NBA Previews

The Celtics lost more than a game when they dropped a 113-96 decision to the Orlando Magic on Friday. Boston lost center Kristaps Porzingis for an unspecified period of time as well. The Celtics announced Saturday that Porzingis won’t play in Sunday night’s home game against Atlanta because of a calf strain. Porzingis left Friday’s loss midway through the third quarter with what the Celtics described as “left calf tightness” and he did not return

The Memphis Grizzlies try to snap a three-game losing skid on Sunday when they welcome the Minnesota Timberwolves for a Western Conference matchup. Minnesota arrives a winner in 10 of its past 12, though it dropped its most recent decision in a 124-111 loss on Friday vs. Sacramento. Anthony Edwards scored 35 points for his second consecutive game of 30-plus points. He finished with 31 in a win over Philadelphia on Wednesday. Karl-Anthony Towns posted

After recording back-to-back impressive wins, the visiting Charlotte Hornets look to carry the momentum into a tough matchup against the streaking Orlando Magic on Sunday. Orlando brings a six-game winning streak into the contest following a 113-96 victory over the Boston Celtics on Friday. At 11-5, Orlando is off to its best start since 2011-12. Charlotte struggled early this season without suspended star Miles Bridges, but the past two games have provided a glimpse of

The Phoenix Suns will take the court Sunday night two days removed from keeping alive their hopes of advancing beyond group play in the NBA in-season tournament. Stunningly, so will the New York Knicks. The Knicks will look to build on a dramatic comeback win when they host the Suns in the first game of the season between the teams. Both teams were off Saturday after earning pivotal wins Friday. The visiting Suns completed West

Damian Lillard will be up against an awfully familiar foe when the Milwaukee Bucks face the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday afternoon. Lillard spent the first 11 seasons of his career with Portland, appearing in 769 games before being shipped to Milwaukee in late September as part of a three-team deal that shook up the NBA landscape. The Trail Blazers received Jrue Holiday, a 2029 first-round pick and two first-round pick swaps (2028, 2030)

The Dallas Mavericks appear to have figured out how their stars can thrive in a winning environment. The Los Angeles Clippers still are searching for a similar formula. The two star-laden teams meet on Saturday with the Mavericks seeking a sweep of their two-game Los Angeles road trip. Dallas withstood a fourth-quarter charge from the Los Angeles Lakers to win 104-101 on Wednesday. Luka Doncic scored 30 and Kyrie Irving added 28 in the victory.

The New Orleans Pelicans won’t have much rest entering Saturday night’s game against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City, but they do have plenty of momentum. The Jazz are the opposite. They’ve been struggling and have had plenty of time to think about it. While the Pelicans picked up a 116-106 road win over the Los Angeles Clippers late Friday night, Utah rested at home after not playing since a rough 121-105 loss Wednesday

The Washington Wizards will return home for the second leg of a weekend back-to-back, looking to snap an eight-game losing streak when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night. Washington continued its skid with a 131-128 loss Friday in an NBA in-season tournament matchup at Milwaukee. Four Wizards scored at least 20 points: Jordan Poole with a team-high 26, Kyle Kuzma and Tyus Jones each with 22, and Corey Kispert with 20 off the

The Miami Heat are off to a 10-6 start, but their record might be better if not for a few blown leads of late. Coming off a second 21-point collapse in less than a week, the Heat will conclude a five-game trip Saturday evening with a visit to the Brooklyn Nets. Miami will play in its league-leading 12th road game and is 6-5 so far. Two of the five losses were meltdowns of varying degrees