April 19th NBA Game Previews

The Detroit Pistons will host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena on Monday evening.

The Pistons (17-40) are in the midst of a rebuilding process that might take a few years to see results and have been playing their young players now that they don't have anything to play for. The strategy hasn't worked, though, and they've gone 1-4 in their last five contests -- though they've posted a decent 4-6 mark in their last 10 outings. Detroit is coming off a 121-100 loss against the Washington Wizards on Saturday. Isaiah Stewart totaled 19 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks, in 24 minutes. Frank Jackson added 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting, while Josh Jackson tallied 17 points, two rebounds, two assists and a block. The Pistons shot 44 percent from the field, including 9-of-27 from long range. The Pistons also own a 10-16 record at home.

The Cavaliers (20-36) enjoyed some decent moments at the beginning of the season, but they have been trending in the wrong direction over the last few weeks and have limited -- if any -- chances of reaching the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland is coming off a 106-96 loss at Chicago on Saturday, and that defeat against the Bulls means they've now gone 1-4 in their last five games while riding a two-game losing streak prior to this matchup. Collin Sexton and Darius Garland co-led the Cavaliers with matching 22-point tallies, with Sexton also pulling down five rebounds and Garland dishing out 12 assists. Kevin Love generated a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included one steal. Isaac Okoro poured in 13 points, while Jarrett Allen furnished 10 points, 11 boards and two assists. The Cavaliers also own a 9-20 mark on the road.

The Chicago Bulls take on the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Monday night.

The Bulls (23-33) continue to struggle with consistency in their fight to garner an Eastern Conference play-in or playoff spot, as they recently followed up a three-game winning streak with a five-game skid that they just snapped with a 106-96 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.
Nikola Vucevic paced the Bulls with 25 points, complementing them with seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Lauri Markkanen delivered 16 points, six rebounds and one steal. Denzel Valentine totaled 13 points, two rebounds, two assists and one block. Patrick Williams posted 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block.

The Bulls will continue without Zach LaVine (COVID-19 protocols) on Monday night.

The Celtics (31-26) appear to have left their own struggles behind for the time being, as they've prevailed in six straight games and 10 of the last 13 overall. Their most recent success came Saturday night, when they toppled the Golden State Warriors by a 116-111 score Saturday night. Jayson Tatum paced the Celtics with 44 points, complementing them with 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals. Kemba Walker supplied 26 points, eight boards, three assists and two steals. Marcus Smart registered 16 points, nine boards, six assists and two steals. Jabari Parker and Payton Pritchard turned in matching 11-point tallies.

The Celtics will list Walker and Jaylen Brown as questionable for Monday's game due to illness. Tatum (ankle) will carry a probable tag, while Evan Fournier (COVID-19 protocols) and Robert Williams (knee) are expected to remain out.

Monday's game marks the second of three meetings between the teams this season. The Celtics hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 119-103 win Jan. 25.

The Golden State Warriors take on the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on Monday night.

The Warriors (28-29) continue to battle to either garner a play-in or a playoff spot in the Western Conference, but they just suffered a temporary setback when they saw a four-game winning streak snapped with a 116-111 loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday night. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 47 points, adding seven rebounds and three assists. Andrew Wiggins followed with 22 points, two rebounds, one steal and one block. Kent Bazemore provided 16 points, four rebounds and one steal. Jordan Poole poured in 12 points off the bench. Draymond Green mustered five points, 10 assists, five rebounds, one steal and one block.

The Warriors will list Kelly Oubre (wrist) and Juan Toscano-Anderson (concussion) as questionable for Monday's game. Curry will also carry the same designation due to the ankle injury he suffered late in the second half of Saturday's game, while Eric Paschall (hip) will remain out.

The 76ers (39-17) have continued to mostly roll along despite some key injuries this season, and they'll enter Monday's contest with a hold of the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and wins in five of the last six games. Their most recent success came against the Los Angeles Clippers, which they bested by a 106-103 score Friday night. Joel Embiid paced the 76ers with a 36-point, 14-rebound double-double that also included one assist and one steal. Furkan Korkmaz totaled 18 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals. Ben Simmons delivered 12 points, nine rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks. Danny Green contributed 11 points, seven rebounds, three assists, four steals and two blocks.

The 76ers will list Tobias Harris (knee), Seth Curry (hip), Dwight Howard (knee) and George Hill (thumb) as questionable for Monday's contest.

Monday's game marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The 76ers hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 108-98 win March 23.

The Indiana Pacers will host the San Antonio Spurs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Monday evening.

The Pacers (26-30) are coming off another loss Sunday, as they found themselves dropping their contest against the Hawks by a 129-117 score. Malcolm Brogdon had 29 points and eight assists to pace Indiana, and he also grabbed three rebounds. Domantas Sabonis only had 18 points, but he stuffed the stat sheet by also adding 14 rebounds, five assists and two steals. Caris LeVert had 11 points with three assists, two rebounds and two steals. T.J. McConnell had 18 points and seven assists off the bench. Indiana has gone 2-4 in their last six games and have dropped three of their last four games, so they're clearly trending in the wrong direction with only a few weeks left in the regular season. To make things even more complicated, the Pacers have to end their woes in a venue where they've gone 9-16 this season -- they've been one of the few teams that have performed better on the road than at home.

The Spurs (27-28) are coming off a surprising 111-85 win over the Phoenix Suns the last time out and that victory snapped their two-game losing streak while giving them a 3-2 record over their last five contests. Keldon Johnson paced the Spurs after scoring 17 points on 7-of-11 from the field. Dejounte Murray collected 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Devin Eubanks generated 13 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two steals. Derrick White had 12 points, two rebounds and six assists. Rudy Gay led the bench with 19 points and five rebounds. San Antonio has gone 3-7 in their last 10 games but, since their three wins have come recently, they're clearly leaving their season-long five-game losing streak in the rear view while keeping their play-in chances intact. San Antonio has also posted a 15-10 record on the road, so they might feel more comfortable playing in this venue, especially considering the Pacers' woes at home.

The Houston Rockets take on the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena on Monday night.

The Rockets (15-42) sport a record that underscores how difficult wins have been to come by this season, and accordingly, they'll enter Monday's contest having dropped 10 of their last 12 contests. However, their most recent time on the floor resulted in one of their two victories in that span, as Houston notched a 114-110 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday night. Christian Wood led the Rockets with a 25-point, 10-rebound double-double that also included three assists, one steal and one block. Kelly Olynyk furnished 24 points, seven rebounds, four assists and one steal. Kevin Porter, Jr. supplied 22 points, seven assists, three rebounds and one steal. Armoni Brooks poured in 16 points, while Jae'Sean Tate turned in 14 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three blocks and one steal.

The Rockets will list D.J. Augustin (ankle), Danuel House (ankle), David Nwaba (wrist), Dante Exum (calf) and Eric Gordon (groin) as out for Monday's game. Sterling Brown (knee) will likely carry no better than a questionable tag.

The Heat (29-28) have had some struggles with consistency in their defense of the Eastern Conference title this season, and they'll enter Monday's interconference clash having posted a 3-4 mark over the last seven contests. However, they, too emerged victorious their most recent time on the floor, prevailing over the Brooklyn Nets by a 109-107 score on Sunday afternoon. Bam Adebayo paced the Heat with a 21-point, 15-rebound double-double that also included five assists and two steals. Goran Dragic supplied 18 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and one steal. Kendrick Nunn registered 17 points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals. Trevor Ariza managed 15 points, nine rebounds and one assist. Duncan Robinson and Dewayne Dedmon delivered 11 and 10 points, respectively, with Dedmon also pulling down 10 rebounds.

The Heat will remain without Victor Oladipo (knee) for Monday's game. Jimmy Butler (knee) will likely be listed as questionable.

Monday's contest marks the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Heat own a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 101-94 win Feb. 11.

The Milwaukee Bucks play host to the Phoenix Suns at Fiserv Forum on Monday evening.

The Bucks (35-21) are coming off a loss in their most recent contest, but they have won six of their last 10 games. They will look to get back on track and add to their, 18-9, home record, as they face the second game of a four-game home stand. After missing almost two weeks of action, Giannis Antetokounmpo has looked good in the last two contests, including a great performance in the most recent contest, with 28 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Khris Middleton continues to play well, averaging 20.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Jrue Holiday is averaging 17.2 points, 5.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game, while Brook Lopez is averaging 11.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. The Bucks average a league-best 119.1 points per game, and they are shooting an average of 48.4 percent from the field, which is fifth best in the league.

The Suns (40-16) are coming off a loss in their most recent contest, but they have won eight of their last 10 games. They will look to get back on track as they face the first game of a five-game road trip, where they have a chance to add to their, 17-7, road record. Devin Booker continues to lead the way for the Suns, averaging 25.5 points, 4.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game. Chris Paul has also kept up the strong play, averaging 15.6 points, 8.7 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Deandre Ayton is averaging 15.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. The Suns are averaging 114.4 points per game, and they are shooting an average of 48.9 percent from the field, which is second best in the league. They also do an excellent job on the defensive end, holding opponents to an average of 107.8 points per game, which is fourth fewest in the league.

The Washington Wizards play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Capital One Arena on Monday evening.

The Wizards (23-33) have won six of their last 10 games, including their last four in a row. They will look to keep rolling and improve on their, 12-16, home record, as they face the third game of a four-game home stand. Bradley Beal leads the team, averaging 31.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.2 steals, in 35 minutes per game, while Russell Westbrook continues to play well, averaging 21.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 10.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Rui Hachimura is averaging 13.5 points and 5.7 rebounds, while Deni Avdija is averaging 6.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. The Wizards have struggled on the defensive end, giving up an average of 118.3 points per game, which is second most in the league, while they are allowing opponents to shoot an average of 47.1 percent from the field. They are lacking in interior defense, as they average a league-low 3.8 blocks per game.

Meanwhile, this marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Thunder (20-37), as they are coming off a road loss against the Raptors on Sunday night. Despite the fact that they got out to a good start and led by seven at halftime, the Thunder fell apart in the second half and especially in crunch time, as they were outscored, 10-4, in the final minutes, resulting in their 10th straight loss. On the plus side, Luguentz Dort kept up his strong play, as he tallied 29 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal, in the loss. Darius Bazley added 16 points, eight rebounds and a block, while Kenrich Williams chipped in 12 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals. The Thunder will look to end the slide and add to their, 11-17, road record, as they face the third game of a four-game road trip. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (foot) will remains sidelined.

The Denver Nuggets play host to the Memphis Grizzlies at Ball Arena on Monday.

The Grizzlies (29-26) have quietly been one of the hottest teams in the NBA, winning seven of their last 10 games. The competition in those victories has been equally as impressive, beating teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers. The only losses in that stretch were all close, too, showing just how well this club is playing right now. Jonas Valanciunas and Ja Morant provide elite numbers every night, but their role players should not be overlooked. Guys like Kyle Anderson and Dillon Brooks have taken major steps forward this season, and it's scary to think how good they could look when Jaren Jackson Jr returns in the coming weeks.

The Nuggets (36-20) are one of the hottest teams as well, entering this matchup winning 10 of their last 12 games. That streak actually extends much longer than that, too, positng a 30-13 record since a disappointing 6-7 start. Anytime you win 30 games in a 43-game stretch, things are looking up. The one unfortunate thing is the fact that they just lost Jamal Murray to an ACL tear. The young point guard has developed into one of the best one-two duos with Nikola Jokic, and it's a wonder how far this team can get without him. That means Jokic will have to step up even more, but it's up to guys like Monte Morris, Will Barton and Facundo Campazzo to take over primary ball-handling duties in his absence.

These teams played back on March 12, with Denver prevailing, 103-102. That gives the Nuggets five wins in their last six meetings with the Grizzlies dating back three years.

The Los Angeles Lakers play host to the Utah Jazz at Staples Center on Monday.

The Jazz (42-15) have been the best team in the NBA for most of the season, but they've hit a bit of a slide recently. In fact, they have a 4-4 record across their last eight games and just lost Donovan Mitchell to an ankle injury over the weekend. He's garnered some MVP consideration with his outstanding play, and it's a wonder what this team will look like without him. The good news is that Mike Conley and Joe Ingles are plenty capable of taking over ball-handling duties while Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson will take over the scoring. That's a nice foursome to have around a defensive stud like Rudy Gobert, making this team look just fine in his absence.

The Lakers (35-22) have traded off wins and losses in each of their last 11 games, and that's really all you can ask for, considering they're playing without Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Those two have been carrying the team for two years now, and it's somewhat impressive to see this bunch maintain a 6-5 record in that 11-game stretch. Guys like Dennis Schroder, Kyle Kuzma and Andre Drummond have done a nice job of holding down the fort, especially with LBJ and AD both expected to return in the coming weeks. That's going to be a welcomed sight, and it's scary for these other Western Conference teams that they'll have to play this club at full health come postseason time.

These teams have played twice this season, splitting those two meetings. They actually faced off over the weekend, with Los Angeles prevailing in overtime, 127-115. That gives the Lakers five wins in their last six meetings with the Jazz.