Preview Roundups
April 01, 2015
Detroit at Charlotte 7:00 PM ET
With Al Jefferson playing on a bad knee and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist out with an ankle injury, the Charlotte Hornets' postseason hopes are dwindling. Losers of seven of their last nine games, the Hornets will try to forge enough effort to close the gap in the Eastern Conference when they close out a three-game homestand against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. The Hornets sit three games back of the Boston Celtics and are also looking up at both Brooklyn and Indiana.
San Antonio at Orlando 7:00 PM ET
San Antonio looks to clinch a playoff spot and continue its dominance of Orlando when it wraps up a two-game road trip in Florida on Wednesday night. The Spurs have won four in a row and seven of eight, with those seven victories coming by an average of 18.1 points after a 95-81 triumph in Miami on Tuesday. Kawhi Leonard stayed hot with 22 points, nine rebounds and four steals for San Antonio, which pulled within a half-game of the fifth-place Los Angeles Clippers in the West.
Philadelphia at Washington 7:00 PM ET
The Washington Wizards desperately need some positive momentum heading into the playoffs, and they have a chance to begin the turnaround when they host lowly Philadelphia on Wednesday. The Wizards likely are locked into the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they've lost five of their last six. The 76ers also have dropped five of six and have the third-worst record in the NBA.
Indiana at Boston 7:30 PM ET
The Boston Celtics look to end a three-game home losing skid when they face the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. The Celtics have won two of their last three — both on the road — and are coming off a crucial 116-104 victory over the Charlotte Hornets to move within a half-game of the eighth and final playoff spot. Boston won 10 games in March, which is the most of any month this season, and hopes to post its eighth victory in its last 10 games against fellow Eastern Conference rivals.
Brooklyn at New York 7:30 PM ET
The Brooklyn Nets need all the help they can get in their bid for a playoff spot. The New York Knicks, who host the Nets on Wednesday, have been all about helping other teams on their quests up the standings this season. Brooklyn took care of business with a 111-106 win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday and moved one-half game ahead of the Boston Celtics in the race for the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference.
Sacramento at Houston 8:00 PM ET
The Houston Rockets are trying to snag the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, and they have the benefit of facing a team with little to play for Wednesday. The Rockets are a half-game behind Memphis for the No. 2 seed as they prepare to host the Sacramento Kings. The Kings have lost two straight following a four-game winning streak and are trying to salvage a split of their four-game road trip.
Chicago at Milwaukee 8:00 PM ET
Chicago looks to continue its dominance of Milwaukee on Wednesday when it travels to take on the Bucks in what could be a preview of a first-round playoff matchup. The Bulls, who have won three in a row overall, have taken six in a row from Milwaukee and have been victorious nine straight times on the road in the series. Chicago also should be well-rested after a 111-80 rout of New York on Saturday, which has helped the squad maintain a one-game lead on Toronto for third place in the East.
Toronto at Minnesota 8:00 PM ET
The Toronto Raptors hope to take one step closer to securing homecourt advantage for the first round of the playoffs when they begin an extended road stretch against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. The Raptors hold a three-game lead over Washington for the No. 4 slot in the Eastern Conference, but this game begins a stretch in which six of Toronto's final eight games are on the road. Toronto has dominated the series, winning seven straight and 19 of 20.
Dallas at Oklahoma City 8:00 PM ET
The Oklahoma City Thunder continue their quest for a playoff spot and they are sneaking up on seventh-place Dallas as they host the Mavericks on Wednesday. The eighth-place Thunder possess a 2 1/2-game lead over the New Orleans Pelicans for the final spot in the Western Conference but have also moved within three games of Dallas. The Mavericks have lost back-to-back contests to fall off the pace in terms of making a run at sixth-place San Antonio.
Denver at Utah 9:00 PM ET
The Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz are coming off their most successful months of the season and they’ll try to maintain their momentum when they meet Wednesday in Salt Lake City. Denver went 8-8 in March, the only full month of the season it didn’t finish under .500. Denver beat the visiting Jazz on Friday, marking the fourth straight loss for Utah, but the Jazz bounced back to win the last two and finished 10-6 in March.
L.A. Clippers at Portland 10:00 PM ET
The Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Clippers are battling each other for homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs and both are looking strong of late. The Trail Blazers will try to make up some space in the race when they host the Clippers on Wednesday. Portland is in the No. 4 spot thanks to its superiority in the Northwest Division but is only percentage points ahead of No. 5 Los Angeles when it comes to the battle for homecourt in a potential first-round meeting.
New Orleans at L.A. Lakers 10:30 PM ET
The New Orleans Pelicans are trying to chase down the Oklahoma City Thunder for the eighth spot in the Western Conference race and need to win all the games they can. It would seem the host Los Angeles Lakers are the kind of team the Pelicans should beat as New Orleans has won this season’s three previous meetings. Los Angeles defeated Philadelphia 113-111 in overtime on Monday for its third win in six games.