Preview Roundups
October 20, 2017
Atlanta at Charlotte 7:00 PM ET
The Charlotte Hornets have averaged the fewest turnovers in the NBA each of the past four seasons, but taking care of the ball will be a focal point in Friday’s home opener against the Atlanta Hawks. Charlotte struggled in Wednesday’s 102-90 loss at Detroit, committing 17 turnovers (more than five per game more than it averaged last season) as two newcomers – veteran center Dwight Howard and rookie guard Dwayne Bacon – made their debuts in the Hornets' starting lineup.
Portland at Indiana 7:00 PM ET
The Portland Trail Blazers just secured the largest margin of victory in an opener in NBA history, and they didn't even have their second-best scorer available. The Trail Blazers will try to follow up a stunning performance and welcome CJ McCollum back from suspension when they visit the Indiana Pacers on Friday.
Boston at Philadelphia 7:00 PM ET
It's hard to imagine a worse start to the season for the revamped Boston Celtics, who aim for their first win when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. After losing free-agent signee Gordon Hayward to a gruesome leg injury minutes into their season-opening loss at Cleveland, the Celtics returned to TD Garden and dropped their home opener Wednesday night against Milwaukee.
Detroit at Washington 7:00 PM ET
The Washington Wizards plan to do big things this season, and getting off to a hot start will certainly help. The Wizards outlasted the upstart Philadelphia 76ers in their opener on Wednesday and will try to make it two wins in a row to begin the campaign when they host the Detroit Pistons on Friday.
Cleveland at Milwaukee 7:00 PM ET
The heir to LeBron James' throne as the best all-around player in the NBA could be Giannis Antetokounmpo, though James doesn't appear ready to give up his spot. The two will square off when Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks host James' Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.
Orlando at Brooklyn 7:30 PM ET
The Orlando Magic would like to put the memories of a disappointing season behind them quickly and knocking off the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night for their second victory to open the season would be a good start to the process. Orlando, which won just 29 games in 2016-17, held off a Miami rally to take its season debut 116-109 at home on Wednesday as guard Evan Fournier poured in 23 points.
Utah at Minnesota 8:00 PM ET
The new-look Minnesota Timberwolves stumbled out of the gate with some meager contributions from a handful of newcomers. The Utah Jazz had no such issues with a retooled roster in their opener and look to stay perfect on the young season when they visit the Timberwolves on Friday night.
Sacramento at Dallas 8:30 PM ET
The Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks were picked by many to finish near the bottom of the Western Conference and both squads will be searching for their first wins when they tangle Friday night in Texas. The Mavericks withered late in a 117-111 home loss to Atlanta to begin the 20th season in Dallas for forward Dirk Nowitzki, who struggled to 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting.
Golden State at New Orleans 9:30 PM ET
The Golden State Warriors began last season with a loss and still managed to cruise to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and a second NBA title in three years, and they are hoping that trend continues. The Warriors will try to avoid rare back-to-back losses when they begin their first road trip of 2017-18 by visiting the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
L.A. Lakers at Phoenix 10:00 PM ET
The Phoenix Suns experienced the most dreadful season-opening defeat in NBA history and attempt to erase the nightmarish memories when they host the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Phoenix shot 31.5 percent from the field in Wednesday's 124-76 home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers and the 48-point margin also represents the worst defeat in Suns' history.