Monday's NBA Essentials
January 30, 2017
Game of the Night - Memphis at Phoenix (TNT, 10:35 ET)
This is the second half of Monday's nationally-televised doubleheader, so the hope here is that it will provide a fun matchup to salvage what could potentially be a dud of a night. Of the six games on the schedule, there's only one matchup between teams that have both surpassed 20 wins, the opening game of TNT's twinbill, previewed below.
Of the 10 teams with the NBA's lowest winning percentages, eight will be in action on Monday. Only the Lakers and Pelicans are skipping the party.
The Grizzlies are the top Western Conference team playing Monday and come off an impressive 102-95 road win at Utah on the second night of a back-to-back. This will be the third leg of a six-game road trip, all against conference opponents, that continues against Denver, Oklahoma City and Minnesota. After spending most of the season with at least one regular out of the lineup -- more often three or more -- the Grizzlies will have everyone available.
Big forward/center Brandan Wright will make his season debut following ankle surgery. He's played just 12 games with Memphis, but is a strong rebounder and capable rim protector who should have an impact if he can stay healthy. Shooter Troy Daniels is back after undergoing knee pain and Chandler Parsons should play after resting on the second night of a back-to-back. With Zach Randolph coming off a season-high 28-point outburst over the Jazz and Vince Carter still effective despite now being on the other side of 40, a Grizzlies team that was once playing without All-Star Marc Gasol, point guard Mike Conley, Randolph, Parsons, Carter and Wright has a chance to be among the league's deepest heading into the break.
Since first-year head coach David Fizdale is just getting to know all these players, Parsons is still struggling to find his shot and Wright is just returning, there will definitely be more shuffling ahead. The next four games of this road trip give the Grizzlies opportunities to improve on the West's fourth-best conference mark, currently an impressive 19-10, but could also produce some spotty play since it's tough for new pieces to mesh on the road. Since the three renaining stops all feature teams playing better than the Suns, who have dropped three straight and bring up the rear in the entire West, it's important for Memphis to take care of business.
Randolph's 28-point game off the Griz bench is just the latest and best in a fantastic month where he's proven he can still be a force, averaging 15.9 points and 9.8 rebounds. Over the last three games, he's shooting nearly 66 percent and averaging 20 and 10. Gasol is averaging 30.4 points over his last five, so Phoenix has to hope Tyson Chandler can stay out of foul trouble or they'll have serious issues on defense.
The Suns have surrendered an average of 120.7 points during their current skid, which features a home loss to Minnesota and home-and-home sweep at the hands of Denver. They've lost five of seven and have allowed 103 or more points in each of their last 10.
Phoenix has lost five of its last six home games, with the lone win coming in an upset of San Antonio. This will be the first of three meetings over the next month between these teams, who split last year's four encounters, only one of which included Gasol.
Game of the Night II - Detroit at Boston (TNT, 8:05 ET)
Since Dec. 15, Detroit has gone 7-13 over a 20-game span, falling to the bottom of the Central Division. Stan Van Gundy has tried everything to try and push the right buttons, but after matching a season-high three-game winning streak, the Pistons lost at home to Sacramento and then got stomped in Miami despite four days off in between.
If nothing else, they'll have the fresher legs in this matchup, catching the Celtics on their fifth game in seven nights. They've won their last three despite missing two starters in F/C Al Horford (groin) and Avery Bradley (Achilles), most recently winning in Milwaukee after double-digit home wins over Houston and Orlando. Both players may return as early as tonight, so be sure to monitor news after shootaround. They're considered day-to-day and will likely be game-time decisions when they do return.
Marcus Smart has done tremendous defensive work filling in for Bradley, but he's shooting just 35 percent and definitely could benefit from a reduced workload. Kelly Olynyk picked up the offensive slack for Horford with 17 points in the win over the Bucks, but is also best in smaller doses. Getting Horford and Bradley back for the rest of Boston's homestand, which continues with an Atlantic Division showdown against Toronto on Wednesday and games against both LA teams this weekend, will give them an opportunity to hang on to a division lead they captured when the Raptors lost at home to Orlando on Sunday.
Isaiah Thomas has been the driving force, averaging 31.6 points over his last 22 games and is set to close out a second consecutive month averaging over 30 points. He's averaged 25.5 points in splitting the two contests the Celtics have played against Detroit, but will get a vastly different look here. Reggie Jackson, who excelled at Boston College, will be playing his first game in this series since he was injured to start the season, so he'll certainly bring it in his old college stomping grounds. The Celtics are favored for the fifth time in six games in this series, but Detroit has won two outright. Four of their last five meetings have gone under the posted total.
Matchup to Watch
Moisture postponed the Nov. 30 matchup between these teams, which could potentially work out as a bonus if Joel Embiid is able to play. Knee soreness has kept him out of most of Philadelphia's games of late, and he's been diagnosed with a bone bruise that may ultimately keep him out of this one.
If he's able to play, the fact he's further along now that he was late in the first full month of his rookie season means we could get a worthy sequel to their first meeting, when Embiid scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds but got his shot blocked as he pulled up on DeMarcus Cousins for a game-winner. Cousins, who won the game 102-100 with a 3-pointer with 20.9 seconds left in addition to the game-saving block, has led Sacramento to wins in three of four, pulling off upsets of Detroit, Cleveland and Charlotte.
The Kings have covered five consecutive games, all on the road. The 76ers have covered all seven of their home games in 2017, winning six outright before having that streak snapped in Friday's 123-118 loss to the Rockets, who were favored by 7.
Philadelphia lost 121-108 in Chicago on Sunday night, but has still won nine of 14, its most impressive run since 2011.
Notable Head-to-Head Trends
-- The Nets have lost eight of nine against the Heat and just blew a fourth-quarter lead last week in a 109-106 home loss. This matchup pits the team with the NBA's longest winning streak (Miami, 7) against the team with the longest run of losses. Brooklyn has dropped five straight and comes in 9-38, six games up on Phoenix for the league's worst record. Dion Waiters dished out a season-high eight assists against the Nets on Wednesday and hit the dagger 3-pointer to complete the comeback, finishing with 24 points. He's shockingly averaged 25.2 over his last five, shooting over 51 percent from the field and 3-point range.
-- The Magic and Wolves have nearly identical records, something that depresses both fan bases as they near the 50-game mark. Minnesota won the first meeting between these teams on Nov. 9, winning in Orlando 123-107 behind Zach LaVine's 37 points and Andrew Wiggins' 29. LaVine shot 7-for-9 from 3-point range, helping snap a five-game losing streak at the hands of the Magic. Minnesota has won just three times in 16 games in this series since '08-'09.
-- Dallas won five straight games over Cleveland without LeBron James in the lineup, but have lost the last four with him in the mix, including a 129-90 rout on Nov. 25. The Cavs shot 20-for-43 from 3-point range in that win, led by Kevin Love going 7-for-9 and finishing with 27 points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes. Due to back spasms that knocked him out of Sunday's win over Oklahoma City, Love will be absent against the Mavs. James and Kyrie Irving made the trip to Dallas despite this game being on the second night of a back-to-back, so they're likely to play although a late audible is always a possibility.
Dallas is certain to be without Deron Williams (leg) and J.J. Barea (calf), in addition to probably missing Andrew Bogut, who hurt his hamstring in a stunning Dirk Nowitzki and Seth Curry-led upset of San Antonio last night. The Cavs are 3-5 SU/2-6 ATS on the second night of a back-to-back, while the Mavs are winless in nine games on the second night, covering just twice.
January 30, 2017
Game of the Night - Memphis at Phoenix (TNT, 10:35 ET)
This is the second half of Monday's nationally-televised doubleheader, so the hope here is that it will provide a fun matchup to salvage what could potentially be a dud of a night. Of the six games on the schedule, there's only one matchup between teams that have both surpassed 20 wins, the opening game of TNT's twinbill, previewed below.
Of the 10 teams with the NBA's lowest winning percentages, eight will be in action on Monday. Only the Lakers and Pelicans are skipping the party.
The Grizzlies are the top Western Conference team playing Monday and come off an impressive 102-95 road win at Utah on the second night of a back-to-back. This will be the third leg of a six-game road trip, all against conference opponents, that continues against Denver, Oklahoma City and Minnesota. After spending most of the season with at least one regular out of the lineup -- more often three or more -- the Grizzlies will have everyone available.
Big forward/center Brandan Wright will make his season debut following ankle surgery. He's played just 12 games with Memphis, but is a strong rebounder and capable rim protector who should have an impact if he can stay healthy. Shooter Troy Daniels is back after undergoing knee pain and Chandler Parsons should play after resting on the second night of a back-to-back. With Zach Randolph coming off a season-high 28-point outburst over the Jazz and Vince Carter still effective despite now being on the other side of 40, a Grizzlies team that was once playing without All-Star Marc Gasol, point guard Mike Conley, Randolph, Parsons, Carter and Wright has a chance to be among the league's deepest heading into the break.
Since first-year head coach David Fizdale is just getting to know all these players, Parsons is still struggling to find his shot and Wright is just returning, there will definitely be more shuffling ahead. The next four games of this road trip give the Grizzlies opportunities to improve on the West's fourth-best conference mark, currently an impressive 19-10, but could also produce some spotty play since it's tough for new pieces to mesh on the road. Since the three renaining stops all feature teams playing better than the Suns, who have dropped three straight and bring up the rear in the entire West, it's important for Memphis to take care of business.
Randolph's 28-point game off the Griz bench is just the latest and best in a fantastic month where he's proven he can still be a force, averaging 15.9 points and 9.8 rebounds. Over the last three games, he's shooting nearly 66 percent and averaging 20 and 10. Gasol is averaging 30.4 points over his last five, so Phoenix has to hope Tyson Chandler can stay out of foul trouble or they'll have serious issues on defense.
The Suns have surrendered an average of 120.7 points during their current skid, which features a home loss to Minnesota and home-and-home sweep at the hands of Denver. They've lost five of seven and have allowed 103 or more points in each of their last 10.
Phoenix has lost five of its last six home games, with the lone win coming in an upset of San Antonio. This will be the first of three meetings over the next month between these teams, who split last year's four encounters, only one of which included Gasol.
Game of the Night II - Detroit at Boston (TNT, 8:05 ET)
Since Dec. 15, Detroit has gone 7-13 over a 20-game span, falling to the bottom of the Central Division. Stan Van Gundy has tried everything to try and push the right buttons, but after matching a season-high three-game winning streak, the Pistons lost at home to Sacramento and then got stomped in Miami despite four days off in between.
If nothing else, they'll have the fresher legs in this matchup, catching the Celtics on their fifth game in seven nights. They've won their last three despite missing two starters in F/C Al Horford (groin) and Avery Bradley (Achilles), most recently winning in Milwaukee after double-digit home wins over Houston and Orlando. Both players may return as early as tonight, so be sure to monitor news after shootaround. They're considered day-to-day and will likely be game-time decisions when they do return.
Marcus Smart has done tremendous defensive work filling in for Bradley, but he's shooting just 35 percent and definitely could benefit from a reduced workload. Kelly Olynyk picked up the offensive slack for Horford with 17 points in the win over the Bucks, but is also best in smaller doses. Getting Horford and Bradley back for the rest of Boston's homestand, which continues with an Atlantic Division showdown against Toronto on Wednesday and games against both LA teams this weekend, will give them an opportunity to hang on to a division lead they captured when the Raptors lost at home to Orlando on Sunday.
Isaiah Thomas has been the driving force, averaging 31.6 points over his last 22 games and is set to close out a second consecutive month averaging over 30 points. He's averaged 25.5 points in splitting the two contests the Celtics have played against Detroit, but will get a vastly different look here. Reggie Jackson, who excelled at Boston College, will be playing his first game in this series since he was injured to start the season, so he'll certainly bring it in his old college stomping grounds. The Celtics are favored for the fifth time in six games in this series, but Detroit has won two outright. Four of their last five meetings have gone under the posted total.
Matchup to Watch
Moisture postponed the Nov. 30 matchup between these teams, which could potentially work out as a bonus if Joel Embiid is able to play. Knee soreness has kept him out of most of Philadelphia's games of late, and he's been diagnosed with a bone bruise that may ultimately keep him out of this one.
If he's able to play, the fact he's further along now that he was late in the first full month of his rookie season means we could get a worthy sequel to their first meeting, when Embiid scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds but got his shot blocked as he pulled up on DeMarcus Cousins for a game-winner. Cousins, who won the game 102-100 with a 3-pointer with 20.9 seconds left in addition to the game-saving block, has led Sacramento to wins in three of four, pulling off upsets of Detroit, Cleveland and Charlotte.
The Kings have covered five consecutive games, all on the road. The 76ers have covered all seven of their home games in 2017, winning six outright before having that streak snapped in Friday's 123-118 loss to the Rockets, who were favored by 7.
Philadelphia lost 121-108 in Chicago on Sunday night, but has still won nine of 14, its most impressive run since 2011.
Notable Head-to-Head Trends
-- The Nets have lost eight of nine against the Heat and just blew a fourth-quarter lead last week in a 109-106 home loss. This matchup pits the team with the NBA's longest winning streak (Miami, 7) against the team with the longest run of losses. Brooklyn has dropped five straight and comes in 9-38, six games up on Phoenix for the league's worst record. Dion Waiters dished out a season-high eight assists against the Nets on Wednesday and hit the dagger 3-pointer to complete the comeback, finishing with 24 points. He's shockingly averaged 25.2 over his last five, shooting over 51 percent from the field and 3-point range.
-- The Magic and Wolves have nearly identical records, something that depresses both fan bases as they near the 50-game mark. Minnesota won the first meeting between these teams on Nov. 9, winning in Orlando 123-107 behind Zach LaVine's 37 points and Andrew Wiggins' 29. LaVine shot 7-for-9 from 3-point range, helping snap a five-game losing streak at the hands of the Magic. Minnesota has won just three times in 16 games in this series since '08-'09.
-- Dallas won five straight games over Cleveland without LeBron James in the lineup, but have lost the last four with him in the mix, including a 129-90 rout on Nov. 25. The Cavs shot 20-for-43 from 3-point range in that win, led by Kevin Love going 7-for-9 and finishing with 27 points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes. Due to back spasms that knocked him out of Sunday's win over Oklahoma City, Love will be absent against the Mavs. James and Kyrie Irving made the trip to Dallas despite this game being on the second night of a back-to-back, so they're likely to play although a late audible is always a possibility.
Dallas is certain to be without Deron Williams (leg) and J.J. Barea (calf), in addition to probably missing Andrew Bogut, who hurt his hamstring in a stunning Dirk Nowitzki and Seth Curry-led upset of San Antonio last night. The Cavs are 3-5 SU/2-6 ATS on the second night of a back-to-back, while the Mavs are winless in nine games on the second night, covering just twice.
