Preview Roundups
December 20, 2017
Toronto at Charlotte 7:00 PM ET
The Toronto Raptors will try to follow up another dominant homestand when they begin a two-game road trip at the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. Winners of nine of their last 10 overall, the Raptors swept a two-game stay in Canada with victories over Brooklyn and Sacramento by an average of 24 points.
Indiana at Atlanta 7:30 PM ET
There will be a lot of attention on the Indiana Pacers when they take the court Wednesday in Atlanta against the Hawks, considering the epic late-game meltdown sustained in Monday’s wild loss to Boston. After trailing by 18 in the first quarter, the Pacers battled back to take a five-point lead with 31.3 seconds remaining, only to be outscored 10-4 in a 112-111 loss against the top team in the Eastern Conference.
Miami at Boston 7:30 PM ET
The Boston Celtics have added an improbable road win to their phenomenal first half of the season and will attempt to carry some momentum home when they host the Miami Heat on Wednesday. After blowing a 19-point lead at Indiana on Monday, the Celtics got a steal and a slam from Terry Rozier in the closing seconds to grab a 112-111 win, their second in a row following a 2-3 stretch.
Sacramento at Brooklyn 7:30 PM ET
Zach Randolph figures to become the 39th player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career rebounds on Wednesday, when the Sacramento Kings visit the Brooklyn Nets. Randolph is one board away from the milestone after leading the Kings to a 101-95 victory over Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Orlando at Chicago 8:00 PM ET
With an extremely challenging road trip on the horizon, the Chicago Bulls will try to keep their surprising winning streak alive when they take on the Orlando Magic at home Wednesday night. The Bulls, who have won six in a row following a 3-20 start, will be tested at Cleveland, Boston and Milwaukee during a six-day trip that begins Thursday.
L.A. Lakers at Houston 8:00 PM ET
There might not be a tougher stretch of schedule in the NBA this season than the one the Los Angeles Lakers are enduring right now, and they are still searching for a win. The Lakers, who lost at Cleveland on Thursday and fell at home in overtime to the Golden State Warriors on Monday, will visit the NBA-best Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
Utah at Oklahoma City 8:00 PM ET
The Oklahoma City Thunder are still trying to figure out how to distribute the shots among their three star players, and sometimes it's just Russell Westbrook taking over and trying to win games. Westbrook will try to get a little more help and the Thunder will go for back-to-back victories when they host the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.
Detroit at Dallas 8:30 PM ET
The Detroit Pistons have seemingly righted the ship following a long losing streak and they'll try to extend their current run of consecutive wins to four when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. The Pistons dropped seven straight to open December before stepping up their game defensively in two road wins and then posting their best offensive effort of the month with a 114-110 victory at home against Orlando on Sunday.
Minnesota at Denver 9:00 PM ET
Jimmy Butler shook off a sore back last time out to reach 30 points for the fourth time this month and looks to stay hot when his Minnesota Timberwolves open a three-game road trip against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. Butler scored 37 points in the 108-107 victory over Portland on Monday and is averaging 25.8 in December while shooting 49.4 percent from the field.
San Antonio at Portland 10:00 PM ET
The San Antonio Spurs continue to slowly work All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard back into the mix and seem to have found their form again after going through the minor rotation upheaval. The Spurs will try to pick up their third straight win when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.
Memphis at Golden State 10:30 PM ET
The Golden State Warriors can win without three starters, even when the two remaining starters are enduring sub-par shooting nights. The Memphis Grizzlies, who visit the Warriors on Wednesday, don't deal quite as well with injuries and are losers of 17 of their last 19 games.
Phoenix at L.A. Clippers 10:30 PM ET
The Los Angeles Clippers are suffering through a woeful season, but they typically fare well when the Phoenix Suns come to town. Los Angeles looks to halt a three-game losing streak on Wednesday, when it also attempts to record its ninth consecutive home victory over the Suns.