October 25th NBA Game Previews

The Indiana Pacers play host to the Milwaukee Bucks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday evening.

The Pacers (1-2) started their season with two straight road losses, before they pulled off an impressive win over the Heat in their home-opener on Saturday. Rookie Chris Duarte has had a great start to his NBA career, and led the Pacers with a team-high 19 points, in their recent win. Malcolm Brogdon totaled 18 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and two blocks, while Domantas Sabonis tallied 17 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and four steals in the contest. The Pacers are averaging 119.3 points per game, which is fifth most in the league, and they are giving up an average of 116.3 points against. T.J. Warren (foot) and Caris LeVert (back) have yet to debut this season and will both remain sidelined through Saturday's action.

Meanwhile, this marks the third and final game of a road trip for the Bucks (2-1), where they have gone 1-1 so far, with a loss in Miami followed by a win in San Antonio in their most recent contest. Six players scored in double digits for the Bucks in their most recent win, led by Khris Middleton, who totaled 28 points on 9-of-17 shooting. Giannis Antetokounmpo added 21 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and three blocks, while Jrue Holiday and Pat Connaughton added 16 points each. The Bucks are averaging 114.3 points per game and are giving up an average of 117.3 points against, as their 42-point loss in Miami contributed heavily to the lopsided averages. Bobby Portis (hamstring), who has yet to play this season, remains questionable for action, while Jrue Holiday (ankle) is listed as doubtful for Monday's contest. Brook Lopez (back) will be sidelined.

The Boston Celtics take on the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on Monday night.

The Celtics (1-2) began the season and the Ime Udoka era in less than inspiring fashion by dropping their first two games, but they bounced back nicely Sunday night in a 107-97 win over the Houston Rockets. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 31 points, adding nine rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Dennis Schroder and Grant Williams generated matching 18-point tallies, with the former adding five rebounds and five assists and the latter supplying three boards and two assists. Al Horford mustered a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double that also included one assist, three steals and three blocks.

The Celtics will likely list Jaylen Brown (knee) and Romeo Langford (calf) as game-time decisions for Monday's contest after each missed Sunday's game.

The Hornets (3-0) have been one of the biggest surprises in either conference, notching victories over the Pacers, Cavaliers, and most recently, the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday afternoon. In Charlotte's 111-95 victory, Miles Bridges led the way with 32 points, complementing them with nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block. LaMelo Ball delivered 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and one block. Ish Smith supplied 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. Cody Martin furnished 12 points, five assists, three rebounds and one steal. Kelly Oubre mustered nine points, nine rebounds, one assist and one steal.

The Hornets will likely list Terry Rozier (ankle) as questionable at best for Monday's game.

Monday's contest marks the first of four meetings between the teams this season. The Celtics won the 2020-21 series with the Hornets by a 2-1 margin.

The Atlanta Hawks play host to the Detroit Pistons at State Farm Arena on Monday evening.

This marks the second home game of the season for the Hawks (1-1), as they came up with a home win over the Mavericks in their season-opener, before falling short in Cleveland in their most recent contest. Trae Young has led the Hawks early on, averaging 21.5 points, 10.5 assists and 2.0 steals, over the first two games of the season. John Collins has also been playing well, averaging 11.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals, while Clint Capela is averaging 11.0 points, 13.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. The Hawks are one of the lower-scoring teams in the league so far, averaging 104.0 points per game, while they have given up an average of just 94.0 points against, which is second lowest in the league. Danilo Gallinari (shoulder) has yet to make his debut this season and remains questionable for action on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Pistons (0-2) have been off to a rough start with two losses against the Bulls to start their season. They played once at home and once in Chicago and the result was nearly the same in each contest, as they lost, 94-88, at home and, 97-82, in Chicago. The Pistons have not been able to debut the first-overall pick, Cade Cunningham (ankle), as he has been sidelined and is expected to remain out through Monday's contest. On the bright side, Saddiq Bey has put on two solid performances and is averaging 16.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists over the Pistons' first two contests. Jerami Grant is also averaging 16.5 points per game, while Kelly Olynyk is the only other player averaging double digits in the scoring column, with 10.0 points per game, over the first two games. This marks the second game of a three-game road trip for the Pistons, as they search for their first win of the season.

The Miami Heat play host to the Orlando Magic at FTX Arena on Monday evening.

This marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Magic (1-2), as they are coming off an impressive, comeback win in New York on Sunday. The contest got out to a tight start and the Magic led, 29-27, after one quarter. They kept it close but trailed by six points heading into the final frame. However, the Magic kicked off the fourth with a 12-0 run to take a six-point lead early in the quarter and they did not look back on the way to the impressive road win. Cole Anthony has his best game so far, as he led the way with 29 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-9 from long range, 16 rebounds, eight assists and a steal, in 35 minutes. Terrence Ross followed up with 22 points, three assists and two steals, while Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr. chipped in 11 points each. The Magic will look to build off the momentum as they face their second game of a two-game road trip, looking to improve on their, 1-1, road record.

Meanwhile, the Heat (1-1) began their season with an impressive win over the Bucks, before falling in Indiana in their most recent contest. The Heat did not get out to a great start in their recent loss, as they trailed by 10 at halftime. They managed to rally back through the second half and sent the game to overtime. However, they were not up to the task in extra time, where they were outscored, 16-5, for their first loss of the season. Kyle Lowry (ankle) did not play in the contest and remains questionable for action on Monday. In his absence, Tyler Herro stepped up with a team-high 30 points on 12-of-28 shooting, in 41 minutes off the bench. Bam Adebayo added 17 points and 16 rebounds, while Jimmy Butler chipped in 19 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals. The Heat will be looking to get back on track, as they return home, where they are 1-0, so far this season.

The Washington Wizards take on the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Monday night.

The Wizards (2-0) have had a momentous start to the new season and Wes Unseld, Jr.'s tenure as head coach, following up a 15-point season-opening win over the Raptors with a thrilling 135-134 overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night. Spencer Dinwiddie led the way with 34 points, supplementing them with nine assists and six rebounds. Kyle Kuzma generated a 26-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included two assists and one steal. Raul Neto delivered 18 points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block. Davis Bertans poured in 17 points. Montrezl Harrell registered 14 points, seven boards, two assists and one block.

The Wizards will remain without Rui Hachimura (conditioning), Anthony Gill (calf) and Thomas Bryant (knee) for Monday's contest. Bradley Beal (groin) is expected to sit up after missing Friday's contest.

The Nets (1-2) headed into the season already mired in controversy, and the vibe around the team has only gotten worse once the games actually started. Brooklyn has dropped two of its first three games, with its most recent stumble a 111-95 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday afternoon. Kevin Durant led the Nets with 38 points, adding five rebounds, three assists and one steal. James Harden tallied just 15 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, one steal and one block. LaMarcus Aldridge turned in nine points, eight rebounds, two blocks and one steal.

The Nets will continue without Kyrie Irving (personal) for Monday's game.

Monday's contest marks the first of four meetings between the teams this season. The Wizards won the 2020-21 season series with the Nets by a 2-1 margin.

The Chicago Bulls take on the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on Monday night.

The Bulls (3-0) have started the campaign off in stellar fashion, having rattled off wins against the Pistons and Pelicans before tripping up Detroit again by 15 points on Saturday night. DeMar DeRozan paced the Bulls with 21 points, supplementing them with six rebounds, six assists and two blocks. Nikola Vucevic generated a 15-point, 19-rebound double-double that also included three assists, three blocks and two steals. Zach LaVine supplied 14 points, five assists and four rebounds. Lonzo Ball delivered 13 points, four rebounds, one assist, four blocks and three steals. Alex Caruso managed 12 points, four assists, five steals and one block.

The Bulls will continue without Coby White (shoulder) for Monday's game.

The Raptors (1-2) have had a mostly difficult start to their season that already includes two home losses, their most recent a 103-95 defeat at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night. OG Anunoby led the Raptors with 23 points, four rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Fred VanVleet furnished 20 points. five rebounds, five assists and one steal. Scottie Barnes compiled 17 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Gary Trent turned in 12 points, four rebounds, one steal and one block. Precious Achiuwa generated a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double that also included three assists.

The Raptors will remain without Pascal Siakam (shoulder) and Yuta Watanbe (calf) for Monday's contest.

Monday's game marks the first of four meetings between the teams this season. The Bulls swept the 2020-21 season series with the Raptors.

The Minnesota Timberwolves play host to the New Orleans Pelicans at Target Center on Monday.

The Pelicans (0-3) got off to a rough start when Zion Williamson was ruled out for the first month of the season, and it's been all downhill since then. In fact, New Orleans has yet to win a game, losing to teams like the T'Wolves, Chicago Bulls, and Philadelphia 76ers. Those would be tough opponents for anyone, but none of them were really close. They actually trailed by at least 20 points in all three of those, and that's the best indicator of where this club is at right now. We can't put it all on Zion because role players like Nickel Alexander-Walker and Jonas Valanciunas have been excellent in his absence. That's plenty of talent with Brandon Ingram, and it's time for this club to grow up and start performing.

The Timberwolves (2-0) have been waiting for their young players to develop, and we might finally be there! The threesome of Karl-Anthony Towns, D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards has been superb through the first two games, grabbing victories over the Pelicans and Houston Rockets. That's certainly not a murderer's row of opponents, but it's encouraging to see this team take care of business against the bad teams. That's something Minnesota hasn't done for a long time, with the defense failing them through most of it. They've actually allowed just 195 combined points through the first two games, making them one of the best defenses in the opening week. If that continues, this could be a dangerous team for the first time in years.

These teams played on Saturday, with Minnesota prevailing, 96-89. That gives the Timberwolves three wins in their last four meetings with the Pelicans.

The Cleveland Cavaliers travel to Colorado to face the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on Monday.

The Cavaliers (1-2) are a tough team to figure out. They started the season with two ugly losses against the Charlotte Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies but followed it up with a victory over the Atlanta Hawks. That most recent win shows just how much talent this team has, but the two previous losses are a better indicator of where this team has been for the last few years. The players are there for this club to succeed, with Collin Sexton and Darius Garland holding down the backcourt and, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley dominating the frontcourt. That's a heck of a core to build around, and this club needs to show some signs of the rebuild rather than continue using it as an excuse year after year.

The Nuggets (2-0) have been one of the biggest surprises over the last two seasons, and they look well on their way to another gem of a year. They've kicked off the season with two comfortable wins, beating the San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns. Those are certainly not easy teams to prevail against, and it's quite a testament to see them play so well, despite Jamal Murray (knee) still being sidelined. Nikola Jokic has been living up to his MVP ways, but guys like Aaron Gordon and Will Barton have also stepped up. That's what's really going to be critical with this team going forward because this could be a true title contender when Murray returns somewhere around January or February.

These teams played twice last season, with Denver winning each matchup by at least 17 points apiece. Ironically, these clubs have traded off season sweeps in each of the previous three years.

The Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center on Monday.

The Trail Blazers (1-1) have played just two games, but they've shown why they've been such a volatile team. They actually lost their home opener against the Sacramento Kings but followed that up with a 31-point win over the Phoenix Suns in their most recent outing. The first game against the Kings is a contest they should really win, while the blowout victory over the Suns was more of a coin-flip game. That's pretty much what this team did all of last season, too, making it tough to figure out exactly who they are. The good news is that they're finally healthy. This is a club that dealt with numerous injuries throughout last year, and it's a wonder where they're headed after yet another volatile start.

The Clippers (0-2) lost their final three games in the preseason, and they've unfortunately carried that form into the regular season. They've actually lost each of their first two games, taking defeats at the hands of the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies. Those are two clubs that were in the play-in tourney last year, and it's a discouraging start to see them play so poorly without their superstar player. That happens to be Kawhi Leonard, with the All-Star missing most of this season due to an ACL tear. That means it's up to the rest of these guys to keep things chugging along, and a 41-point performance from Paul George on Saturday shows what sort of mindset he has for the remainder of the season.

Los Angeles has swept the last two season series against Portland, winning six straight in total in this series.