Hawks Looking To Extend Run Against Winless Pistons
The Atlanta Hawks will host the Detroit Pistons at State Farm Arena on Monday evening.
The Hawks (2-0) have playoff aspirations for this season and, while the season is only two games young, they've lived up to that expectations since they're coming off back-to-back road wins -- they started the campaign with a 124-104 win over the Chicago Bulls and later posted a 122-112 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. If there's been one player to stand out from the team's first two wins, that has to be Trae Young -- the star point guard is currently averaging 36.5 points and 8.0 assists per game while 55.6 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from three-point range. Atlanta also has seven players who average 10.0 points or more per game so far, so it's clear they have started the season on a strong note offensively.
Atlanta lists several potential absentees for this game, highlighting the fact that both Danilo Gallinari (foot) and Clint Capela (Achilles) are both game-time decisions for Monday's contest. Tony Snell (foot), Onyeka Okongwu (toe) and Kris Dunn (ankle) have already been ruled out.
The Pistons (0-2) have endured a tough start to the 2020-21 NBA season, and all signs point towards them not being ready to fight for a playoff spot once again -- even with reliable contributors such as Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose being completely healthy. The Pistons began their season with a 111-101 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and they also suffered a 128-119 defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers the last time out. Their most recent loss against Cleveland came on a double-overtime, but the early signs are certainly not encouraging for the Pistons.
Detroit lists Jahill Okafor (ankle) and Sekou Doumbouya (foot) as game-time decisions for Monday's tilt, while Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin have both been ruled out already due to rest purposes.
The Hawks (2-0) have playoff aspirations for this season and, while the season is only two games young, they've lived up to that expectations since they're coming off back-to-back road wins -- they started the campaign with a 124-104 win over the Chicago Bulls and later posted a 122-112 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. If there's been one player to stand out from the team's first two wins, that has to be Trae Young -- the star point guard is currently averaging 36.5 points and 8.0 assists per game while 55.6 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from three-point range. Atlanta also has seven players who average 10.0 points or more per game so far, so it's clear they have started the season on a strong note offensively.
Atlanta lists several potential absentees for this game, highlighting the fact that both Danilo Gallinari (foot) and Clint Capela (Achilles) are both game-time decisions for Monday's contest. Tony Snell (foot), Onyeka Okongwu (toe) and Kris Dunn (ankle) have already been ruled out.
The Pistons (0-2) have endured a tough start to the 2020-21 NBA season, and all signs point towards them not being ready to fight for a playoff spot once again -- even with reliable contributors such as Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose being completely healthy. The Pistons began their season with a 111-101 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and they also suffered a 128-119 defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers the last time out. Their most recent loss against Cleveland came on a double-overtime, but the early signs are certainly not encouraging for the Pistons.
Detroit lists Jahill Okafor (ankle) and Sekou Doumbouya (foot) as game-time decisions for Monday's tilt, while Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin have both been ruled out already due to rest purposes.
Nets Look To Bounce Back At Home
By Dan Bruno
The Brooklyn Nets play host to the Memphis Grizzlies at Barclays Center on Monday evening.
This marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Nets (2-1), who are coming off a tough loss in Charlotte on Sunday. After two solid wins to start their season, the Nets fell short on Sunday, where they trailed by 16-points late in the fourth but rallied to cut it to a two-point game with 2:20 left on the clock. However, they missed a game-tying attempt in the final seconds, as Kevin Durant's mid-range jumped went in and out. Durant was the high-point man for the Nets in the loss, with 29 points on 9-of-15 shooting. Kyrie Irving added 25 points, six assists, three rebounds and a steal, while Caris LeVert chipped in 10 points, five rebounds and four assists. The Nets shot 43 percent from the field in the loss, which was their worst shooting night so far, They also struggled taking care of the ball, with 19 turnovers, and they only tallied 26 points in the paint.
Meanwhile, this marks the first road game of the season and the first game of a three-game road trip for the Grizzlies, as they look to earn their first win. The Grizzlies (0-2) have had a rough start despite two great individual performances from Ja Morant, who has come out on fire to start the season. Morant poured in 44 points in the season opener and followed up with 28 points and seven assists in the Grizzlies' most recent contest. The Grizzlies are coming off a home loss against the Hawks in their most recent contest, where they fell short by 10 points, as they struggled from the field and gave up 26 points off turnovers. The Grizzlies have the benefit of taking on the Nets when they may be fatigued on the second night of a back-to-back, but on the other hand, the Nets will certainly be refocused and determined not to drop two in a row.
This marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Nets (2-1), who are coming off a tough loss in Charlotte on Sunday. After two solid wins to start their season, the Nets fell short on Sunday, where they trailed by 16-points late in the fourth but rallied to cut it to a two-point game with 2:20 left on the clock. However, they missed a game-tying attempt in the final seconds, as Kevin Durant's mid-range jumped went in and out. Durant was the high-point man for the Nets in the loss, with 29 points on 9-of-15 shooting. Kyrie Irving added 25 points, six assists, three rebounds and a steal, while Caris LeVert chipped in 10 points, five rebounds and four assists. The Nets shot 43 percent from the field in the loss, which was their worst shooting night so far, They also struggled taking care of the ball, with 19 turnovers, and they only tallied 26 points in the paint.
Meanwhile, this marks the first road game of the season and the first game of a three-game road trip for the Grizzlies, as they look to earn their first win. The Grizzlies (0-2) have had a rough start despite two great individual performances from Ja Morant, who has come out on fire to start the season. Morant poured in 44 points in the season opener and followed up with 28 points and seven assists in the Grizzlies' most recent contest. The Grizzlies are coming off a home loss against the Hawks in their most recent contest, where they fell short by 10 points, as they struggled from the field and gave up 26 points off turnovers. The Grizzlies have the benefit of taking on the Nets when they may be fatigued on the second night of a back-to-back, but on the other hand, the Nets will certainly be refocused and determined not to drop two in a row.
Jazz and Thunder Square Off in Western Conference Battle
The Utah Jazz takes on the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Monday night.
The Jazz (1-1) were unable to follow up a season-opening 120-100 win over the Trail Blazers on Opening Night in their most recent contest, as they dropped a 116-111 decision to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night. Jordan Clarkson led the way for the Jazz with 23 points, adding three rebounds. Donovan Mitchell supplied 21 points, five assists, two rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Mike Conley delivered 20 points, six boards, four assists and one steal. Rudy Gobert generated an 18-point, 17-rebound double-double that also included two assists and one block. Joe Ingles led the bench with 10 points.
The Jazz will come into Monday's game without any injuries to report.
The Thunder (1-0) saw their original season opener against the Rockets get cancelled Wednesday night, but they were able to prevail by a 109-107 margin
over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night to start their campaign off on the right note. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 24 points, adding nine assists, seven rebounds and one block. George Hill delivered 21 points, four boards, three assists and one steal. Darius Bazley and Lugentz Dortz generated matching 15-point tallies while pulling down 10 and five rebounds, respectively. Mike Muscala led the bench with 14 points.
The Thunder are likely to list Trevor Ariza (personal) and Ty Jerome (ankle) as no better than questionable for Monday's game.
Monday's contest marks the only game of the 2020-21 regular season between the teams. The Thunder won the three-game 2019-20 season series between the teams by a 2-1 margin.
The Jazz (1-1) were unable to follow up a season-opening 120-100 win over the Trail Blazers on Opening Night in their most recent contest, as they dropped a 116-111 decision to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night. Jordan Clarkson led the way for the Jazz with 23 points, adding three rebounds. Donovan Mitchell supplied 21 points, five assists, two rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Mike Conley delivered 20 points, six boards, four assists and one steal. Rudy Gobert generated an 18-point, 17-rebound double-double that also included two assists and one block. Joe Ingles led the bench with 10 points.
The Jazz will come into Monday's game without any injuries to report.
The Thunder (1-0) saw their original season opener against the Rockets get cancelled Wednesday night, but they were able to prevail by a 109-107 margin
over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night to start their campaign off on the right note. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 24 points, adding nine assists, seven rebounds and one block. George Hill delivered 21 points, four boards, three assists and one steal. Darius Bazley and Lugentz Dortz generated matching 15-point tallies while pulling down 10 and five rebounds, respectively. Mike Muscala led the bench with 14 points.
The Thunder are likely to list Trevor Ariza (personal) and Ty Jerome (ankle) as no better than questionable for Monday's game.
Monday's contest marks the only game of the 2020-21 regular season between the teams. The Thunder won the three-game 2019-20 season series between the teams by a 2-1 margin.
Nuggets Host Rockets on Monday
The Denver Nuggets play host to the Houston Rockets at Ball Arena on Monday.
The Rockets (0-1) have had more issues off the court than any other team in the NBA and it's led to them playing just one epic game thus far. Not only have they had to deal with the non-stop James Harden trade rumors, but there's also a bunch of players missing games because of COVID protocols. That left this roster very thin in their opener on Saturday but they narrowly lost in overtime to the Portland Trail Blazers. Harden looked ready to play in that game too, providing 44 points and 17 assists in a vintage performance. What's frustrating about the COVID situation is the fact that DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall continue to miss games. Those are former All-Stars who need to get acclimated with their new team and need to play to dust off some of the rust from their long-term injuries. Neither of them will be ready here though, so, look for Harden to dominate yet again.
The Nuggets (0-2) have been one of the biggest disappointments in the early going, starting off winless in their first two games of the season. What's really frustrating is the nature of those losses, blowing a game to the Sacramento Kings in the opener and getting blown out by the Los Angeles Clippers on Christmas Day. The simple fact is, no one is helping Nikola Jokic right now. The superstar big man is averaging 29.5 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists through the first two games of the season and it's sad this team isn't getting wins behind gaudy numbers like those. That means Jamal Murray and Michael Porter need to step up around Jokic to get this team out of their early 0-2 rut.
These teams split their four-game season series last year, with the home team prevailing in all four fixtures. Prior to that, Houston won 10 of their previous 11 games over Denver.
The Rockets (0-1) have had more issues off the court than any other team in the NBA and it's led to them playing just one epic game thus far. Not only have they had to deal with the non-stop James Harden trade rumors, but there's also a bunch of players missing games because of COVID protocols. That left this roster very thin in their opener on Saturday but they narrowly lost in overtime to the Portland Trail Blazers. Harden looked ready to play in that game too, providing 44 points and 17 assists in a vintage performance. What's frustrating about the COVID situation is the fact that DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall continue to miss games. Those are former All-Stars who need to get acclimated with their new team and need to play to dust off some of the rust from their long-term injuries. Neither of them will be ready here though, so, look for Harden to dominate yet again.
The Nuggets (0-2) have been one of the biggest disappointments in the early going, starting off winless in their first two games of the season. What's really frustrating is the nature of those losses, blowing a game to the Sacramento Kings in the opener and getting blown out by the Los Angeles Clippers on Christmas Day. The simple fact is, no one is helping Nikola Jokic right now. The superstar big man is averaging 29.5 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists through the first two games of the season and it's sad this team isn't getting wins behind gaudy numbers like those. That means Jamal Murray and Michael Porter need to step up around Jokic to get this team out of their early 0-2 rut.
These teams split their four-game season series last year, with the home team prevailing in all four fixtures. Prior to that, Houston won 10 of their previous 11 games over Denver.
Lakers Host Trail Blazers on Monday
The Los Angeles Lakers play host to the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center on Monday.
The Trail Blazers (1-1) were absolutely shredded by the Utah Jazz in the opener and were lucky to get an overtime win over the Houston Rockets in their most recent game. It's not like that victory was impressive either, with Houston missing half of their roster due to COVID issues. The slow start is really hard to understand after an amazing bubble showing and it's possible they're suffering a bit of a hangover. The guys they really need to get going are their newly-acquired wings. Both Robert Covington and Derrick Jones Jr. have been terrible in their first two games with Portland and it's just a matter of time before these two defensive studs return to the players we all know and love.
The Lakers (2-1) started off the season with a disappointing loss to the Los Angeles Clippers but have really dominated since. In fact, they've won each of their last two games by at least 23 points apiece, obliterating the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves. What is a concern here is the fact that this is the second half of a back-to-back set. Anthony Davis sat out Sunday's win because of a calf issue but there's some thought he was sitting to be ready here. What was also nice about the blowout is the fact that LeBron James sat out the final 18 minutes of the game. That means he could be ready here and seeing James and AD is a scary thought for any opponent.
These teams played three times last season, with Los Angeles winning two of three. Strangely, the road team prevailed in all three meetings.
The Trail Blazers (1-1) were absolutely shredded by the Utah Jazz in the opener and were lucky to get an overtime win over the Houston Rockets in their most recent game. It's not like that victory was impressive either, with Houston missing half of their roster due to COVID issues. The slow start is really hard to understand after an amazing bubble showing and it's possible they're suffering a bit of a hangover. The guys they really need to get going are their newly-acquired wings. Both Robert Covington and Derrick Jones Jr. have been terrible in their first two games with Portland and it's just a matter of time before these two defensive studs return to the players we all know and love.
The Lakers (2-1) started off the season with a disappointing loss to the Los Angeles Clippers but have really dominated since. In fact, they've won each of their last two games by at least 23 points apiece, obliterating the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves. What is a concern here is the fact that this is the second half of a back-to-back set. Anthony Davis sat out Sunday's win because of a calf issue but there's some thought he was sitting to be ready here. What was also nice about the blowout is the fact that LeBron James sat out the final 18 minutes of the game. That means he could be ready here and seeing James and AD is a scary thought for any opponent.
These teams played three times last season, with Los Angeles winning two of three. Strangely, the road team prevailed in all three meetings.