Kawhi Leonard will look to build on his cautious season debut when the Los Angeles Clippers face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night in Minneapolis. Leonard made his first appearance of the season in a 131-105 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, scoring 12 points in 19 minutes. Clippers coach Tyronn Lue plans to continue easing Leonard back into action as he recovers from a right knee injury. The Clippers are banking on Leonard’s steady progression to complement the team’s already potent offense led by Norman Powell (23.5 points per game), James Harden (21.5), and Ivica Zubac (15.0). Minnesota enters the matchup with a 2-0 record against the Clippers this season but is battling inconsistency. The Timberwolves have lost three consecutive

The Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks, both struggling through slumps, face off Monday in Memphis with depleted rosters exacerbating their challenges. Memphis has lost two straight games while navigating a slew of injuries. Star guard Ja Morant remains day-to-day with a Grade 1 AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, having missed 16 games this season due to various ailments. When healthy, Morant averages 21.2 points and 7.9 assists. The Grizzlies are also without key contributors Marcus Smart and Santi Aldama. Dallas, in the midst of a four-game losing streak, is dealing with the prolonged absence of Luka Doncic, sidelined with a left calf injury sustained on Christmas Day. Doncic is expected to miss at least three more weeks. Kyrie

The Chicago Bulls are coming off a weekend filled with nostalgia and inspiration, as they honored former MVP Derrick Rose in a ceremony on Saturday night. That energy carried over to the court, where the Bulls used a dominant third quarter to rally past the New York Knicks, 139-126. The ceremony celebrating Rose, a Chicago legend, clearly impacted the Bulls’ performance. The Bulls now turn their focus to Monday’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, as they seek their third straight victory. San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, the top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, celebrated his 21st birthday with a double-double performance of 20 points and 23 rebounds in a hard-fought game against the Denver Nuggets. However, the Spurs faltered

The Milwaukee Bucks, fresh off their NBA Cup victory in Las Vegas, are looking to rediscover their rhythm as they face the Toronto Raptors on Monday night in Toronto. Since defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81 to clinch the NBA Cup on Dec. 17, the Bucks (3-5 in their last eight games) have struggled to regain their championship form. Their recent woes include a 105-102 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, which followed a narrow 113-110 defeat to the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday. Bucks coach Doc Rivers echoed Antetokounmpo’s concerns, highlighting issues on both ends of the floor. The Raptors (1-12 in their past 13 games) are also navigating a difficult stretch. Their 106-97 home loss to the