NBA Previews

As a playoff contender seeking the best possible seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers always welcome a matchup with Central Division rival Detroit. The Cavaliers have won the last eight meetings, including three this season. Cleveland will look to extend that streak and secure a four-game season series sweep when they visit Detroit on Friday night. Both teams played at Chicago in their most recent outings but the results were somewhat surprising. The Pistons captured their ninth

Mired in a 12-game losing streak, the Washington Wizards at least will have the advantage of a day of rest when they visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. For the Lakers, it will be the second game in two nights following a furious fourth-quarter rally in a 116-112 victory against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. In dire need of consistency, the Lakers are giving their latest lineup an extended look. Rui Hachimura received

When the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets last met eight months ago, Denver clinched the league championship with a 4-1 series victory in the NBA Finals. According to Miami star Jimmy Butler, that history will be largely irrelevant when the teams square off in Denver on Thursday. “They’re a really good team,” Butler said. “We realize what happened in the Finals against them. We’ve got to let that go. We’re trying to make it there

The Utah Jazz might face another team without its best player when they travel to take on the Orlando Magic on Thursday night. That might not be the advantage it would seem to be, judging by recent performances of both teams. On Tuesday, the Jazz struggled against the Atlanta Hawks as they began a three-game Eastern road trip. Despite not having injured Trae Young, the Hawks jumped to a 12-0 lead and never trailed en

It won’t take much for the rematch between the Milwaukee Bucks and Charlotte Hornets to be more compelling than the first three matchups. The teams will meet for the second time in three nights on Thursday, this time in Charlotte. The Bucks won 123-85 on Tuesday night and that continued a trend in the season series; Milwaukee’s three victories against the Hornets have come by an average of 35 points per beatdown. “When you have

Max Strus has proved to be a perfect fit in his first season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Strus will look to continue to stand out on Wednesday night when the Cavaliers visit the Chicago Bulls. He provided a signature moment with the Cavaliers on Tuesday night. He sank seven 3-pointers against the Dallas Mavericks — including four in a 67-second sequence late in the fourth quarter — and made a 59-foot shot at the buzzer

The Dallas Mavericks will get an immediate opportunity to try to shake off one of the most stunning losses of the NBA season. One night after losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers on a 59-foot shot at the buzzer, the Mavericks continue their road trip with a game against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. P.J. Washington sank a layup to give Dallas a one-point lead with 2.6 seconds remaining in Cleveland. The Cavaliers inbounded the ball,

The New Orleans Pelicans are on a roll on the road. They have won three consecutive road games and six of their past seven away from home. They are 18-12 on the road, which gives them three more road wins than they had all of last season with 11 more to play. The Pelicans, who routed the Knicks 115-92 in New York on Tuesday, will try to keep the momentum going when they face the

The Miami Heat will attempt to remain unbeaten on a six-game road trip when they visit the struggling Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night. The Heat are 4-0 on the excursion after notching a 121-110 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Monday night. The Trail Blazers have dropped eight straight games, matching their worst stretch during a poor season. It is their third streak of at least seven defeats this season. Miami will be playing