Mavericks, Clippers Will Collide Sunday
The Los Angeles Clippers will host the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday at Staples Center.
The Clippers (2-0) had to deal with the fact Kawhi Leonard left their previous game with a mouth problem, but they still came away with the win in dominant fashion against a Denver team that knocked them out of the playoffs only a few months ago. Paul George led the way for the Clippers in that game with 23 points, adding nine assists, five rebounds and one steal. Leonard finished with 21 points, seven assists, five rebounds, four steals and one block. Ibaka delivered 15 points, two rebounds, two assists and one block, while Nicolas Batum generated a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double that also included four assists, one steal and one block. The Clippers have looked like one of the most complete teams in the league so far, which is encouraging considering their first two wins of the season came against two contending teams such as the Lakers and the Nuggets.
The Clippers list Leonard (mouth) as a game-time decision for Sunday's contest, while Marcus Morris (knee) and Jay Scrubb (foot) have both been ruled out.
The Mavericks (0-2) have not started the season as well as they would have expected it, dropping their first two contests and coming off a disappointing 138-115 loss against the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day. Despite the fact Luka Doncic delivered a strong performance Friday with 27 points, seven assists, four rebounds and a block in 34 minutes, the rest of the team did not perform as well as they should have done it -- particularly on the defensive end of the court. The fact that the Mavericks allowed 130+ points should be particularly worrisome,
The Mavericks are almost at full strength, with their lone absentee being Kristaps Porzingis (knee) -- he will be eligible to return during the first days of January.
The Clippers and the Mavericks played during the 2019-20 NBA Playoffs, where the Clippers edged Dallas by a 4-2 score. Their most recent meeting in the regular season ended with a 126-111 win for Los Angeles on Aug. 6.
The Clippers (2-0) had to deal with the fact Kawhi Leonard left their previous game with a mouth problem, but they still came away with the win in dominant fashion against a Denver team that knocked them out of the playoffs only a few months ago. Paul George led the way for the Clippers in that game with 23 points, adding nine assists, five rebounds and one steal. Leonard finished with 21 points, seven assists, five rebounds, four steals and one block. Ibaka delivered 15 points, two rebounds, two assists and one block, while Nicolas Batum generated a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double that also included four assists, one steal and one block. The Clippers have looked like one of the most complete teams in the league so far, which is encouraging considering their first two wins of the season came against two contending teams such as the Lakers and the Nuggets.
The Clippers list Leonard (mouth) as a game-time decision for Sunday's contest, while Marcus Morris (knee) and Jay Scrubb (foot) have both been ruled out.
The Mavericks (0-2) have not started the season as well as they would have expected it, dropping their first two contests and coming off a disappointing 138-115 loss against the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day. Despite the fact Luka Doncic delivered a strong performance Friday with 27 points, seven assists, four rebounds and a block in 34 minutes, the rest of the team did not perform as well as they should have done it -- particularly on the defensive end of the court. The fact that the Mavericks allowed 130+ points should be particularly worrisome,
The Mavericks are almost at full strength, with their lone absentee being Kristaps Porzingis (knee) -- he will be eligible to return during the first days of January.
The Clippers and the Mavericks played during the 2019-20 NBA Playoffs, where the Clippers edged Dallas by a 4-2 score. Their most recent meeting in the regular season ended with a 126-111 win for Los Angeles on Aug. 6.
Spurs Aiming For Third Straight Win, Will Face Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans will host the San Antonio Spurs at the Smoothie King Center on Sunday.
The Pelicans (1-1) are coming off a 111-98 defeat against the Miami Heat on Christmas, in a day where the head coach relied heavily on the starting lineup but the approach didn't work -- all five starters for the Pelicans logged 30-plus minutes, but the production wasn't there since only Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram finished with more than 10 points -- Williamson posted 32 points and 14 rebounds, while Ingram contributed 28 points, two rebounds and three assists. Lonzo Ball and Eric Bledsoe each chipped in with six assists, but both players were woeful from the field (Ball 2-8 FG, Bledsoe 2-10 FG). New Orleans began the season with a big win over the Raptors, though, and they will look to repeat that kind of performance to avoid their first losing streak of the 2020-21 season.
The Pelicans will be close to full strength in this contest, but they will still be missing two names for this matchup -- both Wenyen Gabriel (knee) and Will Magnay (not injury related) have been ruled out of this game.
The Spurs (2-0) have begun their season on a strong note and are coming off a huge 119-114 win over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. DeMar DeRozan thrived against his former team and led the Spurs with 27 points, five assists, five rebounds and two steals in 36 minutes. Five other players scored in double digits for the Spurs, including Patty Mills, who added 21 points, and Keldon Johnson and LaMarcus Aldridge, who added 12 points each. The Spurs shot 47 percent from the field, including 14-of-34 from long range. San Antonio have scored over 115 points in their first two games of the season, but they have also allowed 110+ points in both contests. It's clear they will rely on their scoring power to get things done since they're still quite a work on progress on defense.
The Spurs won't have Derrick White due to a toe injury, and he's not expected to return to action until early January at the earliest. Quinndary Weatherspoon (knee) has also been ruled out of this contest.
The Spurs and the Pelicans last played on Aug. 9, in a game that finished with a 122-113 win for San Antonio. Including the bubble, the Spurs won the season series 2-1 during the previous campaign.
The Pelicans (1-1) are coming off a 111-98 defeat against the Miami Heat on Christmas, in a day where the head coach relied heavily on the starting lineup but the approach didn't work -- all five starters for the Pelicans logged 30-plus minutes, but the production wasn't there since only Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram finished with more than 10 points -- Williamson posted 32 points and 14 rebounds, while Ingram contributed 28 points, two rebounds and three assists. Lonzo Ball and Eric Bledsoe each chipped in with six assists, but both players were woeful from the field (Ball 2-8 FG, Bledsoe 2-10 FG). New Orleans began the season with a big win over the Raptors, though, and they will look to repeat that kind of performance to avoid their first losing streak of the 2020-21 season.
The Pelicans will be close to full strength in this contest, but they will still be missing two names for this matchup -- both Wenyen Gabriel (knee) and Will Magnay (not injury related) have been ruled out of this game.
The Spurs (2-0) have begun their season on a strong note and are coming off a huge 119-114 win over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. DeMar DeRozan thrived against his former team and led the Spurs with 27 points, five assists, five rebounds and two steals in 36 minutes. Five other players scored in double digits for the Spurs, including Patty Mills, who added 21 points, and Keldon Johnson and LaMarcus Aldridge, who added 12 points each. The Spurs shot 47 percent from the field, including 14-of-34 from long range. San Antonio have scored over 115 points in their first two games of the season, but they have also allowed 110+ points in both contests. It's clear they will rely on their scoring power to get things done since they're still quite a work on progress on defense.
The Spurs won't have Derrick White due to a toe injury, and he's not expected to return to action until early January at the earliest. Quinndary Weatherspoon (knee) has also been ruled out of this contest.
The Spurs and the Pelicans last played on Aug. 9, in a game that finished with a 122-113 win for San Antonio. Including the bubble, the Spurs won the season series 2-1 during the previous campaign.
Magic and Wizards Finish Off Second Game of Weekend Set
The Orlando Magic takes on the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on Sunday evening.
The Magic (2-0) couldn't have asked for a better start to their season, having upended the Miami Heat in their opener on Wednesday night and then following it up by outlasting the Washington Wizards, 130-120 on Saturday evening in the first game of the weekend back-to-back set between the two clubs. Terrence Ross led the Magic with 25 points, adding two rebounds, one assist and two steals. Nikola Vucevic followed with a 22-point, 17-rebound double-double that also included three assists and two steals. Markelle Fultz produced 21 points, seven assists, four rebounds and one steal. Aaron Gordon managed 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Evan Fournier supplied 13 points, five boards and two steals.
The Magic are likely to remain without James Ennis (hamstring) and Al-Farouq Aminu (knee) for Sunday's game.
The Wizards (0-2) have now dropped their first two games by a combined margin of 16 points following Saturday's defeat to Orlando. Washington's new backcourt duo of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal continued to function well in tandem during the loss, however. Beal paced the Wizards with 39 points, complementing them with seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Thomas Bryant followed with 19 points, five boards and one assist. Westbrook contributed a 15-point, 15-rebound, 12- assist triple-double that also included two steals. Raul Neto furnished 11 points off the bench, while Isaac Bonga registered 10 points, assists and two blocks.
The Wizards may opt to rest Westbrook for the second game of the back-to-back set Sunday. Rui Hachimura (eye) will remain out as well.
The Magic (2-0) couldn't have asked for a better start to their season, having upended the Miami Heat in their opener on Wednesday night and then following it up by outlasting the Washington Wizards, 130-120 on Saturday evening in the first game of the weekend back-to-back set between the two clubs. Terrence Ross led the Magic with 25 points, adding two rebounds, one assist and two steals. Nikola Vucevic followed with a 22-point, 17-rebound double-double that also included three assists and two steals. Markelle Fultz produced 21 points, seven assists, four rebounds and one steal. Aaron Gordon managed 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Evan Fournier supplied 13 points, five boards and two steals.
The Magic are likely to remain without James Ennis (hamstring) and Al-Farouq Aminu (knee) for Sunday's game.
The Wizards (0-2) have now dropped their first two games by a combined margin of 16 points following Saturday's defeat to Orlando. Washington's new backcourt duo of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal continued to function well in tandem during the loss, however. Beal paced the Wizards with 39 points, complementing them with seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Thomas Bryant followed with 19 points, five boards and one assist. Westbrook contributed a 15-point, 15-rebound, 12- assist triple-double that also included two steals. Raul Neto furnished 11 points off the bench, while Isaac Bonga registered 10 points, assists and two blocks.
The Wizards may opt to rest Westbrook for the second game of the back-to-back set Sunday. Rui Hachimura (eye) will remain out as well.
Hornets Face Dominant Nets
By Dan Bruno
The Charlotte Hornets play host to the Brooklyn Nets at Spectrum Center on Sunday evening.
This marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Hornets (0-2), as they are coming off a heart-breaking loss against the Thunder on Saturday, where they rallied all the way back from a 13-point deficit, capped off by three three-pointers in 14 seconds by Miles Bridges, to tie the game at 107, with 10 seconds left. However, they ended up losing on a last-second jumper, spoiling their home-court debut. Terry Rozier was the high-point man with 19 points, along with three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. Devonte' Graham tallied a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists, while P.J. Washington finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and a steal. The Hornets will need to come up with a more consistent effort and look to find some efficiency in their offense, as they shot just 40 percent from the field, and missed 12 free throws in their last contest. They will look to get back on track against the Nets and avoid going 0-2 at home to start their season.
Meanwhile, the Nets (2-0) are looking like trouble, as they duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving has been very effective in the first two games of the season, as they are averaging a combined 57 points per game and simply are very hard for opponents to contain. Besides their two superstars, the Nets have a great group, including Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris, DeAndre Jordan, and more, who are able to make game-changing impacts on any night. This is the second game of a two-game road trip for the Nets, as they are coming off a win in Boston and will look to make it two in a row before heading back home. They face opponents who are on the second night of a back-to-back and already shorthanded, as Cody Zeller (hand) is out.
This marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Hornets (0-2), as they are coming off a heart-breaking loss against the Thunder on Saturday, where they rallied all the way back from a 13-point deficit, capped off by three three-pointers in 14 seconds by Miles Bridges, to tie the game at 107, with 10 seconds left. However, they ended up losing on a last-second jumper, spoiling their home-court debut. Terry Rozier was the high-point man with 19 points, along with three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. Devonte' Graham tallied a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists, while P.J. Washington finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and a steal. The Hornets will need to come up with a more consistent effort and look to find some efficiency in their offense, as they shot just 40 percent from the field, and missed 12 free throws in their last contest. They will look to get back on track against the Nets and avoid going 0-2 at home to start their season.
Meanwhile, the Nets (2-0) are looking like trouble, as they duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving has been very effective in the first two games of the season, as they are averaging a combined 57 points per game and simply are very hard for opponents to contain. Besides their two superstars, the Nets have a great group, including Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris, DeAndre Jordan, and more, who are able to make game-changing impacts on any night. This is the second game of a two-game road trip for the Nets, as they are coming off a win in Boston and will look to make it two in a row before heading back home. They face opponents who are on the second night of a back-to-back and already shorthanded, as Cody Zeller (hand) is out.
76ers Look to Keep Rolling Against Cavaliers
The Philadelphia 76ers take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Sunday night.
The 76ers (2-0) have gotten their season off to the fast start most everyone expected of them, with Philadelphia having notched victories over the Wizards and Knicks to open the campaign. The Sixers' most recent success came against the latter, as they toppled New York, 109-89, on Saturday night. Joel Embiid led the way for the 76ers with 27 points, supplementing them with 10 rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Tobias Harris and Seth Curry followed with matching 17-point tallies, while pulling down five and four rebounds, respectively. Ben Simmons supplied 15 points, nine boards, six assists, two blocks and one steal. Shake Milton led the bench with 10 points.
The 76ers are expected to come into Sunday's game without any injuries to report.
The Cavaliers (2-0) also boast an unblemished record coming into the contest, but their current undefeated status is much more surprising than that of Philadelphia's. Following a win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday to kick off the campaign, Cleveland followed it up with a thrilling 128-119 double-overtime win against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night. Collin Sexton led the way for the Cavs with 32 points, complementing them with three assists, two rebounds and three steals. Andre Drummond followed with a 23-point, 16-rebound double-double that also included five assists, four steals and three blocks. Cedi Osman posted 22 points off the bench, while Darius Garland contributed 21 points, 12 assists, five rebounds, two steals and one block. Kevin Love delivered 15 points, nine boards and three assists.
The Cavaliers are likely to list Kevin Porter (personal) and Matthew Dellavedova (back) as no better than questionable for Sunday's contest after both were sidelined for Saturday's game, while Dylan Windler (hand) will remain out.
The 76ers prevailed in the four-game 2019-20 regular-season series with the Cavaliers by a 3-1 margin.
The 76ers (2-0) have gotten their season off to the fast start most everyone expected of them, with Philadelphia having notched victories over the Wizards and Knicks to open the campaign. The Sixers' most recent success came against the latter, as they toppled New York, 109-89, on Saturday night. Joel Embiid led the way for the 76ers with 27 points, supplementing them with 10 rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Tobias Harris and Seth Curry followed with matching 17-point tallies, while pulling down five and four rebounds, respectively. Ben Simmons supplied 15 points, nine boards, six assists, two blocks and one steal. Shake Milton led the bench with 10 points.
The 76ers are expected to come into Sunday's game without any injuries to report.
The Cavaliers (2-0) also boast an unblemished record coming into the contest, but their current undefeated status is much more surprising than that of Philadelphia's. Following a win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday to kick off the campaign, Cleveland followed it up with a thrilling 128-119 double-overtime win against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night. Collin Sexton led the way for the Cavs with 32 points, complementing them with three assists, two rebounds and three steals. Andre Drummond followed with a 23-point, 16-rebound double-double that also included five assists, four steals and three blocks. Cedi Osman posted 22 points off the bench, while Darius Garland contributed 21 points, 12 assists, five rebounds, two steals and one block. Kevin Love delivered 15 points, nine boards and three assists.
The Cavaliers are likely to list Kevin Porter (personal) and Matthew Dellavedova (back) as no better than questionable for Sunday's contest after both were sidelined for Saturday's game, while Dylan Windler (hand) will remain out.
The 76ers prevailed in the four-game 2019-20 regular-season series with the Cavaliers by a 3-1 margin.
Knicks Host Bucks on Sunday
The Milwaukee Bucks travel to The Big Apple to face the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
The Bucks (1-1) took a tough loss in the opener against the Boston Celtics but a 39-point win over the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Dat alleviated any of that pain. One of the big issues with this club over recent years is the fact that they have no go-to player outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Khris Middleton would like to have a word with those skeptics though, leading the team with 29 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists in the first two games of the season. He's always been capable of doing that but if he can provide stats like that more consistently, this is truly the best team in the east. Donte DiVincenzo has also been a pleasant surprise in his sophomore season, averaging 14 points per game on 58 percent shooting. That's the stud we saw in college and he's filling the Eric Bledsoe void as smoothly as possible.
The Knicks (0-2) have gotten off to yet another slow start and it appears New York fans are in for yet another long season. This is a club that hasn't had 32 wins since 2013 and it's sad that one of the most established franchises in the world can't build a team to compete. That's certainly been the case in the first two games, losing by at least 14 points to the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers. That's obviously tough competition but losing that badly in the first two outings of the year is obviously a horrible sign. The only bright spot is the play of their southpaws, with Julius Randle and R.J. Barrett performing admirably in those two defeats. Barrett is averaging 18 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists while Randle is providing 21 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.
In their three meetings last season, Milwaukee won all three by at least 21 points apiece. That gives the Bucks 11 victories in their last 12 meetings with the Knicks dating back five seasons.
The Bucks (1-1) took a tough loss in the opener against the Boston Celtics but a 39-point win over the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Dat alleviated any of that pain. One of the big issues with this club over recent years is the fact that they have no go-to player outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Khris Middleton would like to have a word with those skeptics though, leading the team with 29 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists in the first two games of the season. He's always been capable of doing that but if he can provide stats like that more consistently, this is truly the best team in the east. Donte DiVincenzo has also been a pleasant surprise in his sophomore season, averaging 14 points per game on 58 percent shooting. That's the stud we saw in college and he's filling the Eric Bledsoe void as smoothly as possible.
The Knicks (0-2) have gotten off to yet another slow start and it appears New York fans are in for yet another long season. This is a club that hasn't had 32 wins since 2013 and it's sad that one of the most established franchises in the world can't build a team to compete. That's certainly been the case in the first two games, losing by at least 14 points to the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers. That's obviously tough competition but losing that badly in the first two outings of the year is obviously a horrible sign. The only bright spot is the play of their southpaws, with Julius Randle and R.J. Barrett performing admirably in those two defeats. Barrett is averaging 18 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists while Randle is providing 21 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.
In their three meetings last season, Milwaukee won all three by at least 21 points apiece. That gives the Bucks 11 victories in their last 12 meetings with the Knicks dating back five seasons.
Struggling Bulls, Warriors Fight For First Win
By Dan Bruno
The Chicago Bulls play host to the Golden State Warriors at United Center on Sunday evening.
The Bulls (0-2) are looking to avoid a third straight home loss to the start the season, while they face the added challenge of playing on the second night of a back-to-back. They are coming off a rough loss against the Pacers, where they kept it close to start but trailed by 28, heading into the fourth quarter. They struggled from the field in the loss, as they shot 37 percent. They also gave up 20 turnovers, which resulted in 25 points for their opponent. Zach LaVine was the high-point man with 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting, in 28 minutes. Lauri Markkanen followed up with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Coby White added 12 points, three assists, two rebounds and a block. Otto Porter has been in the sixth-man role to start the season, but has yet to find his rhythm from the field. Coby White and Wendell Carter have also had relatively quiet starts. The Bulls will need guys to step up to help lead the way offensively, along with LaVine and Markkanen.
Meanwhile, the Warriors (0-2) have also had a rough start to their season, as they dropped their opener in Brooklyn, and then their most recent contest in Milwaukee. The Warriors face a tough start to their schedule, with a four-game road trip to kick off their season. They are already down 0-2 on the trip and and they need to get a win before it ends up a winless trip and they have an 0-4 start to the season. In addition to missing Klay Thompson, the Warriors have yet to have Draymond Green (foot) in the lineup, while, he remains a game-time decision for Sunday. Marquese Chriss (leg) is also questionable for action. On a positive note, Stephen Curry has had a strong start, averaging 19.5 points, 8.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals over the first two games. Rookie, James Wiseman has looked great early on, averaging 18.5 points and 7.0 rebounds over his first two NBA games. The Warriors are still looking for breakout games from Kelly Oubre and Andrew Wiggins, who have had quiet starts.
The Bulls (0-2) are looking to avoid a third straight home loss to the start the season, while they face the added challenge of playing on the second night of a back-to-back. They are coming off a rough loss against the Pacers, where they kept it close to start but trailed by 28, heading into the fourth quarter. They struggled from the field in the loss, as they shot 37 percent. They also gave up 20 turnovers, which resulted in 25 points for their opponent. Zach LaVine was the high-point man with 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting, in 28 minutes. Lauri Markkanen followed up with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Coby White added 12 points, three assists, two rebounds and a block. Otto Porter has been in the sixth-man role to start the season, but has yet to find his rhythm from the field. Coby White and Wendell Carter have also had relatively quiet starts. The Bulls will need guys to step up to help lead the way offensively, along with LaVine and Markkanen.
Meanwhile, the Warriors (0-2) have also had a rough start to their season, as they dropped their opener in Brooklyn, and then their most recent contest in Milwaukee. The Warriors face a tough start to their schedule, with a four-game road trip to kick off their season. They are already down 0-2 on the trip and and they need to get a win before it ends up a winless trip and they have an 0-4 start to the season. In addition to missing Klay Thompson, the Warriors have yet to have Draymond Green (foot) in the lineup, while, he remains a game-time decision for Sunday. Marquese Chriss (leg) is also questionable for action. On a positive note, Stephen Curry has had a strong start, averaging 19.5 points, 8.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals over the first two games. Rookie, James Wiseman has looked great early on, averaging 18.5 points and 7.0 rebounds over his first two NBA games. The Warriors are still looking for breakout games from Kelly Oubre and Andrew Wiggins, who have had quiet starts.
Pacers Look To Extend Two-Game Win Streak
By Dan Bruno
The Indiana Pacers play host to the Boston Celtics at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday.
This marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Pacers (2-0), as they are coming off a convincing win in Chicago on Saturday, where they led by 28 heading into the final frame and secured their second straight win to start their season. T.J. Warren was the high-point man for the Pacers in the win, with 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting, while Domantas Sabonis and Victor Oladipo added 22 points each. The Pacers shot 56 percent from the field, including 9-of-26 from long range, they and did a great job moving the ball, with 34 assists. However, they gave up 16 turnovers, which is something to keep an eye on against the Celtics, who are a strong defensive team. This marks the second home game of the season for the Pacers, as they kicked off the season with a home win over the Knicks. They will look to build on momentum to help protect home court for a second time.
Meanwhile, the Celtics (1-1) began their season with a win over the Bucks, before falling to the Nets in their most recent contest. The Celtics had only three players score in double digits in the loss, as Jaylen Brown led the way with 27 points, while Jayson Tatum followed up with 20, and Marcus Smart added 13 points. As a team, they shot just 38 percent from the field in the contest, while allowing their opponent to shoot 54 percent. This marks the first road game of the season for the Celtics, and they will have to shake off the bad loss in order to focus on the new challenge at hand. The Pacers have momentum and home-court advantage in their favor, while the Celtics are coming off a rough loss and face an awkward scheduling scenario with two consecutive games in Indiana. Both teams have key players who are yet to play this season, as Kemba Walker (knee) and Jeremy Lamb (knee) remain sidelined.
This marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Pacers (2-0), as they are coming off a convincing win in Chicago on Saturday, where they led by 28 heading into the final frame and secured their second straight win to start their season. T.J. Warren was the high-point man for the Pacers in the win, with 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting, while Domantas Sabonis and Victor Oladipo added 22 points each. The Pacers shot 56 percent from the field, including 9-of-26 from long range, they and did a great job moving the ball, with 34 assists. However, they gave up 16 turnovers, which is something to keep an eye on against the Celtics, who are a strong defensive team. This marks the second home game of the season for the Pacers, as they kicked off the season with a home win over the Knicks. They will look to build on momentum to help protect home court for a second time.
Meanwhile, the Celtics (1-1) began their season with a win over the Bucks, before falling to the Nets in their most recent contest. The Celtics had only three players score in double digits in the loss, as Jaylen Brown led the way with 27 points, while Jayson Tatum followed up with 20, and Marcus Smart added 13 points. As a team, they shot just 38 percent from the field in the contest, while allowing their opponent to shoot 54 percent. This marks the first road game of the season for the Celtics, and they will have to shake off the bad loss in order to focus on the new challenge at hand. The Pacers have momentum and home-court advantage in their favor, while the Celtics are coming off a rough loss and face an awkward scheduling scenario with two consecutive games in Indiana. Both teams have key players who are yet to play this season, as Kemba Walker (knee) and Jeremy Lamb (knee) remain sidelined.
Kings Host Suns on Sunday in Rematch
The Sacramento Kings play host to the Phoenix Suns at Golden 1 Center on Sunday.
The Suns (1-1) have had two close games, with one falling their way and the other going by the wayside. The good news is that both games were competitive and it appears this is a club that will stick around all season long. Seeing Chris Paul struggle in the opener was a discouraging sign but 22 points, five rebounds and 12 assists on Saturday has quieted any worries there may have been. The guy they need to get going is Deandre Ayton though, averaging just 12 points and 0.5 blocks per game. That's not good enough for an elite big like this and it's weird that he's averaging just seven shots across 27 minutes of action in those two outings. That's no way to treat a former top pick and the Suns need to do a better job of feeding him to get him some confidence going forward.
The Kings (2-0) pulled off a miraculous win in the opener against the Denver Nuggets and followed it up with a victory over these Suns on Saturday. This is a club that's always shown potential and it appears the potential is finally coming to fruition. De'Aaron Fox is the guy who's taking this team to the next level, averaging 22.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. That doesn't even take into consideration the elite defense he's been playing and the rest of these role players are playing well around him too. What makes this start even more surprising is the fact that the frontcourt continues to struggle, with Hassan Whiteside and Richaun Holmes both regressing. Those were two guys who played at an All-Star level last season and it would be scary if they could get both of these studs to return to that level.
This is an extremely rare occurrence with these teams facing off in Sacramento on Saturday. It's the rare back-to-back rematch game.
The Suns (1-1) have had two close games, with one falling their way and the other going by the wayside. The good news is that both games were competitive and it appears this is a club that will stick around all season long. Seeing Chris Paul struggle in the opener was a discouraging sign but 22 points, five rebounds and 12 assists on Saturday has quieted any worries there may have been. The guy they need to get going is Deandre Ayton though, averaging just 12 points and 0.5 blocks per game. That's not good enough for an elite big like this and it's weird that he's averaging just seven shots across 27 minutes of action in those two outings. That's no way to treat a former top pick and the Suns need to do a better job of feeding him to get him some confidence going forward.
The Kings (2-0) pulled off a miraculous win in the opener against the Denver Nuggets and followed it up with a victory over these Suns on Saturday. This is a club that's always shown potential and it appears the potential is finally coming to fruition. De'Aaron Fox is the guy who's taking this team to the next level, averaging 22.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. That doesn't even take into consideration the elite defense he's been playing and the rest of these role players are playing well around him too. What makes this start even more surprising is the fact that the frontcourt continues to struggle, with Hassan Whiteside and Richaun Holmes both regressing. Those were two guys who played at an All-Star level last season and it would be scary if they could get both of these studs to return to that level.
This is an extremely rare occurrence with these teams facing off in Sacramento on Saturday. It's the rare back-to-back rematch game.
Lakers Host T'Wolves on Sunday
The Los Angeles Lakers play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Staples Center on Sunday.
The Timberwolves (2-0) were many people's pick to finish with the worst record in the Western Conference but early-season results would indicate they were wrong. Minnesota is just one of four teams with a perfect 2-0 record in the west, winning both of their contests in impressive fashion. The first win was a double-digit comeback victory over the Detroit Pistons while the second victory was a surprising road win over the Utah Jazz. The ladder is obviously the more impressive of the two and it shows that this is a club that needs to be taken more seriously. Where they've really improved is on the defensive end though, turning their bottom-five defense into a top-10 one in the early going.
The Lakers (1-1) had a tough opening night against the Los Angeles Clippers but a 138-115 beatdown over the Dallas Mavericks in their most recent game is certainly a great sign going forward. Dropping 138 points on any team is impressive, especially when you shoot 56 percent from the field and 49 percent from three-point range, What's really been a nice surprise is the play from their new additions, with Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell both performing majestically. Those news guys have had two great games thus far and it's crazy to think that Anthony Davis and LeBron James are playing with two of the best players they've had since joining the Lakers. Davis is the guy to look out for here though, dropping 50 points in his one game against Minnesota last year.
These teams played once last season, with Los Angeles prevailing, 142-125. Prior to that, the Timberwolves won seven of their previous eight games over the Lakers.
The Timberwolves (2-0) were many people's pick to finish with the worst record in the Western Conference but early-season results would indicate they were wrong. Minnesota is just one of four teams with a perfect 2-0 record in the west, winning both of their contests in impressive fashion. The first win was a double-digit comeback victory over the Detroit Pistons while the second victory was a surprising road win over the Utah Jazz. The ladder is obviously the more impressive of the two and it shows that this is a club that needs to be taken more seriously. Where they've really improved is on the defensive end though, turning their bottom-five defense into a top-10 one in the early going.
The Lakers (1-1) had a tough opening night against the Los Angeles Clippers but a 138-115 beatdown over the Dallas Mavericks in their most recent game is certainly a great sign going forward. Dropping 138 points on any team is impressive, especially when you shoot 56 percent from the field and 49 percent from three-point range, What's really been a nice surprise is the play from their new additions, with Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell both performing majestically. Those news guys have had two great games thus far and it's crazy to think that Anthony Davis and LeBron James are playing with two of the best players they've had since joining the Lakers. Davis is the guy to look out for here though, dropping 50 points in his one game against Minnesota last year.
These teams played once last season, with Los Angeles prevailing, 142-125. Prior to that, the Timberwolves won seven of their previous eight games over the Lakers.