March 3,2019 at 12:00 PM
3/24/2019 12:00 PM
Knicks Play Host to Clippers on Sunday
The Los Angeles Clippers travel to The Big Apple to play the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

The Clippers (43-30) come into this matchup winning nine of their last 10 games, as that has nearly secured a playoff berth for this club. Reaching the postseason is a heck of an accomplishment for this team too, as many thought that they gave up when they traded Tobias Harris to Philly. That's the last thing this club has done and it's actually lit a fire under this surprising team. Getting rid of 20 points from Harris would seemingly hurt this offense but that's simply not the case. In fact, Los Angeles currently sits fifth in scoring, despite having no player average more than 20 points per game. That shows just how good of a "team" this is and it's their bench that's really carried them to this point. Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams are actually on their way to set an NBA record for bench points for a duo and that's where this team's bread is buttered.

The Knicks (14-59) come into this matchup losing 12 of their last 13 games, as those sort of stretches have become way too common for this team. The statistics are downright ugly, with New York ranking bottom-five in scoring, points allowed, offensive efficiency, defensive efficiency, assists, field goal percentage, three-point percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio. That's honestly hard to do and it's no surprise that this club owns the worst record in the NBA with those nightmarish statistics bringing them down. The simple fact is that this club just needs to play it out and hope that they get a gem in next year's draft. That will be the start of a long rebuild and this proud franchise has a long ways to go to get back to glory.

This is the second and final meeting between these teams, with Los Angeles winning the first game at home, 128-107.
March 3,2019 at 4:30 PM
3/24/2019 4:30 PM
Bucks Play Host to Cavaliers on Saturday
The Milwaukee Bucks play host to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Fiserv Forum on Saturday.

The Cavaliers (19-54) own an 8-9 record across their last 17 games, as that's sadly probably their best stretch of the season thus far. What that run directly correlates to is the return of Kevin Love. The all-star power forward has returned to his double-double ways and it's obvious just how much he means to this team. It's not just him though, as Collin Sexton has been brilliant in his rookie season too. In fact, Sexton has at least 20 points in eight-straight games while averaging 25.5 points per game in that span. That's incredible production from a rookie and this club appears to be in good hands for the future with Sexton running the show and Love dominating the paint.

The Bucks (54-19) are just 6-5 across their last 11 games, as that has put their homecourt hopes in jeopardy. While they still own the top-seed in the east, the Toronto Raptors are just three games behind in second. That's a lot of ground to make up in just nine games though, as Milwaukee looks well on their way to securing homecourt advantage throughout the postseason, with no west team even close. That's a scary thought for their opponents too, as the Bucks own a 29-6 record at Fiserv Forum this season. Health is what will determine the season for Milwaukee though. Not only did Nikola Mirotic break his hand last week, but Malcolm Brogdon also remains out for a few more weeks because of a heel issue. Giannis Antetokpounmpo has also been dealing with an ankle problem of his own and they simply can't afford to have him out of the lineup with all of these other pieces out too.

This is the third and final meeting between these teams, with Milwaukee winning two of three thus far. The Cleveland win actually came less than a week ago, as Milwaukee played that game without Antetokounmpo.
March 3,2019 at 5:00 PM
3/24/2019 5:00 PM
Pacers Play Host to Nuggets on Sunday
The Indiana Pacers play host to the Denver Nuggets at Banker's Life Fieldhouse on Sunday,

The Nuggets (49-22) are actually in contention to land the top seed in the Western Conference, which is a downright miracle with the team that the Golden State Warriors have put together. It says more about the Nuggets than the Warriors though and it's truly been a magical season for Denver fans. The Nuggets are currently tied with the Warriors for that top spot in the west but Golden State owns the tiebreaker because of some dominant wins over the Nuggets. Being in this position is incredible though, as the Nuggets appear to have locked up at least the number-two seed, sitting four games up on the Houston Rockets in third. Getting homecourt advantage is huge for this club too, as they own a 19-16 record on the road and a 20-6 record at home this season. Denver comes into this matchup rolling as well, winning six-straight, with the last three all coming on the road.

The Pacers (44-29) just finished a west coast road trip and it couldn't have gone worse. In fact, Indiana comes into this matchup losing four-straight and nine of their last 13 games in total. That has dropped Indiana all the way to fourth in the east and they have the Boston Celtics sitting just half a game behind them in fifth. The competition in that stretch was nightmare-worthy though, as Indiana had to play the Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers in that period. That's a murderer's row of a schedule and it doesn't get any easier here. Losing homecourt advantage would be huge for this team too, as they own a 27-9 record at Banker's Life Fieldhouse this season and a 17-20 record on the road.

This is the second and final meeting between these teams, with Denver winning the first matchup, 102-100.
March 3,2019 at 6:00 PM
3/24/2019 6:00 PM
Hornets Tangle With Raptors North of the Border
The Charlotte Hornets take on the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday evening.

The Hornets (33-39) are desperately trying to remain in the Eastern Conference conversation as the season winds down, making each remaining game essentially a must-win. Charlotte remains alive thanks to two consecutive wins, the most recent coming a momentous 124-117 comeback victory over the Boston Celtics on Saturday evening in which the Hornets finished on a 30-5 run over the last seven-plus minutes. Kemba Walker paced the Hornets with 36 points, supplementing them with 11 rebounds, nine assists and two steals. Miles Bridges furnished 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Marvin Williams and Malik Monk tallied 13 points each. Dwayne Bacon delivered 11 points, five rebounds, three assists and one block.

The Hornets are likely to list Nicolas Batum (illness), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (concussion) and Cody Zeller (knee) as questionable at best for Sunday's game after all three missed Saturday's contest.

The Raptors (51-22) continue to have a firm hold on the second seed in the Eastern Conference, even though they've gone just 3-3 over their last six games. One of their losses during that stretch came during their most recent time on the court, as they fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder by a 116-109 margin on the second game of a home-and-home set Friday night. Kawhi Leonard led the Raptors with 37 points while also supplying six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Pascal Siakam registered 25 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block. Danny Green poured in 19 points and added seven boards and one assist. Serge Ibaka totaled 11 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Fred VanVleet finished with eight points, five assists, two rebounds and one block.

The Raptors will list Kyle Lowry (ankle) as questionable for Sunday's game.

Sunday's contest marks the second of three meetings between the teams this season. The Raptors hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 127-106 win on Oct. 22.
March 3,2019 at 7:00 PM
3/24/2019 7:00 PM
Rockets and Pelicans Tangle In Big Easy
The Houston Rockets take on the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Arena on Sunday night.

The Rockets (46-27) come into Sunday's game in the midst of another strong stretch of play, having notched wins in four of the last five games. Their most recent victory came Friday night, when they defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 111-105. James Harden led the way by matching his career high with 61 points and adding seven rebounds, one assist and three steals. Chris Paul registered 18 points, five assists, three rebounds, one steal and one block. Eric Gordon poured in 12 points and added two rebounds. Clint Capela turned in just seven points, but he also hauled in 16 rebounds, dished out four assists and recorded one block.

The Rockets will continue to be without Isaiah Hartenstein (Achilles) in Sunday's game.

The Pelicans (31-43) are spiraling as the season comes to an end, and they'll enter Sunday's contest as losers in seven of the last eight games. Their most recent stumble came versus the Orlando Magic, which toppled them by a 119-96 score on Friday evening. Stanley Johnson paced New Orleans with 18 points, adding four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Ian Clark totaled 17 points, five rebounds and four assists. Frank Jackson supplied 14 points, four boards and four assists. Jahlil Okafor finished with nine points, eight boards, three assists, two blocks and one steal. Elfrid Payton and Kenrich Williams generated matching seven-point tallies.

The Pelicans will continue to be without Jrue Holiday (abdomen), E'Twaun Moore (quadriceps) and Trevon Bluiett (thumb) on Sunday. The availability of Christian Wood, who was signed off waivers Wednesday, is to be determined.

Sunday's game marks the fourth and final meeting between the teams this season. The Pelicans hold a 2-1 series lead, having notched 131-112 and 121-116 victories on Oct. 17 and Jan. 29, respectively. The Rockets' one win came by a 108-104 margin on Dec. 29.
March 3,2019 at 7:30 PM
3/24/2019 7:30 PM
Spurs Face Celtics in Beantown Battle
The San Antonio Spurs take on the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Sunday evening.

The Spurs (42-31) are looking to preserve their playoff positioning by putting an end to a brief two-game losing streak in Sunday's contest. San Antonio fell by a 111-105 score to the Houston Rockets in their most recent contest on Friday night. Bryn Forbes led the way with 20 points, adding five rebounds and two assists. Derrick White followed with 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. DeMar DeRozan totaled 16 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and one steal. Marco Belinelli poured in 11 points, while LaMarcus Aldridge furnished 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and five blocks.

The Spurs do not have any short-term injuries coming into Sunday's game.

The Celtics (43-30) need to right their own ship coming into Sunday's contest, as they've dropped three straight games. Boston's most recent stumble was an epic one, as they allowed a 30-5 run by the Charlotte Hornets over the final 7:43 on their way to dropping a 124-117 decision. Kyrie Irving led the way for the Celtics with 31 points, adding seven rebounds, six assists and two steals. Jaylen Brown poured in 29 points and added four rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal. Marcus Morris produced 15 points, nine rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. Jayson Tatum and Terry Rozier generated matching 12-point tallies, with Tatum also hauling in six boards and dishing out four assists.

The Celtics are likely to list Tatum (back) as questionable at minimum for Sunday's contest. Al Horford (knee), Aron Baynes (ankle) and Robert Williams (back) are likely to share the same designation, while Gordon Hayward (concussion) is likely to continue out.

Sunday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Spurs hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 120-111 win on Dec. 31.
March 3,2019 at 8:30 PM
3/24/2019 8:30 PM
Pistons, Warriors Looking To Bounce Back From Losses
The Golden State Warriors play host to the Detroit Pistons, at Oracle Arena on Sunday evening.

This marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Pistons (37-35), who are coming off a loss in Portland on Saturday night. This marks their fourth game of a five-game road trip, where they have gone 1-2, with losses in Cleveland and Portland, and a win in Phoenix. The Pistons are 14-22 on the road this season, and sit sixth place in the East, with a 2.0-game lead over seventh. Blake Griffin leads Detroit, averaging 24.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. Andre Drummond has been great as well, averaging 17.4 points, 15.5 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 1.6 steals and 1.3 assists per game. Reggie Jackson is averaging 15.3 points, 4.2 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game.

Meanwhile, this also marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Warriors (49-23), who are coming off an ugly home loss against the Mavericks on Saturday night. The Warriors got blown out by 35 on their home court, which is one of their worst losses in recent memory. Kevin Durant led the team with 25 points, while DeMarcus Cousins and Kevon Looney were the only other players to score in double digits in the loss. Stephen Curry (rest) did not play in the contest, but should be back in action on Sunday. This marks the third and final game of a home stand for the Warriors, where they have gone 1-1 so far. The Warriors are 25-11 at home this season. They average 117.6 points per game, which is the most in the NBA. Durant is a big part of the Warriors' scoring, as he averages 27.0 points per game. Curry averages 27.8 points per game, while Klay Thompson averages 22.4 points point on 47 percent shooting.
March 3,2019 at 9:30 PM
3/24/2019 9:30 PM
Kings Look To Build On Two-Game Streak
The Los Angeles Lakers play host to the Sacramento Kings, at Staples Center on Sunday evening.

The Kings (36-36) have won their last two games. This marks their second game of a back-to-back, as they are coming off a solid home win over the Suns on Saturday. Harrison Barnes and Buddy Hield tallied 25 points each, while Nemanja Bjelica and Marvin Bagley III both finished with double-doubles, to lead the Kings in the win. The Kings sit ninth place in the West, and are the only team left fighting for a playoff spot, as they sit 5.5 games out of ninth place, with 10 games left to play. Buddy Hield has been great this season, averaging 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. De'Aaron Fox has also been a major factor for the Kings, and is averaging 17.6 points, 7.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. Marvin Bagley III has been playing very well lately, averaging 20.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists over his last 10 games. Harrison Barnes has been a great addition to the team, as well, and gives them another versatile option on both ends of the floor.

Meanwhile, the Lakers (31-41) have dropped nine of their last 10 games, including their last five a row, as they sit 11th place in the West, eliminated from playoff contention. They have dealt with injuries all season, and Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram are both out for the remainder of the season. Despite a loss in their most recent contest, the Lakers saw a huge performance from JaVale McGee, as he tallied 33 points, 20 rebounds, six blocks and a steal, in the contest. LeBron James also put up numbers, with 25 points, 14 assists, nine rebounds, a steal and a block. James leads the team, averaging 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game, while McGee averages 11.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. The Lakers give up an average of 114.0 points per game, which is sixth worst in the league.