Preview Roundups
November 28, 2014
Chicago at Boston 1:00 PM ET
The Chicago Bulls might yet prove to be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, but they'll hardly resemble one when they face the Boston Celtics on Friday. The Bulls could be without three starters — Derrick Rose (hamstring), Joakim Noah (knee) and Taj Gibson (ankle) — when they continue their seven-game road trip. The Celtics could use a break, having lost five of their last six with the lone victory against winless Philadelphia.
Golden State at Charlotte 7:00 PM ET
When Stephen Curry gets on a roll from beyond the arc, the rest of the league is put on notice. Curry will try to keep up his torrid pace and lead the Golden State Warriors to an eighth straight win when they visit the stumbling Charlotte Hornets on Friday. Curry got off to an ugly start in the first stop of the five-game trip but snapped out of it by going 8-of-11 from 3-point range on Monday and followed that up with a 6-of-8 showing as the Warriors swept through Florida.
Milwaukee at Detroit 7:30 PM ET
There were times last season when it seemed as if Milwaukee would never even get to double digits in victories. The Bucks have a shot at reaching that 10th victory before December even begins when they visit Detroit for the second matchup in four days between the Central Division foes. After knocking off the Pistons 98-86 on Tuesday, Milwaukee utilized a strong finish by Brandon Knight en route to a 103-86 victory in Minnesota on Wednesday.
Dallas at Toronto 7:30 PM ET
With all the attention focused on the Cleveland Cavaliers and the talented teams in the Western Conference, it's been a well-kept secret that the Toronto Raptors are one of the best teams in the NBA. The Raptors look to make another quiet statement Friday with a seventh straight win when the Dallas Mavericks visit to begin a four-game road trip. Certainly plenty of points will be scored, as the Mavericks enter leading the NBA in scoring (109.3) while the Raptors are second (108.0).
New Orleans at Atlanta 7:30 PM ET
Expect plenty of action in the paint Friday in Atlanta, as the Hawks and the visiting New Orleans Pelicans look to get their dominant big men more involved at the offensive end. Atlanta looks to bounce back from a 126-115 loss to Toronto in which forward Paul Millsap failed to score in double figures for the first time this season. The Pelicans are coming off a 99-89 home loss to Sacramento in which star forward Anthony Davis matched season lows for points (14) and field-goal attempts (12).
L.A. Clippers at Houston 8:00 PM ET
Houston likely needs to press on shorthanded when it finishes a five-game homestand Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Rockets have won three straight despite missing several key players, including Dwight Howard (knee), Patrick Beverley (hamstring) and Terrence Jones (leg), who has already missed 10 games and has no timetable for a return. All three were absent again in a 102-89 win over Sacramento on Wednesday, as Houston rode 26 points by James Harden to improve to 6-2 at home.
New York at Oklahoma City 8:00 PM ET
The Oklahoma City Thunder are hoping to have point guard Russell Westbrook on the court when they host the New York Knicks on Friday. Westbrook will be evaluated to see if his hand injury has progressed enough for him to play as the Thunder hope to dig out of an early-season hole. The status of New York star Carmelo Anthony is also in doubt after he missed Wednesday’s overtime loss to the Dallas Mavericks with back spasms.
Orlando at Indiana 8:00 PM ET
The Orlando Magic appeared to be a team on the rise after winning four of six games in the middle of November, but have dropped three straight since – the last two in blowout fashion. Orlando looks to turn things around when it embarks on a six-game road trip, beginning against the Indiana Pacers on Friday. Indiana struggled to a 1-6 start without four of its starters from last season – three with injuries – but battled back with five wins in eight games to climb back into contention.
Sacramento at San Antonio 8:30 PM ET
The San Antonio Spurs look to win their sixth straight game when they host the Sacramento Kings. The Spurs have won eight out of their last nine games after opening up the season 2-3, but still trail the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets in the ultra-competitive Southwest Division. San Antonio is coming off a 106-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers and has held six of its last seven opponents to under 95 points as it hopes to beat the Kings for the fifth consecutive time at AT&T Center.
Phoenix at Denver 9:00 PM ET
The Denver Nuggets have made big strides over the past two weeks but still can’t manage to climb above .500. The Nuggets will try to get back to even when they host the Phoenix Suns in the back end of a home-and-home set on Friday. Denver was traveling to the second night of a back-to-back on Wednesday and ran out of steam in the second half as the Suns pulled out a 120-112 win behind Eric Bledsoe’s 21 points and 10 assists.
Memphis at Portland 10:00 PM ET
The Portland Trail Blazers attempt to win their 10th consecutive contest when they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. Portland continued its strong play by posting a 105-97 win over the Charlotte Hornets to improve to 7-0 against Eastern Conference foes. Now the Trail Blazers put their winning streak on the line against the powerful Grizzlies, who have won three straight games, have the top record in the West, and are tied with the Toronto Raptors for the best record in the NBA.
Minnesota at L.A. Lakers 10:30 PM ET
The two teams with the poorest records in the Western Conference will try to earn a rare win when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night. The biggest issue for Minnesota and Los Angeles has been their defense, as the Lakers came into Wednesday allowing a league-high 110.8 points a game, while the injury-plagued Timberwolves were a close second at 109.7. A bright spot of late for Los Angeles has been point guard Jeremy Lin.