Preview Roundups
February 25, 2015
Miami at Orlando 7:00 PM ET
Goran Dragic recorded a double-double in the second game with his new team and looks to follow that up when his Miami Heat visit the rejuvenated Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Dragic scored 23 points and dished out 10 assists as the Heat turned back Philadelphia 119-108 on Monday for their third victory in eight games. Miami moved into seventh place in the East with the win and won’t have it easy against the Magic, who have won three straight games for the first time this season.
Dallas at Atlanta 7:30 PM ET
The last time Atlanta played at home it suffered a surprising lopsided loss and picked up a second consecutive defeat for the first time in over three months. The Hawks, who still own an NBA-high 25 home wins, will attempt to regain their dominance at Philips Arena when they welcome the Dallas Mavericks to town Wednesday night. Behind 23 points and 16 rebounds from Paul Millsap, Atlanta notched a 97-86 win at Milwaukee on Sunday to avoid its first three-game skid of the season.
New York at Boston 7:30 PM ET
Boston Celtics fans will get their first look at their newest addition – Isaiah Thomas - when the Celtics return from a three-game road trip to play the visiting New York Knicks on Wednesday. Thomas, acquired at the trade deadline, has 42 points and 10 assists in his first two games with the Celtics. The 5-9 lefthander averaged 15.2 points in 25.7 minutes for the fast-paced Phoenix Suns this season after scoring 20.3 points a night for Sacramento last season.
Charlotte at Chicago 8:00 PM ET
The Chicago Bulls will try to continue their surge when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, but they won't have star point guard Derrick Rose. The Bulls have won two straight and six of seven, but they announced late Tuesday that Rose needs surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. The Hornets have slipped out of the top eight in the East with five straight losses, but they're only a game behind eighth-place Brooklyn and 1 1/2 back of seventh-place Miami.
L.A. Clippers at Houston 8:00 PM ET
The Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers have made dramatic upgrades to their rosters in recent years, but it’s the Clippers who still have Houston’s number heading into their matchup Wednesday night. They’ve won six straight and nine of the last 10 against the Rockets, most recently on Feb. 11 in Los Angeles, as the Clippers held NBA-leading James Harden to nine points in the 110-95 victory. Harden is coming off his second triple-double of the season and Houston has won two straight.
Philadelphia at Milwaukee 8:00 PM ET
The Milwaukee Bucks look to get back on track when they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. The Bucks fell 87-71 to the Chicago Bulls on Monday to drop back-to-back games after winning nine of their previous 10, and hope to avoid losing three in a row for the first time since early December. Milwaukee returns home, where it has won seven of its last eight contests as it aims to continue its recent dominance over the 76ers by beating them for the fifth straight time.
Washington at Minnesota 8:00 PM ET
The Washington Wizards are looking for any kind of spark to get them back to where they were a month ago. They will try to find it on the road while they attempt to stop a four-game slide at the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. The Timberwolves know all about long losing streaks but will have plenty of energy with the expected return of Kevin Garnett to the lineup against the Wizards.
Brooklyn at New Orleans 8:00 PM ET
Regardless of who is on the floor, New Orleans is playing like it really wants to continue its playoff push. The shorthanded Pelicans, coming off perhaps their finest victory of the season, aim for a third straight win Wednesday when they host Brooklyn. After picking up a 14-point win at Miami in a game that saw All-Star forward Anthony Davis and key reserve Ryan Anderson leave with early injuries, New Orleans stormed back from 18 points down to stun Toronto 100-97 at home on Monday.
Phoenix at Denver 9:00 PM ET
The Phoenix Suns are in a downward spiral and aiming to post a much-needed victory when they visit the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. Phoenix has dropped five straight games and eight of its last nine during a dissension-based period that included the trades of point guards Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas. A squad that sat in eighth place in the Western Conference has dropped below both the Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans.
L.A. Lakers at Utah 9:00 PM ET
The Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz will be coming off rare victories when they meet Wednesday in Salt Lake City. The Lakers ended a seven-game losing streak with an overtime victory Sunday against the visiting Boston Celtics, giving them two wins in the last six weeks, both in overtime. The Jazz beat the visiting San Antonio Spurs on Monday and will try for their first three-game winning streak in more than a year.
Memphis at Sacramento 10:00 PM ET
The Memphis Grizzlies keep charging up the Western Conference standings and look for their 17th victory in 20 games when they visit the struggling Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. Memphis defeated the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers upon resumption of play after the All-Star break and trails only the Golden State Warriors in the West. Sacramento has lost 14 of 17 games and is adjusting to new coach George Karl.
San Antonio at Portland 10:30 PM ET
The San Antonio Spurs are stumbling through the back half of their rodeo road trip and are suddenly checking the rear-view mirror in the standings. The Spurs will try to snap a three-game slide when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. The Trail Blazers began a stretch of three straight home games against potential Western Conference playoff opponents with a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday and have dropped back-to-back games.