December 9th NBA Game Previews

The Indiana Pacers play host to the Los Angeles Clippers at Bakers Life Fieldhouse on Monday evening.

The Pacers (15-8) have won eight of their last 10 games, including their most recent contest, where they topped the Knicks in New York on Friday to close out a five-game road trip. They went 3-2 on the road trip and return home for a short, two-game home stand. The Pacers are 9-2 at home, where they have won four in a row. Malcolm Brogdon leads the Pacers with 19.0 points and 7.7 assists per game. Domantas Sabonis is averaging 18.4 points and a team-high 13.1 rebounds per game. T.J. Warren has been solid all around, averaging 18.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. The Pacers are averaging 109.2 points per game and are holding their opponents to an average of 104.5 points per game, which is sixth fewest in the league. They are averaging 9.8 threes per game, which is third fewest in the league.

Meanwhile, this marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Clippers (17-7), as they are coming off a convincing, 135-119, win in Washington on Sunday. Kawhi Leonard led the way with 34 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and a steal, while Paul George added 27 points, six rebounds and six assists, in the win. Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams did their usual business and combined for 38 points off the bench on Sunday. This marks the third game of a six-game road trip for the Clippers, who are 4-6 on the road. The Clippers average 115 points per game, and are holding opponents to an average of 108 points per game. They are averaging 49 rebounds per game, which is second most in the league, including 11.7 offensive rebounds, which is second best in the league.

The Boston Celtics play host to the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden on Monday evening.

This marks the third and final game of a home stand for the Celtics (16-5) where they have gone 2-0, with wins over the Heat and Nuggets. The Celtics remain undefeated at home, with a 9-0 record. They have won six of their last 10 games, including their last three in a row. The Celtics are averaging 110.7 points per game and are holding their opponents to 103.5 points per game, which is third lowest in the league. They are averaging 8.6 steals per game and limiting themselves to 12.5 turnovers per game, which is second fewest in the league. Kemba Walker is averaging 21.8 points, 5.0 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game. Jayson Tatum is averaging 21.2 points and team highs with 7.0 points and 1.4 steals per game, while Jaylen Brown is averaging 20.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers (5-17) have dropped six in a row and are 1-9 in their last 10 games. They have lost five straight on the road and are 2-8 on the road. Collin Sexton leads the Cavs with 17.7 points per game. Kevin Love is averaging 16.1 points and a team-high 10.5 rebounds. Tristan Thompson is averaging 13.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and a team-high 1.2 blocks per game. Jordan Clarkson gives the Cavs a boost off the bench, with 13.5 points per game. The Cavs are averaging 102.9 points per game, which the second fewest the league. They are shooting 43.2 percent from the field, which is third fewest in the league. They are giving up an average of 113.2 points per game.

The Detroit Pistons take on the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on Monday night.

The Pistons (9-14) have had a difficult go of it for the most part this season, but they've shown some life recently by notching wins in three of their last four games. Detroit's most recent success came at the expense of the Indiana Pacers, which they tripped up by a 108-101 score on Friday night. Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond led the way with matching 25-point efforts, with Drummond also pulling down 22 rebounds. Luke Kennard registered 15 points, four assists and one rebound. Derrick Rose totaled 14 points, six boards, five assists and one steal.

The Pistons will be without Reggie Jackson (back) and Khyri Thomas (foot) for Monday's game.

The Pelicans (6-17) are in the midst of their worst stretch of the season, as they'll come into Monday's contest having lost eight consecutive games. New Orleans' most recent stumble came against the Dallas Mavericks, which embarrassed them by a 130-84 score on Saturday afternoon. J.J. Redick led the way with 15 points. Jrue Holiday and Brandon Ingram furnished 14 points apiece, with Holiday pulling down four rebounds and Ingram dishing out four assists. Jaxson Hayes finished with 11 points, five rebounds and one steal.

The Pelicans will list Derrick Favors (personal) as questionable for Monday's game, while Zion Williamson (knee) will remain out.

Monday's game marks the first of two meetings between the teams this season. Detroit and New Orleans split the two-game 2018-19 season series.

The Toronto Raptors take on the Chicago Bulls at United Center on Monday night.

The Raptors (15-7) have enjoyed a strong start to their season, but they're currently in the midst of a rare three-game losing streak. Their most recent stumble came against the division-rival Philadelphia 76ers, which toppled them by a 110-104 score on Sunday evening. Kyle Lowry led the way for the Raptors with 26 points, adding six rebounds, five assists and two steals. OG Anunoby furnished 19 points, 10 boards, two assists, four steals and one block. Pascal Siakam delivered 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one steal. Serge Ibaka and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson generated 12 points each, with Ibaka also pulling down seven rebounds.

The Raptors will likely list Fred VanVleet (knee) as questionable at best for Monday's game after he exited Sunday's contest with the injury. Matt Thomas (finger), Stanley Johnson (groin) and Patrick McCaw (knee) will remain out.

The Bulls (8-16) have been unable to put together any extended stretches of winning this season, and accordingly, they'll come into Monday's contest having dropped five of their last seven games. Their most recent defeat was a close one, as they dropped a 110-105 decision in overtime to the Miami Heat on Sunday evening. Lauri Markkanen paced the Bulls with 22 points, adding seven rebounds, two assists and one steal. LaVine provided 18 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Kris Dunn delivered 16 points, five boards, two assists and three steals. Thaddeus Young registered 12 points and four boards. Coby White and Denzel Valentine had 11 points apiece, with White adding eight assists and four rebounds.

The Bulls project to be without Otto Porter, Jr. (foot), Chander Hutchison (shoulder) and Cristiano Felicio (wrist) for Monday's game.

Monday's game marks the second of three meetings between the teams this season. The Raptors hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 108-84 win Oct. 26.

The Houston Rockets play host to the Sacramento Kings at Toyota Center on Monday evening.

The Rockets (15-7) have won six of their last 10 games, including their last two in a row. They are 9-2 at home, where they have won their last three contests. They are averaging 120.5 points per game, which is second most in the league, while averaging a league-best 15.7 threes per game. They are giving up an average of 15.4 turnovers per game but are averaging 8.8 steals per game, which is third best in the league. James Harden is averaging a league-best 38.5 points per game, while shooting 34 percent from long range. Russell Westbrook is averaging 21.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Ben McLemore has been playing great lately, averaging 19.4 points on 54 percent shooting, over his last five games. Clint Capela is averaging team highs with 14.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.

Meanwhile, this marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Kings (9-13), as they are coming off a solid win in Dallas on Sunday evening. Nemanja Bjelica led the way in the win with 30 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Buddy Field added 26 points, five assists and four rebounds. The Kings ended a three-game slide with Sunday's win, while this marks their third game of a four-game road trip. Buddy Hield leads the Kings with an average of 21.0 points per game. Richaun Holmes has been playing well, averaging 12.4 points and a team-high 8.6 rebounds per game. Harrison Barnes is averaging 16.5 points 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. De'Aaron Fox (ankle) remains sidelined, leaving Cory Joseph to handle most of the work at the point. Joseph is averaging 5.6 points, 5.6 assists and 2.8 rebounds over his last 10 games.

The Orlando Magic takes on the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on Monday night.

The Magic (11-11) are progressively putting a rough start to their season behind them, as they've now evened their record at .500 with four consecutive wins. Orlando's latest success came at the expense of the Cleveland Cavaliers, which they toppled by a 93-87 score on Friday night. Terrance Ross led the Magic with 21 points, adding three rebounds, one assist and one steal. Evan Fournier registered 18 points, two rebounds, two assists and one block. Aaron Gordon delivered 14 points, five boards, two assists, one steal and one block. D.J. Augustin checked in with 10 points, seven assists, three rebounds and three steals.

The Magic will continue to be without Nikola Vucevic (ankle and Al-Farouq Aminu (knee) on Monday.

The Bucks (20-3) come in playing as dominant a brand of basketball as their record implies, as they've now rattled off 14 straight victories. Milwaukee latest victory was especially impressive, as they toppled the Los Angeles Clippers by a 119-91 margin Friday night. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 27 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Khris Middleton provided 17 points, six boards, five assists and one block. Ersan Ilyasova and Pat Connaughton generated matching 13-point, four-rebound tallies. Donte DiVincenzo delivered 11 points, five rebounds, one assist and four steals. Eric Bledsoe supplied 10 points, five assists, one rebound and two steals.

The Bucks will be without Dragan Bender (ankle) for Monday's contest.

Monday's game marks the second of four meetings between the teams this season. The Bucks hold a 1-0 series lead, having notched a 123-91 win Nov. 1.

The Minnesota Timberwolves travel to Arizona to play the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Monday.

The Timberwolves (10-12) come into this matchup losing four-straight games and it's really no surprise when you see that they're in the middle of a road trip. What's really disturbing is the nature of the losses. with many of them coming in devastating fashion. Numerous mistakes at the end on Friday gave them an overtime defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder and then they narrowly lost to the Lakers on Sunday. That says a lot about where this team is at though, as they have plenty of talent to compete but not enough to win consistently. Fans have to be encouraged by the development of their youngsters though, with Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns both playing at an All-Star level this season. That was supposed to be the core for a while now and it's awesome to see them finally living up to their potential.

The Suns (10-12) have been slumping as well, losing eight of their last 11 games heading into this matchup. That's severely disappointing with the way they looked early on and it's going to be an uphill battle to reach the postseason at this point. The one bit of good news is that DeAndre Ayton is in the second half of his suspension and should be ready to return to action in less than a month. His return would be a welcomed sight, especially with Aron Baynes dealing with a ton of injuries recently. Once he's back at full force, maybe this club can return to the early-season form that had them talking about a potential playoff berth.

Phoenix won the one meeting between these teams, 100-98, on November 23. Prior to that, the Timberwolves won eight of their previous 11 games over the Suns.

The Oklahoma City Thunder travel to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Monday.

The Thunder (10-12) have been playing competitive basketball all season long but it hasn't necessarily led to a lot of success. This is a club that's been hovering below .500 all season long and it's a wonder if they'll ever crack that threshold. They have plenty of talent to do just that, with veterans like Steven Adams, Danilo Gallinari and Chris Paul running the show. That doesn't even take into consideration Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who's in the midst of a breakout season himself. That puts this team in a strange purgatory and one has to wonder whether they'll ride this team for the reso of the season or sell off their veterans for young pieces in order to rebuild. The next few weeks will determine that and it definitely makes this a team to watch over the coming months.

The Jazz (12-10) have been one of the biggest disappointments in the NBA this season and much of it has come recently. In fact, Utah comes into this matchup losing five of their last seven games, with many of those losses coming in blowout fashion. That's unacceptable from a title contender like this and it's really no surprise with most of that damage coming on the road. This is a team that's been dominant at home over recent years and that's the case again here with Utah posting a 9-2 home record this year. They're also playing elite defense yet again but it's not making up for their inept offense. The Jazz currently sits 23rd in points scored and 27th in assists which is truly hard to understand from such a talented roster. The good news is that they can only get better and it's scary to think how good this team can be when they're eventually clicking on both ends of the floor.

Utan won the first meeting between these teams, 100-95, on October 23. Prior to that, Oklahoma City won their previous seven games over the Jazz dating back three years.

The Memphis Grizzlies travel to San Francisco to play the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Monday.

The Grizzlies (6-16) come into this matchup losing nine of their last 10 games and it's clear that they're fully-fledged in the midst of a rebuild. The most important part about doing a rebuild is having young pieces to build around. They definitely have that, with Jaren Jackson Jr and Ja Morant running the show. What's even more encouraging is the fact that Morant is expected to return here after missing the last week because of a back issue. Getting the potential Rookie of the Year back is obviously a huge bonus and what it really does is allow the rebuilding to continue. The next step is to get Jackson to stop fouling though, as he currently has the worst foul rate in the NBA.

The Warriors (5-19) are in the midst of a rebuilding season themselves and they've truly dug quite the hole. It's no fault of their own though, as an injury to Stephen Curry really put the nail in the coffin. He was expected to take on a much bigger role this season with Kevin Durant going to Brooklyn but a broken hand ruined any MVP aspirations he may have had. It's not just him though. as they've also had to deal with injuries from guys like Klay Thompson, D'Angelo Russell and Draymond Green. The good news is that Russell and Green both returned recently and they'll do all they can to get this team out of this hole. One major thing they need to work on is their inept defense, with the Warriors ranked 27th in defensive efficiency. That's no surprise when looking at the personnel and it's a wonder what this team will look like over the coming months.

Golden State won the first meeting between these teams, 114-95, on November 19. That marked the Warriors fifth win in their last six games against the Grizzlies.