May 13th NBA Game Previews

The Indiana Pacers will host the Milwaukee Bucks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Thursday evening.

The Pacers (33-36) have been struggling all season long but are gearing up to end the season on a strong note and have won three of their last four contests after posting a 103-94 win over the Philadelphia 76ers the last time out. Caris LeVert led the Pacers with 24 points, seven rebounds, five assists and a steal, in 39 minutes. Domantas Sabonis totaled 16 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds, while Doug McDermott totaled 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting. The Pacers shot 44 percent from the field, including 14-of-41 from deep. The Pacers have already secured a play-in berth and might end the campaign on a strong note, though if there's one area where they have to improve, that's their play home -- they have posted a meager 13-21 record at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

The Bucks (44-25) are coming off a 114-102 win over the Orlando Magic the last time out, and that means the Bucks have now gone 4-1 over their last five contests. Giannis Antetokounmpo and his 27 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals led Milwaukee, but the two-time MVP winner wasn't alone in this one. Donte DiVincenzo amassed 19 points, two rebounds and two assists. Brook Lopez totaled 17 points and six rebounds. Jrue Holiday accumulated 15 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals while Bobby Portis led the bench with 10 points and 15 boards. The Bucks need to win here at all costs, as a win would leave them in a position to potentially overcome the Brooklyn Nets in the race for the second seed of the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee has gone 19-15 on the road.

The Los Angeles Clippers take on the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on Thursday night.

The Clippers (46-23) enter Thursday with a one-game lead over the Nuggets for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, and they've prevailed in three of the past four games. Their most recent success came Tuesday night, when they toppled the Toronto Raptors by a 115-96 score. Kawhi Leonard and Terance Mann co-led the Clippers with matching 20-point tallies, with Leonard adding seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Ivica Zubac posted an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double that also included three assists and one block. Marcus Morris poured in 14 points, while Rajon Rondo supplied 11 points, four assists, two rebounds and one steal.

The Clippers will remain without Serge Ibaka (back) for Thursday's game.

The Hornets (33-36) currently hold the No. 8 seed via tie-breaker over the Indiana Pacers and have now clinched a play-in spot over in the Eastern Conference, despite the fact they've lost three of their past four games. Their most recent stumble came Tuesday night, when they fell to the Denver Nuggets by a 117-112 score. Devonte' Graham paced the Hornets with 31 points, supplementing them with five assists and four rebounds. Terry Rozier supplied 21 points, five assists, three rebounds, two steals and one block. Cody Zeller and Jalen McDaniels produced matching 15-point tallies, with Zeller also recording 10 boards. P.J. Washington generated a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included four assists, four steals and three blocks.

The Hornets will be without Cody Martin (ankle), Miles Bridges (COVID-19 protocols) and Gordon Hayward (foot) for Thursday's contest. Caleb Martin (thumb) will carry a questionable tag.

Thursday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Clippers own a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 125-98 win March 20.

The Atlanta Hawks will host the Orlando Magic at State Farm Arena on Thursday evening.

The Hawks (39-31) are coming off a 120-116 win over the Washington Wizards the last time out. Trae Young led the Hawks in this win and came close to posting a triple-double, as he finished with 33 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, while Bogdan Bogdanovic contributed 20 points and three steals. Clint Capela had a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double and John Collins chipped in with 18 points and six boards. Onyeka Okongwu registered 11 points off the bench. Atlanta has won five of its last six games and is undoubtedly finishing the season on a strong note, something that can be backed up by the fact that the Hawks have posted a strong 23-11 record when playing at home. Atlanta is in a tight race with the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat to earn the fourth seed of the Conference, so this win could be pivotal for the team's chances of reaching that goal.

The Magic (21-48) are coming off a 114-102 loss against the Milwaukee Bucks the last time out, and that means Orlando is now riding a four-game losing streak. The Magic were led by Cole Anthony, tallying 18 points and four rebounds. Moritz Wagner generated 17 points and 13 rebounds, Gary Harris had 14 points and two assists while Wendell Carter collected eight points, 14 rebounds and four assists. Chasson Randle led the bench with 12 points while R.J Hampton provided 11 points, four rebounds and five assists. Orlando has struggled all season long and is now embracing a rebuilding period that's likely to last a few years at the latest. The Magic has struggled on the road as well, posting a 10-23 record away from Amway Center this season.

The Philadelphia 76ers take on the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena on Thursday night.

The 76ers (47-22) appeared to be well on their way to sewing up the top spot in the Eastern Conference a week ago, but the Brooklyn Nets have prevented that with three straight wins. Meanwhile, Philadelphia also added to its own trouble by dropping a 103-94 decision to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night to snap an eight-game winning streak. Tobias Harris led the 76ers with 27 points, adding five rebounds and three assists. Ben Simmons furnished 20 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Tyrese Maxey and Seth Curry contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively, with Curry adding four rebounds and three assists.

The 76ers will list Joel Embiid (illness) and Matisse Thybulle (hand) as questionable for Thursday's game, while Shake Milton (ankle) and Furkan Korkmaz (ankle) carry a probable tag.

The Heat (38-31) have turned their game up at the right time, as they've won six of the last seven contests to clinch a non-play-in postseason spot. Their most recent success came at the expense of the Boston Celtics, which they defeated, 129-121, on Tuesday night to complete a two-game road sweep. Tyler Herro led the way with a 24-point, 11-rebound double-double. Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson made matching 22-point contributions, with Adebayo adding seven rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Kendrick Nunn supplied 18 points, seven rebounds, one assist and three steals, while Goran Dragic netted 17 points. Jimmy Butler turned in 13 points, three assists and two rebounds before exiting with an eye injury after 17 minutes of floor time.

The Heat will list Butler as questionable for Thursday's game. Victor Oladipo (knee) is out for the remainder of the season.

Thursday's game marks the third and final meeting between the teams this season. The 76ers own a 2-0 series lead, having notched 137-134 (OT) and 125-108 wins on Jan. 12 and Jan. 14, respectively.

The New York Knicks play host to the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden on Thursday evening.

The Knicks (38-31) have won six of their last 10 games, but they are coming off a loss in their most recent contest. They will look to get back on track and strengthen their playoff position by adding to their, 22-11, home record, as they face the first game of three-game home stand, which will close out their season. Julius Randle continues to lead the team, averaging 23.9 points, 10.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists, in 37 minutes per game. R.J. Barrett is averaging 17.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists, while Reggie Bullock is averaging 10.9 points, while shooting 41 percent from long range. The Knicks continue to do a great job on the defensive end, where they are holding opponents to league-low averages of 104.9 points per game, and 44.1 percent shooting per game. However, they are averaging 107.1 points per game, which is fifth fewest in the league, and they are shooting an average of 45.6 percent from the field, which is ninth worst in the league.

Meanwhile, this marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Spurs (33-36), as they are coming off a rough loss in Brooklyn on Wednesday. Their troubles started early, as they trailed, 35-20, after one quarter. They bounced back early in the second and cut it to a two-point game halfway through the quarter, but they fell back behind by six points heading into the break. They had no answers in the second half, as the deficit grew to 15 points, heading into the final frame, and they were not able to recover. DeMar DeRozan led the way with 21 points, five assists, two rebounds and a steal, while Dejounte Murray added 15 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals, and Patty Mills chipped in 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting. The Spurs will look to get back on track and add to their, 19-16, road record, as they look to continue their push for the playoffs.

The Chicago Bulls play host to the Toronto Raptors at United Center on Thursday evening.

The Bulls (29-40) sit 11th place in the East but still have a shot at the postseason. They have dropped six of their last 10 games, including a loss in their most recent contest. They will look to get back on track and add to their, 13-21, home record, as they enter their second last home game of the season. Zach LaVine has been finding his groove since returning from an extended absense, as he is averaging 27.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, over the last four games. Nikola Vucevic continues to play well, averaging 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and and 1.0 steals, while Coby White is averaging 15.2 points, 4.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game. The Bulls are shooting an average of 47.6 percent from the field, which is ninth best in the league, while they are scoring an average of 110.8 points per game. However, they need to do a better job of taking care of the ball, as they are giving up 14.5 turnovers per game, which is fourth most in the league.

Meanwhile, the Raptors (27-42) have dropped eight of their last 10 games, including their last four in a row. They will look to bounce back and improve on their, 11-23, road record, as they face their second last road game of the season. Since the Raptors are eliminated from playoff contention, they have begun to rest their regular lineup, as Pascal Siakam (rest), Kyle Lowry (rest), Fred VanVleet (rest), Chris Boucher (rest) and OG Anunoby (calf) will be sidelined through Thursday's contest. Malachi Flynn, who is averaging 9.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists, over the last 10 games, will continue to have a much larger role and more freedom to show off his game. Freddie Gillespie, Stanley Johnson and Yuta Watanabe are also likely to see extended minutes, while Gary Trent Jr. could turn out to be the top offensive option.

The Minnesota Timberwolves play host to the Denver Nuggets at Target Center on Thursday.

The Nuggets (45-24) have guaranteed themselves homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs, assured to finish either third or fourth. That makes for yet another successful season, with Mike Malone working his magic yet again. This big season has to be credited to Nikola Jokic, with the big man looking like a shoo-in for the MVP. He's leading the team with 26.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 8.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, carrying them with so many key players out of the lineup. Denver is missing Jamal Murray, Will Barton, and PJ Dozier, but it hasn't hampered them one bit. That says a lot about this club, and it's sad that they won't have Murray for the final run.

The Timberwolves (22-47) have played well recently, winning eight of their last 13 games coming into this matchup. They were actually near the bottom of the standings before this run, and numerous tanking teams have fallen below them. Many Minnesota fans would prefer the losses because this club is falling deeper and deeper down the draft. That's a tough predicament in today's NBA, though, and it's clear that the T'Wolves care more about winning than they do about future assets. In any case, it's nice to see these youngsters play so well together, and it could be some much-needed momentum heading into the 2021 season.

These teams have already played twice this season, with Denver winning both matchups. That gives the Nuggets 10 straight wins in this series dating back four years.

The Memphis Grizzlies play host to the Sacramento Kings at FedEx Forum on Thursday.

The Kings (31-38) come into this matchup, winning six of their last seven games. That has kept their playoff hopes on a very thin string, sitting 2.5 games back of the San Antonio Spurs in 10th. That means the Kings need to go undefeated over their final three games while San Antonio needs to lose out. That's asking a lot but to still be in it with only five days remaining is encouraging nonetheless. What makes this run even more amazing is the fact that they've been doing it without De'Aaron Fox. The speedy point guard leads the team with about 25 points and seven assists a game but continues to miss games due to COVID protocols. There is some thought he could return here, and that'd be a huge boost to this final playoff push.

The Grizzlies (36-33) are rolling themselves, winning three of their last four games coming into this matchup. That run has guaranteed them a playoff berth, but it looks like they'll be in the play-in tournament. They currently sit ninth, and the highest they can get to is eighth. That's quite the jump for this young club, though, and there aren't many franchises with brighter futures. Jaren Jackson Jr and Ja Morant are among the best young duos in the NBA, while Jonas Valanciuas has developed into one of the best centers. That's a fantastic core to build around, and it might be a popular free agent destination come summertime.

These teams played back on Valentine's Day, with Memphis prevailing, 124-110. Before that, the Kings won seven of their previous nine games over the Grizzlies in this series.

The Phoenix Suns play host to the Portland Trail Blazers at Phoenix Suns Arena on Thursday.

The Trail Blazers (41-29) are trying their best to hold on to the fifth or six-seed in the west, entering this matchup, winning nine of their last 10 games. The issue is that the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks are right on their heels, and they all desperately want to avoid the play-in tournament. Portland actually was one of the participants in last year's inaugural play-in tourney, and it really showed when they looked burnt out in the first round of the playoffs. The good news is that they carry some good form into the postseason, and it's quite the contender with guys like Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, and Jusuf Nurkic running the show.

The Suns (48-21) come into this matchup, losing three of their last four games, and it's pretty much shattered any hopes for the best record in the NBA. They now sit 1.5 games back of the Utah Jazz in first, and that's a tough cookie to crack with only three games remaining. Achieving the two-seed is certainly nothing to be ashamed of though, This is a club that many people didn't know what to expect at the beginning of the season but has become one of the biggest surprises in the NBA. What's really unfortunate about that is that they are lined up to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, and that'd be really disappointing to face the defending champs after such an impressive season.

These teams have played twice this season, with Phoenix winning both meetings. Before that, the Trail Blazers won 12 of their previous 14 games over the Suns.