NBA Previews

It may have been too early to call Friday’s Atlanta Hawks win over the Toronto Raptors a must-win, but it was much needed. A 125-104 winner in Toronto, the Hawks look to make it two straight when they travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers on Saturday. Atlanta’s victory snapped a season-high, five-game losing streak as Trae Young poured in 38 points and added 11 assists. “We’re not satisfied with how we’ve been playing,”

The Milwaukee Bucks will aim for their third consecutive win and eighth in 10 games on Saturday when they host a Detroit Pistons team mired in a franchise-record, 22-game losing streak. Detroit’s woes lengthened Friday in the first leg of a weekend back-to-back. The Philadelphia 76ers went wire-to-wire in a 124-92 rout as the Pistons surpassed the franchise-worst skid of 21 games set late in the 1979-80 season and early in the 1980-81 season. The

The Houston Rockets get an opportunity to record the league’s first hat trick over the Grizzlies when the clubs meet for a third time Friday night in Memphis. The Rockets followed up on a 111-91 home romp over the Grizzlies on Nov. 22 with a 117-104 victory Wednesday night in another meeting in Houston. Former Grizzlies defensive ace Dillon Brooks contributed 13 and 11 points in the wins. As the Grizzlies await Ja Morant’s 25-game

The visiting Atlanta Hawks will be out to gain a split of their two-game series with the Toronto Raptors on Friday and end their five-game losing streak. Toronto halted its own four-game losing streak Wednesday night with a 135-128 victory over Atlanta in the series opener. The Raptors, not known for their ability to hit from long range, shot 52.9 percent from 3-point range (18 of 34). Atlanta made it close when Bogdan Bogdanovic sank

The San Antonio Spurs will not only get a second chance in three days to earn a victory over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers, they get another opportunity Friday to put an end to their franchise-record losing streak. The Lakers barely escaped with a 122-119 win over the Spurs on Wednesday, needing to make clutch free throws in the final minute to hold off San Antonio. The Spurs have dropped 18 straight games, last coming

The Indiana Pacers continue a lengthy road trip Friday night when they visit the Washington Wizards. Indiana played its fourth straight game away from Indianapolis — including its NBA in-season tournament games in Las Vegas — with a 140-126 loss at Milwaukee on Wednesday. The Pacers surrendered a Bucks’ franchise-record 64 points to Giannis Antetokounmpo in the loss, which marked the fourth time this season that Indiana has allowed at least 140 points in game.

The New Orleans Pelicans might be hitting their stride, especially on offense. That could mean trouble for the Charlotte Hornets when the teams meet Friday night in Charlotte, N.C. The Pelicans racked up their biggest point total of the season in a 142-122 road victory against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night. “You got shooting,” New Orleans coach Willie Green said. “You got guys who can attack the basket. It can stagnate teams. Now (with

The Philadelphia 76ers will have another chance to send the Detroit Pistons toward a record-setting NBA losing streak. The Sixers defeated the Pistons 129-111 Wednesday night and will complete the home-and-home matchup Friday night in Philadelphia. Detroit suffered its franchise-record-tying 21st loss in a row on Wednesday; the NBA single-season skid mark is 26 by both the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2010-11 season and the 76ers in 2013-14. Reigning league Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid

Lauri Markkanen returned to the Utah Jazz’s lineup on Wednesday and gave the team an immediate jolt. His contributions fueled a win and now the Jazz will look to record back-to-back victories for just the third time this season when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night. Markkanen missed eight straight games due to a left hamstring injury, and he was limited to 24-plus minutes in Utah’s 117-113 victory over the New York