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NBA Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves (32-32) at Los Angeles Lakers (30-33)

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NBA Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves (32-32) at Los Angeles Lakers (30-33)

With star player LeBron James out for at least the next two weeks with a right foot injury, Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham is adjusting quickly as his team pursues a playoff spot.

Fortunately for the Lakers, center Anthony Davis will return to the lineup on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves to kick off a five-game homestand.

On Wednesday, the undermanned Lakers prevailed 123-117 over the Thunder in Oklahoma City, their fifth victory in their last seven contests.

Davis didn’t play against the Thunder because Davis didn’t want to miss the second game of a back-to-back. The right foot injury forced the eight-time All-Star to miss 20 games earlier this season.

Additionally, the Lakers have been without point guard D’Angelo Russell, who is likely to miss his fourth consecutive game due to a right ankle injury.

The Lakers prevailed over the Thunder through collective effort despite the absence of three key players. Dennis Schroder had 26 points, Troy Brown Jr. had 19, which was his best performance of the season, and Austin Reaves also had 19.

Ham stated that in the absence of James, multiple players will need to continue to step up.

In the victory over Oklahoma City, Reaves made 8 of 9 free throws and 5 of 5 field goals. By scoring at least 17 points in three of his last four games, the second-year professional has quickly adjusted to playing a bigger role.

The Lakers are vying with a number of teams for a spot in the play-in tournament, including Minnesota, which is currently ranked No. 11 in the Western Conference. Position 8 The teams that finished seventh through tenth in each conference play for the Nos in the tournament. 7 and 8 playoff seeds, respectively.

With a road victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, the Wolves ended a three-game losing streak. Minnesota outscored the Clippers 60-38 in the paint thanks to six double-digit scoring performances from its players.

In the victory, Jaden McDaniels scored 20 points and has averaged 15.4 points in his last five games. The forward, who is in his third year, also played great defense against Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

Minnesota has won its last two games against the Lakers, including a 111-102 victory on Oct. 28. Anthony Edwards is averaging 24.6 points on 45.8% shooting.

NBA Preview: Memphis Grizzlies (38-23) at Denver Nuggets (44-19)

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NBA Preview: Memphis Grizzlies (38-23) at Denver Nuggets (44-19)

When they defeated the Denver Nuggets by 18 points on Saturday in a Western Conference matchup of the top two teams, the Memphis Grizzlies demonstrated how dominant they can be.

Memphis will have to play on the road if it wants to reach the West’s top seed. On Wednesday night, the Grizzlies defeated Houston to end an eight-game road losing streak; however, on Friday night, they will face a challenging opponent in Denver.

The teams meet for the third and final time, with each team having won at home.

Memphis needs to win on Friday night because the Nuggets have a five-game lead over them, four of which are losses. The Nuggets would hold the tiebreaker and a commanding lead with one month remaining in the regular season if Denver wins.

The Grizzlies hope that their Friday night victory over the sagging Rockets will carry over.

Despite a report this week about an alleged incident he was involved in at a summer pick-up basketball game, Memphis star Ja Morant is performing well. Morant was reported to the police, but no charges were brought against him.

Morant scored 20 points against Houston and 39 against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

For the past three months, the Nuggets have been dominant in basketball and are nearly unbeatable at home (28-4). Since Dec. 6, they have only lost one game at Ball Arena.

It helps that Denver has Nikola Jokic, who has won the MVP two times. He would become the first player since Larry Bird in 1984-86 to win the award three times in a row if he wins it again. While shooting 63.3 percent from the field, Jokic is averaging a triple-double of 24.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 10.0 assists per game.

Now that the Nuggets are getting closer to full health, he has been getting a lot of help. Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon each average 17.0 points per game, and Jamal Murray, who returns from a three-week absence to add more scoring punch, is averaging 20.1 points per game.

As the regular season winds down, Denver’s offense is on point, and its defense has been one of the best in the NBA over the last 41 games. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who can concentrate on one player to free up the rest of the defense, was brought in this summer.

NBA Preview: Utah Jazz (31-32) at Oklahoma City Thunder (28-34)

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NBA Preview: Utah Jazz (31-32) at Oklahoma City Thunder (28-34)

Will Hardy, the head coach of the Utah Jazz, wants his team to go back to basics.

Hardy hopes that Utah can recover from a loss to San Antonio on Tuesday night at home. On Friday, the Jazz begin a six-game road trip that will last the entire season. They will play the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Jazz missed an opportunity to move above.500 in a 102-94 defeat on Tuesday, three nights after easily defeating the visiting Spurs by 118 points on Saturday.

Utah has committed at least 20 turnovers in all but one of the last four games, averaging 19.5 per game.

Utah’s trip starts with games against the Thunder. They will play once more Sunday evening.

Since the All-Star break, neither the Jazz nor the Thunder have had enough players.

Jordan Clarkson missed Tuesday’s game with a right thumb sprain, and Utah’s Collin Sexton has missed the past three games with a left hamstring strain. Clarkson took part in some of the practice on Thursday, but it is still unknown if he will be able to return on Friday.

In the defeat on Tuesday, Ochai Agbaji broke his right lower leg, but he is expected to play on Friday.

For the fifth game in a row, the Thunder are likely to be without All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Gilgeous-Alexander has been in the NBA’s health and safety protocol for the last two games despite recently having an abdominal strain.

Oklahoma City will be without forward Kenrich Williams for the remainder of the year, although Gilgeous-Alexander is anticipated to return soon. In the defeat against Sacramento on Tuesday, Williams’ left wrist suffered a rupture of the scapholunate ligament. Williams would need surgery to end his season, the Thunder said on Thursday.

Even though Williams only averages 8.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 53 games, he has contributed significantly to Oklahoma City’s success this season. With Williams on the floor, the Thunder outscored their opponents by 4.0 points per 100 possessions, whereas without Williams, they have a net rating of -0.7. Additionally, he leads the NBA with 26 draws this season.

A five-game losing streak that has lasted the entirety of the season has put Oklahoma City’s chances of making the play-in tournament in jeopardy.

In Oklahoma City’s 123-117 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, Josh Giddey had 17 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds, just one rebound shy of a triple-double. Coach Mark Daigneault praised Giddey for his attack on Los Angeles’ smaller guards.

Giddey, on the other hand, wants more.

This season, the teams have met four times, the second of those being on Friday. Lauri Markkanen scored 43 points for Utah, which prevailed in overtime to win the first game 120-119 in Salt Lake City on February 23.

NBA Preview: Phoenix Suns (34-29) at Chicago Bulls (29-34)

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NBA Preview: Phoenix Suns (34-29) at Chicago Bulls (29-34)

During Kevin Durant’s acclaimed Phoenix Suns debut, Devin Booker gleefully stole the spotlight.

Booker hopes for a comeback on Friday, when the Phoenix Suns face the Chicago Bulls to continue their road trip.

On Wednesday, Booker led Phoenix to a 105-91 victory over the Charlotte Hornets with 37 points, seven assists, and six rebounds. The Suns recorded their 13th win in their last 18 games thanks to the three-time All-Star’s 15 of 26 field goal attempts, including three 3-pointers, and Deandre Ayton’s 16 points and 16 rebounds.

In his first game since being acquired from the Brooklyn Nets last month, Durant scored 23 points. In his first game since suffering a right MCL sprain on Jan. 8, the 2013-14 NBA Most Valuable Player and 13-time All-Star made 10 of 15 shots from the floor and showed no signs of slowing down.

As he made his comeback from injury, Durant was restricted in time, and if coach Monty Williams decides to err on the side of caution, he could miss Friday’s game. The Suns play their final four games on Sunday in Dallas, which would be Durant’s chance to see Kyrie Irving, his former Nets teammate.

In a victory over the Bulls on November 30, Phoenix prevailed 132-113. Ayton finished with 30 points and 14 rebounds, while Booker scored 51 points in the first three quarters before sitting out the fourth.

In Chicago’s 117-115 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, Zach LaVine, who scored 21 points in that game, came off the bench to score 41 points. The two-time All-Star missed all seven free throw attempts and shot 14 of 20 shots, including 6 of 9 attempts from three-point range, to fall two points short of his season-high total.

LaVine hit a three-pointer late in the third quarter to increase the Bulls’ lead to 100-79. However, Chicago capitalized on the Pistons’ inability to call a timeout in the final minutes of the fourth after seeing its advantage nearly evaporate.

Even though the Bulls won for the third time in four games after a six-game skid that was the longest of the season, coach Billy Donovan expressed concern for his team.

NBA Preview: New York Knicks (37-27) at Miami Heat (33-30)

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NBA Preview: New York Knicks (37-27) at Miami Heat (33-30)

Since acquiring tough reserve Josh Hart, the New York Knicks, who are 7-0, are scheduled to play the Miami Heat on Friday night.

As they continue to climb the Eastern Conference standings, the Knicks will strive for their eighth consecutive victory.

On Wednesday night, when the Knicks beat the Brooklyn Nets 142-118, it definitely did. Jalen Brunson, a point guard for the Knicks, scored a game-high 39 points, 30 of which came in the first half.

On Wednesday, Brunson shot 15 of 18 shots, including 5 of 6 attempts at a 3-pointer. He also had five rebounds and six assists.

Hart, who was acquired from Portland prior to the NBA trade deadline, scored four points, pulled down four rebounds, gave five assists, and made two steals as a reserve against New York. In his seven appearances for New York, he has averaged 12.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.

Hart, Brunson’s former Villanova teammate, has contributed to the Knicks’ potent duo of power forward Julius Randle and Brunson.

The 28-year-old Randle is currently averaging team highs of 25.0 points and 10.5 rebounds, both of which are on track to become career highs. For the second time in three seasons, Randle was named to the NBA All-Star team this season.

The 26-year-old is averaging 23.8 points and 6.2 assists per game, both of which are on track to become career highs. From the free-throw line, Brunson is shooting 41.0 percent and 83.6 percent.

The shooting guards RJ Barrett and Quentin Grimes, as well as Mitchell Robinson, a double-double threat, are just two of the Knicks’ other standouts in their lineup.

On February 2, the Knicks defeated the Heat 106-104 at home. In the teams’ one and only meeting thus far this season, Miami’s Tyler Herro missed a corner 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Overall, Miami has lost five of its last six games, including a disappointing home defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers by a score of 119-96. Despite playing without All-Star center Joel Embiid, Philadelphia prevailed.

Jimmy Butler, Miami’s leading scorer, left the game in the fourth quarter because of a sore right knee. Due to a knee injury, Heat starting point guard Kyle Lowry has missed ten games in a row.

The Heat’s 19-11 record at home, including an 8-2 record in their ten most recent outings in Miami, is good news for Miami.

However, New York is tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for the second-best NBA road record, going 18-12.

When all of this is added up, the Heat are under more and more pressure. As of Friday, they are seventh in the Eastern Conference, 3 1/2 games behind the fifth-place Knicks.

Miami has acquired backup Cody Zeller and five-time All-Star Kevin Love from the buyout market in the last two weeks.

Love’s passing, including his outlet heaves to teammates streaking up the court, has impressed Spoelstra particularly.

NBA Preview: Brooklyn Nets (34-28) at Boston Celtics (45-18)

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NBA Preview: Brooklyn Nets (34-28) at Boston Celtics (45-18)

On Wednesday, Jayson Tatum came out of a shooting slump, which could hurt the Brooklyn Nets when they play the Boston Celtics on Friday night.

Tatum scored 41 points in a 117-113 victory over Cleveland, following two subpar performances since the All-Star break. In addition, he had eight assists and 11 rebounds in the victory, which came just two days after Boston’s 109-94 loss to New York.

In Boston’s three games since the All-Star break, Tatum shot 36.6% from the field and 24% from behind the 3-point arc, leading up to the Cavaliers game on Wednesday. In the game against Cleveland, he shot 13 of 21, including 4 of 6 attempts from behind the 3-point arc.

Tatum is averaging 30.3 points per game going into Friday’s game.

Against the Cavaliers, Al Horford made six 3-pointers, matching his career high.

Since trading Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, the Nets, on the other hand, have been moving in the wrong direction. In the first half of Wednesday’s 142-118 defeat to New York, Brooklyn allowed 81 points. The team’s four-game losing streak was extended by that setback.

Brooklyn is 7-18 in its last 25 games and has lost six of its last seven. The Nets—whether from Brooklyn or New Jersey—have never allowed more than 81 points in a halftime period than the Knicks did.

In 12 of the team’s 16 quarters played since the All-Star break, Brooklyn has allowed at least 30 points.

Ben Simmons won’t be able to play against the Celtics because of soreness in his knee, according to Brooklyn coach Jacque Vaughn.

NBA Preview: Portland Trail Blazers (29-33) at Atlanta Hawks (31-31)

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NBA Preview: Portland Trail Blazers (29-33) at Atlanta Hawks (31-31)

When Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers make their one and only appearance in Atlanta on Friday to take on the Hawks coached by Trae Young, two of the most dynamic scorers in the NBA will be in the spotlight.

Lillard scored 71 points on Sunday against the Houston Rockets and 41 points on Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans, who defeated them 121-110. He has 7.1 assists and 32.3 points per game, which ranks third in the league going into Thursday’s action.

In the last three games, Young has scored at least 30 points, including 31 on Tuesday against Washington, which was a 119-116 defeat. Young is averaging 27.1 points and 10.1 assists per game, which ranks him 10th in the league heading into Thursday’s action. Last season, he scored 56 against Portland.

Dejounte Murray, Murray’s backcourt teammate, had a career performance against the Blazers in their first meeting. Murray had a career-high 40 points, seven assists, eight rebounds, and no turnovers. According to Elias Sports, he is the first Hawk to achieve those results since the 1977–78 campaign.

This is the second time the two teams have met this season. On its own court, Portland prevailed 129-125 on January 30. In that game, Lillard scored 42 points, and he has scored 30 or more points in five of his last five games against Atlanta. The Hawks have won their last three games in Atlanta, including last season’s 122-113 victory.

Both teams’ hopes of making the playoffs depend on this game.

For the No. 1 spot, Portland is 1 1/2 games behind New Orleans. a chance to participate in the play-in tournament and a spot in the Western Conference’s top ten. When the Blazers lost to the Pelicans, they missed a chance to gain ground.

Six of its last nine games and four of its last five are losses for Portland. Atlanta is the first game in a six-game East Coast road trip for the Blazers.

No. 1 is Atlanta. Eighth in the Eastern Conference, three games behind No. 6 Brooklyn for last place in the playoffs. The Hawks will play their final four games of a four-game homestand following the All-Star Game. The remaining four games will be played on the road.

Atlanta will play its second game under the direction of head coach Quin Snyder. On Wednesday, Snyder was in charge, but he left a lot of the game decisions up to assistant Joe Prunty, who led the team to two wins after Nate McMillan was fired.

After missing three games due to a right ankle sprain, Anfernee Simons returned to Portland. However, Simons had to be taken to the locker room after injuring the same ankle in the third quarter against New Orleans. He will be decided on game day.

NBA Preview: Orlando Magic (26-37) at Charlotte Hornets (20-44)

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NBA Preview: Orlando Magic (26-37) at Charlotte Hornets (20-44)

After this week’s injury pinch, which altered the available personnel, the Charlotte Hornets are concerned about their offense.

The Hornets’ arrival on Friday night, when the Orlando Magic, who are visiting, come to town, might be just what they need.

The defense is a major problem for the Magic, who have allowed more than 120 points in each of their last three defeats. That includes Milwaukee’s 139-117 defeat on Wednesday night.

Additionally, an apparently agitated group.

The Magic will be wrapping up a three-game road trip while the Hornets finish a four-game homestand.

With the Hornets’ 105-91 home loss to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night, their season-high five-game winning streak came to an end.

It was LaMelo Ball’s first game since suffering an ankle fracture that ended the season. However, Ball had been out for some time earlier in the season, so playing without him is a challenge but not unheard of.

Kelly Oubre Jr. was reinstated in the lineup of starters.

P.J. Washington, the Hornets’ starting forward, has also been out with a foot injury for nearly a week, but Clifford said he should be back soon.

Dennis Smith Jr., a guard, got a lot of playing time when Ball was out earlier in the season. He will probably get a bigger role again.

In order for Charlotte to have a positive season finale, that will put an emphasis on areas other than scoring.

The continued development of rookie center Mark Williams is one of the Hornets’ positive developments. He is the first rookie in franchise history to record three consecutive double-doubles (points and rebounds) since Emeka Okafor in the spring of 2005.

Paolo Banchero, Orlando’s rookie forward and Williams’ former Duke teammate, is adjusting to life on the other bench.

For nearly a month, the Magic have won and lost on a regular basis. This win-loss rotation has been in place for ten games, beginning with Orlando’s victory over Charlotte on Feb. 5 (119-113).

On October 28, the Hornets lost to Orlando 113-93, but on November 14, they won 112-105 to exact revenge. Despite Ball’s 33 points, the Magic prevailed in the game on February 5.

MLS Preview: Portland Timbers (1-0-0) at Los Angeles Football Club (0-0-0)

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MLS Preview: Portland Timbers (1-0-0) at Los Angeles Football Club (0-0-0)

Last season, Los Angeles Football Club defeated Portland 2-1 on the penultimate weekend of the regular season and 2-0 in the United States Open Cup. Prior to that, Portland had gone six matches against Los Angeles Football Club without dropping a single one since October 2020 (W3 D3).

In its MLS history, Los Angeles Football Club has won all five of its season openers. From 2012 to 2017, FC Dallas was the only team in league history to win its first match six times in a row.

Monday’s 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City marked only the fourth time in the Timbers’ 13 MLS seasons that they had won their opening match. They have only once started a season with two straight wins, in 2017, when they won 1-0 at the Los Angeles Galaxy in Southern California.

Only once in the previous six seasons (D1 L4) have the defending MLS Cup champions started their title defense with a victory. The Rapids defeated a Timbers team in their first-ever MLS match in 2011 by a score of 3-1, marking the second time a reigning champion has opened their season against the Timbers.

Juan Mosquera, a Colombian, and Yimmi Chara, a fellow Colombian, assisted on Portland’s lone goal in Monday’s victory. The Timbers have scored seven goals by Colombians since the end of last season (D. Asprilla4, S. Moreno2, J. Mosquera 1).

Lightning acquire Forward Michael Eyssimont from San Jose

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Lightning acquire Forward Michael Eyssimont from San Jose

TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired forward Michael Eyssimont from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for forward Vladislav Namestnikov, vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced today. The Lightning will retain 50 percent of Namestnikov’s salary as part of the trade acquisition.

Eyssimont, 26, has skated in 39 games between San Jose and Winnipeg this season, posting four goals and 13 points. The 6-foot, 180-pound forward began the season with the Jets, where he scored a goal and notched five points in 19 games. Eyssimont was claimed off waivers by San Jose on January 6 and posted three goals and eight points in 20 games with the Sharks.

Eyssimont has played 40 career NHL games. He made his NHL debut with the Jets on April 11, 2022, registering one shot in 5:49 time on ice. The Littleton, Colo. native was a fifth-round draft pick (142nd overall) of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2016 NHL Draft.

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