November 22nd NBA Game Previews

The Atlanta Hawks take on the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on Friday night.

The Hawks (4-10) limp into Friday's contest with a four-game losing streak in tow. Their most recent stumble came against the Milwaukee Bucks, which bested them by a 135-127 score Wednesday night. DeAndre Hunter led the Hawks with 27 points, adding 11 rebounds and two assists. Trae Young supplied 25 points, eight assists, two rebounds and three steals. Cam Reddish poured in 17 points, while Jabari Parker battled through a sore shoulder to turn in 14 points, three boards, three assists and two steals. Vince Carter and Allen Crabbe furnished 13 and 10 points, respectively.

The Hawks will continue to be without Kevin Huerter (shoulder) and John Collins (suspension) on Friday. Reddish (wrist) will carry a questionable designation, while Chandler Parsons (knee) and Evan Turner (Achilles) will be considered probable.

The Pistons (4-10) check into Friday's game in even worse shape than their opponents, as they've dropped five consecutive contests. Their latest defeat came at the hands of the Chicago Bulls, which toppled them by a 109-89 margin on Wednesday night. Derrick Rose led the way for the Pistons with 18 points, adding three rebounds, two assists and one steal. Blake Griffin followed with 16 points, eight boards, one assist and one steal. Luke Kennard delivered 14 points, four assists, one rebound and one steal. Langston Galloway registered 13 points, three rebounds and one assist. Christian Wood generated a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double that also included three blocks.

The Pistons will be without Reggie Jackson (back), Tony Snell (hip) and Khyri Thomas (foot) on Friday.

The Hawks own a 1-0 lead in the four-game 2019-20 season series between the teams, having notched a 117-100 victory back on Oct. 24.

The Charlotte Hornets take on the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on Friday night.

The Hornets (6-9) have found wins hard to come by recently, as they'll come into Friday's contest having dropped six of their last eight games. Their most recent stumble came against the Brooklyn Nets, which defeated them by a 101-91 score on Wednesday night. Terry Rozier paced the Hornets with 18 points, adding six rebounds and two assists. Devonte' Graham followed with 17 points, six assists, three rebounds and one block. Malik Monk led the second unit with 13 points and added three rebounds, one assist and two steals. Miles Bridges registered 12 points, five five rebounds, two steals and one block. Bismack Biyombo contributed 10 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block.

The Hornets come into Friday's game without any injuries to report.

The Wizards (4-8) come into Friday's game in urgent need of a win themselves, as they've dropped four of their last six contests. However, one of their two victories during that span came their last time on the court, as they defeated the San Antonio Spurs by a 138-132 margin Wednesday night. Bradley Beal paced the Wizards with 33 points, adding four rebounds and four assists. Ish Smith delivered 21 points, four rebounds, four assists and one block. Davis Bertans matched Smith's scoring and also pulled down five rebounds, dished out four assists and recorded one steal. Rui Hachimura contributed 15 points, seven boards and two assists. Moritz Wagner managed 13 points, six rebounds and three assists, while Thomas Bryant and Isaiah Thomas pitched in matching 11-point, six-assist tallies.

The Wizards are expected to be without Ian Mahinmi (Achilles) for Friday's game.

The Hornets won the four-game 2018-19 season series between the clubs by a 3-1 margin. Friday marks the first of four 2019-20 meetings for Charlotte and Washington.

The Sacramento Kings take on the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Friday night.

The Kings (6-7) have progressively been crawling their way out of a poor start to the season and come into Friday having won four of their last five games. Their most recent success came at the expense of the Phoenix Suns, which they edged by a 120-116 margin on Tuesday night. Bogdan Bogdanovic led the way with 31 points, supplementing them with seven assists, four rebounds and three steals. Richaun Holmes generated a 20-point, 15-rebound double-double that also included two blocks and one steal. Nemanja Bjelica totaled 17 points, eight boards, one steal and one block. Harrison Barnes poured in 15 points and also pulled down two rebounds. Buddy Hield furnished 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and one steal.

The Kings will continue to be without Marvin Bagley (thumb), De'Aaron Fox (ankle) and Trevor Ariza (groin) on Friday. Bogdanovic (hamstring), Cory Joseph (heel) and Caleb Swanigan (ankle) will be questionable.

The Nets (6-8) have fallen on hard times after a strong start to the season, as they'll come into Friday's contest having lost four of their last six games. However, they were successful their last time on the court, notching a 101-91 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night. Jarrett Allen led the Nets with a 22-point, 17-rebound double-double that also included two steals and one block. Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince delivered matching 20-point tallies while recording eight assists and eight rebounds, respectively. DeAndre Jordan managed 14 points and seven boards off the bench.

The Nets will remain without Kyrie Irving (shoulder), Caris LeVert (thumb) and Wilson Chandler (suspension) on Friday. Allen (ankle) will carry a probable designation.

The Nets swept the two-game 2018-19 season series between the teams. Friday's game marks the first of two 2019-20 meetings for Sacramento and Brooklyn.

The Chicago Bulls play host to the Miami Heat at United Center on Friday evening.

This marks the fourth and final game of a home stand for the Bulls (5-10), where they have gone 1-2, with losses against the Nets and Bucks and a win over the Pistons, in their most recent contest. The Bulls are 3-5 at home this season. They are averaging 107.3 points per game but are giving up an average 109.8 points per game. The Bulls are shooting 42.5 percent from the field, which is second worst in the league, but they are averaging 9.5 steals per game, which is second most in the league. Zach LaVine is the team's leading scorer averaging 19.8 points per game. Lauri Markkanen is averaging 14.8 points on 37 percent shooting, and 7.6 rebounds per game. Wendell Carter Jr. is averaging 13.0 points and a team-high 10.0 rebounds per game.

Meanwhile, this marks the first game of a two-game road trip for the Heat (10-3), who are 4-3 on the road this season. They have won two of their last three on the road, but all their losses this season have come on the road. The Heat average 112.2 points per game, while they are giving up an average of 103.7 points against. The Heat lead the league with 9.8 steals per game and are averaging 26.2 assists per game, which is sixth best in the league. Jimmy Butler leads the Heat with team-highs of 18.7 points, 7.0 assists and 2.7 steals per game. Bam Adebayo is averaging 13.8 points, 4.5 assists and team-highs with 10.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Kendrick Nunn continues to impress, as he is averaging 17.3 points, 3.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

The Philadelphia 76ers play host to the San Antonio Spurs at Wells Fargo Center on Friday evening.

This marks the second game of a three-game home stand for the 76ers (9-5), which they kicked off with a win over the Knicks on Wednesday. The 76ers have won five straight at home, where they are 5-0 this season. The 76ers are averaging 109.7 points per game and are giving up an average of 106.5 points against. The 76ers are averaging 26.4 assists per game, which is fifth most in the league. They are also averaging 8.9 steals per game, which is fifth most in the league. Joel Embiid leads the Sixers with team-highs of 22.9 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. Ben Simmons is averaging 14.1 points and team-highs of 7.6 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Tobias Harris is averaging 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

Meanwhile, the Spurs (5-10) are on a major slide, as they have lost seven games in a row. This marks the third game of a four-game road trip for the Spurs, where they are coming off losses in Dallas and Washington. The Spurs are 1-6 on the road this season. DeMar DeRozan is leading the Spurs by averaging team-highs with 21.7 points and 4.8 assists per game. LaMarcus Aldridge is averaging 17.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and a team-high 1.9 blocks per game. Trey Lyles is averaging a team-high 7.2 rebounds, along with 4.1 points, in 19 minutes per game. The Spurs are averaging 113.5 points per game, while shooting 46.9 percent from the field, which is fifth best in the league. However, they are giving up an average of 116.2 points against and allowing their opponents to shoot 47.9 percent from the field, which is fifth highest in the league.

The Oklahoma City Thunder play host to the Los Angeles Lakers at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Friday evening.

This marks the second game of a home-and-home series between the Lakers (12-2) and the Thunder (5-9), which began with a Lakers' win on Tuesday. Both teams shot 48 percent from the field in the contest, but the Lakers hit five more threes, while shooting a better percentage from long range. The Lakers also dominated the paint against the Thunder, as they grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and scored 25 second-chance points. LeBron James tallied a triple-double in the win, while Anthony Davis tallied 34 points on 13-of-24 shooting. Dennis Schroder and Danilo Gallinari gave the Thunder a solid chance in the contest, as they combined for 56 points.

Davis leads the Lakers with team-highs of 25.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.1 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. James is averaging 25.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and a team-high 11.1 assists per game. Danny Green has been somewhat quiet, averaging 8.6 points per game, and has scored in double digits in just two of his last five outings.

Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the Thunder in scoring, averaging 19.4 points per game. Gallinari is averaging 19.1 points, while Chris Paul is averaging 15.8 points, 5.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. Schroder gives the Thunder a great boost off the bench, averaging 14.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists, in 29 minutes per game.

The Dallas Mavericks play host to the Cleveland Cavaliers at American Airlines Center on Friday evening.

This marks the fourth and final game of a home stand for the Mavericks (9-5), where they have gone 3-0 so far, with wins over the Raptors, Spurs and Warriors. The Mavs are 5-3 at home this season. They are averaging 116.1 points per game, which is fourth most in the league, and they are shooting 46.2 percent from the field. Luka Doncic leads the Mavs with team-highs in almost every major category, as he is averaging 29.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, 9.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He has tallied three triple-doubles in his last four games and continues to turn heads around the league, while, more importantly, leading the Mavs to wins. Kristaps Porzingis is averaging 18.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and a team-high 2.2 blocks per game. Tim Hardaway Jr. is averaging 10.9 points, in 22 minutes per game, while shooting 37 percent from the field.

Meanwhile, this marks the third and final game of a road trip for the Cavs (4-10), where they have gone 0-2, with losses in New York and Miami. The Cavs are 2-6 on the road this season. They have lost their last five games over all, and have dropped their last three road games. The Cavs are averaging 104.1 points per game, which is third lowest in the league, while they are giving up an average of 109.9 points against. Kevin Love leads the Cavs with team-highs of 18.7 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. Collin Sexton is averaging 18.0 points, while shooting 44.1 percent from the field. Tristan Thompson is doing a good job in the middle, averaging 14.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and a team-high 1.5 blocks per game.

The Boston Celtics travel to Colorado to face the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center on Friday.

The Celtics (11-3) come into this matchup losing two of their last three games which actually snapped an NBA-best 10-game winning streak. It's not like the losses were anything to worry about either, with both games being decided on the final shot. They were also both road games in the midst of this West Coast road trip, making the losses look even more tolerable. The thing that's changed with this team is their chemistry. Getting Kyrie Irving out of the picture has seemingly opened up the door for everyone else to succeed and that's become a huge factor this season with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward all having bounceback seasons. If they can continue to get those three to play like this while Kemba Walker performs at an All-Star level, this will be a team to fear all season long.

The Nuggets (10-3) haven't been playing their best basketball by their own admission but that's an extremely encouraging sign with Denver posting one of the best records in the NBA despite the "struggles". That says a lot about this team, as their defense has truly turned elite. In fact, the 102.3 points allowed per game by Denver is the third-best mark in the NBA. What is bizarre is the fact that their offense continues to lack, sitting right in the middle of the pack. That's strange to see from a team that traditionally sits Top-5 but their pace is surely a major reason why. The Nuggets are actually one of the five-slowest teams in the league and that's a rare sight from a team that usually uses altitude to their favor, running at will. One has to wonder if this is the correct recipe going forward and it'll be interesting to see if this slow pace continues to pay dividends going forward.

Denver swept the two-game season series over Boston last year. The Celtics actually swept the 2017-18 series too.

The Golden State Warriors travel to Salt Lake City to play the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Friday.

The Warriors (3-13) had more question marks than anyone headed into the season and a lot of them have been answered. The bad news for Golden State is that all of the questions were answered with negativity. This season has been a rollercoaster of disaster, with injuries just obliterating this roster. While they did know that Klay Thompson would be out for the season before the year, they didn't know that Stephen Curry would break his hand in the opening week. That ended all hopes of a promising season and that doesn't even include differing injuries to guys like Draymond Green, D'Angelo Russell and Kevon Looney. Green is actually the only one who remains healthy and that's obviously not enough to compete when you see the rest of the lineup. That's led to this ugly 3-13 record, with the Warriors getting blown out regularly.

The Jazz (9-5) have always been dominant at home and that's the case again this season. In fact, Utah owns a 6-1 record at Vivint Smart Home Arena, with the lone loss coming against the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this week. That's a bizarre loss for a team like this, especially after losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in the prior fixture. Even with those questionable defeats, Utah still owns one of the best records in the west. That should be common for this team all season, adding players like Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic in the offseason. While Conley has struggled so far, Bogdanovic has been superb. Once they get Conley going, this will be one of the scariest teams in the NBA.

Utah won the first meeting between these teams, 122-108, on November 11. Prior to that, the Warriors won 16 of their previous 22 games against the Jazz dating back nearly a decade.

The Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Houston Rockets at Staples Center on Friday.

The Rockets (11-4) had a ton of question marks heading into the season and an eight-game winning streak should have answered most of them. That has Houston sitting with one of the best records in the NBA, with James Harden having another masterful season. In fact, Harden is just shy of 40 points per game, driving opposing defenses absolutely crazy. With that said, the most recent loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday did snap that winning streak. That's a tough place to go into and win but it makes it even tougher with a matchup like this following it up. This is a great test for Harden and Russell Westbrook though, as they're facing one of the only teams in the league who may have a better duo than this Clippers team.

The Clippers (10-5) duo is Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, who played their first game together in the most recent outing. That game was a brilliant one too, with Los Angeles prevailing in overtime, 107-104, against the Boston Celtics. Those are two great defensive teams and it truly felt like a game with a playoff-feel. What's funny is that George and Leonard both struggled in that game, making this team even scarier. Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams were the heroes and that emphasizes just how deep this team can be at times. The defense is going to be stifling with George, Leonard and Beverley on the floor and this will be a great test for them against two great offensive players like Harden and Westbrook.

Houston won their first game over Los Angeles this season, 102-93, on November 3. With that said, the Clippers won the season series last year, 2-1.