Former Portland Trail Blazers teammates Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum will meet again on opposite sides when the Milwaukee Bucks visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night. Both teams are playing some of their best basketball of the season, setting up a high-stakes showdown between two surging squads. The Bucks (32-14) head into a six-game road trip riding a four-game winning streak after sweeping a homestand. Milwaukee has won seven of its last eight games, finally looking like the title contender many expected. Giannis emphasized the importance of continued improvement despite the Bucks’ strong stretch. “We’re playing great team ball, we’re competing defensively, we’re playing at a good pace,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’ve been playing good. But it’s not enough.”

The Houston Rockets will look to bounce back from a disappointing loss when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. Despite their recent strong form, Houston struggled against Detroit’s aggressive defense on Monday, while Cleveland dominated Phoenix even without key players. Jalen Green was named Western Conference Player of the Week on Monday, but the Detroit Pistons made sure to slow him down later that night. This performance came after an incredible scoring stretch, where Green: Rockets head coach Ime Udoka acknowledged that opponents will now scheme to slow Green down. Despite the loss, Houston has won six of their last eight games and will look to regain their offensive rhythm against Cleveland. The Cavaliers (30-16) are proving their

The Oklahoma City Thunder, the top team in the Western Conference, aim to extend their home winning streak when they host the Utah Jazz, who sit at the bottom of the conference standings, on Wednesday night. While the Thunder (36-12) have been one of the NBA’s hottest teams, winning 20 of their last 22 games, the Jazz (20-29) have struggled mightily, losing 11 of their last 14. The Thunder have not lost at home since Nov. 17, boasting a 19-2 record at Paycom Center—the second-best home winning percentage in the NBA behind Cleveland. A major X-factor for the Thunder lately has been Isaiah Joe, who has rediscovered his elite three-point shooting touch. Joe had struggled earlier in the season (just

The Charlotte Hornets are suddenly one of the NBA’s hottest teams, riding a season-best three-game winning streak as they head to Memphis to face the surging Grizzlies on Wednesday night. While the Hornets (11-28) struggled early in the season, they’ve found momentum despite losing Brandon Miller to injury. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies (18-22) have won four of their last five and are proving they can win without Ja Morant. The Hornets’ resurgence has been fueled by LaMelo Ball, who has been playing at an All-Star level: Ball’s ability to both score and facilitate has made him one of the most dynamic guards in the league. Head coach Charles Lee credits his star point guard for setting the pace and making his