Knicks, Nets Collide In Big Apple Clash
The Brooklyn Nets will host the New York Knicks at Barclays Center on Tuesday night.
The Nets (14-6) have the best record in the Eastern Conference, but they're coming off a performance they'd like to forget since they lost against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday by a 113-107 score. Kevin Durant led the Nets with 39 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, four steals and a block, in 45 minutes. James Harden totaled 12 points, 13 rebounds, 14 assists, two blocks and a steal, while LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre' Bembry chipped in 18 points each. The Nets shot 50 percent from the field, including 7-of-23 from long range. Brooklyn has gone 6-4 at home this season, and that loss snapped their four-game winning streak.
The Knicks (11-9) have been very inconsistent this season, but at least they're coming off a win following their 99-90 victory over the Atlanta Hawks last Saturday. Alec Burks led the Knicks with a strong performance and finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Evan Fournier had 20 points. R.J. Barrett had 15 points and seven rebounds, while Julius Randle only accounted for eight points, while adding 11 rebounds and four assists. Obi Toppin added 13 points coming off the bench. New York shot 43.9 percent from the field in that win, one that now sits the team with a 3-2 record in its last five contests.
The Nets (14-6) have the best record in the Eastern Conference, but they're coming off a performance they'd like to forget since they lost against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday by a 113-107 score. Kevin Durant led the Nets with 39 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, four steals and a block, in 45 minutes. James Harden totaled 12 points, 13 rebounds, 14 assists, two blocks and a steal, while LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre' Bembry chipped in 18 points each. The Nets shot 50 percent from the field, including 7-of-23 from long range. Brooklyn has gone 6-4 at home this season, and that loss snapped their four-game winning streak.
The Knicks (11-9) have been very inconsistent this season, but at least they're coming off a win following their 99-90 victory over the Atlanta Hawks last Saturday. Alec Burks led the Knicks with a strong performance and finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Evan Fournier had 20 points. R.J. Barrett had 15 points and seven rebounds, while Julius Randle only accounted for eight points, while adding 11 rebounds and four assists. Obi Toppin added 13 points coming off the bench. New York shot 43.9 percent from the field in that win, one that now sits the team with a 3-2 record in its last five contests.
Grizzlies and Raptors Face Off North of the Border
The Memphis Grizzlies take on the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday night.
The Grizzlies (10-10) check into Tuesday's contest with a relatively poor track record of late, having dropped three of their past five games. However, one of their two successes during that span came their last time on the court, as they throttled the Sacramento Kings by a 128-101 score Sunday evening. Dillon Brooks paced the Grizzlies with 21 points, complementing them with six rebounds, one assist and two steals. Desmond Bane delivered 18 points, five boards, two assists and one block. Jaren Jackson registered 17 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. Brandon Clarke posted 15 points, six rebounds, one assist and one block. De'Anthony Melton totaled 14 points, five rebounds and four assists.
The Grizzlies will list Ziaire Williams (knee) as questionable for Tuesday's game, while Ja Morant (knee) will remain out.
The Raptors (9-12) have been in even worse recent shape than their opponent, as they'll come into Tuesday's game having lost six of their past eight contests. Their most recent stumble came Sunday evening, when they fell to the Boston Celtics by a 109-97 score. Fred VanVleet paced the Raptors with 27 points, supplementing them with six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Scottie Barnes delivered 21 points, seven boards, three assists, two steals and one block. Pascal Siakam finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Svi Myhailiuk supplied 12 points, eight boards, two assists, two steals and one block.
The Raptors will list Gary Trent (calf) as questionable for Tuesday's contest. Goran Dragic (personal), OG Anunoby (hip) and Khem Birch (knee) will remain out.
Tuesday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Raptors hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 126-113 win over the Grizzlies on Wednesday.
The Grizzlies (10-10) check into Tuesday's contest with a relatively poor track record of late, having dropped three of their past five games. However, one of their two successes during that span came their last time on the court, as they throttled the Sacramento Kings by a 128-101 score Sunday evening. Dillon Brooks paced the Grizzlies with 21 points, complementing them with six rebounds, one assist and two steals. Desmond Bane delivered 18 points, five boards, two assists and one block. Jaren Jackson registered 17 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. Brandon Clarke posted 15 points, six rebounds, one assist and one block. De'Anthony Melton totaled 14 points, five rebounds and four assists.
The Grizzlies will list Ziaire Williams (knee) as questionable for Tuesday's game, while Ja Morant (knee) will remain out.
The Raptors (9-12) have been in even worse recent shape than their opponent, as they'll come into Tuesday's game having lost six of their past eight contests. Their most recent stumble came Sunday evening, when they fell to the Boston Celtics by a 109-97 score. Fred VanVleet paced the Raptors with 27 points, supplementing them with six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Scottie Barnes delivered 21 points, seven boards, three assists, two steals and one block. Pascal Siakam finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Svi Myhailiuk supplied 12 points, eight boards, two assists, two steals and one block.
The Raptors will list Gary Trent (calf) as questionable for Tuesday's contest. Goran Dragic (personal), OG Anunoby (hip) and Khem Birch (knee) will remain out.
Tuesday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Raptors hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 126-113 win over the Grizzlies on Wednesday.
Suns, Warriors Collide In Phoenix
By Dan Bruno
The Phoenix Suns play host to the Golden State Warriors at Footprint Center on Tuesday evening.
This marks the first game back home after a four-game road trip for the Suns (17-3), where they went undefeated, pushing their winning streak to a league-best 16 games. They will look to keep it going and add to their, 8-2, home record, but it will be a tough task as they go up against a Warriors team that is on a solid winning streak of it's own. Devin Booker leads the Suns, averaging 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Chris Paul is averaging 14.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 10.1 assists and 2.0 steals, while Deandre Ayton is averaging 15.4 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. The Suns are averaging 112.6 points per game, which is third most in the league, and they are shooting a league-best 48.1 percent from the field.
Meanwhile, this marks the second game of a two-game road trip for the Warriors (18-2), where they will look to keep rolling and add to their current seven-game winning streak. They are, 7-1, on the road, with four consecutive road wins. Stephen Curry continues his stellar play, averaging 28.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Andrew Wiggins is averaging 19.0 points on 50 percent shooting from the field, including 37.5 percent from long range, while Jordan Poole is averaging 18,1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game. The Warriors are averaging 114.0 points per game, which is second most in the league, and they are shooting an average of 47.9 percent from the field, which is second best in the league. The Warriors are even more dominant on the defensive end, as they are holding opponents to a league-low 100.4 points per game, on a league-low 41.9 percent shooting from the field.
This marks the first game back home after a four-game road trip for the Suns (17-3), where they went undefeated, pushing their winning streak to a league-best 16 games. They will look to keep it going and add to their, 8-2, home record, but it will be a tough task as they go up against a Warriors team that is on a solid winning streak of it's own. Devin Booker leads the Suns, averaging 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Chris Paul is averaging 14.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 10.1 assists and 2.0 steals, while Deandre Ayton is averaging 15.4 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. The Suns are averaging 112.6 points per game, which is third most in the league, and they are shooting a league-best 48.1 percent from the field.
Meanwhile, this marks the second game of a two-game road trip for the Warriors (18-2), where they will look to keep rolling and add to their current seven-game winning streak. They are, 7-1, on the road, with four consecutive road wins. Stephen Curry continues his stellar play, averaging 28.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Andrew Wiggins is averaging 19.0 points on 50 percent shooting from the field, including 37.5 percent from long range, while Jordan Poole is averaging 18,1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game. The Warriors are averaging 114.0 points per game, which is second most in the league, and they are shooting an average of 47.9 percent from the field, which is second best in the league. The Warriors are even more dominant on the defensive end, as they are holding opponents to a league-low 100.4 points per game, on a league-low 41.9 percent shooting from the field.
Trail Blazers Host Pistons on Tuesday
The Portland Trail Blazers play host to the Detroit Pistons at Moda Center on Tuesday.
The Pistons (4-16) enter this matchup in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Losing has become synonymous with this franchise for quite some time now, and it's hard to see it getting better anytime soon. Guys like Jerami Grant, Isaiah Stewart and Cade Cunningham have shown flashes this season, but they're simply not good enough to compete with anyone. That has them with the worst record in the Eastern Conference, and it's easy to see why when you know that they rank bottom-three in points scored, points allowed, rebounding and assists. That's a recipe for disaster, and the slippery slope is getting slipper by the day.
The Trail Blazers (10-11) come into this matchup losing three straight games. That's a really discouraging run, winning four straight prior to that. Runs like that make it hard to understand where this team is at, especially with Damian Lillard still struggling with his shot. The superstar point guard is shooting 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from three-point range, posting some of the worst numbers of his career. They're still All-Star averages, though, and it's scary to think what this team could look like when he's hitting on all cylinders. Another thing driving fans crazy is the limitations of Jusuf Nurkic. The big man is posting double-double averages but is getting fewer than 25 minutes a game. That's not enough from someone this talented, and it makes no sense why he remains so limited.
These teams played twice last season, with Portland sweeping the season series. That gives the Trail Blazers five wins in their previous six meetings with the Pistons, dating back three years.
The Pistons (4-16) enter this matchup in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Losing has become synonymous with this franchise for quite some time now, and it's hard to see it getting better anytime soon. Guys like Jerami Grant, Isaiah Stewart and Cade Cunningham have shown flashes this season, but they're simply not good enough to compete with anyone. That has them with the worst record in the Eastern Conference, and it's easy to see why when you know that they rank bottom-three in points scored, points allowed, rebounding and assists. That's a recipe for disaster, and the slippery slope is getting slipper by the day.
The Trail Blazers (10-11) come into this matchup losing three straight games. That's a really discouraging run, winning four straight prior to that. Runs like that make it hard to understand where this team is at, especially with Damian Lillard still struggling with his shot. The superstar point guard is shooting 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from three-point range, posting some of the worst numbers of his career. They're still All-Star averages, though, and it's scary to think what this team could look like when he's hitting on all cylinders. Another thing driving fans crazy is the limitations of Jusuf Nurkic. The big man is posting double-double averages but is getting fewer than 25 minutes a game. That's not enough from someone this talented, and it makes no sense why he remains so limited.
These teams played twice last season, with Portland sweeping the season series. That gives the Trail Blazers five wins in their previous six meetings with the Pistons, dating back three years.
Kings Host Lakers on Tuesday
The Sacramento Kings play host to the Los Angeles Lakers at Golden 1 Center on Tuesday.
The Lakers (11-11) have traded off wins and losses in each of their last six games, posting a 3-5 record across their previous eight games. The good news is that they got a win in their most recent outing on Sunday, narrowly beating the Detroit Pistons. A 16-0 run in the middle of the third quarter decided that game, but some poor late-game execution made that contest more challenging than it should have been. With that said, it was pleasant to see LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis all on the floor together. That hasn't happened a whole lot this season, and LA will remain dangerous as long as those three stay healthy.
The Kings (8-13) made one of the biggest splashes of the season when they fired Luke Walton last week, and results haven't really changed since then. In fact, they've lost two of the three games since that firing, getting blown out on Sunday night. That loss was really discouraging because they were facing a Memphis team missing Ja Morant. That was a prime opportunity for Sacramento to beat up on an inferior roster, but Memphis was the one doing the damage. The Grizzlies dropped 129 points on the Kings, and that sort of defense has become way too familiar for this club. Not having Richaun Holmes in the lineup obviously hurt, but that's no excuse. In any case, he's expected to return from his eye issue in the coming days and should correct some of the losing ways.
These teams played an epic double-overtime thriller two weeks ago, with Sacramento prevailing, 141-137. That gives the Kings four wins in their last five meetings with the Lakers.
The Lakers (11-11) have traded off wins and losses in each of their last six games, posting a 3-5 record across their previous eight games. The good news is that they got a win in their most recent outing on Sunday, narrowly beating the Detroit Pistons. A 16-0 run in the middle of the third quarter decided that game, but some poor late-game execution made that contest more challenging than it should have been. With that said, it was pleasant to see LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis all on the floor together. That hasn't happened a whole lot this season, and LA will remain dangerous as long as those three stay healthy.
The Kings (8-13) made one of the biggest splashes of the season when they fired Luke Walton last week, and results haven't really changed since then. In fact, they've lost two of the three games since that firing, getting blown out on Sunday night. That loss was really discouraging because they were facing a Memphis team missing Ja Morant. That was a prime opportunity for Sacramento to beat up on an inferior roster, but Memphis was the one doing the damage. The Grizzlies dropped 129 points on the Kings, and that sort of defense has become way too familiar for this club. Not having Richaun Holmes in the lineup obviously hurt, but that's no excuse. In any case, he's expected to return from his eye issue in the coming days and should correct some of the losing ways.
These teams played an epic double-overtime thriller two weeks ago, with Sacramento prevailing, 141-137. That gives the Kings four wins in their last five meetings with the Lakers.