The Los Angeles Lakers are in danger of missing the NBA Playoffs once again. A recent losing streak has seen them drop out of the play-in tournament picture, so they must recapture the winning mentality when they face the upstart Orlando Magic.
Meanwhile, the top two teams in the NBA – the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets – will similarly be keen to bounce back from recent defeats as they look to maintain the No 1 seed in their respective conferences.
Read on below as SBOTOP previews the top three matchups from the upcoming round of NBA games.
Denver Nuggets @ Brooklyn Nets
The Nuggets have still not quite righted the ship. They lost last night 116-110 to the New York Knicks, their fifth defeat in their last six games as their lead atop the Western Conference has been reduced to just 3.5 games.
Nikola Jokic, who had 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists in the loss to the Knicks, has finally come out and expressed his concern about his team’s current struggles.
“It is what it is,” said Jokic after the loss to New York. “We need to be concerned. We need to try to win the next one.”
Although, one bright spot for the Nuggets is that Jamal Murray – who had been on an extended slump – had his best game in a long time with 25 points (9-14 FG, 5-7 3-PT FG), 4 rebounds and 6 assists.
Murray will look to keep that positive momentum going against the Brooklyn Nets, who have lost back-to-back games to the Thunder and Kings after stunning the Nuggets at Denver.
Mikal Bridges had 25 points while Spencer Dinwiddie added 15 points and 16 assists to lead the Nets, who had seven players scoring in double digits.
Bridges has been brilliant since arriving in Brooklyn in the Kevin Durant trade deadline deal; he’s averaging 26 points on 50 per cent shooting in his 15 games with the Nets.
Toronto Raptors @ Milwaukee Bucks
The Toronto Raptors are back on track. After three straight losses, the Raptors have returned home and reeled off three straight wins against the Nuggets, Thunder, and Timberwolves as they strengthened their hold on the ninth seed in the East.
Fred VanVleet has been instrumental in the Raptors’ recent resurgence. The All-Star point guard snapped out of his shooting slump and is averaging 27.7 points and 6.7 assists over his last three games.
But VanVleet will face a stern test in the form of Jrue Holiday and the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks will be keen to bounce back after suffering a shock 139-123 home defeat to the Indiana Pacers. Even without All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers backcourt still scored an impressive 78 points against the Bucks’ usually elite defence.
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo had 25 points in just 27 minutes, while Holiday added 19 points and 11 assists.
Despite the defeat, the Bucks still have the best home record in the East at 28-7. Moreover, they have not lost back-to-back home games all season.
Orlando Magic @ Los Angeles Lakers
After a string of disappointing NBA 2023 results, the Lakers suddenly find their playoff status in serious threat. They have lost three of their last four games, including a heart-breaking defeat to the Dallas Mavericks on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
Anthony Davis led the team with 26 points and 10 rebounds, but he took responsibility for the defensive lapse that led to the Mavs’ winning shot.
Meanwhile, D’Angelo Russell had his third rough shooting game in a row as he had just 11 points and 11 assists on 5 of 17 shooting.
The Lakers will look to get back on track as they host the Orlando Magic, who defied the NBA 2023 betting odds to stun the LA Clippers, 113-108.
Markelle Fultz was magnificent with a team-high 28 points, while Wendell Carter Jr added 27 points and 12 rebounds. Star rookie Paolo Banchero had a relatively quiet game with just 12 points, but he did still contribute 6 rebounds and 6 assists.
The Lakers won their first meeting against the Magic, 129-110. However, four of their top five scorers in that game – LeBron James, Thomas Bryant, Russell Westbrook, and Patrick Beverley – are either out injured (James) or are no longer on the team.
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