NBA Previews

For lengthy stretches against the Boston Celtics on Sunday, the Houston Rockets appeared to simply not have enough — a legitimate deduction considering the injury attrition of their rotation. Despite missing four key cogs, including starters Fred VanVleet and Jabari Smith Jr., the Rockets shaved a 17-point deficit to three points in the fourth quarter before ultimately succumbing to the Celtics 116-107 in the second game of a back-to-back. It was the sixth loss in

The Phoenix Suns are hitting their stride and the club’s Big Three are leading the way. Suddenly hot Phoenix aims to post its sixth consecutive victory when it hosts the Chicago Bulls on Monday night. Outside of a seven-game winning streak in November, the Suns have been an inconsistent squad falling short of expectations. But with Bradley Beal now healthy, the trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Beal are clicking and the wins are

It’ll be a well-rested Dallas Mavericks team that takes the floor against the visiting Boston Celtics on Monday night. Dallas hasn’t played since dropping a 127-110 decision to the Los Angeles Lakers on the road on Wednesday night. The Mavericks were scheduled to play at Golden State on Friday, but that game was postponed following the death of Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic. Boston, meanwhile, will be playing its second game in as many nights.

The red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers seek their eighth consecutive win when they visit the Orlando Magic on Monday. Cleveland extended its longest winning streak of the season on Saturday with a 116-95 rout of Atlanta, the first of four straight road games for the Cavaliers. The win also marked the third straight in which Cleveland held its opponent to fewer than 100 points, and the fourth time amid the current winning streak. Each of the Cavaliers’

The Philadelphia 76ers will look for their sixth consecutive victory when they host the struggling San Antonio Spurs on Monday. Reigning Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid had 33 points and 10 rebounds in the Sixers’ 97-89 victory Saturday over the Charlotte Hornets. It was the 20th straight game that Embiid produced at least 30 points. The Sixers finished the first half of the season at 28-13, and that’s with Embiid missing 10 games. From here,

The Detroit Pistons kept it close against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. If the Pistons want to get a rare victory over the Bucks, however, they’ll have to figure out how to stop Damian Lillard and keep Milwaukee’s stars off the free-throw line on Monday in the second half of a back-to-back between the teams. Lillard scored a season-high 45 points as the visiting Bucks defeated the Pistons 141-135 on Saturday in Detroit, also the

By the time overtime commenced on Saturday, the Houston Rockets’ Cam Whitmore didn’t seem to have much left in the tank. But forgive him, because what Whitmore and fellow rookie Amen Thompson contributed before the extra period played a role in why there was overtime at all. With Whitmore and Thompson making timely plays on both ends, the Rockets held off the Utah Jazz 127-126 in the first of back-to-back games, with the Boston Celtics

The Denver Nuggets beat the team with the best record in the NBA on Friday night and now will face a team trying to stay out of the league’s cellar. Denver handed the Boston Celtics their first home loss of the season, 102-100, on Friday night in a game that had a playoff feel, but the Nuggets have to quickly turn the page to face the host Washington Wizards on Sunday evening. It will be

The Miami Heat and Orlando Magic will aim to end their respective two-game losing skids at the other’s expense on Sunday when the Sunshine State rivals meet in Orlando, Fla. Atlanta’s Dejounte Murray had a hand in a loss for both teams. Murray drained a 17-foot jumper as time expired to give the Hawks a 106-104 win over Orlando on Wednesday. He then sank a 3-pointer with two seconds left in a 109-108 victory over