The Lakers and Clippers are busy battling it out for second spot in the NBA Western Conference. But both LA teams will have their hands full against two of the league’s top young stars in their upcoming games.
The Clippers head to Boston to face Jayson Tatum’s dangerous Celtics, while the Lakers take on Devin Booker and the streaking Suns, who are hot on the two LA teams’ heels in the standings.
Meanwhile, the red-hot Heat take on the Hawks, who recently fired their head coach, and the streaking Knicks square off with the Spurs.
Get ready for another great day of NBA action with SBOTOP’s breakdown of all six games on the schedule.
Memphis Grizzlies @ Washington Wizards
The Grizzlies should be feeling great after their 49-point mauling of the hapless Houston Rockets in their last game. Justise Winslow, who is back after a lengthy absence due to a hip injury, had a season-high 20 points off the bench.
But Memphis will have their hands full against the Wizards, who are 9-2 in their last 11 games despite their late-game collapse in a loss to the Celtics last time out. Bradley Beal, the league’s top scorer at 33 PPG, produced more NBA 2021 highlights as he exploded for 46 points.
Betting Tip: Wizards Asian Handicap -1.00 @ 1.98
LA Clippers @ Boston Celtics
The Clippers and Celtics have been up and down of late, but they will have to bring their A-game as they collide for the second and final time this season. Boston, who have won two games in a row, eked out a 119-115 win in their first meeting last month. Jayson Tatum had a game-high 34 points, his third straight game of 30 or more points against the Clippers.
The Celtics were without Jaylen Brown in that game, while the Clippers were missing their All-Star wing, Paul George. But while PG-13 is back, Brown missed the Celtics’ win over the Wizards with a sore knee and remains questionable to return.
Brown’s absence would be a huge boost to the Clippers’ NBA 2021 betting odds, as they are eager to bounce back from their defeat to the Bucks in their last game.
Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum drives to the basket during first quarter of an NBA match against Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center
Atlanta Hawks @ Miami Heat
The Hawks are set to play their first game since firing head coach Lloyd Pierce, who led the team to a disappointing 14-20 start. Assistant Nate McMillan is the team’s interim coach, and he will look to get the Hawks out of their current two-game losing skid.
The Hawks fell to the Heat a few days ago, 109-99. Trae Young had his second poor game in a row as he finished with just 15 points on 3-of-14 shooting.
Meanwhile, Miami were led by Kendrick Nunn, who had 24 points and seven assists as they won their sixth straight game. Jimmy Butler sat out the game with a right knee issue, although Tyler Herro made his return after missing a few games with a hip injury. Butler, who is averaging 20.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 7.8 assists this season, is questionable to play.
New York Knicks @ San Antonio Spurs
The Knicks and Spurs have been two of the biggest surprises of the season. The Knicks are in fourth in the East and are riding a three-game win streak, while the 17-13 Spurs are sixth in the West.
Derrick Rose is finally making a positive impact since his return to New York. The veteran guard is averaging 16 points over his last four games. As for the Spurs, Dejounte Murray is stepping up in Derrick White’s continued absence due to COVID-19 protocols.
The Spurs are coming off a tough overtime loss to the formidable Brooklyn Nets last night, so the Knicks have a good chance to pick up another win.
Denver Nuggets @ Milwaukee Bucks
The Nuggets picked up back-to-back wins for the first time since Feb. 15 as they got a big victory over the Bulls last night. Nikola Jokic had another huge game with 39 points, while Jamal Murray continued his recent hot streak with 24 points. The Nuggets point guard is averaging 28 points on 55 per cent shooting over his last 10 games.
They will now take on the Bucks, who have reeled off five straight wins — all of them coming at home. Two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has been on quite a tear, averaging 35.6 points and 13.8 rebounds during the win streak. They also got Jrue Holiday back after his 10-game absence due to COVID, which is a huge boost.
Phoenix Suns @ Los Angeles Lakers
After going on a four-game losing streak without Anthony Davis, the Lakers have bounced back with back-to-back home wins over the Trail Blazers and Warriors. The Lakers have been receiving steady production off the bench, with Alex Caruso coming up with two straight double-digit scoring games.
The Lakers will need all the firepower they can get as they take on the high-flying Suns, who are 11-2 in their last 13 games. Devin Booker scored a season-high 43 points in their blowout win over the struggling Timberwolves. Booker is finally getting back to his best, averaging 29 points on 54 per cent shooting over his last 10 games.
Betting Tip: Suns Asian Handicap +2.00 @ 1.90
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The post NBA: Top Young Stars Set to Test Lakers, Clippers appeared first on SBOTOP.
