NBA Previews

Two teams that hope to have beefed-up supporting casts square off Saturday night when the Phoenix Suns visit the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco. Both teams have won three in a row, but each has even more reason for optimism as they could be getting reinforcements in the clubs’ fourth and final meeting of the regular season. Phoenix won the first three matchups, but by just a total of 15 points as the Suns’

After laying an egg upon their return from a mammoth seven-game road trip, the Los Angeles Clippers are out to get back on track when they face the visiting Detroit Pistons on Saturday afternoon. The Clippers were an impressive 6-1 on a trip through the Eastern Conference but dropped a 117-106 decision to the New Orleans Pelicans at home Wednesday. Despite the defeat, Los Angeles is 26-6 since the start of December and has lost

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks were tied together at the NBA trade deadline after both made deals with the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday to bolster their playoff hopes. Then the Thunder helped facilitate another Mavericks deal with the Washington Wizards, acquiring a draft pick swap down the road. On Saturday, the Mavericks and Thunder square off in Dallas. Dallas came into the trade deadline wanting to add size and frontcourt depth, and the

Domantas Sabonis and Nikola Jokic go head-to-head with leadership of the NBA’s triple-double race at stake when the Sacramento Kings host the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. Jokic had a triple-double with 36 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists when the Nuggets lost 123-117 at Sacramento on Dec. 2 in the clubs’ only previous meeting this season. Sabonis countered with 17 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in the win. The Kings prevailed mostly thanks

The rejuvenated New Orleans Pelicans are on a four-game winning streak entering a Friday road clash against the Los Angeles Lakers, after neither team made a move at the Thursday trade deadline. Five of the Pelicans’ seven highest-scoring games this season have come since Jan. 7, but it was defense that carried them past the Los Angeles Clippers in a 117-106 road victory on Wednesday. The Pelicans harassed Clippers All-Star Paul George into a seven-point

The Milwaukee Bucks, who are trying to reverse a rough trend, will host a team in a worst stretch on Friday. After losing five of their last six games, the Bucks will oppose the Charlotte Hornets, who have lost nine in a row. “You go through this,” Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said. “Hopefully, we’ll be better (Friday) and hopefully we get guys back.” The Bucks lost 129-105 to the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night

The Portland Trail Blazers were showing signs of improvement until running into the defending champion Denver Nuggets for back-to-back games. The Trail Blazers will aim to bounce back from those games — road setbacks — when they open a seven-game homestand Thursday night against the Detroit Pistons. Portland went 5-4 during the final nine games of January, a stretch that included consecutive victories over the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks. The new month began in

The Orlando Magic will look to sweep the two-game season series from the reeling San Antonio Spurs when the teams square off on Thursday in Central Florida. The Magic rolled to a 108-98 road win over the Spurs on Jan. 31. Orlando heads into the Thursday game after a 121-95 loss at Miami on Tuesday that snapped the Magic’s three-game winning streak and finished off a 3-2 road trip. Paolo Banchero scored 23 points to

The Golden State Warriors hope to turn a good trip into a great one Thursday night when they face the rested Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis. The Warriors improved to 3-1 on their five-game trek on Wednesday, spreading the scoring wealth among all 13 players in uniform in a 127-104 shellacking of the host Philadelphia 76ers. Taking advantage of the absence of 76ers star Joel Embiid, the Warriors outscored the hosts 76-46 in the middle two