NBA Previews

An uneven four games saw the Milwaukee Bucks struggle immensely on defense, and following a blowout in Toronto, players suggested a change in defensive strategy to new coach Adrian Griffin. Coming off their best defensive showing under Griffin, the Bucks will attempt to produce another stout performance Monday night when they visit the Brooklyn Nets. Milwaukee allowed its first four opponents to average 122 points and gave up at least 50 percent shooting in three

The Los Angeles Lakers continue a four-game road swing Monday, visiting a host Miami Heat team fresh off snapping an early-season skid. Tyler Herro came one assist away from his second career triple-double Friday, with 24 points and 10 rebounds in Miami’s 121-114 victory over Washington. “He’s made himself more dynamic to the point where if you blitz him, he makes a crosscourt pass,” Bam Adebayo said of Herro. “He’s really improved on looking off

The Philadelphia 76ers dropped a gut-wrenching season opener by one point on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks. Philadelphia hasn’t lost since. The Sixers will try to land their fifth consecutive victory when they host the Washington Wizards on Monday. Following the blockbuster trade of James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers, the Sixers have been moving the ball much more than in Harden’s ball-dominant style. The Sixers defeated the Phoenix Suns 112-100 on Saturday

The Charlotte Hornets are fresh off a victory because of a defensive stop on the game’s final possession. They’ll likely need more of that kind of defense against the host Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night. The Mavericks are coming off their first loss of the season, returning home from Denver following a 125-114 setback Friday night. Dallas won its first four games of the regular season — three by single-digit margins. The status of Mavericks

The Phoenix Suns on Sunday will be facing their former coach’s current team for the first time this season, but they’re more concerned about getting their health and collecting a much-needed win when they visit the Detroit Pistons. Monty Williams was fired by Phoenix after last season, and Pistons owner Tom Gores coaxed him into coaching his team with a record-breaking six-year, $78.5 million contract. The teams matched up in the preseason but this time,

All the numbers seem to favor the Golden State Warriors as they look to remain unbeaten on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night. The Warriors opened In-Season Tournament play with an action-packed, 141-139 road win Friday night over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State’s fourth straight triumph away from home this season. The Warriors won just 11 road games all of last year. One of those wins came at Cleveland, a 120-114

The Nuggets historically are dominant at home, including last season, when they went 34-7 in the regular season and 10-1 in the playoffs in Denver. One team that got them on their court was the Chicago Bulls, who came to Denver on March 8 and beat the Nuggets 117-96. That was eight months and an offseason ago, but Denver might be looking for some payback when it hosts the Bulls on Saturday night. Both teams

When the Boston Celtics return to the floor on Saturday night, the intrigue will revolve around how their offense follows one of the most historic showings in team history, a 155-point night. Boston will oppose the Brooklyn Nets in New York. Riding a three-game winning streak, the Nets are hoping their defense can make enough plays to stop the unbeaten Celtics from putting up more big offensive numbers. The Celtics are 4-0 for the first

Slow starts have been a recurring theme for the Charlotte Hornets, who have lost three straight following a season-opening victory over the Atlanta Hawks. The Hornets will look to reverse the trend when they face the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night in Indianapolis. Indiana snapped a two-game losing streak with a 121-116 win over the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday in their first game of the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament. Charlotte returns to action for