Preview Roundups
March 23, 2014
Atlanta at Toronto 1:00 PM ET
Kevin Durant called it one of the craziest NBA games he has ever played - and to the Toronto Raptors, it was one of the most heartbreaking finishes in franchise history. The Raptors will look to bounce back Sunday afternoon as they entertain the Atlanta Hawks. Toronto and Oklahoma City dueled over 58 minutes Friday night, with Durant hitting the back-breaking 3-pointer in the final moments of the second overtime period as the Thunder escaped with a 119-118 win.
Phoenix at Minnesota 3:30 PM ET
The Phoenix Suns continue their pursuit of a possible playoff berth when they begin a three-game road trip at Minnesota on Sunday. Phoenix has won two straight and four of its last five to get within a half-game of Memphis entering Saturday in the race for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but the Suns play nine of their final 13 games on the road, where they are 8-11 against teams from the West.
Washington at Denver 5:00 PM ET
The Washington Wizards are in a battle for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference and have All-Star point guard John Wall playing at the top of his game. Wall and the Wizards will look to close out a four-game road trip with a 2-2 mark when they visit the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. Wall is averaging 24 points and 10.6 assists in his last five games and will be going up against one of the few that can his speed in Nuggets guard Ty Lawson.
Milwaukee at Sacramento 6:00 PM ET
Two of the worst teams in the NBA look for a much-needed victory when the Milwaukee Bucks visit the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. Milwaukee owns the worst record in the league and has lost six straight games and nine of its last 10 as it suffers through a dreadful season. Sacramento has the third-worst record in the Western Conference and has lost six of its past eight games after being routed by the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.
Brooklyn at Dallas 7:30 PM ET
The Dallas Mavericks are battling two other clubs for the final two Western Conference playoff spots and have the schedule on their side as they enter Sunday’s game against the visiting Brooklyn Nets. Dallas is currently in seventh place in the West – the Memphis Grizzlies and Phoenix Suns are in pursuit – as it plays the fourth game of a pivotal eight-game homestand. Dallas is 2-1 thus far and has a sparkling 23-11 record in its home venue.
Cleveland at New York 7:30 PM ET
The New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers are close in the standings but are headed in opposite directions. The Cavaliers will try to avoid a fifth straight loss when they visit the Knicks on Sunday. New York has taken eight in a row to pull within three games of the Atlanta Hawks for the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference and used the winning streak to jump 3 1/2 games over Cleveland in the standings.
Orlando at L.A. Lakers 9:30 PM ET
The injury-plagued Los Angeles Lakers look to gain some positives from the final 14 games of the season, starting with a visit from the equally snake-bitten Orlando Magic on Sunday night. The Lakers have dropped four in a row, allowing an average of 123 points, and seven of their last eight to fall into last place in the Western Conference. The Magic are 13th in the East and own a league-worst road record of 4-33 after losing 89-88 at Utah on Saturday for their eighth straight defeat.