The Memphis Grizzlies are losing ground atop the NBA‘s Western Conference amid a poor run of form. They will be looking to get back to winning ways at home when they take on the Chicago Bulls, who are on a three-game winning streak.
Meanwhile, LeBron James continues his quest to become the NBA’s scoring king as the Los Angeles Lakers host the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Read on below as SBOTOP previews all six games on the upcoming NBA schedule.
New York Knicks @ Orlando Magic
The Knicks finished their recent four-game home stand on a high as they beat the in-form Philadelphia 76ers 108-97. Despite off-nights from stars Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, the Knicks defence came through as they held the Sixers to just 40.5 per cent shooting.
The Knicks now head back on the road to face the Orlando Magic, who went an impressive 3-1 in their recent four-game road trip. They are coming off a 119-113 win over the struggling Charlotte Hornets.
Rookie Paolo Banchero is in the midst of a shooting slump – he has shot just 26 per cent in the first three games of February – but is still finding other ways to contribute.
Phoenix Suns @ Brooklyn Nets
Amid the massive NBA 2023 news of the Nets trading Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks, Cam Thomas is putting up some massive numbers.
Thomas has dropped over 40 points in back-to-back games, including a career-high 47 points in last night’s loss to Kawhi Leonard and the resurgent LA Clippers.
Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith, who came over in the Irving trade, are both questionable to make their Nets debuts against the Suns, so Thomas may need to play big minutes once again.
After some recent struggles, the Suns are starting to heat up once again. With Chris Paul and others back healthy, they have won eight of their last 10 games and are back up to fifth in the West.
They won the first two games of their five-game East road trip against the league-leading Celtics and Pistons. And there’s more good news for the Suns as star guard Devin Booker is finally set to return after missing the last two months with a groin injury.
Atlanta Hawks @ New Orleans Pelicans
The Hawks are hoping to end their five-game road trip on a high. They have gone 2-2 in their first four games, with wins over the Suns and Jazz sandwiched in between losses to the Blazers and Nuggets.
Star point guard Trae Young missed the most recent match against the Nuggets due to a non-Covid illness but might be ready to return in New Orleans to face the Pelicans.
After a disastrous 10-game losing skid, the Pels have finally picked themselves back up with back-to-back home wins over the Lakers and Kings.
Brandon Ingram came up big with 35 points against his old team the Lakers but missed the Kings game, which was the second night of a back-to-back. Trey Murphy III stepped up in Ingram’s absence with a season-high 30 points on 9-of-11 shooting.
Betting Tip: New Orleans Pelicans Asian Handicap -2.50 @ 2.04
Chicago Bulls @ Memphis Grizzlies
The up-and-down Bulls are back on the rise. They have now won three games in a row after last night’s 128-104 dismantling of the lowly Spurs.
The trio of Nikola Vucevic, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan has been in fine form, with Vooch averaging 21 points and 12 rebounds in his last 10 games.
The Bulls, who have not won four games in a row all season, will be aiming for that momentous win against the struggling Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizz have lost three games in a row and eight of their last nine as they’ve fallen 4.5 games behind the Nuggets for top spot in the West.
Ja Morant missed their home loss to the Raptors with left wrist soreness but should be ready to return. The Grizzlies have one of the best home records in the NBA at 21-5, but they have lost back-to-back games at FedEx Forum.
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets and Timberwolves are set to square off for the second half of their home and home. The Wolves won by 30 points at home in their first meeting, although the Nuggets were significantly shorthanded as they rested four starters, including reigning two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and the red-hot Jamal Murray, who has averaged 35.3 points in his last three games.
All four starters are listed as probable to play at home against the Timberwolves, which will be a massive boost to their NBA 2023 betting odds of winning. The Nuggets have the best home record in the NBA at 25-4.
Speaking of home games, the Timberwolves recently finished their six-game home stand with a record of 4-2. Anthony Edwards had a team-high 20 points in the win over Denver as he continues to play at a high level. The third-year guard is averaging over 29 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals in his last 10 games.
Betting Tip: Denver Nuggets Asian Handicap -7.50 @ 1.87
Oklahoma City Thunder @ Los Angeles Lakers
After rocking the Houston Rockets in a 153-121 win, it was the Thunder’s turn to be on the receiving end of a big beatdown as they were blown out 141-114 by the Stephen Curry-less Golden State Warriors last night.
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a quiet night as he had 20 points, his lowest scoring output since New Year’s Eve.
SGA and the Thunder will look to bounce back against the Lakers, who are back home after a five-game road trip. They went 2-3 on that trip after losing to the Pelicans despite 34 points from Anthony Davis. LeBron James scored 27 points and is now just 36 points away from passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Although, he is listed as questionable to play due to an ankle issue.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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