Preview Roundups
January 05, 2015
Cleveland at Philadelphia 7:00 PM ET
The dream season for the Cleveland Cavaliers has quickly turned into a nightmare, but it could still get worse with a loss Monday night at the Philadelphia 76ers. The Cavaliers are without leading scorer LeBron James (lower back/left knee strains), and second-leading scorer Kyrie Irving departed Sunday’s loss against the Dallas Mavericks with lower-back stiffness and won't play against the 76ers. Even without those two, Kevin Love & Co. should be enough to beat the four-win 76ers.
Charlotte at Boston 7:30 PM ET
There will be some ups and downs for Boston as it adjusts to life without Rajon Rondo, but there has been little drop-off in terms of production at the guard spot. Led by the resurgent backcourt tandem of Evan Turner and Avery Bradley, the Celtics return home to take on Charlotte on Monday. Turner and Bradley combined for 46 points in a 109-104 overtime loss at Chicago on Saturday, Boston's seventh loss in nine games since trading away Rondo.
Dallas at Brooklyn 7:30 PM ET
The Dallas Mavericks appear to have figured out the right formula with Rajon Rondo in the lineup and are enjoying a five-game winning streak. The Mavericks will try to make it six in a row when they close out a three-game road trip by visiting the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. The Nets had a three-game winning streak come to an end in Miami on Sunday and are trying to get back to .500.
Houston at Chicago 8:00 PM ET
Derrick Rose is going through a dry spell in which his shot won’t fall as the Chicago Bulls host the Houston Rockets on Monday. Rose is just 19-of-78 from the field – including 2-of-19 from 3-point range – over the past four contests as he continues to struggle to find his past MVP form. A current MVP candidate plays for the Rockets as guard James Harden leads the NBA with a 27.2 scoring average and also contributes 6.6 assists and six rebounds per game.
New York at Memphis 8:00 PM ET
The Memphis Grizzlies suffered their largest defeat of the season Saturday but are looking ahead at a team that regularly snaps its opponents out of funks. The Grizzlies will try to pick up their fourth win in five games when they host the lowly New York Knicks on Monday. The Knicks are trying to avoid matching the longest slide in franchise history after suffering their 11th straight loss Sunday and are losers of 21 of the last 22.
Denver at Minnesota 8:00 PM ET
Denver has already contributed to Minnesota's lengthy losing streak, and the Nuggets will try to add to the Timberwolves' misery when the teams meet Monday in Minneapolis. Kenneth Faried had a monster performance with 26 points and 25 rebounds in a 106-102 win over Minnesota the day after Christmas, part of an 11-game slide for the Timberwolves. The losing streak, which continued with Saturday's 101-89 loss to Utah, is five shy of the franchise record for an in-season skid.
Washington at New Orleans 8:00 PM ET
The Washington Wizards aim to snap their season-high three-game winning streak when they wrap up a tough road trip against Western Conference contenders Monday versus the New Orleans Pelicans. The Wizards opened the five-game trip with a one-point win at Houston but have since lost at Dallas, Oklahoma City and San Antonio. The Pelicans hope to keep them reeling by snapping a six-game losing streak in the series dating to 2011.
Indiana at Utah 9:00 PM ET
The Indiana Pacers continue to struggle and look to bounce back from a disappointing defeat when they visit the Utah Jazz on Monday. Indiana led most of the contest against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday and finally succumbed 88-87 on Kobe Bryant’s decisive shot with 12.4 seconds remaining. The Pacers are playing the third contest of a four-game road trip, while Utah is playing well with six victories in its last nine games.
L.A. Lakers at Portland 10:00 PM ET
One night after Kobe Bryant made the game-winning shot, the Los Angeles star won’t even be in the building when the Lakers visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. Bryant’s jump hook in the lane with 12.4 seconds left propelled Los Angeles to an 88-87 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday and he didn’t travel with the team to Portland as the club wants him to rest. The Trail Blazers suffered a 115-107 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.
Oklahoma City at Golden State 10:30 PM ET
The last time Kevin Durant faced the Golden State Warriors he set an NBA record with 30 points in just 19 minutes before going down with an ankle injury that robbed him of six games. Durant will get a chance to finish what he started the last time when the Oklahoma City Thunder visit the Warriors on Monday. The Thunder have won back-to-back games behind Durant and are trying to move above .500 for the first time this season.
Atlanta at L.A. Clippers 10:30 PM ET
The Atlanta Hawks will try to continue a number of winning streaks when they visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, most impressively a six-game road winning streak. The Hawks have won four straight games overall with seven consecutive wins against Western Conference opponents for the first time since 1997. The last team from the West to beat Atlanta was the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 18.