Wizards Meet Thunder in Interconference Clash
The Washington Wizards take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in an NBA seeding game in Orlando on Sunday afternoon.
The Wizards (24-45), who are playing without both Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans in the Orlando bubble, are unsurprisingly having a difficult time during their seeding games thus far. Washington has come up short in all five of their contests, with their most recent stumble coming against the New Orleans Pelicans by a 118-107 score on Friday night. Rui Hachimura led the Wizards with 23 points, six rebounds and two assists. Thomas Bryant supplied 22 points, eight boards, one assist, two steals and two blocks. Troy Brown, Jr. generated a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double that also included five assists and two steals. Ish Smith produced 18 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and four steals.
The Wizards will list Shabazz Napier (ankle) as probable for Sunday's game. Garrison Mathews remains away from Orlando.
The Thunder (42-26) have had a slightly different Orlando experience, although they're just 2-2 in the restarted seasons. Their most recent time on the court resulted in one of those losses, as OKC fell to the Memphis Grizzlies by a 121-92 score on Friday afternoon. Chris Paul led the way for the Thunder with 17 points, adding five rebounds, five assists and four steals. Luguentz Dortz followed with 16 points, three boards, two assists and one steal. Danilo Gallinari and Darius Bazley contributed matching 12-point tallies and also dished out two assists apiece. Nerlens Noel furnished 11 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander totaled 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal.
The Thunder will continue to be without Steven Adams (lower leg) and Dennis Schroder (personal-away from team) for Sunday's contest.
Sunday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Wizards hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 97-85 win back on Oct. 25.
The Wizards (24-45), who are playing without both Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans in the Orlando bubble, are unsurprisingly having a difficult time during their seeding games thus far. Washington has come up short in all five of their contests, with their most recent stumble coming against the New Orleans Pelicans by a 118-107 score on Friday night. Rui Hachimura led the Wizards with 23 points, six rebounds and two assists. Thomas Bryant supplied 22 points, eight boards, one assist, two steals and two blocks. Troy Brown, Jr. generated a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double that also included five assists and two steals. Ish Smith produced 18 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and four steals.
The Wizards will list Shabazz Napier (ankle) as probable for Sunday's game. Garrison Mathews remains away from Orlando.
The Thunder (42-26) have had a slightly different Orlando experience, although they're just 2-2 in the restarted seasons. Their most recent time on the court resulted in one of those losses, as OKC fell to the Memphis Grizzlies by a 121-92 score on Friday afternoon. Chris Paul led the way for the Thunder with 17 points, adding five rebounds, five assists and four steals. Luguentz Dortz followed with 16 points, three boards, two assists and one steal. Danilo Gallinari and Darius Bazley contributed matching 12-point tallies and also dished out two assists apiece. Nerlens Noel furnished 11 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander totaled 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal.
The Thunder will continue to be without Steven Adams (lower leg) and Dennis Schroder (personal-away from team) for Sunday's contest.
Sunday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Wizards hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 97-85 win back on Oct. 25.
Grizzlies and Raptors Tangle In Matinee Affair
The Memphis Grizzlies take on the Toronto Raptors in an NBA seeding game in Orlando on Sunday afternoon.
The Grizzlies (33-37) have had a rough time of it during the restarted season, as they've almost completely lost the lead for the No. 8 seed that they came into Orlando with thanks to losing their first four seeding games. Memphis was able to right the ship in a big way their last time on the court, however, as they throttled the Oklahoma City Thunder by a 121-92 score Friday afternoon. Dillon Brooks paced the Grizzlies with 22 points, complementing them with six rebounds, four assists and one steal. Jonas Valanciunas and Morant each provided 19 points, with Valanciunas adding 11 rebounds and Morant recording nine assists. Brandon Clarke and Gorgui Dieng posted 12 points apiece off the bench while pulling down eight and seven rebounds, respectively. Grayson Allen poured in 11 points.
The Grizzlies will continue to be without Tyus Jones (knee) for Sunday's game.
The Raptors (49-19) appear to have a secure hold on the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, a status they earned by winning three of their first four seeding games. Their one stumble during that sample came their last time on the court, as they dropped a 122-100 decision to the Boston Celtics on Friday night. Fred VanVleet led the Raptors with 13 points, adding four rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block. Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Norman Powell all posted 11 points, with the latter two also pulling down five rebounds apiece. Terence Davis poured in 10 points.
The Raptors will list Serge Ibaka (eye) as probable for Sunday's contest, while Patrick McCaw (knee) has left the Orlando bubble for treatment.
Sunday's game marks the first and only regular-season meeting between the two clubs. The Raptors swept the two-game 2018-19 season series from the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies (33-37) have had a rough time of it during the restarted season, as they've almost completely lost the lead for the No. 8 seed that they came into Orlando with thanks to losing their first four seeding games. Memphis was able to right the ship in a big way their last time on the court, however, as they throttled the Oklahoma City Thunder by a 121-92 score Friday afternoon. Dillon Brooks paced the Grizzlies with 22 points, complementing them with six rebounds, four assists and one steal. Jonas Valanciunas and Morant each provided 19 points, with Valanciunas adding 11 rebounds and Morant recording nine assists. Brandon Clarke and Gorgui Dieng posted 12 points apiece off the bench while pulling down eight and seven rebounds, respectively. Grayson Allen poured in 11 points.
The Grizzlies will continue to be without Tyus Jones (knee) for Sunday's game.
The Raptors (49-19) appear to have a secure hold on the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, a status they earned by winning three of their first four seeding games. Their one stumble during that sample came their last time on the court, as they dropped a 122-100 decision to the Boston Celtics on Friday night. Fred VanVleet led the Raptors with 13 points, adding four rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block. Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Norman Powell all posted 11 points, with the latter two also pulling down five rebounds apiece. Terence Davis poured in 10 points.
The Raptors will list Serge Ibaka (eye) as probable for Sunday's contest, while Patrick McCaw (knee) has left the Orlando bubble for treatment.
Sunday's game marks the first and only regular-season meeting between the two clubs. The Raptors swept the two-game 2018-19 season series from the Grizzlies.
Spurs Look To Continue Push For Eighth
By Dan Bruno
The San Antonio Spurs play the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday at Orlando.
The Spurs kept their playoff hopes alive as they topped the Jazz in their most recent contest, on Friday. They remain wrapped up in the intense battle for the final spot in the West and will need everything they can get for the final push. Despite their trouble with injuries throughout the season, DeMar DeRozan has done a great job leading the Spurs, helping them keep their playoff chances alive. DeRozan is averaging a team-high 22.0 points on 52 percent shooting, along with 5.7 assists and 5.5 rebounds, in 34 minutes per game. Derrick White has been playing well lately, as he has topped 20 points in the last three games. The Spurs do a good job being efficient on the offensive end, as they shoot 47.1 percent from the field, including 37.4 percent from long range, which is second best in the league. They also shoot 80.9 percent from the foul line, which is second best in the league.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans are coming off a, 118-107, win over the Wizards on Friday, where they used a strong second half to seal the deal. Jrue Holiday led the Pelicans with 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting, three rebounds, six assists and two steals. Brandon Ingram followed up with 17 points, four rebounds and five assists, while J.J. Redick added 15 points, but shot just 3-of-11 from long range. The Pelicans sit just 0.5 games behind the Spurs in the race for eighth and can make major headway if they can pull out a second straight win. Brandon Ingram leads the Pelicans with 23.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Lonzo Ball has been quiet lately, with just 18 points in total over the last three games, however, he averaged 7.3 assists over that stretch. Zion Williamson (rest) sat out Friday's contest but should be ready to go for Sunday's action
The Spurs kept their playoff hopes alive as they topped the Jazz in their most recent contest, on Friday. They remain wrapped up in the intense battle for the final spot in the West and will need everything they can get for the final push. Despite their trouble with injuries throughout the season, DeMar DeRozan has done a great job leading the Spurs, helping them keep their playoff chances alive. DeRozan is averaging a team-high 22.0 points on 52 percent shooting, along with 5.7 assists and 5.5 rebounds, in 34 minutes per game. Derrick White has been playing well lately, as he has topped 20 points in the last three games. The Spurs do a good job being efficient on the offensive end, as they shoot 47.1 percent from the field, including 37.4 percent from long range, which is second best in the league. They also shoot 80.9 percent from the foul line, which is second best in the league.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans are coming off a, 118-107, win over the Wizards on Friday, where they used a strong second half to seal the deal. Jrue Holiday led the Pelicans with 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting, three rebounds, six assists and two steals. Brandon Ingram followed up with 17 points, four rebounds and five assists, while J.J. Redick added 15 points, but shot just 3-of-11 from long range. The Pelicans sit just 0.5 games behind the Spurs in the race for eighth and can make major headway if they can pull out a second straight win. Brandon Ingram leads the Pelicans with 23.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Lonzo Ball has been quiet lately, with just 18 points in total over the last three games, however, he averaged 7.3 assists over that stretch. Zion Williamson (rest) sat out Friday's contest but should be ready to go for Sunday's action
Magic Look To End Three-Game Skid
By Dan Bruno
The Orlando Magic play the Boston Celtics on Sunday at Orlando
Despite having dropped their last three games, the Magic have clinched the eighth seed in the East, as the Wizards fell in their contest on Friday, putting them out of contention. The Magic have dealt with a couple of injuries that surely played a part in their recent struggles, as Jonathan Isaac (knee) has missed the last three games and will remain sidelined, while Aaron Gordon (hamstring) missed the last contest. Gordon is listed as questionable for action on Sunday, and his presence, or lack thereof, would be significant for the Magic, as he is averaging 14.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists, in 32 minutes per game. Nikola Vucevic leads the Magic, averaging 19.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, and has topped 20 points in four of the last five games. Evan Fournier has been strong this season and is averaging 18.5 points on 46.7 percent shooting, including 39.9 percent from long range.
Meanwhile, the Celtics have won two straight, including an impressive, 122-100, win over the Raptors on Friday, where they led by 15 at halftime and pushed it to a 34-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Jaylen Brown led the way for Boston with 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting, six rebounds and two assists. Jayson Tatum added 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Kemba Walker finished with 17 points, three rebounds and four assists. The Celtics shot 49 percent from the field in the win and scored 26 points off turnovers. They have done a great job on defense all season, as they average 8.3 steals per game and hold opponents to an average of 107.3 points per game, which is third fewest in the league. They also clamp down on the outside shooting, as they hold opponents to 34.1 percent shooting from long range, which is third best in the league.
Despite having dropped their last three games, the Magic have clinched the eighth seed in the East, as the Wizards fell in their contest on Friday, putting them out of contention. The Magic have dealt with a couple of injuries that surely played a part in their recent struggles, as Jonathan Isaac (knee) has missed the last three games and will remain sidelined, while Aaron Gordon (hamstring) missed the last contest. Gordon is listed as questionable for action on Sunday, and his presence, or lack thereof, would be significant for the Magic, as he is averaging 14.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists, in 32 minutes per game. Nikola Vucevic leads the Magic, averaging 19.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, and has topped 20 points in four of the last five games. Evan Fournier has been strong this season and is averaging 18.5 points on 46.7 percent shooting, including 39.9 percent from long range.
Meanwhile, the Celtics have won two straight, including an impressive, 122-100, win over the Raptors on Friday, where they led by 15 at halftime and pushed it to a 34-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Jaylen Brown led the way for Boston with 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting, six rebounds and two assists. Jayson Tatum added 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Kemba Walker finished with 17 points, three rebounds and four assists. The Celtics shot 49 percent from the field in the win and scored 26 points off turnovers. They have done a great job on defense all season, as they average 8.3 steals per game and hold opponents to an average of 107.3 points per game, which is third fewest in the league. They also clamp down on the outside shooting, as they hold opponents to 34.1 percent shooting from long range, which is third best in the league.
76ers Face Trail Blazers In Key Matchup
The Philadelphia 76ers will play the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday at Orlando.
The 76ers (42-27) are coming off a 108-101 win over the Orlando Magic on Friday, and they seem to be finding their feet after a slow start to life at the bubble. The pairing of Joel Embiid and Al Horford worked wonderfully in the post, as both combined for 44 points and 22 rebounds against the Magic, but it remains to be seen if both will be effective come playoff time. Philadelphia are 3-1 since play restarted on July 30 and currently sit one game behind the Miami Heat in the race for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Winning here against Portland could boost the team's chances of finishing as one of the Top 4 teams in the Conference, which would mean avoiding a first-round matchup against Miami or the Boston Celtics.
Philadelphia will be without Ben Simmons (kneecap) due to injury, as the All-Star forward underwent surgery and will likely miss the remainder of the 2019-20 season, just like Zhaire Smith (knee) and Ryan Broekhoff (personal). Glenn Robinson, on the other hand, has been listed as a game-time decision due to a hip problem.
The Blazers (32-38) are coming off a devastating 122-117 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, as Portland during most of the game but failed to close things out, and surrendered the game after Rodney McGruder notched a three-pointer will less than 40 seconds left in the clock. Damian Lillard continues to be the player to watch every time the Blazers take on the court, but Jusuf Nurkic has stood out as well with averages of 19.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per game since the league restarted last month. The Blazers 1.0 game behind the Memphis Grizzlies in the race for the eighth seed of the Western Conference, so winning here against the 76ers is a must for Portland.
Hassan Whiteside has been listed as out in the past few games, but he could be a game-time decision for Sunday's contest due to a hip problem. Trevor Ariza (personal), Caleb Swanigan (personal) and Rodney Hood (Achilles) are all out for the remainder of the season.
The 76ers (42-27) are coming off a 108-101 win over the Orlando Magic on Friday, and they seem to be finding their feet after a slow start to life at the bubble. The pairing of Joel Embiid and Al Horford worked wonderfully in the post, as both combined for 44 points and 22 rebounds against the Magic, but it remains to be seen if both will be effective come playoff time. Philadelphia are 3-1 since play restarted on July 30 and currently sit one game behind the Miami Heat in the race for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Winning here against Portland could boost the team's chances of finishing as one of the Top 4 teams in the Conference, which would mean avoiding a first-round matchup against Miami or the Boston Celtics.
Philadelphia will be without Ben Simmons (kneecap) due to injury, as the All-Star forward underwent surgery and will likely miss the remainder of the 2019-20 season, just like Zhaire Smith (knee) and Ryan Broekhoff (personal). Glenn Robinson, on the other hand, has been listed as a game-time decision due to a hip problem.
The Blazers (32-38) are coming off a devastating 122-117 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, as Portland during most of the game but failed to close things out, and surrendered the game after Rodney McGruder notched a three-pointer will less than 40 seconds left in the clock. Damian Lillard continues to be the player to watch every time the Blazers take on the court, but Jusuf Nurkic has stood out as well with averages of 19.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per game since the league restarted last month. The Blazers 1.0 game behind the Memphis Grizzlies in the race for the eighth seed of the Western Conference, so winning here against the 76ers is a must for Portland.
Hassan Whiteside has been listed as out in the past few games, but he could be a game-time decision for Sunday's contest due to a hip problem. Trevor Ariza (personal), Caleb Swanigan (personal) and Rodney Hood (Achilles) are all out for the remainder of the season.
Kings and Rockets Collide on Sunday
The Sacramento Kings play host to the Houston Rockets in Orlando on Sunday.
The Rockets (43-25) have been one of the most impressive teams in the Orlando restart, winning three of their four games. That .750 win percentage is nice on its own but it's really amazing when you consider the competition. Those three victories came against the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks. Those are three of the best teams in the NBA and it's proving that size doesn't matter. This is a team playing with nobody above 6'7", while regularly getting doubled up in rebounds. What they're doing is running around on defense like a bunch of mad men and firing up three's at will on the other end. Everybody talks about what a disadvantage Houston is at because of their size but is anyone considering how hard it is for the opponent to match up with all of these quick and athletic Rockets?
The Kings (29-40) just suffered a terrible loss on Friday, getting blown out by the Brooklyn Nets. The nature of that loss looks even worse when you consider the fact that Brooklyn is playing without Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince. That obviously made that a must-win game but they continue to fall further down the standings. In fact, Sacramento now sits 13th in the west, the lowest seed of any of the Orlando teams. The good news is that they're only 3.5 games behind the eight-seed, keeping them alive for the time being. This happens to be a club that no one wants to face in the postseason either, throwing out young studs like Bogdan Bogdanovic and De'Aaron Fox.
These teams have split their two meetings this season, with the road team prevailing in both outings.
The Rockets (43-25) have been one of the most impressive teams in the Orlando restart, winning three of their four games. That .750 win percentage is nice on its own but it's really amazing when you consider the competition. Those three victories came against the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks. Those are three of the best teams in the NBA and it's proving that size doesn't matter. This is a team playing with nobody above 6'7", while regularly getting doubled up in rebounds. What they're doing is running around on defense like a bunch of mad men and firing up three's at will on the other end. Everybody talks about what a disadvantage Houston is at because of their size but is anyone considering how hard it is for the opponent to match up with all of these quick and athletic Rockets?
The Kings (29-40) just suffered a terrible loss on Friday, getting blown out by the Brooklyn Nets. The nature of that loss looks even worse when you consider the fact that Brooklyn is playing without Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince. That obviously made that a must-win game but they continue to fall further down the standings. In fact, Sacramento now sits 13th in the west, the lowest seed of any of the Orlando teams. The good news is that they're only 3.5 games behind the eight-seed, keeping them alive for the time being. This happens to be a club that no one wants to face in the postseason either, throwing out young studs like Bogdan Bogdanovic and De'Aaron Fox.
These teams have split their two meetings this season, with the road team prevailing in both outings.
Nets, Clippers Lock Horns In Orlando
The Brooklyn Nets will play the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday at Orlando.
The Nets (33-36) have already clinched a spot in the 2019-20 NBA Playoffs, and they are coming off a 119-106 win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday. Brooklyn has gone 3-2 in their five bubble games so far, although they enter this contest on the heels of a two-game winning run. It remains to be seen if their good run will be enough to pull the upset against the Clippers, but Brooklyn can feel at peace with what they have done this season -- especially considering all the injury woes they have gone through over the last few weeks.
Brooklyn has been one of the teams that has struggled the most when it comes to injuries, and they will remain shorthanded until their season ends -- Kyrie Irving (shoulder), Kevin Durant (Achilles), Spencer Dinwiddie (illness) and DeAndre Jordan (illness) will all miss the remainder of the 2019-20 NBA season. That should put even more value on what the team has done in recent days. To make things even more complicated, Caris LeVert is expected to receive rest while both Joe Harris (groin) and Jarrett Allen (ankle) are questionable.
The Clippers (46-22) pulled one of the best comebacks of the season Saturday, as they trailed during most of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers only to win by five points (122-117) thanks to timely shooting and excellent execution in the final 45 seconds of the contest. The Clippers own a 1.5-game lead over the Denver Nuggets ahead of Sunday's seven-game slate, and they control their own destiny to finish as the second-best team in the West once all is said and done. The Clippers have gone 3-2 in the Orlando bubble so far, although they enter this contest in the heels of a two-game winning streak.
Los Angeles rested Kawhi Leonard for Saturday's contest against the Portland Trail Blazers, but the star forward should be available for this game. Patrick Beverley (calf) is questionable and will be a game-time decision for this matchup, while Montrezl Harrell is not with the team due to personal reasons and there's no timetable for his return.
The Nets (33-36) have already clinched a spot in the 2019-20 NBA Playoffs, and they are coming off a 119-106 win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday. Brooklyn has gone 3-2 in their five bubble games so far, although they enter this contest on the heels of a two-game winning run. It remains to be seen if their good run will be enough to pull the upset against the Clippers, but Brooklyn can feel at peace with what they have done this season -- especially considering all the injury woes they have gone through over the last few weeks.
Brooklyn has been one of the teams that has struggled the most when it comes to injuries, and they will remain shorthanded until their season ends -- Kyrie Irving (shoulder), Kevin Durant (Achilles), Spencer Dinwiddie (illness) and DeAndre Jordan (illness) will all miss the remainder of the 2019-20 NBA season. That should put even more value on what the team has done in recent days. To make things even more complicated, Caris LeVert is expected to receive rest while both Joe Harris (groin) and Jarrett Allen (ankle) are questionable.
The Clippers (46-22) pulled one of the best comebacks of the season Saturday, as they trailed during most of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers only to win by five points (122-117) thanks to timely shooting and excellent execution in the final 45 seconds of the contest. The Clippers own a 1.5-game lead over the Denver Nuggets ahead of Sunday's seven-game slate, and they control their own destiny to finish as the second-best team in the West once all is said and done. The Clippers have gone 3-2 in the Orlando bubble so far, although they enter this contest in the heels of a two-game winning streak.
Los Angeles rested Kawhi Leonard for Saturday's contest against the Portland Trail Blazers, but the star forward should be available for this game. Patrick Beverley (calf) is questionable and will be a game-time decision for this matchup, while Montrezl Harrell is not with the team due to personal reasons and there's no timetable for his return.