February 10th NBA Game Previews

The Charlotte Hornets take on the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on Monday night.

The Hornets (16-36) have seen their season spiral fully out of control over the last several weeks, as they've dropped 13 of their last 14 games. Their most recent stumble came against the Dallas Mavericks, which toppled them by a 116-100 score Saturday night. Devonte' Graham paced the Hornets with 26 points, supplementing them with 10 assists, four rebounds and one steal. Miles Bridges supplied 20 points, three rebounds and one steal. Malik Monk poured in 19 points, while Terry Rozier turned in 15 points, six boards, one assist and two blocks.

The Hornets will be without Cody Martin (concussion) and Nicolas Batum (illness) for Monday's contest.

The Pistons (19-36) haven't exactly been in the best form recently, as they've dropped eight of the last 10 games. Their most recent stumble came versus the New York Knicks, which edged them by a 95-92 score Saturday night. Reggie Jackson led the Pistons with 20 points, adding nine assists, two rebounds and one steal. Christian Wood generated a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included two assists, two blocks and one steal. Tony Snell and John Henson generated matching 12-point tallies. Bruce Brown provided 11 points, three rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal.

The Pistons will continue without Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (hip), Luke Kennard (knee) and Khryi Thomas (foot) for Monday's game. Derrick Rose (hip) and Brandon Knight (knee) will likely be questionable at best, while Markieff Morris (illness) will carry a probable tag.

Monday's game marks the fourth and final meeting between the teams this season. The Hornets hold a 3-0 series lead, having notched 109-106, 102-101 and 110-107 wins on Nov. 15, Nov. 27 and Nov. 29, respectively.

The Brooklyn Nets take on the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Monday night.

The Nets (23-28) check into Monday's contest in the midst of a strong stretch of play, as they own a 4-2 record over the last six games. Their most recent time on the court resulted in one of those losses, as they dropped a heartbreaking 119-118 decision to the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night. Caris LeVert paced the Nets with 37 points, complementing them with four assists, three rebounds and one steal. Spencer Dinwiddie followed with a 21-point, 11-assist double-double that also included six rebounds and one steal. Taurean Prince posted 17 points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. DeAndre Jordan generated a 15-point, 14-rebound double-double that also included one assist and three blocks. Joe Harris poured in 11 points and also provided seven boards and two assists.

The Nets will continue without Kyrie Irving (knee) for Monday's game.

The Pacers (31-22) come into Monday's game in the midst of a rather rare slump, as they've dropped five straight contests, and six of their last seven overall. Their most recent defeat came at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans, which toppled them by a 124-117 score Saturday night. Jeremy Lamb led the Pacers with 26 points and added five rebounds, four assists and one steal. T.J. Warren followed with 22 points, supplementing them with four rebounds, two blocks and one steal. Malcolm Brogdon registered 17 points, eight boards and six assists. Domantas Sabonis delivered 16 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two blocks. Myles Turner pitched in 10 points, eight boards, four assists and five blocks.

The Pacers will check into Monday's contest without any injuries to report.

Monday's game marks the third of four meetings between the teams this season. The Pacers hold a 2-0 series lead, having notched 118-108 and 115-86 victories Oct. 30 and Nov. 18, respectively.

The Atlanta Hawks take on the Orlando Magic at Amway Center on Monday night.

The Hawks (15-39) are getting through an extremely underwhelming season overall, but they've encouragingly recorded five of their 15 victories on the season over their last 10 games. Their most recent triumph was an exhausting one, as they toppled the New York Knicks by a 140-135 score in double overtime. Trae Young paced the Hawks with 48 points, supplementing them with 13 assists, one rebound and two steals. John Collins generated a 32-point, 16-rebound double-double that also included three assists and one block. De'Andre Hunter registered 19 points, nine boards, one assist and five steals. Kevin Huerter tallied 16 points, six assists, three rebounds and one block. Dewayne Dedmon finished with 10 points, eight boards and five blocks.

The Hawks will continue without Clint Capela (heel) and Skal Labissiere (knee) for Monday's game. DeAndre' Bembry (hand) and Cam Reddish (concussion) will likely be considered questionable at best.

The Magic (22-31) come into Monday's contest in the midst of one of their poorer stretches of play this season, as they've dropped eight of their last nine games. Their most recent defeat came at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks, which toppled them by a 111-95 score on Saturday afternoon. Nikola Vucevic paced the Magic with 21 points, adding 14 rebounds, six assists and two blocks. Terrence Ross furnished 20 points, four rebounds and three assists. Markelle Fultz managed 15 points, three rebounds, two assists and three steals. Evan Fournier poured in 14 points and also totaled four assists, three rebounds and two steals.

The Magic will list James Ennis (knee) as questionable for Monday's game. D.J. Augustin (knee), Al-Farouq Aminu (knee) and Jonathan Isaac (knee) will remain out.

Monday's game marks the third of four meetings between the teams this season. The Hawks hold a 2-0 series lead, having notched 103-99 and 101-93 wins on Oct. 26 and Dec. 30, respectively.

The Toronto Raptors play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Scotiabank Arena on Monday evening

The Raptors (39-14) are on a franchise-best 14-game win streak. They have won their last six home games and look to keep building on their 20-7 home record. Pascal Siakam has been playing great lately and is averaging 22.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.0 steals, over the last 10 games. Serge Ibaka has also been great lately and is averaging 19.3 points on 60 percent shooting, including 47.5 percent from long range, over the last 10 games. Kyle Lowry (neck) missed the Raptors' last contest and remains questionable for action on Monday. The Raptors are shooting 45.9 percent from the field, including 37.6 from long range, which is third best in the league. They average 25.7 assists per game and 8.8 steals per game, which is second most in the league.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves (16-35) ended a 13-game losing streak with an impressive home win over the Clippers, in their most recent contest. They had three players tally 20-point double-doubles in the win, as Jordan McLaughlin finished with 24 points and 11 assists, while Karl-Anthony Towns totaled 22 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, and Malik Beasley added 23 points and 10 rebounds. D'Angelo Russell (quad) has yet to make his debut with the team and is considered questionable for action on Monday. The Timberwolves have lost their last six road games but look to add to their 9-16 road record. The Timberwolves are shooting an average of 43.8 percent from the field, which is fourth worst in the league. They score an average of 112.2 points per game, but they are giving up an average of 115.5 points against, which is fourth most in the league.

The Milwaukee Bucks play host to the Sacramento Kings at Fiserv Forum on Monday evening.

The Bucks (45-7) have won nine of their last 10 games, including their last four in a row. They have won two straight at home, where they have a 24-3 record. The Bucks average a league-high 119.7 points per game, and they are shooting 48.2 percent from the field, which is second best in the league. They lead the league in rebounding, averaging 52.1 rebounds per game. The Bucks do a good job of sharing the ball, as they average 26.3 assists per game, which is third most in the league. Giannis Antetokounmpo (personal) is considered questionable for action on Monday. Khris Middleton continues to produce big numbers, averaging 24.2 points while shooting 53.2 percent from long range, 7.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.0 steals, over the last 10 games. Eric Bledsoe is averaging 15.3 points, 5.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals, over the last 10 games.

Meanwhile, the Kings (21-31) have won six of their last 10 games, including their last three in a row. This marks their first game of a two-game road trip, after they just wrapped up a four-game home stand. The Kings have won their last three road games and look to keep building on their 10-16 road record. The Kings average 107.8 points per game, but they are giving up an average of 110.2 points against. They are shooting an average of 45.8 percent from the field, including 36.3 percent from. long range. Buddy Hield has been playing well lately and is averaging 21.9 points while shooting 45.9 percent from long range, over the last 10 games. De'Aaron Fox is averaging 21.3 points, 6.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals, over the last 10 games. Harrison Barnes came up big, with 25 points in the Kings' most recent contest but is averaging 11.4 points over the last 10 games.

The Dallas Mavericks play host to the Utah Jazz at American Airlines Center on Monday evening.

The Mavericks (32-21) have been without Luka Doncic (ankle) for the last six games and he is expected to remain sidelined through Monday's action. The Mavs are 3-3 in the six games so far without their leader in points, rebounds and assists per game. Kristaps Porzingis (rest) did not play in the Mavs' most recent contest, but he should be back in action on Monday. Porzingis has topped 30 points in three of his last four games and is averaging 21.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals, over the last 10 games. Seth Curry came up huge, with 26 points, to lead the Mavs in their most recent contest. Curry has topped 20 points in the each of the last two games and is shooting 10-of-17 from long range over the last two games. The Mavericks average 116.1 points per game, which is third most in the league, and they are giving up an average of 110.2 points against.

Meanwhile, this marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Jazz (34-18), as they are coming off a thrilling win in Houston on Sunday. Bojan Bogdanovic hit a a last-second three to help the Jazz top the Rockets by one point. The bucket was only the second of the night for Bogdanovic, who finished with eight points on 2-of-7 shooting. Jordan Clarkson poured in 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting, off the bench, while Donovan Mitchell tallied 24 points, six assists and five rebounds, in the win. The Jazz are 5-5 in their last 10 games, but have won their last two in a row. This marks their second game of a two-game road trip, as they look to add to their 15-13 road record. The Jazz average 110.9 points per game, and they are holding their opponents to an average of 107.0 points per game.

The San Antonio Spurs travel to Colorado to face the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center on Monday.

The Spurs (22-30) have yet another tough game here, as this has been one of the most devastating stretches for any team all year. Not only is this team in the midst of their annual rodeo road trip, they also just continue to play tough team night after night. That's really evident by their victories, picking up wins over the Bucks, Celtics, Heat, Jazz and Raptors over the last month. They've also lost to teams like the Lakers, Nuggets, Clippers, Bucks, Heat and Raptors in that same stretch too. That's a murderer's row of a schedule and it's really frustrating for this franchise that they're trying to reach the postseason and seemingly face a tough team every single night. The good news is that it has to come to an end eventually with easier competition on the horizon but that's certainly not the case here.

The Nuggets (37-16) own an 11-4 record over their last 15 games and this club hasn't had a two-game losing streak since the beginning of December. That says a lot about the consistency of this team and it's amazing that they've been able to hold it all together with so many injuries. Paul Millsap, Jamal Murray, Gary Harris and Will Barton have all missed time recently and it's hard to understand how they've maintained such steady play with so many absences. It says a lot about Nikola Jokic though, as the big man has climbed into MVP consideration with his stellar play since the opening month. The big man is now leading the team in scoring, rebounds, assists and field goal percentage, breaking out into a full-on superstar.

While these teams split their four-game season series last year, Denver has won four of their last six games over San Antonio in total. Prior to that, the Spurs won 15 of their previous 16 games over the Nuggets.

The Miami Heat travel to San Francisco to face the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Monday.

The Heat (34-18) have just been trying to figure out what their roster is going to look like and now that the trade deadline has passed, we finally have a good idea of what to expect. Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala have been brought in while Dion Waiters and Justise Winslow have been shipped off. That is even more confusing when you consider that the training room is full of players like Jimmy Butler, Meyers Leonard and Tyler Herro. The good news is that none of those injuries are long-term and it'll be fascinating to see what they look like with all of those guys healthy and the new acquisitions gelling in. What it does bring up are some rotation question marks. There are so many pieces for Erik Spoelstra to play with and he's a great conductor to put this puzzle together.

The Warriors (12-41) come into this matchup losing seven of their last nine games and stretches like that have become commonplace for this team this season. What needs to be taken into consideration is the scheduling though, facing teams like the Celtics, Lakers, Sixers, Pacers and Jazz in that span. That's why they have a lot of lopsided defeats in that stretch and it doesn't get any easier here. What will be fun to watch is how Andrew Wiggins fits in, after being traded from Minnesota for D'Angelo Russell. Wiggins is actually a much better fit with guys like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson then Russell and it'll be fascinating to watch Curry and Wiggins play together once Curry returns next month.

These teams have played once this season, with Miami prevailing, 122-105, on November 29. Prior to that, the Warriors won eight of their previous 10 games over the Heat.

The Los Angeles Lakers play host to the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center on Monday.

The Suns (21-32) picked up an impressive 37-point win over the Houston Rockets on Friday but that's been their only good result in quite some time. In fact, Phoenix has lost nine of their last 11 games outside of that one gem and, unfortunately, that's more indicative of how bad this team has been. What makes that really frustrating is the fact that they have one of the best young cores in the NBA, sporting a roster with Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker, Kelly Oubre Jr and Ricky Rubio. That makes this run of games unacceptable and it's hard to understand why this franchise is in such a rut. In any case, they feel like they're in good hands going forward but they'll likely be in a spoiler role for the rest of the year rather than in the playoff race.

The Lakers (39-12) narrowly beat the Golden State Warriors on Saturday and that result shows where this team is at right now. In fact, Los Angeles is just 6-5 over their last 11 games and that makes this fast-approaching All-Star break a welcomed sight. The most important part about that break is that it will give LeBron James a few days off and some time for Anthony Davis to finally heal his ailing back/legs. Getting these two superstars ready for the second half is the ultimate goal because this is one of a few teams that have legitimate championship aspirations. Bringing a ring to this city in the year that Kobe Bryant passed would be the key moment to make James a true Laker great and that would be the cherry on top of an already hall-of-fame career.

These teams have played twice this season, with Los Angeles winning both meetings by at least eight points apiece. That gives the Lakers six wins in their last seven matchups with the Suns.