NBA Previews

The Memphis Grizzlies won their last two contests to salvage a split of their just-completed four-game road trip. The Grizzlies will look to continue their recent good fortune and notch a rare victory at home on Friday when they host the skidding Orlando Magic. The Grizzlies actually won their last game in front of their home fans with a 116-107 triumph versus the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 15. Vince Williams Jr. scored 24 points

The Los Angeles Clippers will take aim at their fourth consecutive victory Friday night when they open a seven-game road trip against the Toronto Raptors. The Clippers have won 11 of their past 13 games and are 20-4 since the start of December to signal they will be a formidable opponent for the revamped Raptors, who have lost three straight and eight of their past 10. The Clippers defeated the Raptors 126-120 at Los Angeles

The Milwaukee Bucks will once again host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night for the second consecutive game with an opportunity to win the season series. The Bucks took down the Cavs 126-116 on Wednesday night in their first game after dismissing head coach Adrian Griffin. Assistant Joe Prunty served as interim head coach. Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered his second consecutive triple-double and seventh of the season, finishing with 35 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists.

There is plenty of misery to go around for the Houston Rockets and Charlotte Hornets. One of them should find at least some temporary satisfaction when they meet Friday at Charlotte, N.C. The Hornets have split their past four games, falling 113-106 to the lowly Pistons on Wednesday night at Detroit. Still, that equals the Hornets’ best four-game stretch of the season. They have won back-to-back games just once. The Rockets are 20-23 yet are

The Dallas Mavericks hit the road to face the Atlanta Hawks on Friday in a matchup in which each team is on a three-game losing streak and could be missing one of its star players. Dallas could be without Kyrie Irving, while Atlanta might be missing Trae Young. Irving, who averages 25.2 points, 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds for the Mavericks, sprained his right thumb in a loss to the Boston Celtics on Monday. He

The Miami Heat will attempt to end a four-game losing streak when they face the visiting Boston Celtics on Thursday in a matchup between teams that met in last year’s Eastern Conference finals. Miami took a 105-96 home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. It was the Heat’s first game since they traded Kyle Lowry to the Charlotte Hornets for Terry Rozier, who spent his first four NBA seasons with the Celtics. Rozier shot

Karl-Anthony Towns scored a Timberwolves franchise-record 62 points on Monday, but his production on the offensive end was an afterthought because of Minnesota coach Chris Finch’s disgust about his team’s defense. Two nights later, the Timberwolves did enough on both ends to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season. Now they face a quick turnaround Thursday night when they face the reeling Brooklyn Nets in New York. The Timberwolves are allowing a league-low

After a rough stretch for both teams, either the visiting Utah Jazz or the Washington Wizards will snap a cold streak when they play in the nation’s capital on Thursday night. The Wizards lost their fifth consecutive game when the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves beat them 118-107 on Wednesday night. It was Washington’s 11th defeat in 12 games. The Jazz, meanwhile, have dropped three straight outings since reeling off six victories in a row. Utah was

OG Anunoby’s arrival has provided an immediate spark for the New York Knicks, who are 10-2 since the dynamic wing arrived in a five-player trade Dec. 30 from the Toronto Raptors. The Knicks have won four straight heading into Thursday’s matchup against the visiting Denver Nuggets. Anunoby’s arrival has created more scoring opportunities for Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, who combined for 60 points in a 108-103 comeback win Tuesday over the Brooklyn Nets. “It