Preview Roundups
April 01, 2018
Philadelphia at Charlotte 1:00 PM ET
The Philadelphia 76ers look to extend their winning streak to 10 without leading scorer and rebounder Joel Embiid in the lineup as they visit the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday afternoon. The 76ers pushed their winning streak to nine with a 109-101 victory at Atlanta on Friday in the first game since Embiid (22.9 points, 11.0 rebounds) suffered a fractured orbital bone.
Washington at Chicago 3:30 PM ET
The Washington Wizards look to continue adding victories after clinching a playoff berth for the fourth time in five seasons when they visit the struggling Chicago Bulls on Sunday afternoon. The Wizards got All-Star point guard John Wall back in the lineup Saturday after he missed more than two months with a knee injury and they rolled over Charlotte 107-93 to seal a spot in the postseason.
Houston at San Antonio 3:30 PM ET
The San Antonio Spurs are back up to fourth in the Western Conference thanks to LaMarcus Aldridge playing through some pain, but the race is far from over. The Houston Rockets, who visit the Spurs on Sunday, are much more secure in their position at No. 1 in the West and are still going strong with wins in 11 straight.
Indiana at L.A. Clippers 3:30 PM ET
The Los Angeles Clippers lost a game in the race for a playoff spot in the Western Conference on Friday and are running out of time to make up any ground. The Clippers will try to stay in the race at the expense of another team jockeying for position in its conference when they host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.
Orlando at Atlanta 6:00 PM ET
The Atlanta Hawks host the Orlando Magic on Sunday in a matchup of the two worst teams in the Eastern Conference, and they will do so without their leading scorer. Point guard Dennis Schroder suffered a medial bone bruise and a sprained left ankle against Golden State on March 23, and his 19.4 points and 6.2 assists per game will be sidelined for Atlanta’s final six contests.
Detroit at Brooklyn 6:00 PM ET
The Detroit Pistons have a chance to match their longest winning streak of the season when they visit the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. After a 3-13 swoon sent the Pistons to the brink of elimination in the Eastern Conference playoff race, they've shown some late life with four straight wins.
Dallas at Cleveland 6:00 PM ET
The Cleveland Cavaliers are winners of seven of their last eight games but are still fighting off a pair of teams to hold onto the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers will try not to overlook the visiting Dallas Mavericks when they continue a four-game homestand on Sunday.
Oklahoma City at New Orleans 6:00 PM ET
Seven teams are vying for five playoff spots in the Western Conference and the Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans - who meet Sunday in New Orleans - are right in the middle of the battle. Both teams are suffering through ill-timed three-game losing streaks and are separated by a half-game in the West, with the eighth-place Pelicans holding a two-game edge on the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets.
Utah at Minnesota 7:00 PM ET
The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Utah Jazz are both fighting to stay in the top eight of the Western Conference and are separated from each other by just a half-game. The Timberwolves will try to run their winning streak to three in a row at the expense of the Jazz when they host Utah on Sunday.
Milwaukee at Denver 8:00 PM ET
The odds to make the playoffs are stacked against the Denver Nuggets as they begin a three-game homestand Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks. Denver sits two games behind Utah and New Orleans, who are tied for seventh and own the final two postseason spots in the Western Conference, and while the Nuggets have a favorable schedule down the stretch, so do the Jazz and Pelicans.
Phoenix at Golden State 8:30 PM ET
The Golden State Warriors have dealt with a plethora of injuries of late, and they now must press on following the shock of another scary one. A night after seeing reserve guard Patrick McCaw leave the floor in Sacramento on a stretcher, the Warriors will try to extend a pair of long losing streaks for the visiting Phoenix Suns when the teams meet Sunday.
Memphis at Portland 9:00 PM ET
The Portland Trail Blazers appear to be locked into the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference as they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday in their penultimate home game of the season. Portland, which is coming off a 105-96 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday for its 16th win in the last 19 games, boasts a three-game lead with six to play over San Antonio for third in the West with a three-game trip to Texas beginning Tuesday.
Sacramento at L.A. Lakers 9:30 PM ET
The Los Angeles Lakers are limping to the finish line and begin a very busy April stretch run when they host the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. The Lakers will play their final seven games of the season in the first 11 days in April and enter the month with a shell of the roster that provided plenty of promise just a month ago.