Preview Roundups
March 25, 2015
Brooklyn at Charlotte 7:00 PM ET
Teams on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture who are in need of a win meet Wednesday when the Brooklyn Nets visit the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets sit one-half game back of Boston for the eighth spot while the Nets are 1 1/2 games behind with Indiana in between just one game back. Brooklyn does have a favorable schedule with nine of the final 13 games at home, but the Nets are 12-20 at the Barclays Center and the only team in the NBA with more road wins (17) than home.
L.A. Clippers at New York 7:00 PM ET
The Los Angeles Clippers are battling for playoff position in the Western Conference as they look to defeat the host New York Knicks for the sixth consecutive time. Los Angeles has its sights on catching the third-place Houston Rockets so it can land homecourt advantage for the first round of the playoffs. The Knicks have lost four straight games as they continue to play out a horrible season under first-year coach Derek Fisher.
Atlanta at Orlando 7:00 PM ET
The Atlanta Hawks should be focused and determined on the defensive end when they attempt to end a three-game losing streak at the struggling Orlando Magic on Wednesday. The Hawks, who lead the Eastern Conference by eight games, allowed an average of 117 points – almost 20 above their overall mark -- to lose three straight for the first time this season. Orlando will also look to tighten up defensively after giving up 119 to Denver on Sunday while losing for the seventh time in eight games.
Indiana at Washington 7:00 PM ET
As Washington backs toward a playoff berth, Indiana is in danger of fading out of the picture. The Wizards, who have won five in a row at home, lost the last three games of a four-game trip to fall to 9-16 since Jan. 28, but are close to earning their second straight playoff berth and would need to collapse to fall out of the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference. Washington was outscored by an average of 23.3 points in the three straight losses, capped by a 107-76 loss at Golden State on Monday.
Chicago at Toronto 7:00 PM ET
The Chicago Bulls look to beat the Toronto Raptors for the second time in less than a week in a crucial Eastern Conference clash Wednesday. The Bulls have won three out of their last four, including a 98-86 victory over the Charlotte Hornets, to pull ahead of the Raptors by a half-game in the race for the third seed. Chicago has beaten Toronto in three consecutive meetings at Air Canada Centre and hopes to continue its recent dominance in the series by winning its fifth straight overall.
Miami at Boston 7:30 PM ET
If Miami winds up missing the playoffs, it may point to Tuesday in Milwaukee as a big reason why. The Heat look to recover from a painful loss to the Bucks when they visit Boston on Wednesday in a game that puts the back end of the Eastern Conference playoff race on center stage. Looking to inch closer to sixth-place Milwaukee, Miami blew a 16-point fourth-quarter lead before falling on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by the Bucks, dropping to 0-2 on its current four-game road trip.
Cleveland at Memphis 8:00 PM ET
The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking more and more like an NBA title contender with each passing week. The Cavaliers will try to prove their standing once again when they visit the fellow title-hopefuls the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. Cleveland, like Memphis, is comfortably in second place in its conference but is the hottest team in the East with a 27-6 mark in the last 33 games and just kicked off its road trip with a 108-90 thrashing of Milwaukee.
L.A. Lakers at Minnesota 8:00 PM ET
Two of the worst teams in the NBA clash on Wednesday when the Minnesota Timberwolves host the Los Angeles Lakers. Minnesota has been hit hard by injures and had only seven players see action in Monday’s 106-104 overtime victory over the Utah Jazz. Los Angeles has lost 10 of its last 11 games, and Tuesday’s 127-117 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder stretched the club’s road woes to 16 defeats in the last 17 contests.
Houston at New Orleans 8:00 PM ET
The undermanned New Orleans Pelicans have managed to stay in the thick of the race for the eighth playoff spot in the West until slumping the past week. The Pelicans will try to mount a last-ditch effort to catch Oklahoma City and snap a three-game skid when the Houston Rockets visit Wednesday. Despite a wrath of injuries, the Pelicans won nine of 11 to pull neck-and-neck with the Thunder, but the latest injuries to Omer Asik and Tyreke Evans have further crippled the withering club.
Philadelphia at Denver 9:00 PM ET
The Denver Nuggets will be looking to post their fourth straight home victory when they host the Philadelphia 76ers in a clash of styles on Wednesday. The Nuggets snapped a three-game slide by closing out their road trip with a 119-100 win in Orlando on Sunday and have been trying to get out in transition and push the tempo under interim coach Melvin Hunt. The 76ers rank last in the NBA in scoring average and had trouble in the second half Tuesday.
Portland at Utah 9:00 PM ET
The Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz could be missing some key pieces when they meet Wednesday in Salt Lake City. Utah leading scorer Gordon Hayward is expected to miss his second straight game with a shoulder injury and starting guard Rodney Hood also is listed as doubtful with an illness. The Trail Blazers played without leading scorer and rebounder LaMarcus Aldridge (hand) and starting small forward Nicolas Batum (back) in their loss Tuesday against the visiting Golden State Warriors.
Oklahoma City at San Antonio 9:30 PM ET
The Oklahoma City Thunder have won four consecutive games and look to further their hold on eighth place in the Western Conference when they visit the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. Oklahoma City has a three-game lead over the Phoenix Suns for the final playoff spot in the West, and the New Orleans Pelicans are another half-game behind. San Antonio is in a virtual tie for sixth place in the West with Dallas after losing to the Mavericks on Tuesday.
Sacramento at Phoenix 10:00 PM ET
The Phoenix Suns still are hanging onto some hope of catching the Oklahoma City Thunder for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference, though they could use some help. The Suns will try to take care of things on their end when they host the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. Phoenix needs the Thunder to lose every once in a while, but Oklahoma City cruised past Los Angeles on Tuesday night to win its fourth straight and spread the gap out to three games.