Preview Roundups
April 02, 2014
Detroit at Indiana 7:00 PM ET
The Indiana Pacers haven't looked like a team poised for a deep postseason run lately, but they hope a visit from the Detroit Pistons will help turn things around. Indiana needs some kind of spark, having lost five of six to drop into a virtual tie with Miami for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers have won seven of the last eight meetings with the Pistons, who have lost 11 of their last 14 overall.
Brooklyn at New York 7:00 PM ET
Crosstown rivals looking to continue their respective climbs up the Eastern Conference playoff ladder meet Wednesday when the Brooklyn Nets head downtown to visit the New York Knicks. Brooklyn won its third straight game Monday — a 105-96 triumph over Houston — to clinch a postseason berth and move within 1 1/2 games of fourth-place Chicago and Atlantic Division-leading Toronto in the East. The victory was the Nets' 14th straight at home but they have lost two straight on the road.
Cleveland at Orlando 7:00 PM ET
The Cleveland Cavaliers are still alive in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt after winning four of their last five games as they prepare to visit the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Leading scorer Kyrie Irving practiced Tuesday after missing eight games with a strained left biceps and could return to the lineup for the Cavaliers, who stand three games behind the eighth-place Atlanta Hawks. Cleveland can’t look past the Magic, who are 17-19 at home, before it travels to Atlanta on Friday.
Charlotte at Philadelphia 7:00 PM ET
The Charlotte Bobcats are closing in on the second playoff appearance in franchise history and can take another step when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. Charlotte sits in seventh place in the Eastern Conference and moved within two games of sixth-place Washington after defeating the Wizards on Monday. The 2009-10 season marks the only time the Bobcats have qualified for the postseason in the franchise’s nine previous campaigns.
Houston at Toronto 7:00 PM ET
The prospect of having to do without three members of the starting rotation is difficult enough for the Houston Rockets. Doing it on the tail end of a back-to-back makes the task even more daunting as the Rockets travel to Toronto for a date with the Raptors on Wednesday night. The Rockets struggled Tuesday without regular starters Dwight Howard, Patrick Beverley and Terrence Jones, ultimately dropping a 105-96 decision to the Brooklyn Nets.
Boston at Washington 7:00 PM ET
The Washington Wizards missed an opportunity to put some distance between themselves and a potential first-round matchup with the Indiana Pacers or Miami Heat on Monday. They will try to keep some separation between themselves and the No. 7 spot when they host the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. The Wizards suffered a 100-94 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday, tightening the gap between the clubs to just two games with eight left.
Chicago at Atlanta 7:30 PM ET
The Atlanta Hawks' steady slide is coming to a head, and they desperately need a win over the visiting Chicago Bulls on Wednesday try to hang onto the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta snapped a six-game skid by beating lowly Philadelphia on Monday to maintain its one-game edge over New York for eighth place. While the Hawks are just trying to hang on, the Bulls are trying to get a foothold for a climb to the No. 3 seed, for which they're tied with Toronto.
Milwaukee at Miami 7:30 PM ET
The Miami Heat went into Milwaukee over the weekend and put on a defensive clinic in cruising to a victory. The Bucks will try to put together a better offensive showing when they visit Miami on Wednesday. The 88-67 victory at Milwaukee marked the second of a three-game winning streak for the Heat that has them in a virtual tie with the Indiana Pacers atop the Eastern Conference with nine games left in the regular season.
Memphis at Minnesota 8:00 PM ET
The Memphis Grizzlies are locked in a tight three-team battle for the final two Western Conference playoff spots and have no margin for error as they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. The Grizzlies are battling the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns for a spot and certainly need a strong finish to ensure they won’t be the team on the outside when the season concludes. Memphis is 2-2 on a five-game road swing that ends against Minnesota.
Golden State at San Antonio 8:30 PM ET
The San Antonio Spurs have enjoyed plenty of success in the Tim Duncan era, but never anything like the run they are on right now. The Spurs will attempt to extend their franchise-record winning streak to 19 straight games when they host the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. The run has allowed San Antonio to open up a nice cushion on Oklahoma City for the top spot in the West while teams like the Warriors fight at the bottom of the bracket.
New Orleans at Denver 9:00 PM ET
Anthony Davis, coming off the best month of his career, will attempt to pick up where he left off Wednesday night when the New Orleans Pelicans travel to the Denver Nuggets. Davis averaged 24.4 points and 10.8 rebounds in March, inclduing the best points-rebounds-blocks performance in team history against the Nuggets when he posted 32 points, 17 rebounds and six blocks in an overtime victory by the Pelicans. That matched his career-high point total but he since bettered that mark three times.
L.A. Clippers at Phoenix 10:00 PM ET
The Phoenix Suns face a difficult final stretch as they try to make the playoffs for the first time in four years and that begins Wednesday with a matchup against the visiting Los Angeles Clippers. The Suns had their six-game winning streak come to a grinding halt Sunday in a 115-99 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The loss, coupled with a win by the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, dropped Phoenix into a three-way tie for the seventh, eighth and ninth spots in the West.
L.A. Lakers at Sacramento 10:00 PM ET
The Los Angeles Lakers attempt to complete a four-game season sweep of Sacramento when they visit the Kings on Wednesday. The Lakers will also be trying to avoid their 50th loss after falling to Portland on Tuesday – Los Angeles last experienced a 50-defeat campaign in 1974-75 when it went 30-52. Sacramento has just one fewer loss than the Lakers and ended a three-game skid with a 102-97 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.