Preview Roundups
November 04, 2014
Milwaukee at Indiana 7:00 PM ET
The Milwaukee Bucks aim to end a 16-game road losing streak when they travel to face the short-handed Indiana Pacers on Tuesday. The Bucks, who haven't won away from home since Feb. 27, also look to snap a six-game skid against Indiana. The team they'll face is a shell of the squad that swept four meetings last season with stars Paul George and David West sidelined along with key contributors George Hill and C.J. Watson.
Houston at Miami 7:30 PM ET
The Miami Heat look to win their fourth game in a row when they host the Houston Rockets in a battle of the unbeatens Tuesday. The Heat took care of business against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday to remain the only undefeated team in the Eastern Conference. "We're three games into this, so it could quickly go the other way if guys start to feel comfortable," coach Erik Spoelstra warned. "It's the power of working together that will make us more successful."
Washington at New York 7:30 PM ET
As Carmelo Anthony goes, so often go the New York Knicks, a pattern playing out in a big way early in the season. Anthony and the Knicks look to ride his recent surge and win their third straight game when they host the Washington Wizards on Tuesday. After scoring 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting in a dismal 104-80 loss to Chicago in the season opener, Anthony has averaged 26.5 points on 53.8 percent shooting in back-to-back victories over Cleveland and Charlotte.
Oklahoma City at Toronto 7:30 PM ET
Oklahoma City’s last visit to Toronto would be hard to match under any circumstance but becomes even harder with reigning MVP Kevin Durant sidelined with a foot injury. The Thunder visit the Raptors on Tuesday and shorthanded Oklahoma City is just a shell of itself with point guard Russell Westbrook (hand) also hurt. The Thunder beat Toronto 119-118 in double-overtime last March as Durant hit a decisive 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left to cap a 51-point performance.
Orlando at Chicago 8:00 PM ET
The injury-hampered Chicago Bulls have managed two wins in their first three outings and look to take care of business when the winless Orlando Magic visit Tuesday. All-Star guard Derrick Rose and forward Taj Gibson practiced Monday and expect to return for the Bulls after both missed the 106-105 victory at Minnesota on Saturday with ankle injuries. Orlando is without injured guard Victor Oladipo a few more weeks, but center Nikola Vucevic is off to a strong start with three double-doubles.
Charlotte at New Orleans 8:00 PM ET
The former Hornets take on the current Hornets when Charlotte visits New Orleans on Tuesday. The original Charlotte Hornets took their nickname to New Orleans when the team moved in 2002 but finally found a more area-appropriate nickname last season, opening up the “Hornets” nickname to go back to its original city. Both teams feature exciting young rosters, but Charlotte is coming off back-to-back losses after narrowly squeezing out a win in the season opener.
Cleveland at Portland 10:00 PM ET
The Cleveland Cavaliers looked far more comfortable on the road in gaining their first win and have three games left on the trip to further solidify their level of trust in each other. LeBron James and company will look for a second straight win when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday. The Trail Blazers won their opener but have since dropped two straight while being held under 95 points in each setback.
Phoenix at L.A. Lakers 10:30 PM ET
The Los Angeles Lakers are the lone remaining winless team in the Western Conference as they host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. The Lakers are off to their worst start – 0-4 – since moving to Los Angeles in 1960 and are just three losses away from the franchise’s all-time worst start (0-7 in Minneapolis in 1957-58). “Just stay the course,” guard Kobe Bryant told reporters. “We still have a lot of room for improvement, but we’re moving in the right direction.”