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NHL Morning Skate – Feb. 10, 2023

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NHL Morning Skate – Feb. 10, 2023

* The Lightning blanked the Avalanche in their rematch of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final on ESPN, Sportsnet and TVA Sports, extending their winning streak at AMALIE Arena to a franchise-record 14 games.

* A pair of Pacific Division teams earned wins Thursday with Vegas and Vancouver tallying five and six goals, respectively.

* Dougie Hamilton scored twice to establish a new franchise benchmark for fewest games to 50 points among defensemen.
 

* The #NHLStats Pack for the 2022-23 NHL Trade Deadline presented by OFX is now available, with exactly three weeks to go before this season’s deadline (3 p.m. ET on March 3).
 


VASILEVSKIY BLANKS AVALANCHE IN REMATCH OF 2022 STANLEY CUP FINAL
In their first meeting since the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, Brandon Hagel scored two of his team’s five goals while Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside all 30 shots to help the Lightning (33-16-2, 68 points) blank the reigning-champion Avalanche and move within two points of the idle Maple Leafs (31-13-8, 70 points), who are in action Friday, for second place in the Atlantic Division.

* Tampa Bay extended its home point streak to 14 games and established a franchise record in the process, eclipsing its previous best of 13 contests (Jan. 3 – March 12, 2004 & Dec. 17, 2019 – Feb. 15, 2020).


* The Lightning became the fourth Stanley Cup finalist in NHL history to win their first game of a Final rematch by a margin of five or more goals, joining the Rangers (7-1 W vs. BOS on Oct. 18, 1972), Blackhawks (7-2 W vs. PIT on Nov. 8, 1992) and Maple Leafs (5-0 W vs. BOS on Nov. 4, 1939).

* Vasilevskiy improved to 11-0-0 at AMALIE Arena dating to Dec. 10 and became just the second goaltender in NHL history to post multiple home win streaks of 11 games (also 14 GP in 2020-21), joining Ken Dryden (12 GP in 1978-79 & 11 GP in 1976-77).



A PAIR OF PACIFIC DIVISION TEAMS PICK UP TWO POINTS THURSDAY

The Golden Knights and Canucks each had five different goal scorers in 5-1 and 6-5 victories, respectively, Thursday night:

* Reilly Smith notched Vegas’ second penalty-shot goal of 2022-23 and Jack Eichel (1-1—2) recorded his team-leading 11th multi-point performance of the season to help the Golden Knights skate to their second straight 5-1 win. Vegas improved to 31-18-4 (66 points) to maintain its three-point lead atop the Pacific Division while leapfrogging idle Winnipeg (32-19-1, 65 points) for second place in the Western Conference behind only Dallas (30-13-10, 70 points).

* A back-and-forth affair between Vancouver and New York concluded with the Canucks claiming victory in the first game against the Islanders since their trade on Jan. 30, which saw Bo Horvat (1-1—2) and Anthony Beauvillier (1-0—1) switch teams. Both forwards found the back of the net against their former club – with Horvat joining a rare list of former captains in the process – but it was Elias Pettersson (2-1—3) who scored the game winner with his second goal of the night to secure the comeback win for Vancouver.



DEFENSEMEN LEAD THE WAY FOR THE DEVILS

Dougie Hamilton (2-0—2) and John Marino (1-0—1) accounted for all of their team’s goals Thursday, helping the Devils (34-13-4, 72 points) move within four points of the idle Hurricanes (34-9-8, 76 points) for top spot in the Metropolitan Division. New Jersey defensemen have accounted for 32 goals this season, tied with Florida for the second most among all teams behind only Carolina (34).

* Hamilton (15-36—51 in 51 GP), who became the first Devils defenseman to record 50 points in a season since Brian Rafalski (55)in 2006-07, recorded his 16th multi-point game of the 2022-23 campaign. The only blueliner in franchise history with more in a season is Scott Stevens (17 GP in 1993-94 & 1991-92).



FLEURY CLIMBS ALL-TIME LIST IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES

Marc-Andre Fleury earned a spotlight in the latest edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates as he appeared in his 972nd career contest and surpassed Terry Sawchuk for sole possession of fourth place on the NHL’s all-time games played list behind a trio of Hall of Famers. The Wild goaltender is just 28 appearances shy of becoming the fourth netminder to skate in 1,000 contests while his 536 wins are also the third most in League history.



TARASENKO HEADS TO BIG APPLE AS TRADE WINDS KICK UP

After parts of 11 seasons with the Blues, Vladimir Tarasenko is now a member of the Rangers following a deal that involved four players and two conditional draft picks. It was the fifth trade since the holiday roster freeze was lifted in December, with details included in the 2022-23 NHL Trade Tracker presented by OFX.

* The weeks leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline have seen plenty of activity in recent years, with 20-plus trades during the four-week window leading up to deadline day in eight of the past 10 years (from 2012-13 to 2021-22).

* One notable member of the 400-plus players traded within that four-week pre-deadline window over the past 10 seasons is Derick Brassard, who was acquired by the Penguins on Feb. 23, 2018 (3 days before the 2017-18 deadline) and then by the Panthers on Feb. 1, 2019 (24 days before the 2018-19 deadline).

* Brassard, who is now nine games shy of 1,000 in his career and back with the Senators, also has been traded on three different deadline days – one of two active players dealt as many times on that day (also Vladislav Namestnikov of TBL, 3x). The most years traded on deadline day is four, by Alan May.

* The #NHLStats Pack for the 2022-23 NHL Trade Deadline presented by OFX is now available, with exactly three weeks to go before this season’s deadline (3 p.m. ET on March 3).
 



WARD, WADDELL SHARE EXCITEMENT AHEAD OF STADIUM SERIES
Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Cam Wardand Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell have each toured Carter-Finley Stadium recently as it prepares for the 2023 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN+, SN360 and TVA Sports 2.



* The Truly Hard Seltzer NHL PreGame, the event’s official fan festival, will entertain guests of all ages at PNC Arena’s East 1000 Parking Lot in Raleigh with dynamic activities from 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET. The attractions include the Stanley Cup, United by Hockey Mobile Museum and musical performances from the NC State Marching Band and Justin Trawick & The Common Good.


QUICK CLICKS
 

* Bruce Boudreau returns as NHL Network analyst

* Blues trade Vladimir Tarasenko to the Rangers

* Dylan Cozens agrees to 7-year, $49.7 million contract with Sabres

* Avalanche 2022 Stanley Cup film now streaming on ESPN+

* Connor McDavid extends road point streak to 16 games

CHYTIL AIMS TO EXTEND GOAL STREAK ON FOUR-GAME FRIDAY

The Kraken (29-17-5, 63 points) will aim to close the gap on the No. 1 team in the Pacific Division, the idle Golden Knights (31-18-4, 66 points), when they visit Filip Chytil and the Rangers (29-14-8, 66 points) at Madison Square Garden. Chytil can become the seventh different Rangers player in the past 30 years to record a goal streak of six-plus games should he find the back of the net Friday.

NBA Preview: Dallas Mavericks (30-26) at Sacramento Kings (31-23)

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NBA Preview: Dallas Mavericks (30-26) at Sacramento Kings (31-23)

Mavs’ Kyrie Irving, Kings’ De’Aaron Fox face off as West rivals

Northern California basketball fans get an opportunity to witness what could be the start of an entertaining rivalry when Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks visit De’Aaron Fox and the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.

Irving, who is in his 12th season in the NBA, and Fox, a sixth-year veteran, have spent their careers in opposite conferences and have gone head-to-head just four times. Irving’s teams — the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets twice apiece — have won all four games.

But with Irving having been dealt to the Dallas Mavericks of the Western Conference this week, the electric point guards could start meeting three times a year.

That would include this season as the clubs have yet to face off. They also are scheduled to duel Saturday night on the second day of a two-game, same-site back-to-back, before matching up in Dallas on April 5.

Friday’s head-to-head will be the duo’s first in almost two years. The last time they battled, Fox got the better of Irving in the scoring column for the first time, 27-21, in a 127-118 Kings loss in Brooklyn in February 2021.

Irving had outscored Fox 22-6, 31-19 and 40-19 in their other three career meetings.

Both enter their fifth matchup in fine form.

Donning a Mavericks uniform for the first time — and wearing No. 2 for the first time since he was a Cleveland Cavalier — Irving wasted no time impressing his new fans (via television) with 24 points in a 110-104 road win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.

The win was Dallas’ second straight since losing Luka Doncic to a bruised right heel last week. He joined the club in Los Angeles but did not play, and his status for the Sacramento doubleheader, which ends a five-game trip, remains unclear.

While the Mavericks felt the need to make a big move in their quest to move up in the West, the Kings appear to be perfectly happy with the guys who have taken the club to the top of the Pacific Division two-thirds of the way through the regular season.

Fox and Domantas Sabonis have led the way. They combined for 33 points, 18 assists and 11 rebounds in a 140-120 win at Houston on Monday, then 53 points, 16 assists and 14 rebounds in a 130-128 triumph in a rematch two nights later.

Fox was the hero of the latter, drawing a foul on a 3-point shot attempt with three-tenths of a second to go, then drilling all three free throws to rally the Kings to a fourth win in seven games on a just-completed trip.

Fox has been so hot at the free-throw line this season, shooting a career-best 78.9 percent, he admitted they’re going in even when he wishes they hadn’t.

With 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists, Sabonis missed a double-double for just the third time in his last 36 games. He leads the NBA with 42.

NBA Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder (26-28) at Portland Trail Blazers (27-28)

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NBA Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder (26-28) at Portland Trail Blazers (27-28)

Both the Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder underwent significant changes at the NBA trade deadline.

The new-look versions of both will at least start to be apparent Friday when the Blazers and Thunder meet in Portland.

Despite being separated by just a half-game in the Western Conference standings entering Thursday’s play, the teams took drastically different approaches at the deadline.

The Blazers looked to upgrade themselves, especially on the defensive end, and did that with the addition of Matisse Thybulle in a three-way deal with the 76ers.

Thybulle, a two-time second-team NBA All-Defensive Team member, gives Portland a rangy wing to pair with Damian Lillard while not encroaching much on Lillard’s offensive contributions.

The Blazers are in the bottom five in the NBA in defensive rating.

Portland also traded away Josh Hart in a separate deal, acquiring Cam Reddish from the New York Knicks, and sent Gary Payton II to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Blazers come into Friday’s game, the third in a five-game homestand, having won six of their last nine.

Portland is coming off a 125-122 victory over Golden State on Wednesday in which Lillard had his second career triple-double, finishing with 33 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

Even though they are in the thick of the race for a play-in spot in the Western Conference, the Thunder remain in rebuild mode.

The Thunder traded away two of the four players remaining from their last playoff team, in 2019-20, shipping off veteran center Mike Muscala (Boston Celtics) and fourth-year forward Darius Bazley (Phoenix Suns) in separate deals.

Only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort remain from the playoff squad. The Thunder have the youngest roster in the NBA.

Oklahoma City is coming off a 133-130 win over the Lakers in a game that will be long remembered for LeBron James becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

He did it with a shot over Kenrich Williams, but Williams is taking the attention in stride.

While Williams isn’t at the center of the Thunder’s rebuild, he’s been a valuable piece.

Dort, Oklahoma City’s top defender, has missed the last six games with a right hamstring strain which figures to keep him out of Friday’s game as well.

Aleksej Pokusevski, who hasn’t played since late December with a left leg fracture, has been with the Thunder on its three-game road trip, which wraps up Friday, and is closing in on a return.

Friday’s game is the third of four meetings between the teams this season. Oklahoma City has won the first two.

NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers (35-22) at New Orleans Pelicans (29-27)

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NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers (35-22) at New Orleans Pelicans (29-27)

The Cleveland Cavaliers expect to have their starting backcourt back on the floor when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.

Donovan Mitchell (groin) and Darius Garland (thumb) both sat out Wednesday’s 113-85 rout of the Detroit Pistons with minor ailments.

Mitchell, who will start in the upcoming All-Star Game, is averaging 26.8 points per game. Garland is contributing 22 points and 8.1 assists per game.

The Cavaliers didn’t miss either player while posting their fourth consecutive victory. Instead, they were led by frontcourt performers Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.

Allen scored 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting and collected 16 rebounds — including nine on the offensive boards. Mobley added 19 points and eight rebounds.

Cleveland didn’t make any significant moves before Thursday’s trade deadline though rumors were heavy that guard Caris LeVert might be on the way out.

But no deal materialized one day after LeVert was just 5-of-16 shooting while scoring 15 points against the Pistons.

The Cavaliers are looking to finish off a two-game regular-season sweep of the Pelicans. Cleveland registered a 113-103 home victory on Jan. 16 behind 30 points from Garland.

New Orleans stars Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram both missed that game due to injuries.

The injury-prone Williamson (hamstring) won’t be on the floor for the rematch and will miss his 20th consecutive game. Williamson also has been ruled out for the Pelicans’ final two games before the All-Star break and will also sit out the All-Star Game.

Williamson is averaging 26 points in 29 games. The fourth-year pro has played in just 114 games for New Orleans since being the No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft.

Ingram recently returned from a left big toe injury that sidelined him for two months and he appears to be regaining his form. He is averaging 30.3 points over the last three games on 36-of-66 shooting (54.5 percent), including back-to-back efforts of 35 and 30 points.

Ingram made 11 of 18 shots in the 30-point outing during Tuesday’s 116-107 victory over the visiting Atlanta Hawks. It was the Pelicans’ third straight win after they lost 10 consecutive contests and 15 of their previous 18.

Ingram said his conditioning is back and that rates as a big help.

New Orleans made a minor deal before Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, sending guard Devonte’ Graham and four second-round picks to the San Antonio Spurs for guard Josh Richardson.

Richardson averaged 11.5 points in 42 games for the Spurs this season.

NBA Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves (30-28) at Memphis Grizzlies (33-21)

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NBA Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves (30-28) at Memphis Grizzlies (33-21)

With Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks back in the lineup, the Memphis Grizzlies host the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday night looking for consecutive wins for the first time since mid-January.

Morant sat out Sunday’s heartbreaking 106-103 loss to the Toronto Raptors with a sore wrist. Brooks was also unavailable due to a one-game suspension. That meant three-fifths of Memphis’ starting five was out with Steven Adams sidelined indefinitely with a PCL sprain.

Morant (27.4 points, 8.3 assists, 5.8 rebounds per game) returned to the lineup and scored 34 points and dished out seven assists to lead the Grizzlies to a 104-89 win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night. Brooks added five points and four assists.

Unlike the game against the Raptors in which the Grizzlies blew an eight-point lead entering the fourth quarter, Memphis outscored the Bulls 32-14 in the final frame and won in convincing fashion.

Despite Memphis losing eight of its last nine games before the win over Chicago, Jaren Jackson Jr. has been a major bright spot, especially on the defensive end.

Jackson (16.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg) had five blocks in the win over Chicago in addition to scoring 24 points. His 3.3 blocks per game would be the best in the NBA if he hadn’t missed so much time early in the season recovering from surgery for a stress fracture in his foot.

Xavier Tillman (5.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg), Santi Aldama (9.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and Brandon Clarke (10.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg) have seen their minutes increase with Adams out. Desmond Bane (21.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg) has been rock solid in the backcourt.

Minnesota is coming off an impressive 143-118 road win over Utah in which it hit 23 3-pointers, tying its season high.

But the Timberwolves were involved in a three-team trade before the deadline that sent D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt to the Los Angeles Lakers, Russell Westbrook and a first-round pick to the Utah Jazz and Mike Conley Jr., Nickeil Alexander-Walker and three second-round picks to Minnesota. The Timberwolves waived Bryn Forbes to allow for the trade to be completed.

Conley (10.7 ppg, 7.7 apg) and Alexander-Walker (6.3 ppg, 2.1 apg) will team up with dynamic youngsters Anthony Edwards (24.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.6 apg) and Jaylen Nowell (11.0 ppg, 2.1 apg) in an already strong backcourt.

Veteran Karl-Anthony Towns (right calf) is out for Minnesota so Memphis won’t have to worry about his presence in the paint. Rudy Gobert (groin), Kyle Anderson (back) and Austin Rivers also did not play against Utah.

Luka Garza is coming off a career-high, 25-point performance against the Jazz and could be a problem in the post for the Grizzlies.

Memphis is 2-6 since Adams last played on Jan. 22.

NBA Preview: Houston Rockets (13-42) at Miami Heat (30-25)

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NBA Preview: Houston Rockets (13-42) at Miami Heat (30-25)

The Miami Heat, who have won seven straight home games, are set to host the last-place Houston Rockets on Friday night.

Miami is 18-9 at home this season, while Houston enters Thursday with the NBA’s worst record (13-42) and is 5-22 on the road.

The Heat have three elite scorers in Jimmy Butler (22.0 points per game), Bam Adebayo (21.8) and Tyler Herro (20.3).

Adebayo is coming off a huge 38-point performance in Miami’s 116-111 win over the visiting Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night. Adebayo made 12 of 16 shots from the floor, and many of those were mid-range jumpers.

He also went 14-for-14 from the foul line in an impressive display of shooting from a big man who is all of 6-foot-9 and 255 pounds.

Then again, Adebayo has scored 30 or more points 10 times this season. That matches the total of all other Heat players combined.

In fact, no Heat player has had that many 30-point games in one season since LeBron James in 2013-14.

Adebayo, who also leads Miami in rebounds (10.0 per game), is shooting 80.5 percent from the foul line and 55.1 percent on 2-pointers.

His inspired play has helped the Heat carry on without starting point guard Kyle Lowry, who has missed two straight games due to a knee injury. Reserve guard Victor Oladipo (ankle injury) has missed the past three games.

Houston, meanwhile, has lost four straight, including a 130-128 defeat to the visiting Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.

Compared to Houston’s two previous losses — which were by a combined total of 52 points — Rockets coach Stephen Silas was pleased with his team’s effort.

While the Heat stood pat before Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, the Rockets sent veteran guard Eric Gordon to the Los Angeles Clippers in a three-team swap that also included the Memphis Grizzlies.

In the deal, the Rockets acquired veteran guards John Wall and Danny Green. Back with Houston, Wall is expected to receive a buyout, per the Houston Chronicle.

The Rockets are missing combo guard Kevin Porter Jr., who is second on the team with a career-high scoring average (19.2). Porter, who has a foot injury, hasn’t played since Jan. 11. Houston is 3-11 in this stretch without him.

With Porter out, Houston’s leader is Jalen Green, who turned 21 on Thursday. Green, the NBA’s No. 2 overall pick in 2021, tops Houston in scoring (22.0). As a rookie last season, he averaged 17.3 points.

Alperen Sengun, Houston’s 6-foot-9 starting center, will likely get the assignment to battle Adebayo. Sengun, a 20-year-old native of Turkey in his second season, leads Houston in rebounds (8.8 per game) and ranks third in scoring (15.4).

At forward, the Rockets have two more young starters — Kenyon Martin Jr., 22, and 19-year-old Jabari Smith Jr.

Smith, the NBA’s third overall pick in last year’s draft, gives the Rockets size up front at 6-feet-10. He is averaging 11.8 points and ranks second on the team in rebounds (6.9).

Martin, who is in his third year, is averaging career highs in points (11.6) and rebounding (5.5).

NBA Preview: Utah Jazz (27-29) at Toronto Raptors (26-30)

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NBA Preview: Utah Jazz (27-29) at Toronto Raptors (26-30)

Amid significant change, each team will have a different look from the last time they met when the Utah Jazz visit the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.

The Jazz, who defeated the Raptors 131-128 on Feb.1 at Salt Lake City, were involved in a three-team trade before their 143-118 home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.

In an eight-player deal involving the Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers, the Jazz traded Mike Conley, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and three second-round picks for Russell Westbrook, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and a Lakers 2027 top-four protected first-round pick.

After the Raptors defeated the visiting Spurs 112-98 on Wednesday, they reacquired center Jakob Poeltl from San Antonio in exchange for Khem Birch, a protected 2024 first-round draft pick and two future second-round draft picks.

The trade by the Jazz leaves Jordan Clarkson as the team’s longest-tenured player. Conley was his backcourt mate in the starting lineup this season.

The trade means Collin Sexton will have a chance to establish himself as the Jazz’s starting point guard.

Sexton had 22 points, five assists and five rebounds in 31:16 in playing time on Wednesday.

The Raptors sent Poeltl to the Spurs in 2018 as part of the deal to acquire Kawhi Leonard. He is expected to provide the rim protection the Raptors need.

Poeltl had 12 points, seven rebounds and two steals for the Spurs in 28 minutes on Wednesday.

NBA Preview: Charlotte Hornets (15-41) at Boston Celtics (39-14)

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NBA Preview: Charlotte Hornets (15-41) at Boston Celtics (39-14)

The NBA-leading Boston Celtics will be without All-Star Jaylen Brown when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.

Brown collided with teammate Jayson Tatum while both players were chasing down a rebound in the second quarter of Boston’s 106-99 victory over Philadelphia on Wednesday. Tatum’s right elbow hit Brown on the left side of his face during the collision. Brown left the game and did not return.

Multiple reports said Brown could be out through the All-Star break. The Celtics have four games remaining before the Feb. 17-19 break.

Brown was recently named an Eastern Conference reserve for this year’s NBA All-Star Game. He’s averaging 26.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game this season.

Tatum is listed as questionable for Friday with a non-COVID illness, while Marcus Smart (ankle) will miss his ninth straight game. The good news for the Celtics is that Al Horford (knee swelling) and Robert Williams III (ankle sprain) were both upgraded to probable for Friday after missing Wednesday’s win.

The Celtics added Mike Muscala before Thursday’s trade deadline in a deal with the Thunder, shipping Justin Jackson and draft picks to Oklahoma City.

Boston’s depth was on display during Wednesday’s win against Philadelphia. Despite missing three Smart, Horford and Williams, the Celtics received 41 points from their bench players and had six players score in double figures.

Blake Griffin made five 3-pointers, including his first three 3-point attempts. The Celtics, who have won four of their last five, made 19 of their 35 3-point attempts overall.

Charlotte enters Friday’s matchup on a five-game losing streak and has lost its last six road games.

It will be the fourth time the Hornets and Celtics have played this season. Tatum scored 51 points in the last meeting, a 130-118 Boston victory on Jan. 16. Jalen McDaniels, who was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday in a three-team deal, led Charlotte with 26 points in the loss.

In the McDaniels trade, the Hornets received Svi Mykhailiuk and two second-round picks and the Portland Trail Blazers landed Matisse Thybulle.

The Celtics also beat the Hornets 140-105 in Boston on Nov. 28 and 122-106 on the road Jan. 14.

Charlotte, which is fighting with Detroit to stay out of the bottom spot in the Eastern Conference standings, is coming off Wednesday’s 118-104 loss to Washington. The game was tied at halftime, but the Wizards took control by outscoring the Hornets 27-15 in the third quarter.

Washington’s Kristaps Porzingis scored 36 points and matched his career high by making eight 3-pointers.

Charlotte ranks last in the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage (32.1 percent).

NBA Preview: New York Knicks (30-26) at Philadelphia Sixers (34-19)

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NBA Preview: New York Knicks (30-26) at Philadelphia Sixers (34-19)

The New York Knicks appear to be trending in a positive direction as they aim for their third straight win when they battle the host Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.

Yet they’re far from satisfied.

The Knicks reportedly acquired Josh Hart from the Portland Trail Blazers for Cam Reddish and a lottery protected first-round draft pick in 2023. Svi Mykhailiuk and Ryan Arcidiacono are also headed to the Trail Blazers in the deal that was made ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline.

Hart and Jalen Brunson were teammates at Villanova.

It’s unclear if Hart will be available to play against the Sixers.

The Knicks defeated the Orlando Magic 102-98 on Tuesday behind Brunson’s 25 points and Julius Randle’s 22 points and 14 rebounds.

Brunson, who arguably could have been named as a reserve for the All-Star team, has proven to be one of the top free-agent acquisitions in the league.

Brunson and Randle, who was named as an All-Star reserve, have carried the Knicks all season.

The Sixers will look to rebound following a disappointing 106-99 loss to the short-handed Boston Celtics on Wednesday.

Joel Embiid scored 28 points and James Harden added 26 points and 11 assists, but the Sixers lost their second straight.

The Sixers did not make a major move before the trade deadline, but they dealt role player Matisse Thybulle to the Portland Trail Blazers in a three-team deal and received Charlotte Hornets wing Jalen McDaniels in return.

McDaniels, 25, was averaging career highs of 10.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 56 games (21 starts) this season before the trade.

The Sixers had been playing at a much higher level before these past two losses to the Knicks and Celtics.

Now that the trade deadline has passed, they’ll simply have to refocus and work on getting to at least the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001.

NBA Preview: Phoenix Suns (30-27) at Indiana Pacers (25-31)

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NBA Preview: Phoenix Suns (30-27) at Indiana Pacers (25-31)

The sputtering Indiana Pacers welcome the new-look Suns to Indianapolis on Friday, as Phoenix concludes its five-game Eastern Conference road swing with a renewed outlook on the season.

The Suns suffered their first defeat of the road trip on Thursday, 116-107 to Atlanta. The loss — just the third over Phoenix’s last 12 games — took a backseat to the franchise’s roster movement ahead of the trade deadline.

Phoenix sent Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, along with future draft picks, to Brooklyn in exchange for 10-time All-NBA honoree and former Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant. Jae Crowder, whom the Suns also traded in the package, was moved to Milwaukee shortly thereafter.

The shakeup left Phoenix short-handed at Atlanta and bringing a much different roster than the squad that beat Indiana 112-107 in Phoenix on Jan. 21. Durant is unlikely to play Friday.

Bridges scored 22 points for the Suns in that contest, and Deandre Ayton sat with a sprained ankle. Ayton is back in the lineup and coming off a 23-point performance on 10-of-15 shooting in Atlanta.

Indiana features a different lineup than its last time facing Phoenix as well — most notably the return of Tyrese Haliburton.

Haliburton — the Pacers’ leading scorer at 19.8 points per game and the NBA leader in assists with 10.3 a contest — rejoined the lineup on Feb. 2 after a 10-game absence due to knee and elbow injuries.

He scored 26 points and dished 12 assists in his first game back, and Haliburton has produced double-doubles in three of four outings since his return. However, he has scored under his average in three straight, with an 11-point outing in Indiana’s 116-111 loss Wednesday at Miami.

The defeat was the Pacers’ second straight and 13th in their last 15 games. The steep skid has resulted in an Indiana team firmly in the playoff picture at January’s outset now six games below .500 and two spots out of 10th place in the Eastern Conference.

Haliburton said on Wednesday he looked forward to facing Chris Paul, Phoenix’s veteran point guard and 11-time All-NBA selection, another player who did not appear in the Jan. 21 matchup.

Paul finished with 15 points and eight assists in Thursday’s loss. Josh Okogie — Phoenix’s leading scorer when the Suns last saw the Pacers with 24 points — scored a team-high 25 points in Atlanta.

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