December 26th NBA Game Previews

The Memphis Grizzlies will host the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday at FedExForum on Saturday afternoon.

The Grizzlies (0-1) didn't have a good start to the season and lost their opening matchup against the Spurs, falling 131-119 in a game where they only saw four players surpass the 10-point mark -- highlighted by Ja Morant's 44-point, nine-assist performance. Jonas Valanciunas had 15 points with 13 rebounds, Dillon Brooks contributed 16 points, four rebounds and six assists, and Brandon Clarke added 10 points with three boards off the bench. The Grizzlies struggled on defense during their opening game of the 2020-21 season, though, as they allowed the Spurs to shoot 50.5 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range. They have to tighten things up defensively here against an Atlanta team that looks promising on paper following an excellent debut earlier this week.

The Grizzlies list Jontay Porter (knee), Killian Tillie (hamstring) and Xavier Tillman (knee) as questionable, while Justise Winslow (hip) and Jaren Jackson (knee) have both been ruled out.

The Hawks (1-0) opened their 2020-21 campaign with a strong performance against the Bulls, defeating them by a 20-point margin (124-104) while listing seven players with 10 or more points -- their top performer was Trae Young, who ended with 37 points, seven assists and six rebounds, while Cam Reddish and Bogdan Bogdanovic ended with 15 points each. Danilo Gallinari made a strong impression in his Atlanta debut, posting 13 points, four rebounds and three assists as a starter. Atlanta have playoff expectations for this season and, while they're sizably stronger than the Bulls on paper, their performance in the opening night of the season was certainly a step in the right direction. Especially after shooting 53.8 percent from the field.

The Hawks will wait until the very last minute to determine the status of several players -- Rajon Rondo (personal), Tony Snell (foot) and Clint Capela (Achilles) are all listed as game-time decisions. Kris Dunn (knee) and Onyeka Okongwu (toe) have been ruled out.

The Hawks and the Grizzlies played two games last season, with each franchise recording one win.

The Detroit Pistons will host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday evening.

The Pistons (0-1) dropped their season opener Wednesday, falling 111-101 against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a game where their shooting woes -- particularly from long-range territory -- were apparent, as no Detroit player reached the 20-point mark and they shot just 22.9 percent from beyond the arc as a team. Blake Griffin (15 points, seven rebounds) and Derrick Rose (15 points, six assists) posted strong performances, but the team's scoring leader was Josh Jackson, who came off the bench to contribute 19 points in just 29 minutes. The Pistons must find a way to get their act together, though, as they didn't look in sync during their first game of the campaign.

The Pistons list Deividas Sirvydis (not injury related) as a game-time decision, but they're not dealing with any other injury concerns.

The Cavaliers (1-0) were shorthanded in terms of depth and were missing several important rotation pieces for their season opener Wednesday against the Charlotte Hornets, but they still came away with the win by a 121-114 score thanks to the contributions of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland -- the young backcourt duo combined for 49 points and 11 assists. The Cavaliers featured seven players scoring 10 or more points in that game, and they delivered a sharp performance on both sides of the ball -- they forced 15 turnovers while shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from three-point range. They still have some things to iron out, but they certainly began the year with a better-than-expected performance.

The Cavaliers will have Kevin Love (calf), Matthew Dellavedova (back), Dante Exum (hip) and Kevin Porter (personal) as game-time decisions, so there's a chance the Cavaliers can look stronger in terms of depth Saturday. Dylan Windler (hand) has already been ruled out.

The Pistons and the Cavaliers played four times last season, with each franchise winning two games apiece. The most recent meeting ended with a 115-110 win for the Cavaliers on Jan. 27 this year.

The Orlando Magic takes on the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on Saturday night.

The Magic (1-0), which snuck into the playoffs with a losing record via the No. 8 seed this summer, got their season off to a surprisingly strong start on Wednesday night. Orlando upended the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat, 113-107, to notch an upset season-opening victory. Evan Fournier paced the Magic with 25 points while also dishing out four assists and recording three steals. Aaron Gordon collected 20 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Terrance Ross compiled 19 points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal. Nikola Vucevic and Markelle Fultz generated matching 15-point tallies, with Vucevic adding 11 rebounds.

The Magic are likely to list James Ennis (hamstring) and Al-Farouq Aminu (knee) as no better than questionable for Saturday's game.

The Wizards (0-1) couldn't open the Russell Westbrook era up on a winning note, but they were competitive before falling to the Philadelphia 76ers by a 113-107 score Wednesday night. Bradley Beal led the way for the Wizards with 31 points, adding three assists, two rebounds and four steals. Westbrook furnished 21 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds over 36 minutes. Davis Bertans provided 14 points, three rebounds, one assist and one block. Thomas Bryant supplied 10 points, five boards and one block.

The Wizards will be without Rui Hachimura (eye) for Saturday's contest. Meanwhile, Westbrook and Bertans could potentially be rested, considering Washington will also play Sunday.

The Magic swept the four-game 2019-20 season series from the Wizards.

The Charlotte Hornets play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Spectrum Center on Saturday.

This marks the first game of the season for the Thunder, while the Hornets are coming off a loss in their season-opener.

After the departure of four of their top players from last season, the Thunder's line up will be looking quite different. They have largely turned the job over to the younger guys, while adding veteran Al Horford and George Hill to bring some experience. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had a great season last year, averaging 19 points, six rebounds and three assists per game, will now have an even more prominent role in the back court since the departure of Chris Paul and Dennis Schroder. Luguentz Dort and Darius Bazley both proved themselves in their rookie seasons and the Thunder have rewarded them by putting them in position to take the next step as reliable starters in the league.

Meanwhile, the Hornets (0-1) are coming off a tough loss against the Cavs on Wednesday, where they were outscored by 21 points in the second quarter and despite a rally in the fourth quarter, came up short in their season-opener. On a positive note, they had a couple of great individual performances, as Terry Rozier led the way with 42 points on 15-of-23 shooting, including 10-of-16 from long range, and Gordon Hayward followed up with 28 points, seven assists, four rebounds and a steal. LaMelo Ball had a rough outing in his first NBA contest, shooting 0-of-5 from the field, along with three assists and three turnovers, in 15 minutes off the bench. The Hornets will need to avoid a sleepy start like their last outing if they want to get back on track on Saturday.

The Philadelphia 76ers take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.

The 76ers (1-0) were able to get their season off on the right note Wednesday night, turning back a challenge from the new-look Wizards, 113-107. Joel Embiid posted a 29-point, 14-rebound double-double that also included two assists and one block. Shake Milton followed with 19 points, complementing them with three assists, one rebound and three steals. Ben Simmons delivered 16 points, nine boards, seven assists, three blocks and two steals. Seth Curry registered 13 points, four assists and two steals. Furkan Korkmaz poured in 11 points, while Tobias Harris generated 10 points, eight rebounds and one block.

The 76ers will come into Saturday's contest without any injuries to report.

The Knicks (0-1) weren't quite as fortunate in their first game of the season, dropping a 121-107 decision to the Indiana Pacers. R.J. Barrett led the way for New York with 26 points, complementing them with eight rebounds and five assists. Alec Burks supplied 22 points, four boards, three assists, one steal and one block. Julius Randle managed 17 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Reggie Bullock netted 11 points.

The Knicks will remain without Austin Rivers (groin) and Omari Spellman (knee) for Saturday's game. Obi Toppin (calf) and Immanuel Quickley (hip) will both be listed as doubtful.

The 76ers swept the four-game 2019-20 season series from the Knicks.

The Chicago Bulls play host to the Indiana Pacers at United Center on Saturday evening.

The Pacers (1-0) are coming off a convincing, 121-107, win over the Knicks in their season-opener on Wednesday, where Domantas Sabonis led the way with a monstrous 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting, 13 rebounds and five assists, in 36 minutes of action. It was great for the Pacers to see Sabonis back in top form after missing time last season with a foot injury. Malcolm Brogdon also had an impressive season debut, with 21 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and two steals, while Victor Oladipo added 22 points, four rebounds, four assists and a steal. The Pacers were efficient in the win, shooting, 49 percent from the field. They did a good job moving the ball, with 28 assists on 46 field goals, and 30 fast-break points. They also did a great job on the offensive glass, with 10 offensive rebounds and 19 second-chance points. If they bring the same effort agains the Bulls, they will certainly be a hard opponent to beat.

Meanwhile, the Bulls (0-1) are coming off an ugly loss in their season-opener as they were dealt a 20-point loss at home against the Hawks. They got off to a bad start in the contest and fell behind by 13 points after just one quarter. They failed to tighten up in the second and let the deficit grow to 24 by halftime and then to 32, heading into the fourth. They managed to make a rally in the fourth, but it was too little, too late. Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen each topped 20 points, while rookie, Patrick Williams added 16 points, and Otto Porter Jr. chipped in 14 points. The Bulls have to pick up their efficiency, as they shot just 41 percent from the field and recorded just 20 assists in the loss, if they want to avoid two straight home losses to start off the season. The Pacers are going to be all over the glass and the Bulls will need to be sure to dig in defensively and keep them away from easy buckets and slow down the fast break.

The San Antonio Spurs play host to the Toronto Raptors at AT&T Center on Saturday evening.

The Raptors (0-1) are coming off a loss in their season-opener, where they fell short against the Pelicans. They got out to a good start in the contest but were out done in the second half. Pascal SIakam was the high-point man in the loss for Toronto, with 20 points, to go with six rebounds and six assists. Both O.G. Anunoby and Fred VanVleet were held to single-digit scoring, while Kyle Lowry had a solid night with 18 points and 10 assists. Aron Baynes had a good debut with the team, as he totaled 11 points and nine rebounds, in 28 minutes. Ultimately, the Raptors did not shoot the ball well and were not able to lock down on defense, allowing their opponent to shoot over 50 percent from the field. The Raptors will need to get back to the basics and focus on defense first and attention to detail, as the Spurs will be looking to build on momentum from their opening-night win.

The Spurs (1-0) are coming off an impressive, 131-119, win in Memphis on Wednesday, where they overcame a very strong effort from their opponents. DeMar DeRozan led the way with an impressive 28 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, in 34 minutes. Dejounte Murray added 21 points, nine assists, six rebounds and two steals, while LaMarcus Aldridge totaled 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting. Rudy Gay continued to provide a boost in the sixth-man role, as he pitched in 10 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes. Keldon Johnson had a strong performance after getting the start at power forward and logged 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals. A total of seven players scored in double digits, as the Spurs tallied 28 assists and limited themselves to 10 turnovers in the win. They will need to bring the same focus against the Raptors in order maintain their best chances at going 2-0.

The Minnesota Timberwolves travel to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Saturday.

The Timberwolves (1-0) pulled off an impressive comeback victory in their opener, defeating the Detroit Pistons, 111-101. What's funny about that result is the fact that Minnesota never held a lead until the final six minutes of that game, riding a 31-16 fourth quarter to their win. The catalyst in that victory was their defense, holding the Pistons to 23 percent from three-point range and holding them to just eight free-throw attempts. The youngsters came to play in that victory too, with Malik Beasley leading the club with 23 points and Jarrett Culver picking up a double-double off the bench. Anthony Edwards also made his NBA debut, tallying 15 points, four rebounds and four assists as well. That's a solid core to build around Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell, as this could be a better team than most people think.

The Jazz (1-0) might have had the best performance of any team on opening night, obliterating the Portland Trail Blazers, 120-100. The 20-point margin is actually unfair to the Jazz, leading by 33 points at times in the second half. Rudy Gobert was the stud in that game, providing 20 points and 17 rebounds fresh off of his new contract. Getting Bojan Bogdanovic back was also key, with last year's leading scorer dropping 15 points in the opener as well. What has made this team dangerous in the past is their defense though and holding Portland to 40 percent shooting is an indication that everything is running smoothly on that end too.

In their three meetings last season, Utah won two of three. That gives the Jazz seven wins in their last nine matchups with the Timberwolves dating back three years.

The Portland Trail Blazers play host to the Houston Rockets at Moda Center on Saturday.

The Rockets got off to an inauspicious start to the season and they didn't even play a game. Houston had their opener postponed with multiple inconclusive COVID tests and it's unclear if this game will be played either. It's sad that this team has had to deal with that after all of the trade discussions coming into the year and it's hard to know exactly what's going to happen with this team. There's every indication that James Harden will play here but he'll have to pass another COVID test before being able to suit up. That doesn't even take into consideration all of his trade requests and it'll be interesting to see what happens with last year's leading scorer. It will also be fascinating to see how they look with new guys like John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. Those two former All-Stars can be a huge boost for this club and some early wins might be the thing that keeps Harden around to see how things develop.

The Trail Blazers (0-1) had high expectations coming into this year but their opener couldn't have gone any worse. They took a 120-100 defeat at the hands of the Utah Jazz and trailed by 33 points at times in that blowout. Damian Lillard actually went scoreless in the first half of that defeat and that's an anomaly of its own. What got people excited about this team was the addition of Robert Covington but he finished that game without making a shot too. Nights like that are inevitable in the NBA though, especially against a defense like Utah and it's certainly nothing to panic over yet. In any case, this is a good chance for them to rebound against the most dysfunctional team in the league right now.

In four matchups last season, Portland won three of four.

The Sacramento Kings play host to the Phoenix Suns at Golden 1 Center on Saturday.

The Suns (1-0) were one of the surprises of the NBA bubble, finishing with a perfect 8-0 record. That definitely opened up the eyes of Chris Paul and that's why he decided to join this team. While he did struggle in the opener with just eight points, four rebounds and five assists, CP3 made some huge plays in the final minute to capture the win for Phoenix. That's the big reason why Phoenix brought him in, giving this team a much-needed veteran presence and a guy to keep things together. That could lead to him having one of the worst statistical seasons of his career, simply because there's so much young talent around him. Guys like Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton both have All-Star potential and Paul knows that his job is to develop these youngsters and make the plays to cap off wins.

The Kings (1-0) didn't necessarily play well in the opener but a win is a win. The nature of that victory can give this team some serious momentum going forward too, with Buddy Hield tipping in a game-winner in overtime. He actually led the team with just 22 points, with De'Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley both struggling from the field. That doesn't even take into consideration that Richaun Holmes and Hassan Whiteside played poorly in the frontcourt too, making the road win even more shocking. Having terrible stat lines like those would have always led to a defeat in the past and perseverance like that is hopefully a sign of things changing in Sacramento after missing the postseason for 16-straight seasons.

These teams split their four-game season series last year and have actually traded off wins and losses in their last five matchups in total.