Heat, Pacers Both Looking To Bounce Back
The Indiana Pacers will host the Miami Heat at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday.
The Pacers (14-13) are coming off a 136-133 loss against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. They were led by Tyrese Haliburton, tallying 35 points, nine assists and three steals on 12-of-15 from the field. Buddy Hield had 17 points, four rebounds and two assists. Myles Turner generated 16 points, three rebounds and two assists, while Oshae Brissett led the bench with 14 points and three boards. Benedict Mathurin accrued 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists off the bench as well. Indiana has gone 8-5 at home, but the team has lost three of its last five.
Chris Duarte (ankle) has been listed as a game-time decision, while Daniel Theis (knee) is out.
The Heat (12-15) are coming off a disappointing 115-111 loss against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. Jimmy Butler had 30 points and four assists for the Heat, while Tyler Herro ended with 23 points, five rebounds and five assists. Bam Adebayo had 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists, while Kyle Lowry ended with 12 points, seven assists, three rebounds and two steals. Caleb Martin had 14 points, and Victor Oladipo ended with 11 points, three rebounds and three assists. Miami has dropped three of its last four games, and the team has gone 3-9 on the road so far.
The Heat have up to six players as questionable for Monday’s game, though Dewayne Dedmon (foot) is the only questionable of the bunch, with names such as Jimmy Butler (knee), Victor Oladipo (knee), Duncan Robinson (ankle), Max Strus (shoulder) and Tyler Herro (ankle) all expected to play. Gabe Vincent (knee) and Omer Yurtseven (ankle) are out.
The Pacers (14-13) are coming off a 136-133 loss against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. They were led by Tyrese Haliburton, tallying 35 points, nine assists and three steals on 12-of-15 from the field. Buddy Hield had 17 points, four rebounds and two assists. Myles Turner generated 16 points, three rebounds and two assists, while Oshae Brissett led the bench with 14 points and three boards. Benedict Mathurin accrued 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists off the bench as well. Indiana has gone 8-5 at home, but the team has lost three of its last five.
Chris Duarte (ankle) has been listed as a game-time decision, while Daniel Theis (knee) is out.
The Heat (12-15) are coming off a disappointing 115-111 loss against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. Jimmy Butler had 30 points and four assists for the Heat, while Tyler Herro ended with 23 points, five rebounds and five assists. Bam Adebayo had 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists, while Kyle Lowry ended with 12 points, seven assists, three rebounds and two steals. Caleb Martin had 14 points, and Victor Oladipo ended with 11 points, three rebounds and three assists. Miami has dropped three of its last four games, and the team has gone 3-9 on the road so far.
The Heat have up to six players as questionable for Monday’s game, though Dewayne Dedmon (foot) is the only questionable of the bunch, with names such as Jimmy Butler (knee), Victor Oladipo (knee), Duncan Robinson (ankle), Max Strus (shoulder) and Tyler Herro (ankle) all expected to play. Gabe Vincent (knee) and Omer Yurtseven (ankle) are out.
Wizards Looking To Snap Skid, Host Nets
The Washington Wizards will host the Brooklyn Nets at Capital One Arena on Monday.
The Wizards (11-16) are coming off a 1114-107 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, and now they’ve lost six games in a row. Kyle Kuzma led the Wizards with 35 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and a block, in 38 minutes. Kristaps Porzingis followed up with 30 points, 1t rebounds, six assists and two blocks, while Jordan Goodwin tallied 17 points, four rebounds, six assists and six steals. The Wizards shot 43 percent from the field, including 16-of-34 from long range. Washington has gone 8-6 at home.
Bradley Beal (hamstring), Monte Morris (groin) and Anthony Gill (heel) are questionable, while Rui Hachimura (ankle) and Delon Wright (hamstring) are out.
The Nets (16-12) are coming off a 136-133 win over the Pacers on Saturday. were led by Cam Thomas, providing 33 points and three rebounds off the bench. Patty Mills led the starters with 24 points, six rebounds and six assists. Edmond Sumner amassed 21 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Day'Ron Sharpe totaled 20 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks. Markieff Morris finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds and two assists. The Nets have won three in a row and four of their last five games, and they’ve also gone 6-7 on the road.
Nicolas Claxton (hamstring) is a game-time call for Monday, while Royce O’Neale (personal) has been ruled out.
The Wizards (11-16) are coming off a 1114-107 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, and now they’ve lost six games in a row. Kyle Kuzma led the Wizards with 35 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and a block, in 38 minutes. Kristaps Porzingis followed up with 30 points, 1t rebounds, six assists and two blocks, while Jordan Goodwin tallied 17 points, four rebounds, six assists and six steals. The Wizards shot 43 percent from the field, including 16-of-34 from long range. Washington has gone 8-6 at home.
Bradley Beal (hamstring), Monte Morris (groin) and Anthony Gill (heel) are questionable, while Rui Hachimura (ankle) and Delon Wright (hamstring) are out.
The Nets (16-12) are coming off a 136-133 win over the Pacers on Saturday. were led by Cam Thomas, providing 33 points and three rebounds off the bench. Patty Mills led the starters with 24 points, six rebounds and six assists. Edmond Sumner amassed 21 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Day'Ron Sharpe totaled 20 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks. Markieff Morris finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds and two assists. The Nets have won three in a row and four of their last five games, and they’ve also gone 6-7 on the road.
Nicolas Claxton (hamstring) is a game-time call for Monday, while Royce O’Neale (personal) has been ruled out.
Grizzlies Look To Keep Rolling
By Dan Bruno
The Memphis Grizzlies play host to the Atlanta Hawks at FedEx Forum on Monday evening.
The Grizzlies (17-9) have won five in a row and will look to keep it rolling as they face the fourth game of a five-game home stand with a chance to build on their 11-2 home record. Ja Morant leads the team, averaging 27.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Dillon Brooks averages 17.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists, while Steven Adams is averaging 8.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 blocks per game. The Grizzlies average 115.0 points per game, and they are holding opponents to 112.0 points. Desmond Bane (toe) has been out since mid-November and is expected to remain out, while Jake LaRavia (foot) is questionable for action
Meanwhile, this marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Hawks (14-13), as they are coming of an exciting win over the Bulls on Sunday. They trailed 27-22 after one quarter, but they bounced back in the second and outscored the visitors by 13, to take an eight-point lead into the break. Both sides came out strong in the third, and the Hawks held a seven-point lead after three. However, the visitors kept pressing in the fourth and forced overtime. The score stayed tight through the extra period and the Hawks looked like they had it locked up with a two-point lead and 2.0 seconds left on the clock, but they gave up last-second foul from behind the arc and trailed by one point, with 0.5 seconds left. Despite the slim odds, the Hawks came up with an alley-oop layup off the inbound pass to seal the home win. Bogdan Bogdanovic led the Hawks with 28 points, seven rebounds, five assists and a block, in 35 minutes. Trae Young followed up with 19 points, two rebounds and 14 assists, while Clint Capela logged 15 points, 14 rebounds, a steal and a block. The Hawks will look to keep it rolling as they kick off a three-game road trip.
The Grizzlies (17-9) have won five in a row and will look to keep it rolling as they face the fourth game of a five-game home stand with a chance to build on their 11-2 home record. Ja Morant leads the team, averaging 27.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Dillon Brooks averages 17.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists, while Steven Adams is averaging 8.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 blocks per game. The Grizzlies average 115.0 points per game, and they are holding opponents to 112.0 points. Desmond Bane (toe) has been out since mid-November and is expected to remain out, while Jake LaRavia (foot) is questionable for action
Meanwhile, this marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Hawks (14-13), as they are coming of an exciting win over the Bulls on Sunday. They trailed 27-22 after one quarter, but they bounced back in the second and outscored the visitors by 13, to take an eight-point lead into the break. Both sides came out strong in the third, and the Hawks held a seven-point lead after three. However, the visitors kept pressing in the fourth and forced overtime. The score stayed tight through the extra period and the Hawks looked like they had it locked up with a two-point lead and 2.0 seconds left on the clock, but they gave up last-second foul from behind the arc and trailed by one point, with 0.5 seconds left. Despite the slim odds, the Hawks came up with an alley-oop layup off the inbound pass to seal the home win. Bogdan Bogdanovic led the Hawks with 28 points, seven rebounds, five assists and a block, in 35 minutes. Trae Young followed up with 19 points, two rebounds and 14 assists, while Clint Capela logged 15 points, 14 rebounds, a steal and a block. The Hawks will look to keep it rolling as they kick off a three-game road trip.
Thunder and Mavericks Set for Lone Star State Showdown
The Oklahoma City Thunder takes on the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on Monday night.
The Thunder (11-15) appear to be a team on the rise overall this season, but they'll enter Monday's contest having dropped consecutive games. Their most recent stumble came Saturday night, as they dropped a 110-102 decision to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 23 points, adding three assists, two rebounds and two steals. Josh Giddey generated a 17-point, 13-rebound double-double that included six assists, one steal and one block. Aleksej Pokusevski managed 16 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Isaiah Joe delivered 12 points, three boards, one assist and two steals. Jalen Williams supplied 11 points, three assists and two steals.
The Thunder will list Kenrich Williams (knee) as out for Monday's contest.
The Mavericks (13-13) have had some issues with consistency themselves, and they'll check into Monday's game having lost back-to-back contests as well. Dallas' most recent stumble was a significant one, a 144-115 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night. Spencer Dinwiddie led the Mavericks with 27 points, supplementing them with eight assists, four rebounds and one steal. Christian Wood offered 21 points, nine rebounds, two assists and one block. JaVale McGee totaled 18 points and four boards. Tim Hardaway poured in 12 points.
The Mavericks will list Luka Doncic (quadriceps) as probable for Monday's game. Josh Green (elbow) will remain out, while Maxi Kleber (foot) will carry a questionable tag.
Monday's game marks the second of three meetings between the teams this season. The Thunder holds a 1-0 series lead.
The Thunder (11-15) appear to be a team on the rise overall this season, but they'll enter Monday's contest having dropped consecutive games. Their most recent stumble came Saturday night, as they dropped a 110-102 decision to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 23 points, adding three assists, two rebounds and two steals. Josh Giddey generated a 17-point, 13-rebound double-double that included six assists, one steal and one block. Aleksej Pokusevski managed 16 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Isaiah Joe delivered 12 points, three boards, one assist and two steals. Jalen Williams supplied 11 points, three assists and two steals.
The Thunder will list Kenrich Williams (knee) as out for Monday's contest.
The Mavericks (13-13) have had some issues with consistency themselves, and they'll check into Monday's game having lost back-to-back contests as well. Dallas' most recent stumble was a significant one, a 144-115 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night. Spencer Dinwiddie led the Mavericks with 27 points, supplementing them with eight assists, four rebounds and one steal. Christian Wood offered 21 points, nine rebounds, two assists and one block. JaVale McGee totaled 18 points and four boards. Tim Hardaway poured in 12 points.
The Mavericks will list Luka Doncic (quadriceps) as probable for Monday's game. Josh Green (elbow) will remain out, while Maxi Kleber (foot) will carry a questionable tag.
Monday's game marks the second of three meetings between the teams this season. The Thunder holds a 1-0 series lead.
Cavaliers and Spurs Set for Interconference Clash
The Cleveland Cavaliers take on the San Antonio Spurs at AT & T Center on Monday night.
The Cavaliers (17-10) have been in relatively solid form of late, winning four of their last six games. Their most recent time on the floor resulted in one of those victories, as they managed a 110-102 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night. Caris LeVert led the Cavaliers with 22 points, supplementing them with four rebounds and four assists. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen produced matching 21-point tallies while pulling down 12 and 11 rebounds, respectively. Darius Garland supplied 13 points, eight assists, three rebounds and two steals. Lamar Stevens delivered 10 points, seven boards, one assist, three steals and one block.
The Cavaliers will list Donovan Mitchell (lower leg) as questionable for Monday's contest. Kevin Love (back) will carry a questionable tag, while Dean Wade (shoulder) will remain out.
The Spurs (8-18) recently endured an extended losing streak, but they've bounced back with back-to-back wins. Their most recent success came at the expense of the Miami Heat, which they toppled by a 115-111 margin Saturday afternoon. Keldon Johnson led the Spurs with 21 points, adding six rebounds and two assists. Romeo Langford registered 19 points, six boards, one steal and one block. Devin Vassell netted 18 points, four rebounds, two assists and three steals. Zach Collins contributed 16 points, eight rebounds, two assists and one block. Doug McDermott finished with 13 points, five assists and two boards.
The Spurs will list Keita Bates-Diop (foot) and Jakob Poeltl (knee) for Monday's game. Jeremy Sochan (quadriceps) will be listed as questionable.
Monday's game marks the first of two meetings between the teams this season. The Cavaliers swept the two-game 2021-22 regular-season series from the Spurs.
The Cavaliers (17-10) have been in relatively solid form of late, winning four of their last six games. Their most recent time on the floor resulted in one of those victories, as they managed a 110-102 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night. Caris LeVert led the Cavaliers with 22 points, supplementing them with four rebounds and four assists. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen produced matching 21-point tallies while pulling down 12 and 11 rebounds, respectively. Darius Garland supplied 13 points, eight assists, three rebounds and two steals. Lamar Stevens delivered 10 points, seven boards, one assist, three steals and one block.
The Cavaliers will list Donovan Mitchell (lower leg) as questionable for Monday's contest. Kevin Love (back) will carry a questionable tag, while Dean Wade (shoulder) will remain out.
The Spurs (8-18) recently endured an extended losing streak, but they've bounced back with back-to-back wins. Their most recent success came at the expense of the Miami Heat, which they toppled by a 115-111 margin Saturday afternoon. Keldon Johnson led the Spurs with 21 points, adding six rebounds and two assists. Romeo Langford registered 19 points, six boards, one steal and one block. Devin Vassell netted 18 points, four rebounds, two assists and three steals. Zach Collins contributed 16 points, eight rebounds, two assists and one block. Doug McDermott finished with 13 points, five assists and two boards.
The Spurs will list Keita Bates-Diop (foot) and Jakob Poeltl (knee) for Monday's game. Jeremy Sochan (quadriceps) will be listed as questionable.
Monday's game marks the first of two meetings between the teams this season. The Cavaliers swept the two-game 2021-22 regular-season series from the Spurs.
Trail Blazers Host Timberwolves on Monday
The Portland Trail Blazers play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Moda Center on Monday.
The Timberwolves (13-13) come into this matchup winning three of their last five games. That hot streak started when Karl-Anthony Towns got injured, and it's encouraging to see this club play so well with their superstar sidelined. What it's done is allow these other stud players to step up. D'Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert have all been much better since KAT went down, and it's hard to understand why that's the case. Getting more usage and opportunities would make any NBA player better, and it'll be interesting to see how they look when the big man returns in a month. Until then, we really don't know who this team will be for the remainder of the season.
The Trail Blazers (14-12) had a nightmarish stretch in which they lost seven of eight, but this club has been one of the best in the NBA when Damian Lillard has been healthy. He missed all of that losing stretch and carried this club to an impressive 10-4 start before his injury. He also returned just last week, with Portland entering this matchup winning three of four. Having an All-Star in the lineup is obviously beneficial for any team, but it's even more critical when that guy is the most clutch player in the NBA. He's not the only one that deserves credit, though, with Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant having breakout years as well. As long as that core stays healthy, this is a team no one wants to face.
These teams just played Saturday night, with Portland prevailing, 124-118. That snapped a five-game winning streak by Minnesota in this series.
The Timberwolves (13-13) come into this matchup winning three of their last five games. That hot streak started when Karl-Anthony Towns got injured, and it's encouraging to see this club play so well with their superstar sidelined. What it's done is allow these other stud players to step up. D'Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert have all been much better since KAT went down, and it's hard to understand why that's the case. Getting more usage and opportunities would make any NBA player better, and it'll be interesting to see how they look when the big man returns in a month. Until then, we really don't know who this team will be for the remainder of the season.
The Trail Blazers (14-12) had a nightmarish stretch in which they lost seven of eight, but this club has been one of the best in the NBA when Damian Lillard has been healthy. He missed all of that losing stretch and carried this club to an impressive 10-4 start before his injury. He also returned just last week, with Portland entering this matchup winning three of four. Having an All-Star in the lineup is obviously beneficial for any team, but it's even more critical when that guy is the most clutch player in the NBA. He's not the only one that deserves credit, though, with Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant having breakout years as well. As long as that core stays healthy, this is a team no one wants to face.
These teams just played Saturday night, with Portland prevailing, 124-118. That snapped a five-game winning streak by Minnesota in this series.
Clippers Host Celtics on Monday
The Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Boston Celtics at Crypto.com Arena on Monday.
The Celtics (21-6) have the best record in the NBA, entering this matchup winning 17 of their last 20 games. With that said, they suffered a rare loss on Saturday, losing to the Golden State Warriors on the road. Not many teams have been successful in Golden State, and it's certainly nothing to worry about when evaluating this Celtics team. What makes Boston so scary is the fact that they're dominant on both ends of the floor. They're Top-5 in offensive and defensive efficiency this season and haven't even had their best defensive player in the lineup. That's Robert Williams (knee), who's expected to make his season debut in the coming days. When that happens, the best team gets even better!
The Clippers (15-13) have been struggling over the last three weeks, entering this matchup losing six of their last 10 games. The thing that's held this team back is their consistency. The play is one thing, but the rotation has been more volatile than anything. Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and John Wall have been in and out of the lineup all season, and it's tough to know who's going to play on any given night. That's hurt everyone else on this roster, too, because no one is quite sure what their role is supposed to be. It's nice to have this unlimited depth, but it's a challenge to get all these guys playing well at the same time when no one knows who's going to suit up.
Los Angeles swept the two-game season series over Boston last year. That followed up a three-game winning streak by Boston, which followed up a four-game spurt by LA prior to that.
The Celtics (21-6) have the best record in the NBA, entering this matchup winning 17 of their last 20 games. With that said, they suffered a rare loss on Saturday, losing to the Golden State Warriors on the road. Not many teams have been successful in Golden State, and it's certainly nothing to worry about when evaluating this Celtics team. What makes Boston so scary is the fact that they're dominant on both ends of the floor. They're Top-5 in offensive and defensive efficiency this season and haven't even had their best defensive player in the lineup. That's Robert Williams (knee), who's expected to make his season debut in the coming days. When that happens, the best team gets even better!
The Clippers (15-13) have been struggling over the last three weeks, entering this matchup losing six of their last 10 games. The thing that's held this team back is their consistency. The play is one thing, but the rotation has been more volatile than anything. Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and John Wall have been in and out of the lineup all season, and it's tough to know who's going to play on any given night. That's hurt everyone else on this roster, too, because no one is quite sure what their role is supposed to be. It's nice to have this unlimited depth, but it's a challenge to get all these guys playing well at the same time when no one knows who's going to suit up.
Los Angeles swept the two-game season series over Boston last year. That followed up a three-game winning streak by Boston, which followed up a four-game spurt by LA prior to that.