Last night’s games brought plenty of action with its six-game slate, four of which were accurately predicted by Fadeaway World, bringing our season total to 77-39 on predictions. With five games on tap tonight, it’ll be fascinating to see how the games shake out and if we can continue our strong streak of predictions.
The night begins with two games. The West-leading Timberwolves will go to Orlando to face a depleted Magic squad in a highly-anticipated clash. The Sacramento Kings will play the Detroit Pistons at the same time. The Portland Trail Blazers will travel to New York and face the Knicks.
The Mavericks would like to continue their league-leading three-game winning streak with a win over the Memphis Grizzlies, who lost Ja Morant for the season last night. Finally, the Los Angeles Lakers will be looking to continue their winning ways when they host the Toronto Raptors in the final contest of the night.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Orlando Magic – 7 PM EST
Timberwolves Last 10 Games: 5-5
Magic Last 10 Games: 5-5
Timberwolves Injuries: Jaylen Clark – Out (Achilles)
Magic Injuries: Franz Wagner – Out (Ankle), Joe Ingles – Out (Ankle), Wendell Carter Jr. – Out (Knee), Gary Harris – Out (Calf), Jonathan Isaac – Out (Hamstring)
Last 5 Meetings: Magic Lead 3-2
The Timberwolves are coming into this game after a shaky stretch of form, going 2-3 in their last five games. Losing 108-115 to a short-handed Mavericks in their last game further showed how the healthy Wolves have a scoring problem and can be out-pointed by a more offensively polished team.
The Magic are coming off two consecutive wins even with five rotational pieces missing. That is primarily due to Paolo Banchero’s incredible form, averaging 32.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists over the last six games. But without consistent scoring next to Banchero with Franz Wagner being out, the Magic may struggle to find a way to consistently score against the No. 1 defense in the NBA, especially with players that can lock Banchero down.
Prediction: Wolves def. Magic 111-101
Sacramento Kings at Detroit Pistons – 7 PM EST
Kings Last 10 Games: 5-5
Pistons Last 10 Games: 1-9
Kings Injuries: Trey Lyles – Questionable (Ankle)
Pistons Injuries: Cade Cunningham – Out (Back), Isaiah Stewart – Out (Toe), Stanley Umude – Out (Foot)
Last 5 Meetings: Kings Lead 3-2
The Detroit Pistons may carve out another incredible losing streak in their doomed season, losing Cade Cunningham with a back injury. Cade was the architect behind their only win since November and will not suit up for at least a month if not more. The team is already lacking in almost every aspect of NBA basketball, with Cade taking away their biggest scoring threat and one of their only perimeter defenders.
The Kings are coming off a drubbing by the Pelicans and will look to make this a comeback game against Detroit. Despite De’Aaron Fox’s slump in recent games (averaging 19.2 points on 37.0% shooting in the last five), this will be the game where the Kings find their mojo once again. With teams like the Mavs and Pels chasing them down for the No. 5 seed, a matchup like this cannot be squandered away.
Prediction: Kings def. Pistons 132-108
Portland Trail Blazers at New York Knicks – 7:30 PM EST
Blazers Last 10 Games: 4-6
Knicks Last 10 Games: 6-4
Blazers Injuries: Moses Brown – Out (Knee), Deandre Ayton – Doubtful (Knee), Jabari Walker – Questionable (Knee), Matisse Thybulle – Questionable (Foot)
Knicks Injuries: N/A
Last 5 Meetings: Knicks Lead 3-2
The Trail Blazers have been an incredibly hard team to predict off late, as the youth on their roster makes them dangerous on a game-to-game basis, but it often doesn’t lead to wins against good teams. They’re 4-15 this season in games against teams that are .500 and better. This record doesn’t include their 0-5 record against the Lakers and Warriors this season.
The Knicks have been looking dangerous since acquiring OG Anunoby, going 4-0 with the star swingman on the wing. Tom Thibodeau can execute his demanding defensive system with a stopper like Anunoby on the roster, which should be a concern for guards like Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe. Beating the high-flying Knicks right now would be a very tall task for a tanking Blazers squad.
Prediction: Knicks def. Blazers 119-102
Memphis Grizzlies at Dallas Mavericks – 8:30 PM EST
Grizzlies Last 10 Games: 6-4
Mavericks Last 10 Games: 6-4
Grizzlies Injuries: Ja Morant – Out (Shoulder), Steven Adams – Out (Knee), Brandon Clarke – Out (Achilles), Derrick Rose – Out (Thigh), Santi Aldama – Doubtful (Knee), Jaren Jackson Jr. – Questionable (Knee)
Mavericks Injuries: Dante Exum – Out (Heel), Maxi Kleber – Out (Toe), Dereck Lively II – Out (Ankle)
Last 5 Meetings: Grizzlies Lead 3-2
This could have been the marquee game of the night but was ruined after Ja Morant was ruled out for the season for shoulder surgery. The Grizzlies don’t look to be playoff contenders anymore, which could lead to a drop-off in performance against the Mavericks. Dallas is on a three-game winning streak, funnily the longest active streak in the NBA, and will be hoping to add another win to their record against the Morant-less Grizzlies.
The Mavericks are missing rotational players but should have both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving at their disposal, fresh off a win where they combined for 69 points. The Grizz will hope their defensive identity can carry them to a shock win here, but it doesn’t look like Memphis will have the scoring necessary to beat Dallas, who have shockingly been the third-best defense in the NBA over the last 10 games.
Prediction: Mavericks def. Grizzlies 126-112
Toronto Raptors at Los Angeles Lakers – 10:30 PM EST
Raptors Last 10 Games: 4-6
Lakers Last 10 Games: 3-7
Raptors Injuries: Christian Koloko – Out (Illness), Jakob Poeltl – Out (Ankle), Otto Porter Jr. – Doubtful (Knee)
Lakers Injuries: Gabe Vincent – Out (Knee), Rui Hachimura – Doubtful (Calf), LeBron James – Questionable (Ankle), Anthony Davis – Probable (Ankle)
Last 5 Meetings: Raptors Lead 3-2
The Raptors look to have found a great rhythm since trading OG Anunoby for R.J. Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, with both former Knicks already leading Toronto to wins based on their strength. Going into a matchup with the Lakers will be intimidating, especially in LA, and given the desperation for wins that the Lakers have right now.
With both Koloko and Poeltl out, the Lakers will try and use a size advantage to bully the Raptors. Scottie Barnes or Pascal Siakam could easily have a star-scoring night, but the Lakers will hope their homecourt boosts them enough to make timely shots at the least. LeBron James went off against the Clippers and will likely hope to replicate that performance, if not surpass it, against a franchise often nicknamed ‘LeBronto’.
Prediction: Lakers def. Raptors 114-103
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