away. What's weird is that the issues have been flip-flopped from last season. The offense was elite last year while the defense struggled but a 27th-ranked offense and 7th-ranked defense this year paint a different picture. A lot of that has to do with Stan Van Gundy and one has to believe it's just a matter of time before all of these talented players start clicking on the offensive end as well.
The Kings (5-8) have been in quite the slump themselves, losing seven of their last nine games. The nature of those defeats has been horrendous too, with three of the last four being huge blowouts. The one other loss was against the Portland Trail Blazers, in which Sacramento blew a double-digit lead. The most recent defeat on Friday might have been the most disturbing though, taking a 138-100 obliteration by the Los Angeles Clippers. Sacramento was just letting Los Angeles walk in for lay-ups all game long and it's clear this club doesn't understand how to play defense. The statistics back that up, with the Kings allowing 123.2 points per game, the worst mark in the NBA. There's too much talent on this team to be taking losses like that and many people are calling for Luke Walton's job after yet another disappointing start to the season.
These teams played three times last season, with Sacramento winning two of three.
The Pelicans (4-7) come into this matchup in the midst of a five-game losing streak. The most recent loss came on Friday, with the Los Angeles Lakers handing them a 112-95 beatdown. What made that blowout loss even more frustrating was the fact that the Pelicans had a 15-point lead in the second quarter. An epic collapse like that has become way too common for this team and it was embarrassing for guys like Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart to get obliterated by the team that traded them away. What's weird is that the issues have been flip-flopped from last season. The offense was elite last year while the defense struggled but a 27th-ranked offense and 7th-ranked defense this year paint a different picture. A lot of that has to do with Stan Van Gundy and one has to believe it's just a matter of time before all of these talented players start clicking on the offensive end as well.
The Kings (5-8) have been in quite the slump themselves, losing seven of their last nine games. The nature of those defeats has been horrendous too, with three of the last four being huge blowouts. The one other loss was against the Portland Trail Blazers, in which Sacramento blew a double-digit lead. The most recent defeat on Friday might have been the most disturbing though, taking a 138-100 obliteration by the Los Angeles Clippers. Sacramento was just letting Los Angeles walk in for lay-ups all game long and it's clear this club doesn't understand how to play defense. The statistics back that up, with the Kings allowing 123.2 points per game, the worst mark in the NBA. There's too much talent on this team to be taking losses like that and many people are calling for Luke Walton's job after yet another disappointing start to the season.
These teams played three times last season, with Sacramento winning two of three.
Clippers Host Pacers on Sunday
The Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Indiana Pacers at Staples Center on Sunday.
The Pacers (8-4) find themselves in the midst of a West Coast road trip and a 4-1 road record on the year shows just how well it's going. While it was supposed to continue on Saturday against the Phoenix Suns, that game had to be canceled due to COVID protocols. Luckily, the Pacers weren't the reason for the postponement and they should be at full go here. What will be interesting is to see how they look with Caris LeVert. He's been an amazing player at times in his Brooklyn career and he adds a whole new dynamic to this already talented team. Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon have been playing at an All-Star level all season long too and it's scary to think that T.J. Warren is still on this roster as well.
The Clippers (9-4) come into this matchup in the midst of a three-game winning streak. Their win on Friday might have been the most impressive of the season though, obliterating the Sacramento Kings, 138-100. Not only did the offense shoot over 50 percent from the field and from three-point range, the Clippers also played some elite defense on the other end of the floor in that win too. That's been the one thing holding them back from being elite this season and it's strange they did it that with Patrick Beverley sidelined in that game. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George each fell just shy of 30 points in the victory, despite neither playing for the final 10 minutes. That's a scary sight for opponents and it looks like these two are finally gelling after some inconsistencies throughout much of last season.
These teams played just once last year, with Los Angeles prevailing, 110-99. Prior to that, the Pacers won five of their previous six games in this series dating back three years.
The Pacers (8-4) find themselves in the midst of a West Coast road trip and a 4-1 road record on the year shows just how well it's going. While it was supposed to continue on Saturday against the Phoenix Suns, that game had to be canceled due to COVID protocols. Luckily, the Pacers weren't the reason for the postponement and they should be at full go here. What will be interesting is to see how they look with Caris LeVert. He's been an amazing player at times in his Brooklyn career and he adds a whole new dynamic to this already talented team. Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon have been playing at an All-Star level all season long too and it's scary to think that T.J. Warren is still on this roster as well.
The Clippers (9-4) come into this matchup in the midst of a three-game winning streak. Their win on Friday might have been the most impressive of the season though, obliterating the Sacramento Kings, 138-100. Not only did the offense shoot over 50 percent from the field and from three-point range, the Clippers also played some elite defense on the other end of the floor in that win too. That's been the one thing holding them back from being elite this season and it's strange they did it that with Patrick Beverley sidelined in that game. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George each fell just shy of 30 points in the victory, despite neither playing for the final 10 minutes. That's a scary sight for opponents and it looks like these two are finally gelling after some inconsistencies throughout much of last season.
These teams played just once last year, with Los Angeles prevailing, 110-99. Prior to that, the Pacers won five of their previous six games in this series dating back three years.