The No 2 team in the East takes on the co-No 1 team in the West as Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks pay a visit to Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Morant and the Grizzlies are the hottest team in the NBA at the moment with six wins in a row and have pulled into a tie with the New Orleans Pelicans for the lead in the very tight West standings.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans and slumping Phoenix Suns will look to keep pace with the Grizzlies as they take on the Utah Jazz and LA Clippers, respectively.
So read on below as SBOTOP previews all four games on the upcoming NBA schedule.
Miami Heat @ Houston Rockets
The Miami Heat are creeping back up to .500 after back-to-back wins over the Pacers and Thunder to start their four-game road trip.
Reigning Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro has regained his scoring touch this month. He had a season-high 35 points with 9 3-pointers against the Thunder and is averaging over 22 points per game in December.
All-Star Jimmy Butler missed their win over the Thunder due to injury management on his right knee, but he is expected to return against the Rockets.
The Rockets have lifted themselves from the bottom of the West standings as they defied the NBA 2022 odds twice with huge wins against the Bucks and Suns.
The backcourt of Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr has led the Rockets in both wins. They combined for 48 points in their win over the Bucks and 44 points against Phoenix.
Milwaukee Bucks @ Memphis Grizzlies
The Milwaukee Bucks bounced back from their shock loss to the Rockets by blowing out the defending champion Golden State Warriors, 128-111.
Giannis Antetokounmpo shot just 9-of-26 from the field, but still finished with 30 points and 12 rebounds. And Khris Middleton added 20 points, the most he’s scored since returning from injury.
Jrue Holiday missed the Warriors game due to illness and will once again miss the trip to Memphis. Former Grizzlies guard Jevon Carter looks set to start against his old team.
The Grizzlies are the hottest team in the NBA with six straight wins, five of which have come at home. Memphis are tied with the Warriors for the best home record in the West at 12-2 and are tied with the Pelicans for the best overall record in the West at 18-9.
The Grizzlies are coming off a 128-103 blowout win over the Atlanta Hawks despite being without superstar guard and leading scorer Ja Morant (27.7 PPG).
Tyus Jones starred in Morant’s absence with 22 points and 11 assists, while Jaren Jackson Jr had a dominant defensive game with 8 blocks in just 24 minutes. Jackson is averaging an incredible 4.4 blocks over his last five games.
Morant, who didn’t play due to thigh soreness, is expected to return against the Bucks.
Betting Tip: Milwaukee Bucks Asian Handiacap +1.50 @ 1.99
New Orleans Pelicans @ Utah Jazz
The Pelicans and the Jazz are set to square off for the second time in the space of a few days in Utah, with New Orleans eyeing revenge for their 121-100 defeat in their first meeting. The Pels shot a miserable 4-of-27 on 3-pointers in that game.
That defeat saw the Pelicans lose their one-game lead in the West, as well as their seven-game win streak.
New Orleans are still without second-leading scorer Brandon Ingram (20.8 PPG), who continues to deal with a toe injury. Meanwhile, point guard Jose Alvarado will also sit out the second game against the Jazz with a rib injury.
With those absences, the Pels will need CJ McCollum to step up and support star Zion Williamson offensively. However, the 31-year-old guard has hada disappointing season thus far. He’s averaging just 17.3 points while shooting 40 per cent from the field.
As for the Jazz, they will be keen to build some momentum. They have won back-to-back games just twice over the last month as their NBA 2022 results have fallen back to earth after a sizzling hot start.
Jordan Clarkson is currently in a shooting slump, just 40.7 per cent in December, but is still averaging 19.4 points per game. Meanwhile, reserve guards Nickeil Alexander-Walker (23 PPG over his last two games) and Malik Beasley (16.7 PPG this month) are both playing well in recent games.
Betting Tip: New Orleans Pelicans Asian Handicap -2.00 @ 2.01
Phoenix Suns @ Los Angeles ClipApers
The Suns and Clippers collide in a rematch of the 2021 West Finals. The Suns won that series, but they are not playing all that well at the moment. They have lost five straight games, with their most recent coming to the cellar-dwelling Rockets.
Leading scorer Devin Booker (27.4 PPG) has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury and is listed as questionable to play. Centre Deandre Ayton is also questionable with an ankle issue.
Meanwhile, Chris Paul is still not playing well after returning from a heel issue that saw him miss 14 games. The 37-year-old point guard is averaging just 12.5 points and shooting 36.2 per cent in his four games since returning, including just 5-of-17 against the Rockets.
Paul will now go up against another of his former teams in the Clippers, who have now won three straight games after dispatching the Timberwolves last night.
Kawhi Leonard, who is five games into his latest comeback from injury, had 19 points on 7-of-18 shooting against the Wolves but is set to sit out the second night of a back-to-back.
That will once again leave the bulk of the offensive responsibility on the shoulders of Paul George. PG-13 recorded a triple-double of 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists against the T-Wolves, but he shot just 4-of-13 from the field.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE BASKETBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
