NBA Previews

The Atlanta Hawks will try to get their high-powered offense in gear again on Tuesday vs. the visiting Los Angeles Lakers, a team that has had plenty of problems lately when it comes to stopping the opposition. The Hawks are tied for fourth in the NBA with an average of 120.2 points per game. The Lakers rank 19th in the league in defense, giving up 117.2 points per contest, but have allowed an average of

The Chicago Bulls look to continue their recent strong play at home on Tuesday night when they face the reeling Toronto Raptors. The Bulls won 10 of their last 14 home games before their just-concluded three-game road trip. They fell short in the first two stops before posting a 104-96 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. “At the end of the road trip, it’s tough,” Chicago coach Billy Donovan said. “We had an

For the second time in as many nights, the Orlando Magic will try to pick up a win at the expense of one of the NBA’s hottest scorers. Orlando tips off a five-game road swing with Monday’s contest against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. Paolo Banchero’s 26 points led five Magic scorers in double-digit scoring, and seven with at least nine points, en route to a 113-98 win over Phoenix on Sunday. In each

There’s no telling whether 76ers star Joel Embiid will be on the floor when Philadelphia visits the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night. Embiid missed Saturday’s 111-105 road loss to the Denver Nuggets due to left knee soreness. That drew the ire of Nuggets coach Michael Malone because Embiid wasn’t listed on Philadelphia’s injury report. Embiid is on the list now with the 76ers reporting him as questionable to play against the Trail Blazers. He

The Memphis Grizzlies go from one offensive powerhouse to another when they host the Sacramento Kings on Monday on the second night of a back-to-back. Making an overnight trip to Indiana, the Grizzlies had the high-powered Pacers bottled up for a half on Sunday, holding the hosts to 51 points while taking a two-point lead. But Indiana exploded for 41 third-quarter points and, while failing to reach its season average, held on for a 116-110

The Miami Heat have lost six straight games — their longest skid since March 2021. On Monday night, the Heat will set out to break their slump against the visiting Phoenix Suns, who have lost two straight games after winning seven in a row. Miami is coming off a 125-109 loss at the New York Knicks on Saturday afternoon. In that game, Miami trailed by just three points entering the fourth quarter, but the Knicks

The Boston Celtics are coming off one of their worst shooting performances of the season and will try to avoid a third straight home loss when they face the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night. Boston shot 36 percent from the floor in its 115-96 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday. The Celtics missed their first 10 3-point attempts and finished the game 10-of-40 from behind the 3-point arc. The Clippers used a

Two of the hottest teams in the NBA will go head-to-head when the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday. Cleveland has won nine of its past 10 games, while the Clippers have captured five in a row and 13 of 15 since Christmas. The Cavaliers are coming off a win against one of the few teams ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings, pulling off a 112-100 victory against the host

The New York Knicks seemed to have encountered some turbulence during their best stretch of the season. Knicks star forward Julius Randle suffered a dislocated right shoulder on Saturday against the Miami Heat and will undergo an MRI, according to multiple reports. Randle, who is averaging 24 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, likely will be unavailable for the Knicks against the host Charlotte Hornets on Monday. “He’s a guy that plays through things and