Fadeaway World went 7-4 over the NBA’s packed 11-game slate on offer last night, improving our season record to 365-195, an accuracy rate of 65.17%. The NBA will bring a smaller list of games on offer for Tuesday night, with just four high-quality games being played.
All participating teams are locked in the heat of the playoff battle to end the season. The Los Angeles Lakers hope to extend their three-game win streak over the Milwaukee Bucks while the Golden State Warriors look to keep their playoff push alive against the Miami Heat.
The New Orleans Pelicans will look to knock off the high-flying Oklahoma City Thunder, while the Dallas Mavericks and the Sacramento Kings face-off as two teams with tied records battling for the No. 6 seed. Let’s take a look at our expert picks and predictions for these games.
Los Angeles Lakers At Milwaukee Bucks – 7:30 PM EST
Lakers Last 10 Games: 6-4
Bucks Last 10 Games: 6-4
Lakers Injuries: LeBron James – Out (Ankle), Anthony Davis – Day To Day (Achilles), Jarred Vanderbilt – Out (Foot), Gabe Vincent – Out (Knee), Jalen Hood-Schifino – Out (G League), Christian Wood – Out (Knee), Colin Castleton – Out (Wrist)
Bucks Injuries: MarJon Beauchamp – Day To Day (Back), Giannis Antetokounmpo – Day To Day (Hamstring), Khris Middleton – Day To Day (Ankle)
Last 5 Meetings: Bucks Lead 3-2
The Los Angeles Lakers (39-32) have spent months trying to climb out of the No. 9 seed, with that quest likely continuing until the end of the season. They’re currently on a three-game win streak, but it will be extremely tough to beat the Bucks after the latest update that LeBron James will not play tonight.
The Milwaukee Bucks (46-25) are settling into their position as the No. 2 seed in the East but have to be wary of threats like the Knicks and Cavaliers gaining on them. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have found the right balance of roles offensively, with this game against the Lakers their biggest pre-playoff test to see how competitive they are. The form Milwaukee is on will likely upset the streaky Lakers, who will be without LeBron, and lead to a win.
*Update: LeBron James is out (ankle) against the Bucks tonight
Prediction: Bucks def. Lakers 128-119
Golden State Warriors At Miami Heat – 7:30 PM EST
Warriors Last 10 Games: 4-6
Heat Last 10 Games: 4-6
Warriors Injuries: Trayce Jackson-Davis – Day To Day (Knee)
Heat Injuries: Caleb Martin – Day To Day (Ankle), Jaime Jaquez Jr. – Day To Day (Knee), Tyler Herro – Out (Foot), Kevin Love – Out (Heel), Duncan Robinson – Out (Back), Josh Richardson – Out (Shoulder)
Last 5 Meetings: Warriors Lead 3-2
The Golden State Warriors (36-34) are one loss away from being out of the playoffs. It looked like they would be a play-in team for sure but they’re currently just half a game ahead of the Rockets. Stephen Curry will do everything he can to ensure the Warriors at least have a shot in the postseason, and picking up a win tonight is crucial.
The Miami Heat (39-32) are replicating what they did last season with an unremarkable regular season highlighted by offensive struggles. They’re built perfectly to stop the Warriors from scoring, but they don’t have a single scoring option that can go toe-to-toe with Curry. Unless playoff Jimmy Butler shows up, the motivated Warriors will likely pick this win up.
Prediction: Warriors def. Heat 116-104
Oklahoma City Thunder At New Orleans Pelicans – 8:00 PM EST
Thunder Last 10 Games: 7-3
Pelicans Last 10 Games: 8-2
Thunder Injuries: N/A
Pelicans Injuries: Dyson Daniels – Out (Knee), Brandon Ingram – Out (Knee)
Last 5 Meetings: Thunder Lead 3-2
The Oklahoma City Thunder (49-21) are battling hard to stay in the race for the No. 1 seed, with the Denver Nuggets taking a one-game advantage over them. Their end-of-season schedule boats some challenging fixtures, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be looking to maximize the team’s success in this stretch and try to impress MVP voters in the final stretch games of the season.
The New Orleans Pelicans (44-27) have been one of the best teams in the West since January, climbing up to the No. 4 seed after being in the Play-In battle just a few months ago. The team has looked great even without Brandon Ingram, with Zion Williamson making the most of a bigger role. Zion and Jonas Valuncuinas likely create headaches that the Thunder can’t solve defensively, which will cause an upset result.
Prediction: Pelicans def. Thunder 121-118
Dallas Mavericks At Sacramento Kings – 10:00 PM EST
Mavericks Last 10 Games: 6-4
Kings Last 10 Games: 6-4
Mavericks Injuries: Josh Green – Out (Ankle), Brandon Williams – Out (Wrist)
Kings Injuries: Sasha Vezenkov – Out (Ankle), Kevin Huerter – Out (Shoulder), Trey Lyles – Out (Knee)
Last 5 Meetings: Kings Lead 3-2
The Dallas Mavericks (42-29) enter a two-game series against the Kings with immense playoff implications. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving will need to lead the team to a win over the Kings having lost two games at home already to their nearest seeding rival. The winner of this contest will also take the No. 6 seed and put themselves a game ahead of the loser.
The Sacramento Kings (42-29) dominated the Mavericks in their only two matchups this season, but Dallas have reinforced by making additions like Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington. Domantas Sabonis will look to extend his historic double-double streak, but the Mavericks likely take this win with the Kings defense not equipped to contain this squad while fully healthy.
Prediction: Mavericks def. Kings 119-114
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