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NHL Preview: Florida Panthers (36-30-7) at Ottawa Senators (35-33-5)

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NHL Preview: Florida Panthers (36-30-7) at Ottawa Senators (35-33-5)

FLORIDA PANTHERS NOTES:

BAPTIST HEALTH INJURY REPORT

  • F Patric Hornqvist | Games Missed: 48
  • F Sam Bennett | Games Missed: 3
    Total Man Games Lost Due to Injury: 216
    LAST GAME
    Panthers 3, Rangers 4 – March 25 – FLA Live Arena
    FLA Goals: Barkov (19), Lomberg (11), Barkov (20)
    NYR Goals: Kakko (14), Lafreniere (15), Kane (20), Chytil (21)
    FLA Goalie: Bobrovsky (L) – 38 Saves
    NYR Goalie: Halak (W) – 31 Saves
    FLA Shots: 34
    NYR Shots: 42
    Notes: Aleksander Barkov (2-0-2) recorded his second multi-goal game of the season to extend his point streak to 10 games (4-12-16)…Barkov’s current streak is his second of at least 10 games this season…Carter Verhaeghe notched an assist for the third consecutive game to extend his point streak to a career-long eight games (4-7-11)…Verhaeghe’s current three-game assist streak is tied for the longest of his career…Barkov skated in his 655th NHL game, surpassing Stephen Weiss for 2nd-most games played in franchise history…Radko Gudas led Florida with six hits…FLA PP: 0-2, FLA PK: 3-3

RECENT TRANSACTIONS:

  • March 20: Traded rights to D Cole Krygier to LAK in exchange for future considerations
  • March 19: G Alex Lyon recalled from Charlotte (AHL) | G Mack Guzda loaned to Charlotte (AHL)
  • March 15: G Mack Guzda recalled from Charlotte (AHL) | G Alex Lyon loaned to Charlotte (AHL)

PANTHERS vs. SENATORS
ALL-TIME vs. OTT: 48-51-3-5
ALL-TIME ROAD vs. OTT: 24-22-2-4
2022-23 vs. OTT: 1-0-0

CATS STATS

  • Matthew Tkachuk and Evgeni Malkin are the only two active skaters with over 475 career points and 500 career PIMs in their first 500 career games.
  • The Panthers have surrendered just one power-play goal against over their past five games (11/12, 91.6%).
  • Sergei Bobrovsky owns a 12-5-1 record, .915 save percentage and 2.28 goals against average over 18 career games against OTT.
  • Sam Reinhart has recorded 22 points (9-13-22) across 25 career games against the Senators.

OTTAWA SENATORS NOTES:

LAST GAME: March 25, 5-3 loss at New Jersey: Hamilton broke a 3-3 tie at 3:34 of the third period for the game-winning marker as New Jersey emerged with a 5-3 victory at Prudential Center. The victory saw the Devils reach the 100-point mark for the first time since 2011-12 and clinch a spot in the postseason for the first time since 2017-18. Ottawa received goals from Tkachuk, Chabot and Kastelic while New Jersey had tallies from Hughes, Bratt and Mercer to set up the games 3-3 score heading into the final stanza. It set up Hamilton’s seventh game-winner of the season to establish a new franchise mark for most game-winning goals by a Devils defenceman. Tatar scored into an empty net while Stützle added two assists for the Senators to move within one of 100 career helpers. Blackwood made 25 saves to earn the win for New Jersey while Ferguson turned aside 30 shots in taking the loss for Ottawa. Scratch:
Kleven; Injuries: Chychrun, Forsberg, Greig, Joseph, Kelly, Norris, Talbot; Shots: OTT – 28, NJD – 35; PP: OTT – 0-3, NJD – 1-2.

BROADCAST INFORMATION: This evening’s game against Florida will be broadcast nationally on Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet ONE and RDS2. On the radio, the game will be available locally via TSN 1200 (English) and 94,5 Unique-FM (French).

WHAT’S NEXT: Ottawa continues a three-game homestand against Philadelphia on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. The contest will mark the third of three regular-season meetings and the second of two matchups at Canadian Tire Centre.

INJURY REPORT: G Forsberg, C Norris and G Talbot are on IR and will not oppose the Panthers this evening. F Joseph and F Kelly have missed the last seven games with lower-body injuries. D Chychrun and C Greig missed Saturday evening’s game with a lower body and upper body injury respectively. Total man-games lost: 265.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS: Signed D Kleven to a three-year, entry-level contract on March 23.

OTTAWA vs. FLORIDA – History:
2022-23 (0-1-0): Oct. 29 @ Florida (5-3 loss), March 27 @ Ottawa, April 6 @ Florida
2021-22 (1-2-1): 12/14/21 @ Florida (8-2 win), 3/3/22 @ Florida (3-0 loss), 3/26/22 @ Ottawa (4-3 SO loss), 4/28/22 @ Ottawa (4-0 loss)

Series record: Overall: 56-43-3-5; Home: 26-21-2-3; Away: 30-22-1-2
Last Ottawa win: @ Ottawa: 3/29/18 (3-2 OT); @ Florida: 12/14/21 (8-2)
Last Florida win: @ Ottawa: 4/28/22 (4-0); @ Florida: Oct. 29 (5-3)
Last OT result: 3/29/18 (3-2 OT win) @ Ottawa
Last shootout: 3/26/22 (4-3 SO loss) @ Ottawa
Most goals, game: Scored: 8, (12/14/21, 8-2 win); Allowed: 7, (2x, Last: 11/19/18, 7-5 loss); Both teams: 12, (11/19/18, 7-5 loss)
Last Game: Oct. 29, 5-3 loss @ Florida; OTT Goals: Pinto, Tkachuk, Holden; FLA Goals: Verhaeghe (x2), Barkov, Montour, Tkachuk; OTT Scratches: Gambrell, Heatherington; OTT Injuries: Norris, Talbot, Zub; OTT Goalie: Forsberg; FLA Goalie: Knight; OTT PP: 1-2; FLA PP: 1-4; Shots: 26-58.
Career vs. Florida: Giroux leads all players in career games played (44), in goals (11), in assists (18) and in points (29); Hamonic leads in penalty minutes (44) against Florida.

HOME ON THE RANGE: Ottawa has a record of 20-13-3 at home this season … Tim Stützle is the Senators leader with 22 goals at home while also maintaining the club lead with 29 assists at Canadian Tire Centre … Through 36 home games, Stützle leads the team with 51 points on home ice … The Senators earned a record of 15-22-4 at home through 41 home contests in 2021-22.

BACK-TO-BACK GAMES: Ottawa will play back-to-back games on 12 occasions in 2022-23 and will open their 12th set of the season on Saturday when Toronto visits Canadian Tire Centre ahead of visiting Columbus the following evening … The Senators played 17 back-to-back sets last season and earned a record of 6-9-2 in the first half of contests on consecutive nights (7-4-0 this season) while posting an 8-8-1 record (6-5-0 this season) in the second half of games on consecutive days.

ON THE POWER PLAY: The Senators are 65 for 272 (23.9%) on the power-play in 2022-23 … Drake Batherson leads with 14 powerplay goals while Alex DeBrincat and Tkachuk maintain the club lead with 27 points while the team enjoys a man advantage … Ottawa
has recorded multiple power-play goals 17 times in an individual contest in 2022-23 after having done so 11 times in 2021-22.
Ottawa Senators: Media Notes

ON THE PENALTY KILL: Ottawa has overcome 215 of the 262 occasions the team has been shorthanded in 2022-23 to maintain an efficiency of 82.1% through 73 regular-season games … The team has registered nine (Stützle x3, Watson x3, Joseph x2, Motte) shorthanded markers this season after recording nine such goals in 2021-22.

NHL Morning Skate – March 27, 2023

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NHL Morning Skate – March 27, 2023

* David Pastrnak reached multiple milestones Sunday, notching his 50th goal of the season and the 600th point of his career in Boston’s franchise record-setting 27th road win of 2022-23.

* The Kings scored seven goals to defeat the Blues and extended their point streak to 12 games, establishing a franchise record.

* Only three weeks remain until the end of the 2022-23 regular season but there’s still plenty of playoff positioning to be determined. A preview of a potential first-round matchup will air on Hulu, ESPN+ and TVAS at 8 p.m. when the Kraken visit the Wild at Xcel Energy Center.

PASTRNAK REACHES MULTIPLE MILESTONES AS BRUINS SET ANOTHER CLUB RECORD
One day after helping Boston clinch the Atlantic Division title, David Pastrnak (2-0—2) opened the game with his 50th goal of the season and 600th point of his career before netting one more as the Bruins (57-11-5, 119 points) defeated the Hurricanes (47-16-9,103 points). Boston’s 57 wins matched the 1970-71 season for the most in franchise history, while its 27 road victories surpassed the 1971-72 campaign (26) for the club record.

* Pastrnak, who became the sixth player to record 50 goals in a season with the franchise, required the third-fewest games to reach 600 NHL points with the Bruins (291-310—601 in 583 GP), trailing only Bobby Orr (461 GP) and Ray Bourque (569 GP).

* Pastrnak posted his 30th multi-point game of 2022-23. He joined Brad Marchand (31 in 2018-19) and Joe Thornton (33 in 2002-03) as the only Bruins players in the past 20 years to have as many in a single campaign.



KINGS NET SEVEN GOALS, WITHSTAND BLUES RALLY
Adrian Kempe (2-0—2) scored two of his team’s seven goals – five of which came in the first period alone – while Drew Doughty netted the winning tally to help the Kings withstand a Blues comeback attempt and extend their point streak to 12 games, establishing a franchise record. Los Angeles (43-20-10, 96 points) moved within two points of Pacific Division-leading Vegas (46-21-6, 98 points).

* Doughty recorded his 30th career game-winning goal, surpassing Rob Blake for the most in Kings history by a defenseman and for sole possession of seventh place on the franchise’s all-time list among all skaters. In the process, Doughty (33 years, 108 days) also became the oldest blueliner to record a three-game goal streak with Los Angeles, surpassing Jaroslav Modry (31 years, 251 days; 4 GP in 2002-03).



MARNER HELPS MAPLE LEAFS TO VICTORY IN MILESTONE GAME
While skating in his 500th career game, Mitchell Marner (0-1—1) factored on one of his team’s three goals to extend his point streak to 10 contests as Toronto defeated Nashville at Bridgestone Arena. With 166-383—549, Marner has the most assists and points by a Maple Leafs player through as many contests with the franchise.



KELLER EXTENDS POINT STREAK TO 12 GAMES IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES

Clayton Keller reached the 80-point mark and extended his point streak to 12 games in Sunday’s edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates. Keller (36-44—80 in 74 GP) became the fourth Coyotes/Jets player in the past 30 years to reach the 80-point mark, joining Keith Tkachuk (3x; 1996-97, 1995-96 & 1993-94), Teemu Selanne (1992-93) and Phil Housley (1992-93).



QUICK CLICKS

* Connor McDavid focused on Oilers playoff push, not pursuit of 70 goals

* Flyers Charities Carnival returns after three-year absence due to pandemic

* Blake Lizotte suspended one game for actions in Kings game

* Oilers prospect Ryan Fanti scores goalie goal for ECHL’s Komets

* Zizing ‘Em Up: Jack Eichel ready for 1st trip to Stanley Cup Playoffs

POTENTIAL FIRST-ROUND MATCHUP TAKES TO HULU, ESPN+, TVAS

The countdown is on – the NHL enters the final three weeks of the 2022-23 regular season Monday. A total of 12 teams are in action, including the Kraken (40-24-8, 88 points) who visit the Wild (42-22-9, 93 points) on Hulu, ESPN+ and TVAS in what would be a first-round matchup if the playoffs were to start today.

* When Minnesota overtook first place in the Central Division at the conclusion of play on Saturday, it marked the first time the team sat atop their division since Dec. 28, 2021. The Wild have totaled 19 points in March (8-1-3), which trails only Vegas (22 points), Vancouver (20 points), Boston (20 points) and Los Angeles (20 points) for the most.

* Seattle, which sits in the first Wild Card position, is coming off its fifth seven-goal outing of 2022-23 – the Kraken’s 253 goals for this season trails only the Oilers (286), Bruins (272), Sabres (257) and Devils (254) for the most among all teams. Vince Dunn (13-47—60 in 72 GP) leads the charge for the Kraken, making Seattle one of three clubs to have a blueliner pace the team in points in 2022-23 (also SJS: Erik Karlsson & NSH: Roman Josi).

IDLE MAPLE LEAFS, RANGERS CAN CLINCH MONDAY
The idle Maple Leafs (44-20-9, 97 points) and Rangers (43-20-10, 96 points) can both clinch a postseason berth based on Monday’s results. Toronto will secure its spot if Florida loses to Ottawa in any fashion, while New York can clinch if Buffalo falls to Montreal in any fashion AND the Panthers lose to the Senators in regulation.

Kings’ Lizotte Suspended One Game for Cross-Checking

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Kings’ Lizotte Suspended One Game for Cross-Checking

NEW YORK – Los Angeles Kings forward Blake Lizotte has been suspended for one game, without pay, for cross-checking Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey during NHL Game No. 1154 in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 25, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 14:10 of the second period. Lizotte was assessed a match penalty.

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Lizotte will forfeit $9,054.05. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Arvidsson, Suzuki and Gustavsson Named NHL ‘Three Stars’ of the Week

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Arvidsson, Suzuki and Gustavsson Named NHL ‘Three Stars’ of the Week

NEW YORK – Los Angeles Kings right wing Viktor Arvidsson, Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki and Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending March 26.

FIRST STAR – VIKTOR ARVIDSSON, RW, LOS ANGELES KINGS

Arvidsson scored and registered multiple points in all three of his appearances, leading the NHL with five total goals (5-2—7) as well as 2-2—4 on the power play to propel the Kings (43-20-10, 96 points) to a perfect week as they extended their point streak to a franchise-record 12 games dating to Feb. 28 (10-0-2). He notched 1-1—2, both on the man-advantage, in an 8-2 victory against the Calgary Flames March 20 to reach the 20-goal milestone for the fifth time (and second time in as many seasons with Los Angeles). Arvidsson then scored twice in a 4-1 triumph over the Winnipeg Jets March 25. He capped the week with 2-1—3, his fourth multi-goal and fifth three-point performance of 2022-23, in a 7-6 win versus the St. Louis Blues March 26. The 29-year-old Arvidsson has played in 68 total contests this season, placing among the top Kings players in goals (3rd; 24), assists (t-5th; 29) and points (4th; 53) as well as power-play goals (t-1st; 9), power-play assists (5th; 12) and power-play points (3rd; 21).

SECOND STAR – NICK SUZUKI, C, MONTREAL CANADIENS

Suzuki paced the NHL with 2-6—8 in three contests to guide the Canadiens (29-38-6, 64 points) to a pair of victories. He collected two assists in a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning March 21. Suzuki (1-1—2) then factored on both Montreal goals in a 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins March 23. He closed the week with 1-3—4, his first career four-point outing (282 GP), in an 8-2 triumph against the Columbus Blue Jackets March 25 to extend his streak of multi-point performances to four games (2-8—10 dating to March 18) – the longest such run by a Canadiens player since Alex Kovalev achieved the feat nearly 14 years ago (March 28 – April 4, 2009: 4-7—11 in 4 GP). The 23-year-old Suzuki has skated in 73 total contests this season, leading Montreal in assists (38; 13 more than the next-closest player) and points (61; 23 more than the next-closest player) while ranking second in goals (23) behind only Cole Caufield (26).

THIRD STAR – FILIP GUSTAVSSON, G, MINNESOTA WILD

Gustavsson stopped 69 of the 71 shots he faced across two starts, going 2-0-0 with a 0.96 goals-against average and .972 save percentage to lift the Wild (42-22-9, 93 points) into first place in the Central Division on the strength of a 2-0-1 week. Gustavsson made a career-high 47 saves, including a combined 25 in the third period and overtime, in a 2-1 victory against the New Jersey Devils March 23. He then turned aside 22 shots in a 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks March 25. The 24-year-old Gustavsson has appeared in 34 total games this season, ranking second in the NHL with a 2.01 goals-against average and .932 save percentage to go along with a 19-9-5 record and three shutouts. He has earned points in 12 of his past 13 outings (all starts) dating to Feb. 11, compiling an 8-1-4 record, 1.62 goals-against average, .946 save percentage and two shutouts during that timeframe.

NBA Preview: Chicago Bulls (36-38) at Los Angeles Clippers (39-36)

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NBA Preview: Chicago Bulls (36-38) at Los Angeles Clippers (39-36)

Coming off one of their most embarrassing defeats of the season, the Los Angeles Clippers will try to maintain their grasp on a top-six spot in the Western Conference with a home matchup Monday night against the Chicago Bulls.

The Clippers (39-36) were trounced at home 131-110 by the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. The setback left Los Angeles with losses in three of its last five games, and seven games remain in the regular season.

The Clippers don’t expect Paul George (knee) to return before the end of the regular season, with fellow star Kawhi Leonard held to 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting from the field against the Pelicans. He missed all six of his attempts from 3-point range.

Leonard left the game with a facial contusion.

“We get stagnant at times trying to look for Kawhi, and when he doesn’t have a good one, we just have to continue to run our offense,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “We’ve been doing a good job of it since Jan. 1, but tonight was one of those nights.”

Bones Hyland ended up leading the Clippers with 18 points. It was just the seventh game Hyland has played for the Clippers since he was acquired in a February trade from the Denver Nuggets.

After appearing to get their defense in order following a recent lull, the Clippers saw the Pelicans shoot 53.1 percent from the field and 61.8 percent from 3-point range.

“It’s back to the drawing board,” Lue said. “There’s things we can clean up; taking care of the basketball, getting back in transition defensively and understanding what we’re doing defensively.”

The Bulls (36-38) will remain in Los Angeles after Sunday afternoon’s 118-108 victory over the Lakers. UCLA product Zach LaVine scored 32 points for Chicago, while former Clippers and Lakers defensive standout Patrick Beverley made a general pest of himself with 10 points against the team that traded him last month.

After one late basket over Lakers star LeBron James, Beverley reached toward the ground to give the “too small” gesture.

“I do it to everybody, you know,” Beverley said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. “Just having fun, getting lost in the game. We’re not construction workers, we’re not guys that have to get up at 4 o’clock in the morning. We’re professional basketball players. It’s all about having fun.”

The Bulls’ real fun has come in a run where they have won five of their last six games and seven of nine. Sunday’s victory helped Chicago solidify its spot as the final team currently qualified for the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

The only negative out of Sunday’s game for the Bulls was the ejection of Nikola Vucevic, who received two quick technical fouls for a verbal outburst toward officials just before halftime. He finished with four points in 15 minutes.

NBA Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves (38-37) at Sacramento Kings (45-29)

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NBA Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves (38-37) at Sacramento Kings (45-29)

When the Minnesota Timberwolves come to the capital of California on Monday night in search of their fourth win in a row, they have a chance to move closer to playing the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the playoffs.

With a score of 38-37, Minnesota rose to No. 7 position in the Western Conference after defeating the Golden State Warriors 99-96 on the road on Sunday.

The Timberwolves would be guaranteed a playoff berth and a meeting with the No. 1 team with a win on Monday if they beat the Warriors on Monday. the third seed in the first round.

In the West, Sacramento (45-29) is currently in third place.

The Timberwolves’ restricted success at Brilliant State was their second in a row since the arrival of Karl-Anthony Towns from a calf injury that sidelined him for 51 games.

The former All-Star was the hero in both victories, putting Minnesota ahead of Atlanta with two crucial free throws on Wednesday night and a crucial three-pointer against the Warriors.

Against Golden State on Sunday, Towns, who is restricted in minutes, scored 32 points, making him questionable on the second night of a back-to-back. Before Sunday’s encore performance, he had three days off after playing 26 minutes against the Hawks.

Anthony Edwards returned to the Timberwolves’ lineup on Sunday after missing three games with a sprained ankle.

Before Sunday’s game, Minnesota coach Chris Finch acknowledged that choosing who to play and how much has become a daily decision.

In the game against the Warriors, Edwards played 35 minutes and scored 13 points.

He has scored 34, 27, and 33 points in wins and losses against the Kings this season, respectively. When the teams last played on March 4, he also contributed with a three-point play and a 16-footer late in a 138-134 victory over Sacramento.

Kevin Huerter touched off a noteworthy month with a group high 29 focuses for the Lords in the home misfortune, making six of his nine 3-point shots.

After scoring 25 or more points just four times this season, the rookie King has done so five times in March. In home victories over the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz in the last three days, he had 29 and 27, respectively.

Huerter’s nine and seven rebounds in the victories impressed Kings coach Mike Brown even more.

NBA Preview: New Orleans Pelicans (37-37) at Portland Trail Blazers (32-42)

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NBA Preview: New Orleans Pelicans (37-37) at Portland Trail Blazers (32-42)

When the streaking New Orleans Pelicans visit the struggling Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night, Trey Murphy III will attempt to follow up a game in which he was hotter than lava.

In Saturday’s 131-110 defeat of the host Los Angeles Clippers, Murphy scored 32 points and hit a career-high 10 3-pointers in just 12 attempts. Additionally, 32 were scored by Brandon Ingram as the Pelicans won their fourth consecutive game.

Murphy, who scored 41 points and made a then-career-high nine 3-pointers in New Orleans’ 127-110 home victory over Portland on March 12, will be pleased to see the Trail Blazers. He made just 13 of 20 field goals.

For New Orleans (37-37), which currently sits in eighth place in the Western Conference, Murphy has made 37 of 70 (52.9 percent) attempts from 3-point range over the course of the previous seven games. With eight games remaining, the Pelicans are one game from qualifying for the playoffs in the top six.

Murphy assisted New Orleans in tying the team record of 21 points in a game, but he missed the mark set by CJ McCollum by one 3-pointer.

The Pelicans are playing well at an important time, despite missing Zion Williamson for 37 games.

During the winning streak, New Orleans has prevailed by an average of 21.3 points.

The Pelicans had previously won by scores of 10, 35, and 19 points prior to their 21-point victory over the Clippers in the first game of a four-game road trip. In each of their victories, they put up a total of at least 115 points.

With eight losses in their last nine games, Portland (32-42) has fallen out of the race for a play-in spot. The Trail Blazers’ problems got worse on Sunday when they lost 118-112 to the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder.

The possibility that the team might bench Damian Lillard for the season persists, as he missed his second consecutive game with a calf injury. Individual starters Jusuf Nurkic (knee), Jerami Award (quadriceps) and Anfernee Simons (foot) likewise sat out while Trendon Watford (lower leg) left in the principal quarter and didn’t return.

Shaedon Sharpe, a rookie, had a career-high 29 points in his third game in a row with 20 or more points. During this stretch, he is scoring an average of 25.7 points.

Nassir Little impressed coach Chauncey Billups by playing 31 minutes off the bench and scoring a season-high 28 points.

Over the previous three games, Little, a fourth-year professional, scored eight points on 3-of-14 shooting. However, he shot 11 of 21 shots with confidence against the Thunder.

This season, the Pelicans have defeated the Trail Blazers 2-1, and they have won five of the last six meetings.

NBA Preview: Philadelphia Sixers (49-25) at Denver Nuggets (50-24)

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NBA Preview: Philadelphia Sixers (49-25) at Denver Nuggets (50-24)

Sixers visit Nuggets without Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid The Denver Nuggets passed one test and now face another, even though their opponent is without its best player.

Denver (50-24) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night thanks to a strong second half. On Monday, Denver will host the Philadelphia 76ers, another top Eastern Conference team.

Philadelphia (49-25) is coming off a 20-point loss at Phoenix on Saturday, its third in the last four games and second in a row. The Sixers are in second place in the Atlantic Division and four games behind Milwaukee for the Eastern Conference’s top seed.

The absence of James Harden, who has been sidelined for three games with a sore Achilles, is one reason Philadelphia is struggling. Harden is averaging 21.4 points per game and leads the NBA in assists per game with 10.8.

Harden is said to be expected to play against the Nuggets, but coach Doc Rivers has said that his point guard’s health will come first.

A subplot of Monday’s down had been Joel Embiid conflicting with Nikola Jokic in a matchup of MVP up-and-comers. Despite this, the 76ers are said to have decided to sit Embiid (calf) out of concern due to the packed schedule.

With 33.3 points per game, Embiid leads the NBA in scoring and had a big game when the teams played in Philadelphia on January 28. In the 126-119 victory, Embiid had 47 points and 18 rebounds.

In contrast, Jokic just missed a season-high of eight assists and is coming off a 31-point, 11-assist performance against the Bucks. Prior to Embiid’s recent play, Jokic appeared to be the favorite for a third straight MVP award. Jokic has won the previous two awards.

The Nuggets’ primary goal is to secure the Western Conference’s top seed, even if Jokic were to win MVP. They led Memphis by 3 1/2 games with eight games remaining on Sunday, and a win over Philadelphia would bring them closer.

Denver has won its last three games after overcoming a four-game losing streak to extend its winning streak to five with a sweep of this short homestand. Coach Michael Malone, on the other hand, does not take anything for granted.

The Nuggets outscored Milwaukee 66-40 in the second half against them. Jamal Murray, thought to be the key to a deep playoff run, scored 26 points, is finding his groove in the final stretch, and he was pleased with the defense of the team.

NBA Preview: Phoenix Suns (39-35) at Utah Jazz (35-39)

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NBA Preview: Phoenix Suns (39-35) at Utah Jazz (35-39)

Before the season’s final stretch, the Phoenix Suns (39-35) and Utah Jazz (35-39) have a few things in common.

When it comes to the postseason, both teams are still in the thick of things. What’s more, both are attempting to manage without central participants.

In addition, the Jazz hope to end a three-game losing streak in their game on Monday in Salt Lake City, just as the Suns did against Philadelphia on Saturday night.

Despite missing its three leading scorers, Utah came close to winning in Sacramento on Saturday: Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton.

Leading the comeback, rookie Walker Kessler played one of the best first-year games in franchise history.

Utah pulled within striking distance in the fourth quarter of the Kings’ victory over Sacramento thanks to Kessler’s 31 points on 14 of 16 shooting and 11 rebounds.

For the relentless Jazz, rookie Ochai Agbaji scored 20 points and Jarrell Brantley scored 13.

Kessler became the first rookie in Jazz franchise history to score at least 30 points and grab a number of rebounds in double figures. After being one of the many pieces Utah received from Minnesota in exchange for Rudy Gobert, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, the big man has been a pleasant surprise.

While the Suns are still in control of the No. 1 spot, the Jazz are still just outside the running for one of the four play-in spots. 4th spot.

Even without Kevin Durant and Deandre Ayton, Phoenix beat Philadelphia 125-105 on Saturday, an impressive victory.

The Suns’ difference-maker was Bismack Biyombo, who had 17 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks. To help end the skid, Devin Booker scored 29 points. Phoenix had lost six of seven.

The Suns prevailed against the Sixers in the fourth quarter, outscoring them 36-22.

Phoenix and Utah, who played two games in November that were decided by a single point, will meet for the third and final time during the regular season.

Despite 49 points from Booker, Utah won 134-133 at home, and Phoenix lost 113-112 in the Valley of the Sun a week later.

NBA Preview: Houston Rockets (18-57) at New York Knicks (42-33)

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NBA Preview: Houston Rockets (18-57) at New York Knicks (42-33)

The New York Knicks turned their attention to a crucial stretch run that will include games against two teams that are below them in the standings. The three-day break between games was “much needed,” according to forward RJ Barrett.

Yet, before the Knicks (42-33) can direct their concentration toward the Miami Intensity and Cleveland Cavaliers, both of whom they will confront not long from now, they will have the Houston Rockets on Monday in their most memorable activity since a 111-106 street misfortune to the Orlando Wizardry on Thursday, a game that wrapped up a stretch of 11 games since Walk 3, with eight of those out and about.

Between the Cavaliers, who are in fourth place, the Heat, who are in sixth place, and the Brooklyn Nets, who are tied for sixth, the Knicks are fifth in the Eastern Conference.

The odds of New York securing home-court advantage in the first round appear minuscule at best because it is five games behind Cleveland in the loss column. However, New York is on the verge of securing a playoff berth and avoiding the play-in tournament.

The Rockets and their five-game losing streak begin day one. However, the Knicks must come back from six losses in nine games after a season-best nine-game winning streak, with three of their next four games taking place at home.

In the Rockets’ 108-91 defeat to the Cavaliers on Sunday, Jalen Green scored his 14th 30-point game of the season, continuing his season-ending surge. In order to score 30 points, the second-year player made 10 of 17 field goals and 5 of 11 3-pointers. This is the fourth time in six games that Green has made at least 10 field goals.

The Rockets’ overall perimeter shooting is still a problem (18-57). Barring Green, the Rockets shot 1 of 14 from behind the bend against the Cavaliers, and that absence of extra 3-direct dangers hinders Green and his capacity toward challenge guards off the spill.

The Rockets start the NBA season last with a 32.6 percent 3-point shooting percentage on Monday.

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