February 1st NBA Game Previews

The Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Staples Center on Saturday evening.

The Clippers (33-15) have won seven of their last 10 games, but are coming off a home loss against the Kings in their most recent contest. This marks their second game of a four-game home stand, as they look for their 20th home win of the season. The Clippers average 115.4 points per game, which is fifth most in the league, and they are holding opponents to an average of 109.6 points per game. They average 48.0 rebounds per game, which is second most in the league, including 11.4 offensive rebounds, which is also second most in the league. Kawhi Leonard (back) missed the Clippers' last contest and remains questionable for action on Saturday. Paul George is set to play and is averaging 22.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Lou Williams continues to provide for the Clippers, averaging 20.1 points, 5.1 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game, over the last 10 games.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves (15-32) have dropped 10 in a row and have fallen to second last place in the West This marks their first game of a two-game road trip, as they look to earn their 10th road win of the season. Andrew Wiggins has been steady, averaging 19.7 points on 45 percent shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists, over the last 10 games. Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 31.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, over the his last five games. Shabazz Napier is averaging 8.8 points on 39 percent shooting from long range, 7.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, over the last five games. The Timberwolves are averaging 111.6 points per game, but they are giving up an average of 115.3 points against, which is fourth most in the league. They are shooting 32.8 percent from long range, which is second worst in the league.

The Indiana Pacers play host to the New York Knicks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday evening.

The Pacers (31-17) have won eight of their last 10 games, including a home win in their most recent contest. This marks the second game of a home stand, as they look to build on their 18-5 home record. The Pacers average 110.1 points per game, while they are holding their opponents to an average of 107.0 points per game. They limit themselves to 12.3 turnovers per game, which is third fewest in the league. T.J. Warren leads the Pacers with 18.4 points per game. Domantas Sabonis is averaging 18.0 points, 12.8 rebound and 4.6 assists per game. Malcolm Brogdon finished with 15 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and three steals, in the Pacers' most recent contest, after missing the last two games. Jeremy Lamb is averaging 10.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, over the last 10 games.

Meanwhile, the Knicks (13-36) have dropped seven of their last 10 games, including their last two in a row. This marks their first game of a two-game road trip, as they look to build on their 6-18 road record. The Knicks average 104.1 points per game, which is third fewest in the league, but they are giving up an average of 111.8 points against. The Knicks are shooting 43.7 percent from the field, including 33.7 percent from long range, which is fourth worst in the league. Marcus Morris Sr. leads the Knicks with 19.2 points per game. Julius Randle is averaging 19.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Mitchell Robinson continues to give the Knicks some intensity off the bench, and he is averaging 6.5 points on 73.7 percent shooting, 6.6 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.0 steals per game, over the last 10 games.

The Orlando Magic play host to the Miami Heat at Amway Center on Saturday evening.

The Magic (21-27) have dropped seven of their last 10 games, including their last four in a row. They have dropped their last three home games and look to get back on track at Amway Center, where they have an 8-16 record. The Magic average 103.5 points per game, which is second fewest in the league, and they are holding their opponents to a league-low 104.7 points per game. The Magic limit themselves to a league-low 12.0 turnovers per games. Evan Fournier leads the Magic with 18.8 points per game. Nikola Vucevic is averaging 18.6 points and a team-high 11.0 rebounds per game. Aaron Gordon is averaging 13.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Markelle Fultz is averaging 13.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game, over the last 10 games.

Meanwhile, the Heat (32-15) are 5-5 in their last 10 games and are coming off a loss in their most recent contest. The Heat have dropped three of their last four road games and look to get back on track and build on their 11-12 road record. The Heat are averaging 112.0 points per game, while they are holding opponents to an average of 108.3 points per game. They are shooting 47.1 percent from the field, including 37.6 percent from long range, which is second best in the league. Jimmy Butler leads the Heat with 20.2 points, 6.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Bam Adebayo is averaging 16.0 points and team-highs with 10.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. Myers Leonard is averaging 5.9 points and 4.9 rebounds, in 20 minutes per game. Kendrick Nunn (achilles) is listed as probable for action on Saturday.

The Golden State Warriors take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Saturday night.

The Warriors (10-39) check into Saturday's contest in the midst of yet another losing streak, as they've dropped five consecutive decisions. Their most recent stumble came against the Boston Celtics, which toppled them by a 119-104 score on Thursday night. D'Angelo Russell led the way for Golden State with 22 points, adding five assists, three rebounds and three steals. Alec Burks delivered 18 points, four boards and one steal. Damion Lee and Glenn Robinson III generated matching 11-point tallies, with Robinson adding seven rebounds. Draymond Green and Marquese Chriss posted matching nine-point contributions, with Green also dishing out seven assists.

The Warriors will list Kevon Looney (abdomen) as questionable for Saturday's game. Stephen Curry (hand) and Klay Thompson (knee) will remain out.

The Cavaliers (13-36) come into Saturday's game reeling in their own right, as they've dropped nine of their last 10 contests. Their most recent stumble came versus the Toronto Raptors, which bested them by a 115-109 score Thursday night. Kevin Love and Collin Sexton co-led the Cavaliers with matching 23-point, four-assist tallies. Darius Garland registered 16 points, eight assists, five rebounds and one steal. Larry Nance, Jr. and Kevin Porter posted 13 points apiece, with Nance also pulling down nine rebounds.

The Cavaliers will list Brandon Knight (knee) as questionable and will remain without Ante Zizic (illness) for Saturday's game.

Saturday's game marks the first of two meetings between the teams this season. The Warriors swept the two-game 2018-19 season series from the Cavaliers.

The Brooklyn Nets take on the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on Saturday night.

The Nets (21-26) come into Saturday's contest with a bit of momentum, as they've won three of their past four games following a five-game losing streak. Their most recent success came against the Chicago Bulls, which they toppled by a 133-118 score Friday night. Kyrie Irving led the way for the Nets with a season-high 54 points, complementing them with five rebounds, five assists and one steal. Spencer Dinwiddie totaled 20 points, seven assists, one rebound and one block. Taurean Price furnished 16 points, eight boards and three assists. Jarrett Allen contributed 12 points, five rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal. Garrett Temple netted 11.

The Nets comes into Saturday's game without any injuries to report.

The Wizards (16-31) check into Saturday's game with a 3-3 mark over their last six games, with one of those victories having come against the Charlotte Hornets by a 121-107 margin Thursday night. Bradley Beal paced the Wizards with 34 points, supplementing them with nine rebounds, nine assists and one block. Thomas Bryant turned in 21 points, eight rebounds, two assists and one block. Isaiah Thomas posted 18 points, six rebounds and one assist. Troy Brown, Jr. compiled 12 points, six boards, one assist and two steals. Ish Smith finished with 11 points, seven assists, five rebounds and one block.

The Wizards will list Rui Hachimura (groin) as questionable for Saturday's contest. Garrison Mathews, Jordan McRae and Moritz Wagner are all expected to remain out due to their respective ankle injuries.

Saturday's game marks the first of three meetings between the teams this season. The two clubs split the four-game 2018-19 season series.

The Philadelphia 76ers travel to Beantown to play the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Saturday.

The Sixers (31-18) have some of the most drastic home/road splits in the NBA and it's truly hard to understand why. In fact, Philly enters this matchup with a 9-16 road record and a 22-2 home record. That's completely baffling for a team this talented and it's definitely something that needs to be figured out before they enter the postseason. That was on full display in their last game, taking a road defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks. That's one of the worst teams in the NBA and it makes it even more baffling with Joel Embiid back in the fold. They actually won six of their previous seven games before that though and the road form is the only real blemish on the resume' right now.

The Celtics (32-15) have been dominant at home, posting a 19-5 record at TD Garden. That's really no surprise when you consider the atmosphere of that arena and it's truly one of the toughest places to lace up in the NBA. Boston comes into this matchup in good form too, entering this fixture winning five of their last six games. That has catapulted them up to the two-seed in the east, just 1.5 games back of the Toronto Raptors in second. Catching the Milwaukee Bucks in first is nearly an impossible feat at this point but capturing second would be a huge boost knowing that they'd attain homecourt through the first two rounds of the postseason. What makes them even more dangerous is the fact that they've had very few games with everyone healthy but that finally appears to be the case with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum both returning from injury recently.

These teams have already played three of their four games this season, with Philly winning all three matchups.

The Atlanta Hawks take on the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on Saturday night.

The Hawks (13-36) check into Saturday's game with a bit of wind under their sails, as they've forged a 5-4 mark over the last nine games. Atlanta's most recent success came versus the Philadelphia 76ers, which they beat by a 127-117 score Thursday night. Trae Young led the Hawks with 39 points, complementing them with 18 assists, six rebounds and two steals. John Collins generated a 17-point, 20-rebound double-double. De'Andre Hunter provided 15 points, four assists and two rebounds. Damian Jones and Vince Carter posted 14 points apiece while pulling down seven and six rebounds, respectively. Kyle Huerter and Cam Reddish contributed matching 12-point, two-rebound, two-assist tallies.

The Hawks will list Jabari Parker (shoulder), Alex Len (hip) and DeAndre' Bembry (hand) as out for Saturday's contest. Hunter (ankle) and Bruno Fernando (calf) will be questionable.

The Mavericks (29-19) come into Saturday's contest not exactly at their sharpest, as they've dropped four of their last six games. Their most recent stumble came versus the Houston Rockets, which edged them by a 128-121 score Friday night. Kristaps Porzingis led the way for the Mavericks with 35 points, complementing them with 12 rebounds, two steals and one block. Seth Curry delivered 16 points, four assists and two rebounds. Tim Hardaway, Jr. delivered 15 points, four assists, and three rebounds. Dorian Finney-Smith totaled 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists. J.J. Barea managed 11 points, nine assists and five rebounds. Delon Wright compiled 10 points, three assists and two rebounds.

The Mavericks will be without Luka Doncic (ankle) for Saturday's game after suffering his injury in Thursday's practice.

Saturday's game marks the first of two meetings between the teams this season. The two clubs split the two-game 2018-19 season series.

The Charlotte Hornets play host to the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center on Saturday.

The Hornets (16-32) come into this matchup losing nine of their last 10 games. In fact, they started the season with a 13-17 record and have just three wins since then. That 13-17 start was actually quite the surprise for many people and it's still been a successful season despite the horrid stretch. This is a team that many people thought would finish dead-last in the NBA and it was widely believed that they would struggle to get to even 20 wins. That says a lot about the improvement of the players, with Terry Rozier, Devonte' Graham and P.J. Washington all showing major growth this season. Getting player development is really the only thing that matters in a rebuilding season and it has this franchise headed in the right direction despite what the record indicates.

The Spurs (21-26) have been a different team over the last few weeks, trying their best to climb back into playoff contention. They now find themselves just 2.5 games back of the Memphis Grizzlies in eighth despite the fact that Memphis seemingly wins every night. While a 7-6 record over their last 13 games might not look like anything special, it's actually impressive when you consider the competition. San Antonio has victories over the Milwaukee Bucks, Utah Jazz, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics in that stretch. Getting through that gauntlet of a schedule is certainly a positive sign moving forward and it's hard to overlook the fact that this club has made the postseason in 20-straight years coming into the season.

This is the first meeting between these teams after Charlotte swept the two-game season series last year. Prior to that, the Spurs won 14 of their previous 15 games over the Hornets in total.

The Sacramento Kings play host to the Los Angeles Lakers at Golden 1 Center on Saturday.

The Lakers (36-11) had to play their first game this week on Friday, taking a home loss against the Portland Trail Blazers. The lengthy delay was because of the passing of Kobe Bryant and that made for an emotional game on Friday. Having to play the second half of a back-to-back set here is going to be a tough task after that sort of night but it could also be a good thing for these players to keep the grind going. What's also going to make it easier is the fact that this team has been winning a lot recently, entering this matchup winning 12 of their last 16 games. That has them sitting atop the Western Conference and it would be hard to imagine anyone catching them with Anthony Davis and LeBron James running the show.

The Kings (18-30) have been one of the most difficult teams to understand in the NBA. Their last three results show just why. Three games ago, Sacramento overcame a 17-point deficit in the final three minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves. They followed that up with a blowout home loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder and then pulled out an upset road win over the Los Angeles Clippers in their most recent victory. While that does give them three wins in their last four, it shows the volatility of this ball club. The thing that's made them so volatile is their offense, ranked just 24th in scoring. That's shocking considering they were Top-10 last season and it simply makes no sense with these young pieces all sticking around. That would make one believe that improvements are right around the corner but it's impossible to predict what these Kings will do at this point.

These teams have played once this season, with Los Angeles prevailing, 99-97, on November 15. That gives the Lakers three-straight victories over the Kings in total.

The Portland Trail Blazers play host to the Utah Jazz at Moda Center on Saturday.

The Jazz (32-16) enter this matchup losing three-straight which is shocking when you look at their prior form. In fact, Utah won 19 of their previous 21 games before that which is easily one of the best stretches by any team all season long. The most recent losing streak is certainly concerning though. taking defeats against three Western Conference foes. The loss on Thursday against Denver was particularly frustrating, blowing a double-digit lead and allowing a shorthanded Nuggets team to go on a 27-1 second half run to prevail. The good news is that this appears to be a blip on the radar as opposed to a regular occurrence and there's a good chance that they'll rip off another winning streak rather shortly.

The Trail Blazers (22-27) picked up a win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, which gave them their fourth win in their last five games. Portland is currently 2.5 games back on the Memphis Grizzlies in eighth and that's an amazing fall-off from a club who finished third in each of the last two years. What makes it even more baffling is the fact that Damian Lillard and Hassan Whiteside are both having career years. Lillard has been especially good, averaging 48.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 9.8 assists on 56 percent shooting across his last four games. He pretty much matched those averages again against Los Angeles and it's scary just how good this guy is right now.

These teams have played once this season, with Utah prevailing, 121-115, on December 26. With that said, these teams have split the last three season series against one another.