Preview Roundups
January 21, 2019
Oklahoma City at New York 12:30 PM ET
The Oklahoma City Thunder seemingly snapped out of a funk with a dramatic victory at Philadelphia on Saturday and will try to make it two straight on the road when they visit the New York Knicks on Monday for the traditional Martin Luther King Day matinee at Madison Square Garden. Paul George's four-point play with 5.1 seconds left lifted the Thunder past the 76ers 117-115, a big boost for a Western Conference contender that had dropped five of its previous six.
Chicago at Cleveland 1:00 PM ET
The Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers are sitting in 14th and 15th in the Eastern Conference, respectively, and both look like teams destined to be fighting for spots in the NBA draft lottery. The Bulls will try to avoid an 11th consecutive setback when they visit the Cavaliers on Monday.
Detroit at Washington 2:00 PM ET
The Washington Wizards are slowly pulling themselves out of a funk that lasted nearly the entire first half of the season, winning six of their last nine games as they return to this side of the Atlantic Ocean. The Wizards will try to make it seven of 10 when they host the Detroit Pistons on Monday.
Dallas at Milwaukee 2:00 PM ET
The Milwaukee Bucks remain the team with the fewest losses in the NBA and don't show any signs of tacking another on the record with wins in four straight and 15 of the last 18. The Bucks will try to push their latest streak to five in a row when they open a two-game homestand by hosting the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.
Orlando at Atlanta 3:00 PM ET
The Orlando Magic won their first after New Year’s Day but it has been mostly downhill since, losing seven times in nine games entering Monday’s matinee at the Atlanta Hawks. Orlando lost its third in a row Saturday in a 118-108 home defeat to Milwaukee, allowing the Bucks to build a 16-point third-quarter advantage and hit 55.3 percent of their shots from the field overall, drawing harsh criticism from coach Steve Clifford.
Sacramento at Brooklyn 3:30 PM ET
The Brooklyn Nets have a winning record for the first time since early last season and look to continue their latest surge when they open a three-game homestand against the Sacramento Kings on Monday. Behind a career high-tying 40 points and seven assists from D'Angelo Russell, the Nets capped an impressive 2-0 road trip and won their third in a row overall with a comeback 117-115 triumph at Orlando on Friday.
New Orleans at Memphis 5:30 PM ET
The New Orleans Pelicans have been struggling for road wins all season and must finish another difficult trip without superstar forward Anthony Davis in the lineup. Davis is expected to miss at least a week with a finger injury, leaving him on the sidelines when the Pelicans cap the five-game trip at the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.
Miami at Boston 6:00 PM ET
The Boston Celtics are on a roller coaster of extremes of late, and the ride is currently on the way back up. The mercurial Celtics will try to record their second four-game winning streak this month - sandwiched around a three-game slide - when they begin a five-game homestand against the Miami Heat on Monday.
Houston at Philadelphia 8:00 PM ET
Reigning NBA MVP James Harden looks to extend his remarkable streak of scoring at least 30 points in a game to 20 straight when his Houston Rockets visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night. Harden is averaging 54.3 points over the last three contests, including 48 as the Rockets rallied from 18 points down in the second half Saturday to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 138-134 in overtime.
Portland at Utah 9:00 PM ET
The Utah Jazz look to put together a better 48-minute effort as they attempt to extend their season-high winning streak to seven games Monday night when the Portland Trail Blazers pay a visit. The Jazz have allowed 98.7 points per game during their winning streak, but gave up 39 in the fourth quarter of Friday’s 115-99 victory over Cleveland to set off some complacency alarms.
Golden State at L.A. Lakers 10:30 PM ET
The last time the Los Angeles Lakers played the Golden State Warriors they won the game but lost LeBron James indefinitely. James is nearing a return but won't be in the lineup on Monday, when the Lakers host a Warriors team that is thriving with wins in seven straight and just unveiled a starting lineup featuring five All-Stars.