October 27th NBA Game Previews

The Orlando Magic will host the Charlotte Hornets at Amway Center on Wednesday evening.

The Magic (1-3) are coming off a 107-90 loss against the Miami Heat the last time out, and they've gone 0-1 at this venue -- it was a 25-point loss against the Knicks. Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs co-led the Magic with 15 points each, with Wagner adding four assists, two rebounds, one steal and one block and Suggs recording four boards, two assists and one steal. Cole Anthony and R.J. Hampton generated matching 12-point tallies while pulling down nine and six rebounds, respectively. Mo Bamba and Robin Lopez posted 11 points each, with Bamba also providing five rebounds, two steals and one block.

The Hornets got off to an impressive 3-0 start this season but are coming off their first loss of the campaign, as they suffered a thrilling 140-129 loss at Boston on Monday. LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges co-led the Hornets with 25 points apiece, with Ball adding nine assists and five rebounds and Bridges pulling down 10 boards. Kelly Oubre furnished 19 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Gordon Hayward totaled 15 points, six boards, three assists and one steal. Jalen McDaniels contributed 13 points, while Mason Plumlee mustered a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included three assists, two blocks and one steal. the Hornets have also gone 2-0 on the road so far.

The Boston Celtics will host the Washington Wizards at TD Garden on Wednesday evening.

The Celtics (2-2) will play only their second home game of the season, and they do so while looking extremely motivated thanks to an ongoing two-game winning streak. Boston is coming off a huge 140-129 win over the Charlotte Hornets the last time out. Tatum paced the Celtics with 41 points, adding eight assists, seven rebounds and one block. Jaylen Brown returned from a one-game absence to supply 30 points, nine boards, three assists, three steals and one block. Dennis Schroder collected 23 points, eight assists, six rebounds and one block. Jabari Parker turned in 13 points, five rebounds and one block. Robert Williams generated a 12-point, 16-rebound double-double that also included four assists and three blocks.

The Wizards (2-1) are coming off a 104-90 loss against the Brooklyn Nets in their previous game, and that result snapped the two-game winning streak they registered to begin the season. Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 19 points on 8-of-22 shooting, in 32 minutes. Daniel Gafford followed up with 13 points and five rebounds, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Aaron Holiday chipped in 11 points each. The Wizards shot 34.7 percent from the field, including 9-of-39 from deep. Washington has gone 1-1 playing on the road so far, and this contest marks the end of a short two-game road trip.

The Atlanta Hawks take on the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on Wednesday night.

The Hawks (2-1) have opened the season with a pair of double-digit victories sandwiched around a loss to the Cavaliers, with their most recent success a 122-104 win over the Pistons on Monday night. Trae Young led the Hawks with 32 points, complementing them with nine assists, four rebounds and one steal. John Collins supplied 22 points, seven boards, two assists, two steals and one block. Cam Reddish managed 17 points, four rebounds, one assist and three steals. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kevin Huerter posted matching 14-point tallies.

The Hawks will list De'Andre Hunter (illness) as probable, while Lou Williams (ankle) and Danilo Gallinari (shoulder) will carry questionable tags.

The Pelicans (1-3) have endured rough sledding in the early portion of the season, losing their first three contests before notching a 107-98 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night. Brandon Ingram led the way with 27 points, complementing them with nine rebounds and one assist. Jonas Valanciunas generated a 22-point, 23-rebound double-double that also included three assists and two blocks. Devonte Graham furnished 21 points, seven assists, three rebounds and one steal. Nickeil Alexander-Walker registered 17 points, seven boards, three assists and one steal.

The Pelicans will list Josh Hart (quadriceps) as questionable for Tuesday's game, while Zion Williamson (foot) will remain out.

Tuesday's game marks the first of two meetings between the teams this season. The Hawks swept the two-game series from the Pelicans last season.

The Miami Heat takes on the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Wednesday night.

The Heat (2-1) has opened the new season in relatively successful fashion, sandwiching big wins over the Bucks and Magic around a loss to the Pacers. The win over Orlando was the most recent, a 107-90 victory on Monday night. Jimmy Butler paced the Heat with 36 points, supplementing them with three rebounds, two assists and five steals. Bam Adebayo generated a 16-point, 13-rebound double-double that also included two assists and one steal. Markieff Morris matched Adebayo's scoring total while also notching three rebounds, while Tyler Herro delivered 13 points, nine assists and five rebounds.

The Heat will remain without Victor Oladipo (quadriceps) for Wednesday's contest.

The Nets (2-2) have been mired in controversy since before the season started, so it's little surprise they haven't exactly been consistent since the campaign started. Brooklyn's most recent time on the floor did result in a win, as they toppled the Washington Wizards by a 104-90 score Monday night. Kevin Durant led the way with 25 points, complementing them with eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. Patty Mills totaled 21 points, three assists, two rebounds and one steal. James Harden and Bruce Brown generated matching 14-point tallies, with Harden adding nine assists and six rebounds. Joe Harris supplied 11 rebounds, eight rebounds and two assists.

The Nets will continue without Kyrie Irving (personal) for Wednesday's game.

Wednesday's contest marks the first of four meetings between the teams this season. The Nets won the three-game 2020-21 season series with the Heat by a 2-1 margin.

The Toronto Raptors play host to the Indiana Pacers at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday evening.

This marks the third game of a four-game home stand for the Raptors (1-3), where they have gone 0-2, so far. The Raptors have yet to win at home this season, with an 0-3 home record, and they are coming off a tough loss against the Bulls on Monday, where they missed a potential game-tying shot at the buzzer. The Raptors have been one of the lower-scoring teams in the league, as they are averaging 100.3 points per game, which is sixth fewest in the league, but they have reciprocated on the defensive end, holding opponents to an average of 98.8 points per game, which is also sixth fewest in the league. O.G. Anunoby is the Raptors' leading scorer, averaging 17.5 points per game, but they do a good job of sharing the load, as they have five players averaging double digits in scoring. Rookie, Scottie Barnes has been off to a great start to his NBA career, averaging 16.8 points and 8.5 rebounds, in 34 minutes per game. Pascal Siakam (shoulder) remains out.

Meanwhile, this marks the first game of a two-game road trip for the Pacers (1-3), who with an 0-2 road record so far, are still looking for their first road win. Domantas Sabonis is leading the team with averages of 24.8 points and 12.3 rebounds, in 40.5 minutes per game. Malcolm Brogdon is averaging 24.8 points, 7.5 assists and 7.5 rebounds, while rookie Chris Duarte has been off to a great start, averaging 19.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. The Pacers have not been able to contain their opponents' scoring, as they are giving up an average of 117.0 points per game, which is fifth most in the league. On the other hand, they are scoring an average of 116.8 points per game, which is also fifth most in the league. Caris LeVert (back) is listed as questionable for action, while T.J. Warren (foot) will remain sidelined.

The Milwaukee Bucks will host the Minnesota Timberwolves at Fiserv Forum on Wednesday evening.

The Bucks (3-1) returned to winning ways the last time out and are coming off a 119-109 win over the Indiana Pacers, a win that pushed Milwaukee's winning streak to two games. Giannis Antetokounmpo had another excellent performance and ended just one assist shy of putting up a triple-double, as he ended with 30 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, while Khris Middleton supplied 27 points, seven assists and five boards. Grayson Allen had another strong game and finished with 19 points, while Pat Connaughton mustered 13 points coming off the bench. No other Milwaukee player scored in double digits, though the team didn't really need it based on how the game unfolded. The Bucks have gone 1-0 at home this season and return to Fiserv Forum after a three-game road trip.

The Timberwolves (2-1) began their season with three straight games at Target Center, and they will go on the road for the first time in the current campaign. They're coming off a 107-98 loss against the New Orleans Pelicans, though. The Timberwolves were led by Karl-Anthony Towns and his 32 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks. Anthony Edwards was the only other starter in double figures, compiling 28 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Patrick Beverley led the bench with 13 points, two rebounds and two assists. Minnesota has failed to score at least 100 points in each of their last two games, though.

The Oklahoma City Thunder play host to the Los Angeles Lakers at Paycom Center on Wednesday evening.

This marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Lakers (2-2), as they are coming off a, 125-121, overtime win in San Antonio on Tuesday evening. The Lakers trailed by 12 points heading the final frame of the contest, but they rallied back to force overtime. They then took control early in the extra frame, but saw it slip away as the Spurs tied it up again with 1:31 left on the clock. However, the Lakers responded with two unanswered baskets to close out the road win. Anthony Davis led the way with 35 points, 17 rebounds, four assists and four blocks, while Russell Westbrook followed up with 33 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and three steals. The Lakers were without LeBron James (ankle) who remains questionable for action on Wednesday. Nonetheless, with stars like Westbrook and Davis that can dominate the game, along with a solid supporting cast, the Lakers are still just as formidable an opponent and should pose a tough matchup for the young Thunder squad.

Meanwhile, this also marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Thunder (0-4), who remain winless on the season, as they are coming off a, 106-98, home loss against the Warriors on Tuesday night. The Thunder actually got out to a good start in the contest, with a five-point lead after one quarter, and they even expanded their advantage to 11, by halftime. However, they let it all slip away in the third quarter, where they were outscored by 16, and they were not able to recover the rest of the way, resulting in a fourth consecutive loss. On the bright side, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up another monstrous performance, with 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting, in 36 minutes of action. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Luguentz Dort were the only other players to score in double digits for the Thunder in the loss.

The Phoenix Suns play host to the Sacramento Kings at Footprint Center on Wednesday.

The Kings (1-2) could easily be 3-0, but late-game execution has come back to bite them once again. Narrow losses over the Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors look bad in the record book, but it should be an encouraging sign for this developing team. The more significant issue is the fact that losses have been going on for way too long. This franchise has been in rebuild mode for what feels like 20 years, and it remains to be seen if they'll sell off all of their pieces once again. That'd be an unfortunate development because De'Aaron Fox and Richaun Holmes have grown into All-Star caliber players. That's even crazier when you see that Harrison Barnes has been their best player, averaging 28.3 points per game. If all of those things continue and Tyrese Haliburton continues to grow, this club should remain competitive all season long.

The Suns (1-2) were one of the surprises of the NBA when they reached the postseason last year, but things have not started well this year. In fact, they blew a big lead at the hands of the Denver Nuggets in their opener and suffered a 29-point loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in their most recent game. That obviously won't get it done, and it looks even more discouraging when you see that their one victory was over a Los Angeles Lakers team that's struggling mightily themselves. Many people thought last season's run was a fluke, but it's up to this club to prove those people wrong and end their early-season swoon.

These teams played three times last season, with Phoenix winning two of three. This has been a close series for years, with neither team winning more than two straight and each club holding 9-9 records across their last 18 meetings.

The Portland Trail Blazers play host to the Memphis Grizzlies at Moda Center on Wednesday.

The Grizzlies (2-1) were one of the surprises of the 2020-21 season, and they should have a 3-0 record this year. They actually led for a lot of their defeat against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, with Ja Morant missing a game-tying free-throw with 1.7 seconds remaining. He is certainly not the one to blame, though, collecting 40 points and 10 assists in that gem of a performance. That's pretty much the guy we've seen all year, with Morant leading the NBA with 35 points and eight assists per game. He was one of the breakout players last season, and this looks like he's ready to step into full-on superstar mode. What's been sneaky is the play of the role players, though, with Desmond Bane and De'Anthony Melton playing some beautiful basketball through the first three games. It'll be interesting to see how this rotation looks when Dillon Brooks returns but the more bodies, the better!

The Trail Blazers (1-2) have been about as volatile as it gets through their first three games. A home defeat at the hands of the Sacramento Kings in the opener had fans scratching their heads, but a blowout victory over the Phoenix Suns in the game prior had them cheering. That appeared to be a fluky stretch, but they went into LA on Monday and took a beatdown at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers. They actually trailed by nearly 40 points in that lopsided defeat, getting another lousy performance from Damian Lillard. The superstar point guard missed all eight of his three's in that loss and is now just 2-of-24 from long range through the first three games. Every shooter goes through slumps like that, but this team needs him to start making some of those to end this mini slide.

These teams played three times last season, with Memphis prevailing in two of three.

The Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Staples Center on Wednesday.

The Cavaliers (2-2) looked horrible in the first two games but followed it up with two wins over the Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks. That's a truly impressive two-game span, but it's mind-boggling when you see that they lost to the Charlotte Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies in their two previous games. You'd expect those four results to be flipped, and it makes it really tough to know where this team is at. What is clear is that they finally have some depth. This team goes eight or nine men deep with guys like Kevin Love, Lauri Markkanen, and Ricky Rubio coming off the bench, making this a club no one wants to see at full health.

The Clippers (1-2) struggled with narrow losses against the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies in their first two games. That had many skeptics talking, but a beatdown of the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday quieted a lot of those question marks. They actually got their lead near 40 points in that dominating victory, getting eight steals from Paul George. He will have to be the guy with Kawhi Leonard out for the foreseeable future, but he also needs contributions from Reggie Jackson, Eric Bledsoe, and Terance Mann going forward. All of those guys have the ability to help George, but it remains to be seen just how competitive this team can be without an MVP candidate like Leonard.

Los Angeles swept the two-game season series over Cleveland last year, winning each game by at least 17 points apiece. That gives the Clippers seven straight victories in this series in total.