After a full 12-game slate, the NBA simmers down with just 10 teams competing in tomorrow’s schedule. But despite a reduced number of contests, the league still made sure to include heavyweight matchups to keep the quality of product intact.
It may only be a five-game slate, but there are a lot of narratives to unpack: potential trade partners going against each other, the new Pacers facing the final boss in the East, a Randle-less Knicks brave a scrappy Jazz outfit, and a lot more.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks will host their potential trade partners, the Los Angeles Lakers, at State Farm Arena. Multiple NBA 2024 news outlets have been adamant on a speculated trade between the Lakers and Hawks that’s highlighted with All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray.
Murray has been linked with the Lakers since the early stages of the season. Murray’s transfer to the Lakers is justified by a package of D’Angelo Russell and draft picks, but Russell’s recent resurgence may be the deciding factor that would extinguish the trade rumors.
It’s also reported that the Hawks have no interest in acquiring Russell from the Lakers, so it seems like the Hawks-Lakers transaction has gone into a stalemate, if there was any friction to begin with.
The Lakers’ clash against the Hawks will be the tail end of a back-to-back slate and the start of a four-game Eastern Conference road trip. They faced the struggling Rockets at Toyota Center, where the Lakers suffered a humbling 135-119 loss.
Meanwhile, the Hawks are coming off a thrilling 126-125 victory against the revamped Toronto Raptors. Tre Young returned to action, dropping 30 like he never left. All the Hawks starters pitched in and contributed solid numbers to compensate for the absence of Dejounte Murray.
Indiana Pacers @ Boston Celtics
The Indiana Pacers finally found the missing piece for their already talented team. The addition of the All-Star wing, Pascal Siakam, could definitely move the needle for the playoff-aspiring outfit. But the SBOTOP NBA 2024 betting odds still have five teams in the East above them to win the conference.
They have an opportunity to prove themselves against the kings of the East, the Boston Celtics. Tatum and his Celtics are the most dominant team in the entire league thus far, boasting the best record across both conferences and being four games clear of their conference rivals, the Milwaukee Bucks.
At this point, getting a win against the Celtics is automatically a statement win, and a statement win is just what the Pacers need to fully incorporate Siakam into their system.
This will be a much-awaited rematch between these Eastern Conference contenders, and the Pacers hope it’ll go their way this time around.
Utah Jazz @ New York Knicks
The Knicks are the hottest team in the league, with a seven-game winning streak. It’s really not a surprise that OG Anunoby and Thibodeau’s system are a match made in heaven, but it’s still astonishing to see how the former Raptors star is thriving with Thibs at the helm.
Since acquiring Anunoby, the Knicks are 12-2, and they plan to extend their winning streak to eight when the Utah Jazz arrive at the Garden. It won’t be an easy task for the Knicks, though, given that their All-Star forward, Julius Randle, is sidelined for a few weeks due to a shoulder injury.
Meanwhile, the Jazz will march to the Big Apple in hopes of trending in the right direction after landing in mediocrity after 48 games. Hardy’s outfit is 10th in the Western Conference with a 24-24 record. And they have a golden opportunity to trend upwards by taking care of business against a Randle-less Knicks squad.
This match will also mark the end of Utah’s six-game road trip, and there’s no better feeling than going back to the Utah with a win in their back pocket.
Toronto Raptors @ Chicago Bulls
While the Knicks have found nothing but success after their midseason trade, the Toronto Raptors are left wondering if their transactions will click sooner rather than later.
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri has finally gotten rid of the starting five of the 2019 championship squad and has started a full-blown rebuild.
They now have a core of Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poeltl, and veteran Dennis Schröder. With this group, the Raptors have lost five games in a row, dropping them to the 12th spot in the Eastern Conference.
To their defence, they’re rebuilding. And it will take some time for Toronto’s young guns to figure things out.
Elsewhere, the Bulls can’t seem to get past the hump, as they’ve struggled to find consistency since the start of the season. And it doesn’t help that they can’t stay healthy.
Maybe it’s time to blow it up? Well, the Bulls have been popping up in trade rumors for the past few weeks.
It’s speculated that the Bulls are trying to shop their All-Star guard, Zach LaVine, but with the 28-year-old’s injury-ridden season, potential buyers will surely proceed with caution.
Philadelphia 76ers @ Golden State Warriors
Can the Warriors actually win against a good team? Well, only time will tell. The good news is the wait won’t be that long, as the Sixers will stomp their way to the Bay Area to take a crack at the ailing Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors are the fourth-worst team in the Western Conference. Let that sink in. They’re currently humbled with a 19-24 record and are 3-7 in their last 10 with a two-game losing streak.
They suffered back-to-back losses with just a one-point deficit, and with shattered morale, they’ll go against the formidable 76ers.
Luckily for the Warriors, the Sixers are currently battered with injuries, forcing key players like Joel Embiid, De’Anthony Melton, and Robert Covington to sit out. To make things worse, Tobias Harris is considered day-to-day due to illness, and Most Improved Player candidate Tyrese Maxey is also a game-time decision due to a left ankle sprain.
Fans should expect an uptick in contributions from the likes of Patrick Beverley, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Paul Reed.
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