The Raptors are back after a lacklustre start to this season. By winning five of their last six games, the 2019 NBA champions have moved up to the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Tomorrow, they will pay a visit to their conference rivals in the Celtics, who are in the midst of a two-game losing skid.
Meanwhile, the Heat, Pacers, Magic, and the East-leading Sixers will hit the road as well with dates against the Rockets, Pistons, Warriors, and the Blazers respectively.
Keep up-to-date here in the Association as SBOTOP brings you a preview of tomorrow’s five-game slate.
Miami Heat @ Houston Rockets
Two clubs who have had contrasting NBA 2021 results lately will go head-to-head for the first time this season.
The Heat enjoying a three-game winning streak after a putrid start to their campaign, while the Rockets are on a three-game losing skid of their own.
With the return of Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro, the Heat finally got the firepower that they needed as they powered past the Wizards and the Knicks in back-to-back matches.
However, these two along with Bam Adebayo would have to continue carrying the load since their roster is dealing with a ton of injuries.
Avery Bradley is out with a calf issue while Goran Dragic is having ankle problems. Meanwhile, their forward depth takes a hit as Chris Silva, Maurice Harkless, and Meyers Leonard are dealing with their respective maladies as well.
As for the Rockets, Most Improved Player candidate Christian Wood remains sidelined because of an ankle sprain and his absence severely impacted their production on both ends.
John Wall and Victor Oladipo are tasked to spearhead Houston’s charge, although a vintage performance from either DeMarcus Cousins or Eric Gordon would surely come in handy.
Toronto Raptors @ Boston Celtics
Long-time Raptor Kyle Lowry is happy on how his team has bounced back this season.
After a 2-8 start to their campaign, Toronto have gone 10-5 and they are keen on improving that record with a win against Boston tomorrow.
Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry, and Fred VanVleet have been taking care of business on both ends of the floor, while Norman Powell’s scoring outbursts have been timely as well.
As for the Celtics, they have been maddeningly inconsistent since they have gone 2-5 in their last seven games.
Recent rumours suggest that the Celtics will try to address their deficiencies by improving their frontcourt and wing depth via trades, in hopes that they can improve their NBA 2021 odds of winning the championship.
Indiana Pacers @ Detroit Pistons
Central division rivals Pacers and Pistons will meet anew tomorrow.
The Pacers have slumped to the sixth seed in the East with their four-game losing streak, while the Pistons have only won once in their last five.
Domantas Sabonis is having an All-Star season for Indiana, but he isn’t getting consistent support that he needs on a nightly basis from his teammates.
Meanwhile for Detroit, they recently traded away Derrick Rose to the Knicks in order to give more opportunities to their younger players.
Jerami Grant, Josh Jackson, and Delon Wright have been the main beneficiaries, and they will look to keep it going to try and upset their visitors.
Orlando Magic @ Golden State Warriors
The injury-ravaged Magic will be desperate to arrest their skid as they take on the Warriors.
After a torrid start to the season, injuries have gotten the better of Orlando as they’ve lost three consecutive times on the road, losing six of their last seven overall.
Nikola Vucevic is still the Magic’s main man since he’s their double-double threat. But besides the sweet-shooting big man, there’s no one else who can shoulder the heavy load.
Markelle Fultz, Evan Fournier, Michael Carter-Williams, Aaron Gordon, and Jonathan Isaac are all sidelined, while rookie guard Cole Anthony is doubtful due to a shoulder strain.
On the other hand, Golden State have steadily improved as Steph Curry has been receiving help from his teammates.
Draymond Green is showing shades of his 2016 All-Star form, while Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andrew Wiggins are providing decent production at the wings.
Philadelphia Sixers @ Portland Trail Blazers
Two of the league’s top scorers in Joel Embiid and Damian Lillard go head-to-head in this matchup.
Joel Embiid is fourth in the league with 29.1 points per game, while right above him is Damian Lillard who has averaged 29.4 points per game.
In their previous game, the Blazers won 121-105 despite missing Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum as Gary Trent Jr., Carmelo Anthony, and Enes Kanter had big performances.
Outside shootng was a problem for Philadelphia at the time and they should have it fixed by tomorrow.
Seth Curry’s outstanding form should help in that regard, while Tobias Harris and Shake Milton will add much-needed spacing since they are strong perimeter threats as well.
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