NBA Previews

Ascending in the standings on the strength of a season-high five-game winning streak, the Cleveland Cavaliers welcome the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night with revenge on their minds. Winners of 10 of their last 13 games overall, the surging Cavaliers owe the Bucks one in return for Milwaukee’s 119-111 victory in Cleveland on Dec. 29. Donovan Mitchell scored 34 points and Jarrett Allen collected 10 points and 14 rebounds in Cleveland’s 109-91 victory over the

Only three teams sit above the resurgent Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference standings. One of those clubs is the Oklahoma City Thunder, who will visit the Clippers on Tuesday. The Clippers faced the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday and came away with a 109-105 defeat in Minneapolis. It was just the second loss in the past 10 games for Los Angeles. Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points against the Timberwolves and Norman Powell

Joel Embiid missed three games with a swollen left knee, then came back as strong as ever on Monday. Embiid had 41 points and 10 rebounds as the host Philadelphia 76ers dispatched the Houston Rockets 124-115. The Sixers host the defending champion Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, which would constitute a back-to-back for the big man should he remain in the lineup. Embiid, who has missed 10 games this season, returned to produce his 17th straight

Bam Adebayo is in the midst of a streak of 20-point, 10-rebound games of his career, and with Jimmy Butler inching closer to returning from a right toe injury, the timing is fortuitous for the Miami Heat. Adebayo will attempt to get a 20-10 double-double for a career-best sixth straight game Monday night when the Heat visit the struggling Brooklyn Nets. Adebayo has at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in five straight games this

It was beginning to look like a lost season when the Utah Jazz were wobbling around and mired in a 7-16 start. Slightly more than a month later, the Jazz are the NBA’s hottest team. Utah aims to stretch its NBA-best winning streak to six games as well as win for the 15th time in 19 games when it hosts the Indiana Pacers on Monday night at Salt Lake City. The Jazz have won eight

The New York Knicks got a glimpse at what life was like without guard Jalen Brunson on Saturday night. Even in victory, they didn’t like what they saw. Brunson may be back in the lineup Monday afternoon, when the Knicks host the Orlando Magic in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee. Both teams were off after playing on the road Saturday, when the Knicks outlasted the depleted Memphis Grizzlies 106-94 and the Magic fell

The New Orleans Pelicans and the Dallas Mavericks were both short-handed Saturday night. The visiting Pelicans overcame the absence of Brandon Ingram (Achilles), CJ McCollum (ankle), Zion Williamson (rest) and Trey Murphy III (knee soreness) in a 118-108 victory against the host Mavericks, who played without Luka Doncic (ankle), Dante Exum (plantar) and Dereck Lively II (ankle). Both teams hope to be closer to full strength when they meet again Monday afternoon in Dallas. New

With reigning Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid still out with a knee issue, Tobias Harris took center stage for the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. He scored a season-best 37 points, two shy of his career high, as the Sixers defeated the Sacramento Kings 112-93. The Sixers, who are 3-7 without Embiid this season, will host the Houston Rockets on Monday afternoon and look to Harris for continued leadership and production. “Like I always say, he

The sweaty sneakers will be on the other feet Sunday night when the host Milwaukee Bucks play on the second night of a back-to-back set against the rested Sacramento Kings. The Bucks took advantage of a fatigued opponent for the second time in three days during their 129-118 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. Milwaukee’s four oldest starters were pressed into 33 or more minutes against the Warriors Giannis Antetokounmpo (33 points), Damian