NBA Previews

The key contributors tend to be evolving and rotating for the Charlotte Hornets. As long as at least a player or two are able to come through, the Hornets figure to have a chance against the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday at Charlotte, N.C. The Timberwolves will arrive on a roll with a three-game winning streak and victories in six of their last seven games. They’ve had a variety of players come to the forefront.

When the Clippers and Golden State Warriors met on Thursday, Los Angeles had no answer for Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson down the stretch. The Clippers were within seven early in the fourth quarter before Curry and Thompson took over, combining for 21 points over the final 9:53 to lead Golden State to a 120-114 victory. Los Angeles will attempt to prevent the star duo from taking over again when it hosts the Warriors in

The arrival of Victor Wembanyama to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2023 NBA Draft was reminiscent of Zion Williamson’s arrival with the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2019 draft. Both players were considered rare prospects, and their entrance into the NBA was greeted with exceptional anticipation. The two former No. 1 overall picks are scheduled to face each other for the first time when the Spurs visit the Pelicans on Friday night. Both teams

The Toronto Raptors aim to build on an impressive win over the surging Phoenix Suns when they continue their three-game homestand Friday night against the New York Knicks. The Raptors ended the Suns’ seven-game winning streak Wednesday night with a 112-105 victory after Toronto took a 115-103 loss against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday in New York. “This is a group of people … they don’t quit,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “They want to

The Phoenix Suns may be without star guard Devin Booker when they attempt to take down the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Friday night. Booker sprained his right ankle in the third quarter of Wednesday’s 112-105 road loss against the Toronto Raptors. He went back into the contest after the injury and was visibly limited. He scored a season-low eight points on 2-of-12 shooting in 33 minutes. Booker indicated afterward that he might not

Luka Doncic will try to continue his torrid play on Friday night when the Dallas Mavericks host the Memphis Grizzlies. Doncic collected 41 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in the Mavericks’ 121-115 win over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday. The four-time All-Star highlighted that performance with a desperation running hook shot with 1:03 left that gave Dallas a 115-108 lead. Tuesday’s effort came while Doncic sported a wrap on his left thumb to protect

These are heady times for the Orlando Magic, who can match the franchise record for most consecutive wins when they face the visiting Washington Wizards on Friday. Orlando is seeking its ninth straight win after beating Washington 139-120 on Wednesday. Franz Wagner scored a season-high 31 points in the victory, while Jalen Suggs added a season-high 22. Orlando’s dominant performance included season highs in field goal percentage (60.7 percent), 3-point percentage (63 percent) and assists

The key question entering Friday night’s matchup between the visiting Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics involves Philadelphia center Joel Embiid, who was scratched from Wednesday’s loss to New Orleans because of an illness. Will Embiid play against Boston? And if he does play, how effective will he be? Embiid has appeared in 16 of Philadelphia’s 18 games this season and is averaging 32.0 points, 11.3 rebounds and 6.6 assists per contest. The 76ers are

Two teams coming off vastly different finishes in Sacramento over the past 48 hours will meet for the first time this season when the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors play in San Francisco on Thursday night. The Clippers will be riding the momentum of a Wednesday win in Sacramento, while the Warriors will enjoy the advantage of having had a day off following a loss in the California capital on Tuesday. Golden State