Preview Roundups
January 31, 2015
Sacramento at Indiana 7:00 PM ET
Indiana looks to build upon its most lopsided win of the season when it hosts reeling Sacramento on Saturday. Rodney Stuckey scored 22 points and Roy Hibbert added 18 on 9-of-11 shooting in the Pacers' 103-82 win over New York on Thursday, snapping a three-game home losing streak and winning for just the second time in eight games overall. While facing the hapless Knicks helped, Indiana shot 56.5 percent over the final three quarters to eclipse 100 points for the second time in seven contests.
Dallas at Orlando 7:00 PM ET
Teams struggling to find wins meet Saturday when the Dallas Mavericks visit the Orlando Magic. Dallas avoided its first five-game losing streak since 2008 when it closed Friday's game against Miami with a 42-12 run behind 14 points from reserve Charlie Villanueva. The Magic have lost seven straight and 13 of 15, and it doesn't get any easier as they head to the road for games at Oklahoma City and San Antonio after this one.
Toronto at Washington 7:00 PM ET
The Toronto Raptors look to continue their winning ways when they stay on road to take on the Washington Wizards on Saturday night. The Raptors have won five in a row — scoring 104 points or more in each of the past four games — after downing the Brooklyn Nets 127-122 in overtime Friday to extend their lead to 13.5 games atop the Atlantic Division standings. Toronto has won four of its last five road games and sets its sights on beating the Wizards for the sixth time in seven tries.
Philadelphia at Atlanta 7:30 PM ET
The Atlanta Hawks can match the fifth-longest winning streak in NBA history Saturday night when they host the Philadelphia 76ers. The Hawks won their 18th straight game Friday night against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers and shouldn’t have trouble getting to No. 19 against a Philadelphia team that will be trying to win three in a row for the first time in nearly 13 months. Atlanta already has taken the first two games against the 76ers this season by an average of 17 points.
Houston at Detroit 7:30 PM ET
The Houston Rockets look to stretch their winning streak over Detroit to eight games when they visit the Pistons on Saturday. Houston has won four straight overall after posting a 93-87 win over the Boston Celtics on Friday with Donatas Motiejunas leading the way with a career-best 26 points. Detroit has lost four straight games and gave an abysmal effort while falling 89-69 to the woeful Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.
Oklahoma City at Memphis 8:00 PM ET
After his team's effort Wednesday against New York, Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said the Knicks outworked his club and that the Thunder need to fix that "soon." The Thunder, 3 1/2 games out of the eighth spot in the Western Conference, face a tough fix when they conclude a long road stretch against the red-hot Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. Oklahoma City, which is playing its seventh and final road game in a stretch of eight games, has lost three of four after winning four straight.
Cleveland at Minnesota 8:00 PM ET
Kevin Love makes his much-anticipated return to Minnesota on Saturday when he leads surging Cleveland into a matchup with the Timberwolves. Love played 364 games in six seasons with Minnesota before being traded to the Cavaliers this summer, ending an era marked by contract squabbles and a heavy dose of losing. Love's inability to pull the moribund franchise out of the depths and his desire to start anew in another town did not sit well with most fans in Minneapolis.
Portland at Milwaukee 8:30 PM ET
The Portland Trail Blazers hope to avoid their second three-game losing skid in the month of January when they stay on the road to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. The Trail Blazers have dropped five straight on the road — including four games by six points or less — and look to turn things around by beating the Bucks for the fourth consecutive time. Portland is 18-5 against Eastern Conference opponents, but has lost three of its last four against teams from the Eastern time zone.
Charlotte at Denver 9:00 PM ET
The Charlotte Hornets seek to sustain an upward push while the host Denver Nuggets look to halt a bad stretch when the squads meet Saturday. Despite falling 95-86 to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, the Hornets have won nine of their last 12 games as they seek to grab an Eastern Conference playoff spot. The Nuggets are far out of the mix in the West and have lost eight of nine games after taking a 99-69 drubbing from the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday.
L.A. Clippers at San Antonio 9:00 PM ET
The Los Angeles Clippers will try to bounce back from one of their worst losses of the season when they visit the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night. The Clippers lost Friday night to the host New Orleans Pelicans, who were playing without leading scorer and rebounder Anthony Davis (strained abductor muscle). Los Angeles might have been caught looking ahead to the Spurs, who have won the first two meetings this season against the Clippers.
Phoenix at Golden State 10:30 PM ET
The Golden State Warriors look to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season when they host the Phoenix Suns on Saturday. Golden State was outplayed by the Utah Jazz on Friday and fell 110-100 to lose a second straight game for the third time this season. Phoenix went 6-2 on a franchise-record eight-game homestand and completed it with a 99-93 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday.