Preview Roundups
December 05, 2014
New York at Charlotte 7:00 PM ET
One team will snap a long losing streak Friday when the Charlotte Hornets host the New York Knicks in a matchup of sliding squads. The Hornets have dropped 10 straight dating to Nov. 14, while the Knicks lost their sixth straight Thursday, falling 90-87 to visiting Cleveland. New York has lost eight straight on the road since beating the Cavaliers in its first road trip of the season.
Denver at Washington 7:00 PM ET
The Washington Wizards look to finish a perfect four-game homestand and maintain their position near the top of the Eastern Conference when they host the Denver Nuggets on Friday. The Wizards routed Miami 107-86 and knocked off the Los Angeles Lakers 111-95 in their last two contests and stand a pair of games behind first-place Toronto in the East. Denver stands fifth in the league in scoring (105.2) and should present a difficult challenge after winning seven of its last nine contests.
L.A. Lakers at Boston 7:30 PM ET
Two storied franchises that have seen better days square off Friday when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Boston Celtics. The Celtics have won an NBA league-high 17 championships, the Lakers have captured 16 and the teams have met in the finals 11 times over the years. Tthere certainly won't be a playoff atmosphere in the building for this one, however, as both teams appear well on their way to a second consecutive losing season.
Atlanta at Brooklyn 7:30 PM ET
The Brooklyn Nets made a statement by holding off defending champion San Antonio on Wednesday and are enjoying a bit of a turnaround with three wins in the last four games. The Nets will try to make it four of five and three in a row when they host the surging Atlanta Hawks on Friday. The Hawks picked up their fourth straight win with a 112-102 road victory at Miami on Wednesday and have taken six of seven to climb up the standings in the Eastern Conference.
Cleveland at Toronto 7:30 PM ET
When Cleveland played Toronto in the second half of a back-to-back set last month it did not go well for the Cavaliers, who lost by 17 points at home to suffer their fourth straight defeat and prompt superstar LeBron James to call his team "fragile." A lot has changed since then and the same scenario sees Cleveland streaking into a rematch Friday at Toronto. Since that embarrassing setback on Nov. 22, the Cavaliers have won five in a row, including a gutty 90-87 triumph at New York on Thursday.
San Antonio at Memphis 8:00 PM ET
The Memphis Grizzlies gave up the top spot in the Western Conference with a loss at Houston on Wednesday and are concerned about the health of star center Marc Gasol. The Grizzlies hope to have Gasol (bone bruise) available when they host the defending champion San Antonio Spurs on Friday. The Spurs had an eight-game winning streak come to an end with a loss in overtime at Brooklyn on Wednesday.
Houston at Minnesota 8:00 PM ET
The Houston Rockets look to continue their winning ways when they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. The Rockets have won five of their last six - including a 105-96 victory over the Southwest Division-leading Memphis Grizzlies - to move within one game of sharing top spot with Dave Joerger's team. Houston hopes to string together its fourth winning streak of three games or more this season by beating the Timberwolves for the sixth time in the last seven meetings.
Phoenix at Dallas 8:30 PM ET
Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki will return to the lineup after missing a game to rest his back when the Mavericks host the Phoenix Suns on Friday. Nowitzki’s back flared up when he played 42 minutes in a double-overtime win against Chicago on Tuesday and he sat out against Milwaukee the following night. Phoenix is opening a three-game road trip and has been off since posting a 116-99 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.
Miami at Milwaukee 8:30 PM ET
Starting Friday when the Miami Heat pay a visit, the Milwaukee Bucks will have their mental toughness tested over the next few weeks. The Bucks will show coach Jason Kidd if they're capable of bouncing back after a heartbreaking 107-105 loss to Dallas on Monta Ellis' jumper at the buzzer. The loss was a season-high third straight, but the Bucks don't have time to lament because after the Heat, they play six of their next seven on the road with just one of those opponents playing under .500.
Orlando at Utah 9:00 PM ET
The Orlando Magic managed only four wins in 25 games without 7-0 center Nikola Vucevic in the lineup last season and nothing has changed in 2014-15. Vucevic has missed the last two contests with back spasms and is questionable as the Magic visit the Utah Jazz on Friday in a battle of teams hungry for something positive to happen. Orlando has dropped two straight without Vucevic and six of seven overall while the Jazz is mired in a seven-game losing streak – five of them at home.
Indiana at Sacramento 10:00 PM ET
Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins will miss his fourth straight game when the Kings host the Indiana Pacers on Friday. Cousins was hospitalized while fighting a viral infection and the team announced that the standout big man won’t return until sometime next week. The Pacers are 0-3 entering the finale of a four-game road trip after losing to Portland on Thursday as they continue to struggle without injured All-Star Paul George.