Preview Roundups
March 01, 2013
Indiana at Toronto 7:00 PM ET
The Indiana Pacers will have little time to recover from a rare home loss when they visit the Toronto Raptors on Friday night. Seeking their second six-game winning streak in a month, the Pacers were thwarted by the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. David West and Paul George combined for 42 points for Indiana, which played without suspended center Roy Hibbert. The big man will return to help out a club that was outscored in the paint by a 50-32 margin.
New York at Washington 7:00 PM ET
The New York Knicks had to overcome a sensational individual performance in their latest victory. New York will face more of a balanced lineup when it visits the Washington Wizards on Friday. The Knicks withstood a 54-point effort by Golden State's Stephen Curry on Wednesday night to win their second straight following a four-game losing streak. New York has dropped four of five on the road, including a 106-96 victory at Washington on Feb. 6 that ended a 10-game win streak against the Wizards.
Houston at Orlando 7:00 PM ET
The Houston Rockets look to avoid their third straight loss to a sub-.500 Eastern Conference team on Friday when they visit the Orlando Magic, who have lost 29 of their last 33 games. Houston holds the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but the Los Angeles Lakers are lurking just 2 1/2 games behind the Rockets heading into their game against Minnesota on Thursday. The Rockets have lost five in a row to Orlando, which is coming off a stretch of six games in nine nights.
Golden State at Boston 7:30 PM ET
The Golden State Warriors are having some trouble on the road against the top of the Eastern Conference, but Stephen Curry has not gotten that memo. The star guard will be looking to follow up a record-setting performance when the Warriors visit the Boston Celtics on Friday. Curry scored an NBA season-high 54 points and buried a franchise-record 11 3-pointers in a 109-105 loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday. The Celtics will be returning home Friday after suffering through a 2-3 road trip.
L.A. Clippers at Cleveland 7:30 PM ET
A two-game road trip to the Midwest has set up nicely for the Los Angeles Clippers, who beat the Indiana Pacers without suspended center Roy Hibbert on Thursday night and may avoid All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving in Friday's matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Irving has missed the past two games with a hyperextended knee and will be a game-time decision. The Cavaliers have won both games without Irving and are 4-1 in their last five to wrap up their first winning month since March 2010
Memphis at Miami 8:00 PM ET
The Memphis Grizzlies and the Miami Heat have combined to win 20 straight games. One of the two longest current winning streaks in the NBA will come to an end on Friday when the Heat host the Grizzlies. Miami has taken 12 straight and is beginning to run away with the Eastern Conference as its defense catches up to LeBron James and the offense. Memphis and its league-best scoring defense has taken eight straight.
Dallas at Brooklyn 8:00 PM ET
The Dallas Mavericks seek to rebound from a horrific collapse when they visit the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. Dallas blew a 25-point, second-quarter lead while falling 90-84 to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. Dallas tallied just five points in the third quarter while losing its third straight game. Brooklyn hopes to get shooting guard Joe Johnson back from a foot injury. Johnson has missed the past three games, including the Nets’ 101-97 win over New Orleans on Tuesday.
Detroit at New Orleans 8:00 PM ET
For the first time all season, the Detroit Pistons are finding success on the road. They have a solid chance to record another win away from home Friday night at New Orleans, which just lost by 45 points at Oklahoma City. The Pistons, who opened the season 1-10 on the road, have won three of their last four away from home after a 96-95 win at Washington on Wednesday that featured some outstanding individual performances.
Sacramento at San Antonio 8:30 PM ET
The San Antonio Spurs look to bounce back from a rare home loss and maintain their narrow lead atop the Western Conference when they host the Sacramento Kings on Friday. Phoenix snapped the Spurs’ 18-game home winning streak on Wednesday when San Antonio missed all 10 of its shots in overtime and the Suns escaped with a 105-101 victory. The defeat left the Spurs one game ahead of Oklahoma City in the loss column for first place in the West.
Charlotte at Utah 9:00 PM ET
The Utah Jazz are saddled with a three-game losing skid as the lowly Charlotte Bobcats arrive in Salt Lake City for Friday’s contest. Utah is in seventh place in the Western Conference and could soon face a threat from the charging Los Angeles Lakers for one of the eight playoff berths. The Jazz have a four-game road trip looming after the home game against the Bobcats and are just 10-19 on the road. The Bobcats have lost four straight games and 12 of their last 14.
Atlanta at Phoenix 9:00 PM ET
The Phoenix Suns earned a shocking victory at the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. They will be looking to follow that up with a third straight win when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. The Suns are tied for the worst record in the Western Conference but somehow ended the NBA-best Spurs’ 18-game home winning streak in overtime. The Hawks have won four straight, including the first three stops on a six-game trip.
Oklahoma City at Denver 10:30 PM ET
The Denver Nuggets began a nine-game home winning streak against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Jan. 20 and look to stretch it 10 when they host Oklahoma City again on Friday. Denver is a formidable 24-3 at home and also is on an offensive roll by averaging 112.4 points over its last 17 games. Oklahoma City has won three straight games and its defense has allowed an average of 73 points over the last two games.