October 26th NBA Game Previews

The Miami Heat takes on the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on Saturday afternoon.

The Heat (1-0) were considerably short-handed to open the season against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night, as they were missing both Jimmy Butler (personal) and Dion Waiters (suspension) from their projected starting five. However, they still went on to notch a dominant 120-101 victory. Justise Winslow led the Heat with 27 points, complementing them with seven rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one block. Kris Nunn provided 24 points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals. Goran Dragic came off the bench to pitch in 19 points, three rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal. Rookie Tyler Herro poured in 14 points and added eight rebounds, one assist and two steals. Bam Adebayo matched Herro's scoring and added 11 rebounds, three assists and one steal.

The Heat will continue to be without Butler on Saturday, while Waiters will also remain out despite having served his one-game suspension. James Johnson (conditioning) will also miss the contest.

The Bucks (1-0) put their championship pedigree on display in their season opener Thursday night, as they came back from a 16-point halftime deficit to notch a 117-111 road win over the Houston Rockets. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with a 30-point, 13-rebound, 11-assist triple-double that also included one steal and one block. Wesley Matthews posted 14 points and four rebounds, while Ersan Ilyasova paced the second unit with a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double. Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe and Brook Lopez had matching 11-point tallies.

The Bucks will come into Saturday's game without any injuries to report.

The Bucks won the four-game 2018-19 series between the teams by a 3-1 margin, holding Miami to under 100 points in all four contests.

The Philadelphia 76ers take on the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday night.

The 76ers (1-0) got a season of high expectations off to a fitting start, as they defeated the Boston Celtics by a 107-93 score on Wednesday night. Ben Simmons led Philadelphia with 24 points, adding nine assists and eight rebounds. Josh Richardson supplied 17 points, six rebounds and two assists. Al Horford posted 16 points, three assists and two rebounds. Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris turned in matching 15-point tallies while also hauling in 13 and 15 rebounds, respectively.

The 76ers will list Embiid (ankle) as questionable for Saturday's game, while Mike Scott carries the same designation due to the same injury.

The Pistons (1-1) were unable to follow up an impressive season-opening road upset of the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, as they dropped a 117-100 decision to the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night. Derrick Rose took over for an injured Reggie Jackson (back) after the latter left the game and led the way with 27 points off the bench. Andre Drummond led the starting five with a 21-point, 12-rebound double-double. Luke Kennard was Detroit's only other double-digit scorer, posting 13 points and complementing them with four rebounds, three assists and one steal.

The Pistons will continue to be without Blake Griffin (knee) on Saturday, while Jackson (back) and Markieff Morris (back) will be questionable and probable, respectively.

The 76ers won the four-game 2018-19 season series between the teams by a 3-1 margin, with the Pistons' sole victory a one-point overtime win.

The Orlando Magic take on the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on Saturday night.

The Magic (1-0) got their season started off on the right foot Wednesday night, as they toppled the Cleveland Cavaliers by a 94-85 score. Nikola Vucevic led the way for Orlando with 21 points, adding 10 rebounds, three assists and one steal. Evan Fournier supplied 16 points, four assists and three rebounds. Markelle Fultz led the second unit with 12 points, complementing them with six assists and two steals. Terrence Ross furnished 10 points, four rebounds and two steals.

The Magic will come into Saturday's game without any injuries to report.

The Hawks (1-0) had little trouble disposing of the Detroit Pistons in Atlanta's season opener Thursday, as they notched a 117-100 win. Trae Young led the way with 38 points while also dishing out nine assists and seven rebounds. John Collins and Jabari Parker followed with matching 18-point tallies, with Collins also pulling down 10 rebounds. Rookie De'Andre Hunter impressed with 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting.

The Hawks will be without Allen Crabbe (knee) and Chandler Parsons (knees) on Saturday.

The Magic swept the 2018-19 four-game season series between the teams.

The New York Knicks play host to the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden on Saturday evening.

This marks the second night of a back-to-back for the Knicks (0-2), as they are coming off a tough loss in Brooklyn on Friday. The Knicks played hard on Friday and even held a three-point lead with 1:15 left in the contest, however the game slipped away as they went cold in the final minute. Alonzo Trier was the high-point man for the Knicks on Friday, with 22 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-4 from deep, in 23 minutes off the bench. Kevin Knox II tallied 16 points and shot 4-of-4 from long range on Friday. Knox also hit 3-of-4 from downtown in the first game of the season and has shown that he can be a legitimate threat from outside. The Knicks hit 17-of-25 from long range on Friday, which is a great sign for them as they build. R.J. Barrett also looked good again, as he finished with 16 points in his second NBA contest. Mitchell Robinson (ankle) played 17 minutes on Friday after missing the first game of the season. He is expected to be in action again on Saturday

Meanwhile, the Celtics (1-1) are coming off an impressive win over the Raptors in Boston on Friday, where they outscored the visitors by 12 in the final frame to walk away with their first win of the season. After a tough loss in Philly to start the season, the Celtics took care of business when they returned home for their second game. They scored 26 points off 23 turnovers and only gave up nine turnovers themselves. The Celtics also tallied 21 second-chance points and allowed only two against. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum tallied 25 points each, while Kemba Walker added 22 and Gordon Hayward chipped in 15, as the Celtics were firing on all cylinders. After scoring only 93 points in their first game, it was a good sign for Boston that the Celtics were able to amass 112 against the Raptors. The Celtics have a chance to even up their road record as they head into New York on Saturday.

The Chicago Bulls play host to the Toronto Raptors, at United Center on Saturday evening.

The Raptors (1-1) are coming off a tough road loss on Friday night, as they fell short in Boston after leading by six heading into the final quarter. The Raptors were outscored 12 in the final frame as they could not match the intensity of the Celtics at either end of the floor down the stretch. Despite the loss, the Raptors saw another stellar performance from Pascal Siakam as he tallied 33 points, eight rebounds and two assists, in 36 minutes. Kyle Lowry also had an impressive evening with 29 points on 6-of-10 shooting from long range. The Raptors will need more than just those two in order to win games, as they has only one other player score in double figures on Friday night. The Raptors need to look to tighten up their defense, as they allowed 122 points against in their first game and then 112 points against on Friday. The Raptors will be looking for their first road win of the season as they enter Chicago on Saturday.

Meanwhile, this also marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Bulls (1-1), as they are coming off an impressive win in Memphis on Friday night. After trailing by 13 at halftime, the Bulls burst out of the gates in the second half and outscored the hosts 63-42 the rest of the way to secure their first win of the season. Zach LaVine went off for 37 points on 13-of-23 shooting to lead the Bulls, while Coby White added 25 points, which is a new career high in his very young career. Lauri Markkanen who was huge in the first game of the season was quiet on Friday, but still hauled in 11 rebounds to go along with nine points. The Bulls have the benefit of being at home on Saturday and will be looking for their second straight win and first win at home.

The Cleveland Cavaliers play host to the Indiana Pacers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Saturday.

The Pacers (0-1) had a really disappointing performance in their opener, taking a home defeat at the hands of the Detroit Pistons. That's a team the Pacers are expected to handle and it's discouraging that they allowed Andre Drummond and Derrick Rose to have such big games against them. This is a club that ranked Top-5 defensively last season and 119 points allowed to the Pistons is unacceptable. With that said, Indiana did get some sparkling performances of their own. Both Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis had stellar showings with both guys starting and they've truly developed into one of the most dangerous frontcourts in the NBA.

The Cavaliers (0-1) owned one of the worst offenses in the NBA last season and 85 points in the opener is not a good sign. That came in a 94-85 defeat at the hands of the Orlando Magic but it wasn't all bad. Kevin Love made his long-awaited return from injury and provided 11 points and 18 rebounds in that defeat. Anytime you get a double-double from three guys (Love, Larry Nance, and Tristan Thompson), you should do better but shooting 37 percent from the field and 27 percent from three-point range simply won't get it done. What's fascinating about this club is the young talent though, with Darius Garland and Collin Sexton both starting. They also decided to give Cedi Osman a contract extension yesterday and they finally have some young pieces to build around. Look for that to be an issue all year, especially against tough defenses like the Pacers.

Indiana has dominated this series over the last two years, winning six of their last eight games over Cleveland.

The Houston Rockets play host to the New Orleans Pelicans, at Toyota Center on Saturday evening.

The Rockets (0-1) are coming off a tough loss in their first game of the season, as they fell short at home against the Bucks. They led 66-50 at halftime, but the Bucks cut the deficit to nine by the start of the fourth. The Bucks then outscored the Rockets by 15 in the fourth quarter to run away with the game. James Harden had a very slow start to the game and finished with 19 points on 2-of-13 shooting, 14 assists and seven rebounds, while Russell Westbrook tallied 24 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists. Four other players scored in double digits for Houston, but still the Rockets came up short, as they shot just 37 percent from the field. The Rockets have a chance to even their home record on Saturday, but it will come at no easy cost as the Pelicans will be coming in hungry for a win.

The Pelicans (0-2) face the second night of a back-to-back as they are coming off a loss at home against the Mavericks on Friday, where they had five players score in double figures. Brandon Ingram led the way with 25 points in the loss. Both the Pelicans' first two games have come to similar endings, where they have been right there in high-scoring contests but have come up short in the end. Ingram has been the team's leading scorer in both games so far, while Josh Hart has stood out coming off the bench. Lonzo Ball has also put up numbers across the board, but had a tough night shooting on Friday, going 3-of-12 from long range. Jrue Holiday also had a poor shooting night Friday, going 2-of-11 from the field. Holiday has yet to have a signature performance, but has dished a total of 14 assists over two games.

The San Antonio Spurs play host to the Washington Wizards at AT&T Center on Saturday.

The Wizards (1-1) had a promising showing in the opener when they turned a Dallas Mavericks blowout into a narrow defeat and that surely carried over in their second game. Washington went into Oklahoma City and handed the Thunder a 97-85 defeat on Friday. That's one of the best defensive performances this team has had in two years, holding OKC to just 39 percent from the field and 22 percent from long range while forcing 18 turnovers. That's all about the revamped roster and these young players should be much better on that end of the floor. Thomas Bryant has surely developed into one of the team's best players, collecting 21 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in that win. Look for Bryant and Bradley Beal to run the show while John Wall continues to rehab his Achilles injury.

The Spurs (1-0) have to be thanking their lucky stars, playing host to the Washington Wizards and New York Knicks in their first two games. While that opener against New York was a win, it wasn't necessarily pretty. The Spurs allowed the Knicks to drop 111 points and it wasn't decided until a 37-27 fourth quarter. They also got a bad performance from DeMar DeRozan, who scored just 13 points on 3-of-10 from the field. The good news is that Dejounte Murray made his long-awaited return from surgery to provide 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a stellar performance. That paired beautifully with Bryn Forbes 20 points, as this is one of the most underrated backcourts in the NBA. That doesn't even take into consideration their leading scorer, LaMarcus Aldridge, who could be in for another All-Star season.

Not only did San Antonio sweep the season series last year, they've also won 23 of their last 26 games over Washington dating all the way back to 2005.

The Utah Jazz play host to the Sacramento Kings at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Saturday.

The Kings (0-2) were a surprise team last season but they've regressed so far this year. A 29-point home loss in the opener to the Phoenix Suns is obviously a distressing sign but they followed that up with another double-digit defeat to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday. Allowing at least 120 points in both games is really discouraging but committing 44 combined turnovers in those games is equally as disturbing. These young pieces have a lot of thinking to do and things will only get tougher with Marvin Bagley out for the next 4-6 weeks due to a hand fracture. It's time for De'Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield to take over and get this team out of this slump.

The Jazz (1-1) have been far from impressive in their first two games. A 100-95 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder wasn't quite what fans were looking for in the opener and it was followed up by a 95-86 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. The offense has really struggled to find its way early on and that's a really unfortunate sign after slumping on that end of the floor last season. Mike Conley was supposed to come in and fix all of that but he's been struggling worse than anyone. In fact, the star point guard is just 4-of-27 from the field in his first two games combined but better days are surely ahead for both Conley and the Jazz.

Utah has dominated this series over recent years, winning eight of their last nine games over the Kings.

The Phoenix Suns play host to the Los Angeles Clippers at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Saturday.

The Clippers (2-0) were the talk of the NBA in the offseason when they acquired Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Adding those guys is one thing but the performance of the Clippers on the court has been absolutely pristine early on. A 112-102 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night was impressive but the 141-122 beatdown against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday put the league on notice. This team is truly scary and they're doing this damage with Paul George nursing a shoulder injury. It's scary to think how good they can be with Kawhi Leonard and George at full force, with the former Toronto Finals MVP continuing that form in the early going. The underrated aspect of this team is their bench though, with Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell forming the best bench duo in the NBA, regularly finishing games.

The Suns (1-1) have actually looked pretty good in their first two games. A dominating win over the Sacramento Kings is one thing but an overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets in game two is equally as satisfying. While it is a defeat, that was a stellar performance against one of the best teams in the NBA. If this team can continue to play at this sort of level all season long, they'll drive Western Conference foes crazy. What's really unfortunate is the fact that DeAndre Ayton got suspended on Thursday. The superstar big man will be out for the next 25 games barring an appeal and that's obviously a devastating loss. Look for Aron Baynes to start in his absence.

This has been a one-sided series, to say the least, with Los Angeles sweeping four straight season series over Phoenix. In fact, the Clippers have won 21 of their last 23 games over the Suns.