Detroit rested Cade Cunningham on Thursday against Chicago and the risk paid off, earning a 108-93 victory. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, as they trailed for much of the third quarter, but a dominant fourth quarter saw Detroit coast home, as they outscored the visitors 32-16 to seal the win. Isaiah Stewart had a career game, with Jalen Duren and Cunningham’s absences freeing up offensive touches for him, finishing with 31 points and two blocks, while Daniss Jenkins embraced the playmaker role, providing 15 assists, while shooting just 1/8 from the field. Paul Reed was also effective, putting up nine points, six rebounds and six assists, and Ausar Thompson chipped in with 11 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks in another strong defensive night.
The Clippers coasted to a 121-105 win in Brooklyn on Saturday. A 21-5 start to the game inside the opening six minutes gave LA the dream start in this encounter and the hosts had no chance of getting back into the game, as LA maintained a comfortable buffer to improve to 14-23. It was an offensive masterclass from James Harden, going 10/13 from the field to score 31 points, six assists, two blocks and six turnovers, and Kawhi Leonard held his strong form with 26 points in 28 minutes. Jordan Miller had one of the best games of his career to record 21 points and five rebounds and John Collins made an impact with 16 points, four rebounds and three blocks to close out the win.
Duren and Tobias Harris remain out, while Cunningham is questionable for Detroit. That potentially puts the hosts at quite the disadvantage, and without a good defensive matchup to slow down Leonard, the hosts are in trouble here. As 7.5-point favourites, I am happy to bet against Detroit.
Boston got back to winning ways with a 125-117 win against Toronto on Saturday. In control for almost the entire game, Boston flexed their offensive muscles again, with a 135.9 offensive rating after again shooting the lights out. Their 62.1% eFG%, thanks to shooting a 50% clip from deep, ensured that the points were flowing all night long, and they were able to look after the ball, committing just seven turnovers, to put together another elite offensive performance. Payton Pritchard top-scored with 27 points and eight assists, while Jaylen Brown had 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Sam Hauser, Derrick White, Anfernee Simons and Neemias Queta all scored in double digits to close things out.
San Antonio did the job against the Lakers on Thursday, picking up a 107-91 victory at home. With LeBron James and Austin Reaves out for the visitors, San Antonio entered the game as eight-point favourites and they looked comfortable throughout the contest before really pulling away in the final minutes to get back to winning ways. Victor Wembanyama continued to come off the bench, finishing the night with 16 points, 14 rebounds, two steals and four blocks for another big game, while Keldon Johnson also starred off the bench with 27 points on 11/13 shooting. More important, though, was the team’s defensive effort, as they completely shut down the undermanned Lakers by forcing 17 turnovers and allowing just 15 FGAs at the rim, making it a very tough offensive night for anyone not named Luka Dončić.
This will be an intriguing matchup between two unique teams, and I expect an avalanche of points. Neither team have great defensive answers for the other’s strength, with SA unlikely to slow Boston’s shooting and Boston unlikely to slow down Wembanyama. That will lead to a high-scoring contest, making the over the play.
Utah ended their five-game losing run with a nailbiting 116-114 triumph over Dallas on Friday. Down 100-107 with less than five minutes to play, Will Hardy’s side weren’t sitting pretty, but a strong two-way effort to close the game, led by Lauri Markkanen and Brice Sensabaugh saw them retake the lead and pick up the win. Markkanen was elite once more, posting 33 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks, while Sensabaugh had 14 points and four boards. Keyonte George had another impressive outing, putting up 19 points, seven assists and three steals and Walter Clayton Jr had some important plays again on his way to 12 points, three assists and two steals.
Charlotte weren’t able to execute down the stretch in their 112-114 defeat to Indiana on Friday. A stolen inbounds pass by TJ McConnell and an airball game-winner attempt from Collin Sexton were the key moments in the final seconds, seeing Charlotte stumble in a very winnable game. LaMelo Ball came off the bench, as he continues to play under a minutes restriction, and he thrived in that role, scoring 22 points in the first half and finishing with 33 points and eight assists to be a +19. Miles Bridges had 19 points and four assists and Kon Kneuppel had 18 points and eight boards, but it was generally an ugly night for Charlotte, with 16 turnovers while shooting just 52% at the rim.
Markkanen is set to be rested for this clash but I still expect Utah to do the job. They have decent depth at forward, with Kyle Filipowski and Kyle Anderson being capable backup options, and this Charlotte team is not one to be trusted, especially on the road and with Ball potentially continuing to come off the bench.