January 25th NBA Game Previews

The Detroit Pistons play host to the Philadelphia 76ers at Little Caesars Arena on Monday evening.

This marks the second of back-to-back meetings between the Pistons and 76ers, in Detroit, after the 76ers came out with a win in their meeting on Saturday.

It marked the third straight win for the 76ers (12-5), as they were able to sneak away with their third road win of the season. Joel Embiid led the way with 33 points, 14 rebounds, two blocks and a steal, while Ben Simmons followed up with 20 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block. Tobias Harris added 17 points, while Seth Curry chipped in 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting. The 76ers are averaging 114.3 points per game, while shooting an average of 47.8 percent from the field, which is seventh best in the league. They are also holding opponents to 44.0 percent shooting, which is third worst in the league. Despite their success so far, they still have room for improvement, as they are averaging 16.0 turnovers per game, which is third most in the league. Joel Embiid (back) is listed as questionable for action on Monday.

Meanwhile, it marked the fourth straight loss for the Pistons (3-13), as they fell to, 2-7, at home. They had seven players score in double digits in the loss, led by Wayne Ellginton, who finished with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Svi Mykhailiuk added 15 points, while Sekou Doumbouya chipped in 13 points. Blake Griffin (knee) did not play on Saturday but should be ready to go on Monday, while Derrick Rose (knee) will remain sidelined. The Pistons are averaging 108.9 points per game, but they are shooting a league-worst 42.5 percent from the field. On the other hand, they are giving up an average 113.6 points against and are allowing their opponents to shoot an average of 48.3 percent from the field, which is third most in the league.

The Indiana Pacers play host to the Toronto Raptors at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Monday evening.

This marks the second of back-to-back contests between the Raptors (7-9) and Pacers (9-7) in Indiana, as the Raptors emerged with a five-point win in their Sunday meeting. The score was tied with just 1:07 left in the contest, but the Raptors closed on a, 5-0, run to secure their second straight win.

O.G. Anunoby led the Raptors with 30 points on 9-of-16 shooting, eight rebounds and five steals, in 39 minutes. Fred VanVleet followed up with 21 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Norman Powell tallied 20 points and six assists. Aron Baynes had one of his better games so far with his new squad, as he totaled 12 points and seven rebounds, in 17 minutes. Kyle Lowry (toe) and Pascal Siakam (knee) did not play on Sunday and both remain questionable for action on Monday. The Raptors are averaging 16.1 threes per game, which is second most in the league, but they are shooting 44.2 percent from the field, which is seventh worst in the league.

Meanwhile, six players scored in double digits for the Pacers, led by Myles Turner, who finished with 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting, six blocks, four rebounds and three steals, in 36 minutes. Justin Holiday followed up with 16 points, 10 rebounds and two steals, while Domantas Sabonis totaled 10 points, 19 rebounds and five assists. It marked the third loss in the last four game for the Pacers, as they have begun to slip after a great start to the season. On a positive note, Jeremy Lamb has been looking solid since returning to action, as he is averaging 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals, over three games. This marks the fourth and final game of a home stand for the Pacers, as they look to get back on track and add to their, 5-5, home record.

The Charlotte Hornets take on the Orlando Magic at Amway Center on Monday night.

The Hornets (7-9) had been on quite a rollercoaster going into a Sunday matchup against this same Magic squad, as they'd dropped four straight after a four-game winning streak. However, Charlotte was able to get back on an upswing, as they edged Orlando by a 107-104 score. Gordon Hayward led the way with 39 points, including a game-winning layup, and added nine rebounds, one steal and one block. Miles Bridges delivered 18 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Devonte' Graham posted 15 points, six assists and one rebound. LaMelo Ball generated 11 points, eight assists, five rebounds and one steal.

The Hornets will come into Monday's game without any injuries to report.

The Magic's (7-10) defeat Sunday marked their eighth loss in the last nine games. Sunday's defeat was particularly frustrating, considering Orlando blew a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter. Nikola Vucevic paced the Magic with 22 points, 13 rebounds and four assists. Evan Fournier poured in 21 points, adding six assists, three rebounds and one steal. Cole Anthony and Gary Clark managed matching 15-point tallies with Anthony also dishing out six assists and pulling down five rebounds. Terrance Ross totaled 10 points, three assists and two rebounds.

The Magic will likely continue without Michael Carter-Williams (foot) and Chuma Okeke (knee) for Monday's game. Al-Farouq Aminu (knee) and Aaron Gordon (hip/back) will likely be listed as no better than questionable.

Monday's contest marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season, with the Hornets holding a 1-0 series lead by virtue of Sunday's win.

The Brooklyn Nets will host the Miami Heat at Barclays Center on Monday evening.

The Nets (10-8) will try to start another winning run Monday when they host the Heat for the second set of a three-day back-to-back matchup between both franchises. The Nets are coming off a 128-124 win over Miami the last time out, and their Big Three was in full display in that contest since the trio of Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Kevin Durant combined for 71 points. Durant led the Nets with 31 points, complementing them with four rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Irving totaled 28 points, seven assists, six rebounds and one block. Joe Harris supplied 23 points, two rebounds, two assists and one block. Harden generated a 12-point, 11-assist double-double that also included seven rebounds. Jeff Green furnished 11 points, five boards and three assists. The Nets are 8-4 at home this season and have posted a 5-2 record over their last seven games, with their recent win over Miami snapping a two-game losing streak.

The Nets are listing Nicolas Claxton (knee) and Spencer Dinwiddie (knee) as out, with Dinwiddie set to miss the remainder of the season.

The Heat (6-9) will try to avoid back-to-back losses against the Nets following their 128-124 defeat Saturday, a game in which Bam Adebayo posted an impressive solo effort. Adebayo paced the Heat with 41 points, adding nine assists, five rebounds and one steal. Goran Dragic followed with 19 points, seven assists and one rebound. Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn had matching 18-point, five-rebound tallies. The Heat are 2-6 on the road, however, and they remain drastically shorthanded so their below-average record shouldn't be entirely surprising. They're also riding a two-game losing streak while posting a 2-5 mark over their last seven contests.

The Heat are listing Goran Dragic (foot), Gabe Vincent (knee) and KZ Okpala (knee) as questionable for this matchup, while several names have been ruled out already. The list includes Tyler Herro (neck), Chris Silva (hip), Avery Bradley (COVID-19), Jimmy Butler (COVID-19), Maurice Harkless (thigh) and Meyers Leonard (shoulder).

The Los Angeles Lakers take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Monday night.

The Lakers (13-4) come into Monday's interconference battle in the midst of another hot streak, as they've prevailed in seven of their previous eight games. Their most recent success came at the expense of the Chicago Bulls, which they toppled by a 101-90 score Saturday night. Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 37 points, adding six rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block. LeBron James followed with 17 points, 11 boards, six assists and two steals. Montrezl Harrell and Talen Horton-Tucker supplied matching 10-point tallies, with Harrell also pulling down five boards. Dennis Schroder compiled nine points, four assists and three rebounds.

The Lakers will list James and Davis as questionable and probable, respectively, due to their ankle injuries, although both are fully expected to play. Jared Dudley (calf) will remain out.

The Cavaliers (8-8) came into a Sunday matchup against the Boston Celtics riding high after impressive back-to-back wins over the star-laden Brooklyn Nets, but they fell flat and were consequently throttled by a 141-103 score. Collin Sexton led the Cavaliers with 13 points. Cedi Osman, Damyean Dotson and Jarrett Allen all posted 12 points, with Allen also pulling down seven rebounds. Andre Drummond, JaVale McGee and Dylan Windler all contributed 11 points, with Drummond and McGee posting five and six rebounds, respectively.

The Cavaliers will continue without Matthew Dellavedova (concussion) and Kevin Love (calf) for Monday's game.

Monday's contest marks the only meeting between the teams this season. Los Angeles won the only 2019-20 meeting between the two clubs by a 128-99 score.

This game has been postponed due to COVID protocols.

The Denver Nuggets travel to Texas to face the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on Monday.

The Nuggets (9-7) come into this matchup in the midst of a three-game winning streak, grabbing two impressive wins over the weekend. That happened to be a back-to-back set against the Phoenix Suns, prevailing in both of those road outings. Beating a team that's that talented twice in a row is impressive enough but it's even more surprising when you consider that both games went into overtime. Nikola Jokic had a 20-20 game in the most recent win on Saturday and it's scary just how good he's been. The superstar center is currently averaging 25.8 points, 12 rebounds and 9.6 assists per game. That's obviously absurd and it's amazing they've been able to hold their heads above water despite Jamal Murray, Will Barton and Michael Porter having their fair share of struggles themselves. If those guys get going, look out for this team!

The Mavericks (8-8) have a triple-double machine themselves, with Luka Doncic looking like one of the frontrunners for MVP. The 21-year-old is now averaging 26.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game. These two buddies from overseas have changed the way basketball is looked at and it should be fun to watch them do battle here. Dallas isn't playing as well as Denver though, entering this matchup losing four of their last six games. The most recent loss was particularly disturbing, allowing 133 points to a shorthanded Houston Rockets team. That game was so lopsided, Doncic didn't even play in the fourth quarter. That means he should be ready to go here though and there's some talk that Dorian Finney-Smith, Josh Richardson and Maxi Kleber could return from the COVID list as well.

These teams played back on January 7, with Dallas prevailing in overtime, 124-117. That gives the Mavericks three wins in their last four matchups with the Nuggets.

The New Orleans Pelicans play host to the San Antonio Spurs at Smoothie King Center on Monday evening.

This marks the second game of back-to-back for the Spurs (9-8), as they are coming off a 20-point home win over the Wizards on Sunday. Seven players scored in double digits for the Spurs in the win, led by Patty Mills, who totaled 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, in 20 minutes off the bench. Dejounte Murray logged a triple-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, while Lonnie Walker added 16 points. DeMar DeRozan had a quiet night with nine points on 3-of-7 shooting, in 27 minutes. The Spurs only gave up eight turnovers in the win, as they continue to be the best team in the league at taking care of the ball, averaging a league-low 9.6 turnovers per game. They are shooting an average of 30.9 three-pointers per game, which is fifth fewest in the league, but they knocked down 15 threes in their win on Sunday, which is four more than their season average of 11 three-pointer per game.

Meanwhile, this marks the first game of a six-game home stand for the Pelicans (5-10), as they look to build on their, 2-3, home record and snap a three-game slide. They are averaging 108.2 points per game, and they are giving up an average of 111.5 points against. They are shooting 33.2 percent from long range, which is fourth worst in the league. On a positive note, the Pelicans do a good job controlling the glass, as they are holding opponents to an average of 41 rebounds per game, which is second fewest in the league. Zion Williamson has been playing great and is leading the Pelicans with 23.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Brandon Ingram is averaging 23.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists, while Steven Adams is averaging 9.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.

The Chicago Bulls play host to the Boston Celtics at United Center on Monday.

The Celtics (9-6) just snapped a three-game losing streak on Sunday, handing the Cleveland Cavaliers a 141-103 beatdown. Performances like that show just how scary this team can be and getting back to full health is obviously a huge reason why. Not only did Kemba Walker just return from his knee issue, Jayson Tatum is also expected to come off the COVID list here. Those are the two best players on this talented team and it's given Jaylen Brown time to show that he belongs on that list as well. Brown actually finished that game with 33 points in just 19 minutes of action and he's making some noise as a possible All-Star candidate. That makes this one of the most dangerous threesomes in the NBA and it's just a matter of time before they start picking up wins at ease.

The Bulls (7-9) just had a three-game winning streak snapped in their most recent game, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. That's certainly not a loss to be ashamed of either and it's clear this Bulls team is much better than they were last season. The guy who's really made the difference is Coby White. The sophomore point guard has taken his game to another level this season and he makes for a beautiful pairing with Zach LaVine. It's LaVine who might find himself in All-Star consideration though, averaging 29.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists across his last 10 games played. Those are LeBron James-like numbers and it's clear he's also taken his game to another level this season too.

These teams played twice last season, with Boston sweeping the season series. That gives the Celtics seven wins in their last eight meetings with the Bulls dating back three years.

The Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Monday night.

The Timberwolves (4-11) are having about as miserable a season as their record would imply, as they'll come into Monday's contest having dropped 11 of their last 13 games. However, Minnesota's most recent game resulted in one of their two victories during that span, as they notched a 120-110 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night. Naz Reid led the way for the T-Wolves with 20 points, adding four rebounds, two assists and one block. Anthony Edwards contributed 18 points. Jarred Vanderbilt and Jarrett Culver posted matching 16-point tallies, with Vanderbilt also pulling down 11 rebounds. Malik Beasley matched their scoring tally and also posted six boards and three assists. Jordan McLaughlin turned in 11 points.

The Timberwolves will continue without Karl-Anthony Towns and Juancho Hernangomez due to COVID-19 protocols on Monday. D'Angelo Russell (quadriceps) will be listed as questionable.

The Warriors (8-8) have done their .500 record justice recently by going 4-4 over their last eight games. Their most recent defeat, their second consecutive, came to the Utah Jazz by a 127-108 score Saturday night. Stephen Curry paced the Warriors with 24 points, complementing them with seven rebounds and seven assists. James Wiseman provided 15 points, five boards and two blocks. Andrew Wiggins supplied 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and three blocks. Jordan Poole registered 10 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals.

The Warriors will come into Monday's game without any injuries to report.

Monday's contest marks the first of two meetings between the teams this season. The Timberwolves won the three-game 2019-20 season season series over the Warriors by a 2-1 margin.

The Portland Trail Blazers play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Moda Center on Monday.

The Thunder (6-9) were expected to be one of the worst teams in the NBA at the beginning of the season but they've been better than many would have anticipated. A lot of people thought they'd struggle to get to six wins by March but this has proven to be a tough, young team. Things do appear to be disintegrating though, with Oklahoma City losing five of their last six games. A big reason for that is the absence of Al Horford, who continues to miss games because of the birth of his child. That's a veteran presence this team has desperately been missing and it's hard to see them being competitive without him, despite the emergence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The young guard is currently averaging 21.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists, proving that he's one of the most dynamic guards in the NBA. While that's obviously special, he's only the beginning of a long rebuild.

The Trail Blazers (9-6) have to feel very fortunate to have this record with all of the injuries they've suffered. It's one thing to play without your leading scorer but to lose your leading rebounder too is an absolute nightmare. That happens to be Jusuf Nurkic and C.J. McCollum, with McCollum making a huge leap this season. While he is leading the team in scoring, we all know that Damian Lillard is the best player on this team. He certainly showed why on Sunday, dropping 39 points on 11-of-17 from the field in a win over the New York Knicks. That was arguably the best defense in the NBA prior to that performance and the fact that Dame can do that against them shows just how scary he's going to be with these guys off the floor. That victory did give Portland six wins in their last eight games, and this is certainly not a team to count out despite the injuries.

These teams split their four-game season series last year. Prior to that, Oklahoma City won four-straight in this series which followed up six-straight victories from the Blazers prior to that.