Preview Roundups
December 26, 2014
Brooklyn at Boston 1:00 PM ET
Brooklyn seeks its first three-game winning streak of the season when it visits Boston for a day-after-Christmas matinee. The Nets have won two in a row five times in 2014-15, gaining their latest two-game run with a 102-96 victory over Denver at home on Tuesday. Joe Johnson had 27 points, Mason Plumlee added 19 and 13 rebounds and Jarrett Jack finished with 17 points in his second straight start in place of Deron Williams, who has been hampered by a calf injury.
Cleveland at Orlando 7:00 PM ET
The Cleveland Cavaliers spent the week getting their emotions up for reunion games against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat. The Cavaliers will try to get back to the business of just playing basketball when they visit the Orlando Magic on Friday. Kevin Love had some success as Cleveland topped the Timberwolves on Tuesday but the team could not help LeBron James in his return to Miami.
Milwaukee at Atlanta 7:30 PM ET
The NBA's hottest team hopes to avoid a holiday hangover when the Atlanta Hawks host the Milwaukee Bucks in the first game of a home-and-home set Friday. The Hawks have won 14 of their last 15 games to pull within a half-game of Toronto for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks sit sixth in the East but have lost three of four since losing rookie Jabari Parker for the season because of a torn ACL.
Indiana at Detroit 7:30 PM ET
The Indiana Pacers are beginning to turn things around after a demoralizing eight-game losing streak and look to continue the progress when they visit the struggling Detroit Pistons on Friday. The Pacers have won two straight contests and three of five since their slump while welcoming back point guard George Hill from the injured list in the 96-84 victory over New Orleans on Tuesday. Detroit has dropped four straight and plays its first game since waiving second-leading scorer Josh Smith.
Houston at Memphis 8:00 PM ET
Coming off arguably the best performance of his career, James Harden returns to the site where he had his worst outing of the season when the Houston Rockets visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. Harden had 44 points, seven assists and five steals, reaching those gaudy numbers for the second time in his career, in Monday's 110-95 rout of Portland. However, he'll have his sights set on Memphis, which held the bearded lefthander to a season-low six points on 1-of-8 shooting in a rout Nov. 17.
San Antonio at New Orleans 8:00 PM ET
The New Orleans Pelicans posted one of the biggest upsets of the early season when they beat the San Antonio Spurs last month and they’ll try for a repeat performance when they host the Spurs on Friday night. New Orleans forward Anthony Davis made a game-winning layup with 6.6 seconds left in the 100-99 victory Nov. 8, and he’s been hot lately, hitting the 30-point mark in three of the last five games. Davis learned Thursday he's one of four frontrunners in early the All Star ballot voting.
Charlotte at Oklahoma City 8:00 PM ET
With the reigning MVP sidelined, Russell Westbrook has taken it upon himself to keep the Oklahoma City Thunder afloat in the crowded Western Conference race. Westbrook and the Thunder will have to get by without Kevin Durant again Friday when they host the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets have won a season-best four straight games but have dropped seven straight in the series and six in a row at Oklahoma City.
L.A. Lakers at Dallas 8:30 PM ET
The Rajon Rondo era in Dallas is off to a shaky start with just one win over an undermanned San Antonio Spurs team in three games thus far. Rondo and the rest of his teammates will try and snap a two-game skid when the weary Los Angeles Lakers visit Friday. Dallas, the highest-scoring team in the league, was outgunned by Phoenix 124-115 on Tuesday despite 22 points and 14 rebounds by Tyson Chandler.
Minnesota at Denver 9:00 PM ET
The Denver Nuggets are suddenly having trouble scoring points and are hoping a return home can end their latest slide. The Nuggets will be trying to avoid a third straight loss when they host the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. The Timberwolves have dropped six in a row and are just the team to help Denver out of its offensive slump due to a defense that is still coming together.
Philadelphia at Portland 10:00 PM ET
Damian Lillard is becoming an end-of-game legend in a very short time. Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers will try to avoid finding themselves in a hole late in the game when they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. Lillard scored 18 of his 40 points in the final 3:44 of regulation and overtime in a 115-111 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, including a tying 3-pointer with three seconds left in regulation.
Phoenix at Sacramento 10:00 PM ET
The Phoenix Suns will try to extend their winning streak to a season-long five games when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Friday. Suns guard Eric Bledsoe should be feeling good after producing his second career triple-double in Tuesday’s win against the Dallas Mavericks. Sacramento has lost six of its last seven coming in and, even with last week’s return of leading scorer and rebounder DeMarcus Cousins from 10-game absence due to illness, the Kings don’t look like the team that started 5-1.