Preview Roundups
November 19, 2014
San Antonio at Cleveland 7:00 PM ET
LeBron James gets a shot at the team that ended his tenure in Miami on a sour note when he and the Cleveland Cavaliers host the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. The Spurs won an NBA title at the expense of a James-led team for the second time last season, and they visit Cleveland looking like a contender to get back to the finals. Each team has won four of its last five after starting the season slowly.
Charlotte at Indiana 7:00 PM ET
Charlotte Hornets’ guard Lance Stephenson will face his former team for the first time and he won’t recognize many of the players on the floor. The injury-ravaged Indiana Pacers host Stephenson and the Hornets on Wednesday night, looking for their fourth victory in five games with a makeshift lineup. Stephenson is averaging 9.5 points and 9.2 rebounds after signing as a free agent with Charlotte, which has its own injury problems while dropping four of its last five contests.
L.A. Clippers at Orlando 7:00 PM ET
The Los Angeles Clippers are battling through some inconsistency in the early going, both game to game and within each contest. The Clippers will try to solve some of those problems when they open a seven-game road trip at the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Los Angeles has not won back-to-back games since the first two and is coming off a 105-89 loss at home to the Chicago Bulls in a game the Clippers led by 14 points in the first half.
Boston at Philadelphia 7:00 PM ET
The Philadelphia 76ers once again take aim at notching their first victory of the season when they host the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. Philadelphia lost 100-75 to San Antonio Spurs on Monday for its 10th straight loss, moving closer towards the dubious franchise-record start of 0-15 set by the 1972-73 squad. The 76ers will receive some opportunities to land a win as six of their next seven games are at home.
Dallas at Washington 7:00 PM ET
The Washington Wizards will try to continue their best start in 40 years when they host the similarly hot Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night. The Wizards, known as the Washington Bullets in 1974-75, began that season 7-0 and 11-2 before the K.C. Jones-coached team was eventually swept by the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. The Mavericks have won four straight and come in leading the NBA in scoring (109.3) and point differential (+11.1).
Milwaukee at Brooklyn 7:30 PM ET
The Brooklyn Nets are struggling and former coach Jason Kidd returns to town on Wednesday with his Milwaukee Bucks playing well and possessing more victories than his former team. Kidd had a messy departure after one season as Brooklyn’s coach and is now trying to mold a young Milwaukee squad into a unit with potential. The Bucks are 6-5 after notching a 117-113 victory over the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
Phoenix at Detroit 7:30 PM ET
While the Detroit Pistons appear to be wasting a stockpile of talent, the Phoenix Suns continue to make the most of theirs. The Suns have continued what they started as last season's surprise team in the NBA, and they aim for a second straight victory when they travel to Detroit to face the struggling Pistons on Wednesday. The Suns have split the first two contests on their six-game road trip while Detroit has lost two straight and five of its last six.
Memphis at Toronto 7:30 PM ET
The Memphis Grizzlies look to win their NBA-leading 11th game when they hit the road to face the Toronto Raptors in a battle of division leaders Wednesday. The Grizzlies have reeled off four straight victories — including a 119-93 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday — to take sole possession of first place in the Southwest Division. Memphis is off to its best start in franchise history and hopes to keep the momentum going by avenging two double-digit defeats to the Raptors last season.
New York at Minnesota 8:00 PM ET
Minnesota hopes that a few days off, a return home and a visit from woeful New York on Wednesday allows it to snap out of a miserable funk. The Timberwolves have dropped five straight games by an average of 18.6 points, allowing 270 points in a back-to-back at New Orleans and Dallas late last week. To make matters worse, starting center Nikola Pekovic will miss at least three games with a sprained wrist.
Oklahoma City at Denver 9:00 PM ET
The last time Denver was at home, the fans booed and head coach Brian Shaw expressed his displeasure with the team through a terse session with the media. A solid 2-1 road trip has slightly altered the outlook, giving the Nuggets a better vibe entering Wednesday's contest at home against reeling Oklahoma City. The trip was capped by an impressive 106-97 victory at Cleveland, as Ty Lawson had 24 points and 12 assists to lead the way.
L.A. Lakers at Houston 9:30 PM ET
The Los Angeles Lakers finally found the secret formula to winning, and Kobe Bryant taking fewer shots was one of the keys. The Lakers will attempt to earn back-to-back wins for the first time this season when they visit the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. Bryant, who hoisted up 34 shots in 31 minutes during a loss to Golden State on Sunday, shot better than 50 percent from the field for the first time this season in a 114-109 win over Atlanta on Tuesday.