NBA Previews

Two weeks after they were on the wrong end of a controversial call, the New York Knicks might have avoided their worst loss of the season thanks to a similarly contentious sequence. The Knicks will look to build off a frantic last-second victory when they conclude a back-to-back home set Tuesday night by hosting the New Orleans Pelicans. Josh Hart capped a chaotic possession by converting a layup with 2.1 seconds left Monday night to

The Orlando Magic were monitoring the status of two key players ahead of their matchup against the visiting Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday. Paolo Banchero (illness) and Jonathan Isaac (left knee strain) were both listed as questionable to face Brooklyn, which snapped a four-game losing streak with a 111-86 win over the host Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. Banchero missed a game for the first time this season on Sunday, when Orlando committed 20 turnovers in a

The Chicago Bulls didn’t envision themselves jockeying for position in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. Of course, the Bulls didn’t foresee encountering so many injuries, either. Still, that’s where Chicago stands entering Tuesday’s home game against the Detroit Pistons. After closing out a tight victory in New Orleans on Sunday, the Bulls will try to earn consecutive wins for the second time this month. “It’s always easy when you have any type of adversity to

Jordan Poole gets a rematch with his former team, this one at his new home, when the Washington Wizards host the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. The Wizards have lost 11 in a row, but they were nine minutes from surprising the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday before seeing a six-point lead turn into a 114-105 defeat. Poole’s 3-pointer — his sixth of the game — gave Washington its 94-88 advantage before the Wizards missed

The Cleveland Cavaliers snapped a modest two-game skid in their last outing, but their performance wasn’t received with open arms by coach J.B. Bickerstaff. The Cavaliers will look for a better showing on Tuesday night when they host Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks. Cleveland squandered an 11-point lead in the third quarter and overcame a six-point deficit in the fourth of a 114-105 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday. “I thought

The Miami Heat seek a fourth straight win in a third different time zone but will have to do so without at least two key players on Monday when they visit the Sacramento Kings. Heat star Jimmy Butler was one of five players suspended by the NBA after having been involved in a skirmish during Friday’s 106-95 road win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Miami’s Thomas Bryant and New Orleans’ Jose Alvarado got the harshest

Through two games under interim coach Kevin Ollie, fourth quarters and fast-break points are among the numerous trouble spots for the Brooklyn Nets. Fading from the play-in race in the Eastern Conference, the Nets attempt to correct both areas, show some improvement on offense and stop their latest losing streak at four games in Monday’s visit to the struggling Memphis Grizzlies. Ollie’s first two games as an NBA coach are a 121-93 loss at Toronto

The banged-up New York Knicks go from one extreme to the other during the first two games of their homestand. After league-leading Boston defeated the Knicks for the fourth time this season on Saturday, New York hosts the league’s worst team, the eight-win Detroit Pistons, on Monday night. The Knicks have lost six of their past eight games, but it’s been a long time since the Pistons defeated them. The Knicks have won the past

The Orlando Magic will try to complete a three-game road sweep on Sunday night when they visit the Atlanta Hawks, who will be without star guard Trae Young due to an injury to his left pinkie finger. Orlando has beaten the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons on the road since the All-Star break. They will return home Tuesday against the Brooklyn Nets to start a three-game homestand. The Magic can expect resistance from the Hawks,