A big NBA matchup between the Celtics and the Bucks will take place as these two teams compete for first place in the tight Eastern Conference.
Right now, the Celtics are the best team in the league with a 41-16 record, whereas the Bucks are not far behind with a 39-17 record. Boston won convincingly during their first meeting last Christmas, so Milwaukee are out for revenge.
Elsewhere, the Raptors, Suns, Clippers, and Blazers are set to host the Magic, Kings, Warriors, and Wizards, respectively, to round out tomorrow’s five-game slate.
Orlando Magic @ Toronto Raptors
The Magic are keen on beating the Raptors for the third consecutive time to end their season series at 3-1. These two squads met three times in December, with Orlando winning the first and Toronto winning the next two.
Orlando are fresh from a 100-91 victory over Chicago yesterday, as Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Markelle Fultz led the way with 22, 18, and 18 points, respectively, to improve to a 24-34 record.
They may be 13th in the Eastern Conference right now, but they can still make it to the play-in with 24 games to go in the 2022-23 season.
Toronto, meanwhile, are ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 27-31 record, and they’re fresh off a 119-118 win over the Pistons. They have now won four of their last five.
Pascal Siakam has been the Raptors’ best player, averaging 25.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game this season. He was recently named an NBA All-Star for the second time in his career, replacing the injured Kevin Durant.
Boston Celtics @ Milwaukee Bucks
Unfortunately for SBOTOP basketball fans, this game between the Celtics and the Bucks won’t serve as a true gauge of where these two contenders stand against each other, especially with the hosts dealing with several injury woes.
Marcus Smart (ankle) and Jaylen Brown (face) are not available tomorrow, while Jayson Tatum is listed as doubtful due to a non-COVID illness. If all of them are out, Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, and Al Horford are expected to be more prominent in the Celtics’ offense.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been his usual dominant self, and he’s going to lead the line once more for the Bucks. This season, the Greek Freak is averaging 32.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game.
The Bucks are the hottest team in the NBA right now with a 10-game winning streak, but the Celtics also have a winning streak of their own at four games.
Sacramento Kings @ Phoenix Suns
The Pacific Division is stacked following the wild trade deadline, and the two teams from there are going to duel in Arizona tomorrow.
Although they didn’t do much during the trade deadline, the NBA 2023 odds favour Sacramento being back in the playoffs after a 17-year wait because of the way they’ve been performing so far this season.
As for the Suns, they’ve made the franchise-altering move of acquiring Kevin Durant from the Nets, and he went through individual work in front of the fans for the first time as a member of the team on Monday.
Durant will not be active in games until at least the All-Star break, but the Suns should still have enough with Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton all available for tomorrow’s contest.
Betting Tip: Phoenix Suns Asian Handicap -3.00 @ 1.95
Golden State Warriors @ Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers fell to sixth in the Western Conference standings after losing to Milwaukee and Dallas, but they can bounce back against Golden State since they have their two stars, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, available.
Steph Curry is still out for the Warriors due to a leg injury, and Klay Thompson is questionable because Golden State is playing the second half of a back-to-back.
Regardless of whether Thompson plays or not, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins will be more prominent in the Warriors’ offense.
Washington Wizards @ Portland Trail Blazers
The Wizards and Blazers meet for the final time this 2022-23 campaign tomorrow at the Moda Center.
Washington have lost four of their last six games in February, so they need a win here in order to improve their chances for a play-in spot. Portland have had similar NBA 2023 results and are in the same predicament.
Both teams have their share of injury woes, as Jusuf Nurkic and Jerami Grant are out for Portland, while Kyle Kuzma has an ankle injury. Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, Damian Lillard, and Anfernee Simons will lead their respective teams in this contest.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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