Atlanta have won nine games in a row to find themselves with a 36-31 record, which is good for ninth in the East. Just 2.5 games back of the #5 seed Orlando — their opponents on Tuesday — this is a real chance to make some ground in the standings. A 122-99 beatdown of Milwaukee on Sunday was their latest win, dominating the game from the second quarter onwards, headlined by a 12-2 run in the third quarter that opened the floodgates. Jalen Johnson starred with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists for another triple-double, while CJ McCollum top-scored with 30 points on 7/10 shooting from deep. Nickeil Alexander-Walker was excellent with 20 points, three steals and one block and Dyson Daniels chipped in with eight points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Orlando are on a win streak of their own, with seven consecutive wins under their belts following a 121-117 victory in Miami on Sunday. It was one-way traffic for most of the game at Kaseya Center, as Orlando got out to a 22-point lead in the second quarter and held a comfortable lead for much of the contest, but Miami were able to make things interesting late on, getting within two points of the visitors in the final 20 seconds. However, Wendell Carter Jr and Paolo Banchero hit their free throws to ice the game for Orlando in what was an impressive victory. Banchero was their best, with 27 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four turnovers, while Desmond Bane had a solid night with 21 points and four assists. Carter had 15 points and eight boards and Jalen Suggs added 14 points, five rebounds and six assists to help get the job done.
Two of the hottest teams in the East square off here and I expect this to be a high-quality shootout. Atlanta are the second-fastest team in the league and we have seen the over hit plenty of times of late for Orlando, being 6-3 in their last nine games.
Houston snuck past New Orleans 107-105 on Saturday, almost collapsing in the clutch before going on a 7-1 run in the final 30 seconds to take the lead and win the game. A couple of ugly turnovers from New Orleans certainly helped their cause, but Houston’s pressuring defence certainly helped their cause, as did another big scoring night from Kevin Durant. The veteran star finished with 32 points, six rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block and Amen Thompson left his fingerprints all over the game with 23 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and one steal. Reed Sheppard had his moments, hitting five threes for 18 points and three assists and Clint Capela had some big defensive plays, recording four blocks as Alperen Şengün sat out with back pain.
The Lakers notched up another impressive win on Sunday, beating Denver in an overtime thriller. Opting to foul up three late in the game, Denver shot themselves in the foot, as Austin Reaves intentionally missed the second free throw, collected the rebound and nailed the put-back to send the game to OT. From there, it was a back-and-forth affair, and this time it was Luka Dončić’s time to provide the heroics, hitting the game-winning fadeaway with less than a second to play. That saw Dončić finish with 30 points, 11 rebounds, 13 assists and three blocks in an up-and-down game, which saw him finish with a 50.1% TS% and six turnovers, while Austin Reaves was considerably more polished with 32 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Marcus Smart was hitting his shots, recording 21 points on 8/15 shooting, along with five steals, while LeBron James did his job with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists.
Şengün is questionable again for this game and that’s potentially a big loss for the hosts. That makes me hesitant to side with them as favourites against a Los Angeles team that is going to give them plenty of headaches on defence. The visitors will score smoothly through Dončić and Reaves and that will help them to a win on the road.
The Clippers fell to a shock 109-118 loss to Sacramento on Sunday to end their hot run of form. At home, LA went into the game as massive 14.5-point favourites but never looked comfortably against a niggly Sacramento outfit, with a 15-29 run from the visitors in the second quarter getting them out to a 54-68 lead, and there was no coming back for the Clippers, despite getting within three points in the fourth. Things were made worse when Kawhi Leonard left the game twice — once for a laceration and once for an ankle sprain — and LA really could have used his offence down the stretch as they tried to complete the comeback. In his 26 minutes on the floor, Leonard had 31 points, six rebounds and two steals, while Darius Garland also starred with 25 points and seven assists. Bennedict Mathurin continued his scoring run with 24 points and six rebounds but his defence was iffy and a reserved John Collins in his first game back from injury didn’t help the Clippers’ chances.
San Antonio got back to winning ways with a 115-102 win over Charlotte on Sunday. It was a routine win for SA, with a 31-point first quarter paving the way for an impressive performance. Charlotte mounted a comeback early in the fourth quarter to get within four points, but San Antonio responded with intent, going on a 12-0 run to effectively close out the game. It was the Victor Wembanyama show again, as he posted 32 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and four blocks in a dominant showing. De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle didn’t have the most efficient scoring nights but combined for 32 points and 14 assists, while Keldon Johnson’s hot season off the bench continued with 13 points and five boards.
Leonard is doubtful for Tuesday and that’s a crushing blow for the Clippers. Garland and Marhurin are going to have a huge offensive load in this clash and I expect them to be able to find some holes in SA’s perimeter defence, which will open up some looks for their role players. As near double-digit underdogs at home, LA will be able to keep this game somewhat close.