Atlanta have lost four on the trot, which has been capped off by back-to-back home defeats against Chicago. Their 123-126 defeat on Wednesday was a heartbreaker, as they led 119-116 with less than two minutes on the clock, but they went ice cold on both ends to end the game. Atlanta led for almost the entirety of the game and had a 15-point lead late in the third, but an 18-34 fourth quarter cost them the game. Trae Young had a decent night out with 22 points and 15 assists, while Jalen Johnson finished one rebound shy of another triple-double with 24 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists and two blocks. Vit Krejci was lights out on his way to 19 points but with no Dyson Daniels and Kristaps Porziņģis again, it was another terrible defensive night for Atlanta.
Miami have hit a real wall to see them fall to 15-15 on the season, with just one win from their last nine games. Their 91-112 defeat to Toronto on Wednesday was the worst loss from this stretch of games, producing their second-worst offensive display of the season while also struggling defensively, as the game got away from Miami in the second half. Norman Powell had another sub-par shooting night, going 6/17 from the field for 17 points, six assists and two steals, while Bam Adebayo finished with just nine points, 12 rebounds and two steals. Jaime Jaquez Jr was Miami’s best, with 21 points and one block, while Kel’el Ware and Andrew Wiggins both struggled to get going.
Adebayo is questionable for the visitors, while Daniels is back for Atlanta, and that’s a big in for the hosts which will help them run away with the contest. Miami’s wings will struggle to score against the length of Atlanta and that will slow down their offence, making for a relatively cruisy win for ATL.
Chicago have won four on the trot after back-to-back victories over Atlanta on Monday and Wednesday. They showed good determination in their 126-124 victory on Wednesday, digging their heels in down the stretch to some back from 116-119 down to lock up the hosts down the stretch for another dub. Josh Giddey was the main man, finishing with another triple-double of 19 points, 11 rebounds and 15 assists on another tidy offensive night, while Nikola Vučević hit his shots on his way to 21 points, 10 boards and four assists. Coby White had a clean 24 points and three steals and Matas Buzelis was cleared of injury after exiting the game with 15 points and two blocks.
Philadelphia would not have enjoyed their Christmas after a 106-114 home defeat to Brooklyn on Wednesday. As 9.5-point favourites, there was no excuse for the loss, and it could have been even uglier after trailing by 19 points in the fourth. Joel Embiid was efficient on his way to 27 points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocks, but poor shooting nights from Paul Georg, Tyrese Macey and Jared McCain made for a tough offensive night for Philly. That trio combined to shoot 11/39 from the field in the team’s second-worst shooting night of the season, and combined with 16 turnovers, it was a rough night for Nick Nurse’s men.
Embiid is questionable for this clash, while Quentin Grimes is questionable to return from illness, and that means that Philadelphia may well be close to full-strength for this encounter. That will make them too strong for the hosts, with their offence set to give Chicago plenty of headaches, and I can’t see the hosts being able to keep up with Philly’s scoring.
Portland have lost their last two games after a 106-110 defeat to Orlando on Wednesday. The hosts trailed by as many as 17 points in the third quarter but came back to take the lead in the fourth, but their offence couldn’t do the trick in the clutch, scoring just four points in the final 2:30 to see Orlando pick up the victory. It was another poor offensive night from Portland, as Deni Avdija slogged his way to 25 points on 10/25 shooting, along with six rebounds, eight assists and two steals. Caleb Love had an impressive 17 points and three blocks off the bench and Shaedon Sharpe had 22 points, while Donovan Clingan had eight points, 14 rebounds and two blocks in another good defensive night.
The Clippers have found a bit of form to have won two on the trot, with an impressive 128-108 victory over Houston on Wednesday. The visitors threatened to get out to a big lead in the first quarter, up 22-31 late in the first, but the Clippers’ offence kicked into gear from there, scoring 99 points in the final three quarters to blowout a very good Houston side. Kawhi Leonard was to thank for the win, posting 41 points, eight rebounds and five assists and James Harden was on-form with 29 points, six assists and two steals. John Collins added 13 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks and with the team shooting 54.1% from deep, the Clippers coasted to victory.
With Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant still out, Portland are without a couple of their most experienced players and that’s going to hurt their defence. Portland’s defence is nine points per 100 possessions worse off when both Grant and Holiday are off the floor, and LA are going to take advantage of that, making for a high-scoring game at Moda Center.