NBA Previews

Joel Embiid gave the Philadelphia 76ers a jolt of energy when they needed it the most. Embiid returned from knee surgery to play his first game in nine weeks and produced 24 points, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals in a 109-105 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. The Sixers (41-35) are likely headed for the play-in portion of the Eastern Conference playoffs but could still be dangerous if Embiid can regain

The Milwaukee Bucks will look to avenge an upset loss from earlier this season when they face the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Milwaukee (47-28) came up short in the nation’s capital against the then-14-win Washington Wizards, falling 117-113. Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded a triple-double by collecting 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Khris Middleton added 24 points, nine boards and six assists in the setback. “It’s a disappointing loss. Not much more

Continuing their push toward the postseason, the Los Angeles Lakers will look to close a successful road swing on Wednesday night when they visit the Washington Wizards. The matchup will be the second leg of back-to-back sets for both Los Angeles (43-33) and Washington (15-61), with each team coming off a win on Tuesday. The Lakers improved to 4-1 on their six-game road trip with a 128-111 defeat of Toronto. The win was the seventh

Two teams desperately trying to avoid falling into play-in territory in their respective conferences go head-to-head Wednesday night when the Orlando Magic visit the New Orleans Pelicans. Both the Magic (44-31) in the East and Pelicans (45-30) in the West reside in the top six of the standings, but a run of losses in a road-heavy season-ending schedule could change that. Orlando seemingly has righted itself with two consecutive victories following three losses in a

The Atlanta Hawks, who have won five of their past six games, continue their push for the playoffs Wednesday when they host the Detroit Pistons. The Hawks (35-40) are the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference. They could catch No. 9 Chicago, which is a half-game ahead, with a win over the Pistons. Since the Bulls won the season series, they have the tiebreaker, meaning the Hawks need to finish the season with one

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets each will seek an important late-season victory when they tip off Tuesday night in Minneapolis. Minnesota (51-23) is coming off a 109-101 loss at home against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night. The defeat dropped the Timberwolves to third place in the Western Conference entering Monday, but they still have time to chase the top spot with eight games to play. Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards said he and his

Don’t expect to see Joel Embiid on the court Tuesday. The Philadelphia 76ers star, who hasn’t played since Jan. 30 after undergoing left meniscus surgery, has been ruled out for Tuesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Philadelphia. Embiid’s return, however, looks to be coming soon. Before Embiid was listed as out on the injury report, ESPN and others reported Embiid was closing in on a return and could play this week. Embiid could

The New York Knicks will be in search of a season sweep of the host Miami Heat when the postseason contenders meet Tuesday. The Knicks (44-30) got the best of the Heat in a pair of home games this season, 100-98 on Nov. 24 and 125-109 on Jan. 27 in the rematch. Miami (41-33) is in seventh place in the Eastern Conference and in possession of a spot in the play-in tournament with an eye

After consecutive defeats, Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers kept the defensive strategy unchanged and his trust led to a victory in advance of a visit to the Washington Wizards on Tuesday. The Bucks had dropped back-to-back games to the Los Angeles Lakers at home and the New Orleans Pelicans on the road before getting the best of the host Atlanta Hawks in a 122-113 victory on Saturday. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for the Bucks