Sixers Look To Build On League-Best Home Record
By Dan Bruno
The Philadelphia 76ers play host to the Los Angeles Clippers at Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday evening.
The 76ers (33-21) are 5-5 in their last 10 games but have won their last two in a row. This marks their third game of a four-game home stand, as they look to build on their league-best 24-2 home record. Joel Embiid leads the 76ers with 22.8 points, 12.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Ben Simmons has been playing great lately, averaging 21.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 2.6 steals, over the last 10 games. Tobias Harris is averaging 17.7 points, while shooting 40.0 percent from long range, over the last ten games. The Sixers averaging 108.6 points per game, but they are holding their opponents to an average of 106.3 points per game, which is fourth fewest in the league. They are averaging 26.1 assists per game and on the defensive end, they are averaging 8.3 steals per game.
Meanwhile, the Clippers (37-16) have won seven of their last 10 games and are coming off a win in Cleveland on Sunday. This marks the third game of a four-game road trip, where they have gone 1-1, as they look to add to their 15-11 road record. The Clippers average 48.2 rebounds per game, which is second most in the league. Patrick Beverley (groin) will remain out through Tuesday's action. The Clippers average 115.8 points per game, which is fourth most in the league, and they are holding their opponents to an average of 109.7 points per game. Kawhi Leonard leads the Clippers with 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. Paul George is averaging 22.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Lou Williams is averaging 16.6 points, 4.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds, over the last 10 games.
The 76ers (33-21) are 5-5 in their last 10 games but have won their last two in a row. This marks their third game of a four-game home stand, as they look to build on their league-best 24-2 home record. Joel Embiid leads the 76ers with 22.8 points, 12.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Ben Simmons has been playing great lately, averaging 21.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 2.6 steals, over the last 10 games. Tobias Harris is averaging 17.7 points, while shooting 40.0 percent from long range, over the last ten games. The Sixers averaging 108.6 points per game, but they are holding their opponents to an average of 106.3 points per game, which is fourth fewest in the league. They are averaging 26.1 assists per game and on the defensive end, they are averaging 8.3 steals per game.
Meanwhile, the Clippers (37-16) have won seven of their last 10 games and are coming off a win in Cleveland on Sunday. This marks the third game of a four-game road trip, where they have gone 1-1, as they look to add to their 15-11 road record. The Clippers average 48.2 rebounds per game, which is second most in the league. Patrick Beverley (groin) will remain out through Tuesday's action. The Clippers average 115.8 points per game, which is fourth most in the league, and they are holding their opponents to an average of 109.7 points per game. Kawhi Leonard leads the Clippers with 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. Paul George is averaging 22.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Lou Williams is averaging 16.6 points, 4.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds, over the last 10 games.
Bulls and Wizards Clash in Nation's Capital
The Chicago Bulls take on the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on Tuesday night.
The Bulls (19-35) are having a difficult season overall, and they'll come into Tuesday's contest with five straight losses in tow. Their most recent stumble came against the Philadelphia 76ers, which toppled them by a 118-111 score Sunday evening. Zach LaVine led the way with 32 points, adding eight assists, one rebound, three steals and one block. Luke Kornet followed with 25 points, while Cristiano Felicio provided 13 points and seven boards. Thaddeus Young and Tomas Satoransky followed with matching 10-point tallies, with Young also pulling down 10 rebounds and Satoransky dishing out seven assists.
The Bulls will list LaVine (knee/hip), Satoransky (ankle) and Daniel Gafford (ankle) as probable for Tuesday's game. Kris Dunn (knee), Denzel Valentine (hamstring), Otto Porter Jr. (foot), Lauri Markkanen (pelvis) and Wendell Carter (ankle) will remain out.
The Wizards (18-33) are also enduring their fair share of trials and tribulations this season, but they'll come into Tuesday's game with a respectable 3-2 mark over their last five games. Washington's most recent time on the court resulted in one of those two losses, however, as they dropped a 106-99 decision to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday evening. Bradley Beal paced the Wizards with 26 points, complementing them with four rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block. Moritz Wagner furnished 19 points, nine boards and two assists. Davis Bertans delivered 15 points, six rebounds, on e assist and one steal. Rui Hachimura generated a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included one assist.
The Wizards will continue with Thomas Bryant (foot) for Tuesday's contest.
Tuesday's game marks the third of four meetings between the teams this season. The Bulls own a 2-0 series lead, having notched 110-109 and 115-106 victories Dec. 18 and Jan. 15, respectively, the former an overtime win.
The Bulls (19-35) are having a difficult season overall, and they'll come into Tuesday's contest with five straight losses in tow. Their most recent stumble came against the Philadelphia 76ers, which toppled them by a 118-111 score Sunday evening. Zach LaVine led the way with 32 points, adding eight assists, one rebound, three steals and one block. Luke Kornet followed with 25 points, while Cristiano Felicio provided 13 points and seven boards. Thaddeus Young and Tomas Satoransky followed with matching 10-point tallies, with Young also pulling down 10 rebounds and Satoransky dishing out seven assists.
The Bulls will list LaVine (knee/hip), Satoransky (ankle) and Daniel Gafford (ankle) as probable for Tuesday's game. Kris Dunn (knee), Denzel Valentine (hamstring), Otto Porter Jr. (foot), Lauri Markkanen (pelvis) and Wendell Carter (ankle) will remain out.
The Wizards (18-33) are also enduring their fair share of trials and tribulations this season, but they'll come into Tuesday's game with a respectable 3-2 mark over their last five games. Washington's most recent time on the court resulted in one of those two losses, however, as they dropped a 106-99 decision to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday evening. Bradley Beal paced the Wizards with 26 points, complementing them with four rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block. Moritz Wagner furnished 19 points, nine boards and two assists. Davis Bertans delivered 15 points, six rebounds, on e assist and one steal. Rui Hachimura generated a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included one assist.
The Wizards will continue with Thomas Bryant (foot) for Tuesday's contest.
Tuesday's game marks the third of four meetings between the teams this season. The Bulls own a 2-0 series lead, having notched 110-109 and 115-106 victories Dec. 18 and Jan. 15, respectively, the former an overtime win.
Trail Blazers and Pelicans Face Off in Big Easy
The Portland Trail Blazers take on the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Arena on Tuesday night.
The Trail Blazers (25-29) continue to try to claw their way out of the early hole they dug for themselves this season, and they'll check into Tuesday's game with a 6-2 mark over their last eight games. Their most recent success came at the expense of the Miami Heat, which they bested by a 115-109 score Sunday night. Damian Lillard paced the Trail Blazers with 33 points, supplementing them with eight assists, four rebounds, one steal and one block. Gary Trent Jr. turned in 22 points, four boards and four steals. Trevor Ariza supplied 21 points, five assists, four rebounds, three steals and one block. Carmelo Anthony registered 15 points, six rebounds and two assists. C.J. McCollum poured in 13 points, while Hassan Whiteside generated an 11-point, 17-rebound double-double that also included four blocks and one steal.
The Trail Blazers will continue without Nassir Little (ankle), Jusuf Nurkic (leg), Mario Hezonja (ankle) and Zach Collins (shoulder) for Tuesday's game. Anfernee Simons (concussion) will be listed as probable.
The Pelicans (22-31) also come into the conference clash riding a wave of momentum, as they own a 5-2 mark over the last seven contests. Their most recent success came against the Indiana Pacers, which they toppled by a 124-117 score Saturday night. Jrue Holiday led the way with 31 points, adding 10 assists, six rebounds and three steals. JJ Redick followed with 23 points, four rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. Derrick Favors and Lonzo Ball posted matching 15-point contributions, with Favors adding 11 rebounds and Ball dishing out seven assists.
The Pelicans will list Brandon Ingram (ankle) as questionable for Tuesday's game, while Kenrich Williams (back) will remain out.
Tuesday's game marks the third of four meetings between the teams this season. The Pelicans hold a 2-0 series lead, having notched 115-104 and 102-94 wins Nov. 19 and Dec. 23, respectively.
The Trail Blazers (25-29) continue to try to claw their way out of the early hole they dug for themselves this season, and they'll check into Tuesday's game with a 6-2 mark over their last eight games. Their most recent success came at the expense of the Miami Heat, which they bested by a 115-109 score Sunday night. Damian Lillard paced the Trail Blazers with 33 points, supplementing them with eight assists, four rebounds, one steal and one block. Gary Trent Jr. turned in 22 points, four boards and four steals. Trevor Ariza supplied 21 points, five assists, four rebounds, three steals and one block. Carmelo Anthony registered 15 points, six rebounds and two assists. C.J. McCollum poured in 13 points, while Hassan Whiteside generated an 11-point, 17-rebound double-double that also included four blocks and one steal.
The Trail Blazers will continue without Nassir Little (ankle), Jusuf Nurkic (leg), Mario Hezonja (ankle) and Zach Collins (shoulder) for Tuesday's game. Anfernee Simons (concussion) will be listed as probable.
The Pelicans (22-31) also come into the conference clash riding a wave of momentum, as they own a 5-2 mark over the last seven contests. Their most recent success came against the Indiana Pacers, which they toppled by a 124-117 score Saturday night. Jrue Holiday led the way with 31 points, adding 10 assists, six rebounds and three steals. JJ Redick followed with 23 points, four rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. Derrick Favors and Lonzo Ball posted matching 15-point contributions, with Favors adding 11 rebounds and Ball dishing out seven assists.
The Pelicans will list Brandon Ingram (ankle) as questionable for Tuesday's game, while Kenrich Williams (back) will remain out.
Tuesday's game marks the third of four meetings between the teams this season. The Pelicans hold a 2-0 series lead, having notched 115-104 and 102-94 wins Nov. 19 and Dec. 23, respectively.
Thunder Host Spurs on Tuesday
The Oklahoma City Thunder play host to the San Antonio Spurs at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Tuesday.
The Spurs (22-31) are in the middle of their annual rodeo road trip and it couldn't have come at a worse time. This was a team who was battling for a playoff berth a few weeks ago but this nightmare of a schedule has put a huge damper on any of those hopes they once had. Since the beginning of January, the Spurs have had to play the Nuggets, Trail Blazers, Clippers, Bucks (2), Raptors (2), Celtics, Jazz, Lakers and Heat (2). That's 12 games that anyone would struggle with and it's amazing that they actually have an 8-11 record in that 19-game span with some easier competition mixed in. That means inferior competition and a lot of home games are right around the corner and Spurs fans are just hopeful that they can keep their heads above water until then.
The Thunder (32-21) suffered a narrow loss at the hands of the Boston Celtics in their most recent game but that's been their only blip on the radar in an otherwise impressive run. In fact, Oklahoma City won nine of their previous 10 games before that defeat, climbing up to the six-seed in the west. That forced their hands in terms of holding on to Danilo Gallinari and it's obviously a huge boost to have his 20 points in the lineup every night. The real key for this team is their dynamic backcourt though. Not only do they have borderline All-Stars like Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the starting lineup, they also have Dennis Schroder coming off the bench and vying for a Sixth Man of the Year award.
These teams have played twice this season, splitting those two meetings. Before Oklahoma City's most recent win, San Antonio won four of their previous five games over San Antonio
The Spurs (22-31) are in the middle of their annual rodeo road trip and it couldn't have come at a worse time. This was a team who was battling for a playoff berth a few weeks ago but this nightmare of a schedule has put a huge damper on any of those hopes they once had. Since the beginning of January, the Spurs have had to play the Nuggets, Trail Blazers, Clippers, Bucks (2), Raptors (2), Celtics, Jazz, Lakers and Heat (2). That's 12 games that anyone would struggle with and it's amazing that they actually have an 8-11 record in that 19-game span with some easier competition mixed in. That means inferior competition and a lot of home games are right around the corner and Spurs fans are just hopeful that they can keep their heads above water until then.
The Thunder (32-21) suffered a narrow loss at the hands of the Boston Celtics in their most recent game but that's been their only blip on the radar in an otherwise impressive run. In fact, Oklahoma City won nine of their previous 10 games before that defeat, climbing up to the six-seed in the west. That forced their hands in terms of holding on to Danilo Gallinari and it's obviously a huge boost to have his 20 points in the lineup every night. The real key for this team is their dynamic backcourt though. Not only do they have borderline All-Stars like Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the starting lineup, they also have Dennis Schroder coming off the bench and vying for a Sixth Man of the Year award.
These teams have played twice this season, splitting those two meetings. Before Oklahoma City's most recent win, San Antonio won four of their previous five games over San Antonio
Rockets Host Celtics on Tuesday
The Boston Celtics travel to Texas to face the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on Tuesday.
The Celtics (37-15) come into this matchup winning seven-straight and 10 of their last 11 games in total. The thing that's made them so special is their defense, allowing the second-fewest points in the NBA. That's no surprise when you look at the personel and it's becoming clear that this is the club that we saw in the 2018 season, rather than the disappointment from last year. The guy who's really broken out is Jayson Tatum, with the forward averaging 28.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists over his last five games played. If he can continue to do that with guys like Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward all performing, this club is in a great spot for the future.
The Rockets (33-20) suffered a devastating loss on Sunday, being beaten by the Utah Jazz at the buzzer. What makes it all the more frustrating is the fact that they seemingly hit a game-winner seconds before the prayer from Bojan Bogdanovic. Getting a win over the Jazz would have marked an impressive feat for a club who's playing small and it now makes them 1-2 since trading off Clint Capela. Their first win over the Los Angeles Lakers made them all the rage but following it up with a blowout loss against the Phoenix Suns stirs up some questions on just how it's going to work. In any case, it's all about Russell Westbrook and James Harden now, and those two are plenty capable of carrying the load.
Houston swept the season series over Boston last year and has won three-straight over them in total. In addition, the Rockets have won nine of their last 12 games over the Celtics dating back four years.
The Celtics (37-15) come into this matchup winning seven-straight and 10 of their last 11 games in total. The thing that's made them so special is their defense, allowing the second-fewest points in the NBA. That's no surprise when you look at the personel and it's becoming clear that this is the club that we saw in the 2018 season, rather than the disappointment from last year. The guy who's really broken out is Jayson Tatum, with the forward averaging 28.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists over his last five games played. If he can continue to do that with guys like Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward all performing, this club is in a great spot for the future.
The Rockets (33-20) suffered a devastating loss on Sunday, being beaten by the Utah Jazz at the buzzer. What makes it all the more frustrating is the fact that they seemingly hit a game-winner seconds before the prayer from Bojan Bogdanovic. Getting a win over the Jazz would have marked an impressive feat for a club who's playing small and it now makes them 1-2 since trading off Clint Capela. Their first win over the Los Angeles Lakers made them all the rage but following it up with a blowout loss against the Phoenix Suns stirs up some questions on just how it's going to work. In any case, it's all about Russell Westbrook and James Harden now, and those two are plenty capable of carrying the load.
Houston swept the season series over Boston last year and has won three-straight over them in total. In addition, the Rockets have won nine of their last 12 games over the Celtics dating back four years.