The Dallas Mavericks are in the midst of a losing skid that has them in danger of missing the NBA Playoffs altogether.
Luka Doncic and co will look to end their slump against the Charlotte Hornets, who just humiliated the Mavs in Dallas a few days ago.
Meanwhile, the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers will all be keen to extend their respective win streaks as they look to gain group in the very competitive Western Conference.
Read on below as SBOTOP sheds the spotlight on the four most interesting matchups from the upcoming round of NBA games.
Dallas Mavericks @ Charlotte Hornets
The Dallas Mavericks’ NBA 2023 odds of making the playoffs are suddenly in serious doubt. They are in the middle of a three-game losing skid and a 2-6 slump that has seen them drop to 11th in the West, one spot out of the play-in tournament.
The Mavs are coming off a disastrous 117-109 home defeat to the lowly Charlotte Hornets. Their performance was so bad that they were booed by their own fans.
PJ Washington paced the Hornets with 28 points, while Gordon Hayward added 25 points.
Meanwhile, the Mavs’ much-hyped dynamic duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for 52 points – 34 coming from Doncic – with 19 rebounds and 15 assists. But with Tim Hardaway Jr out, they were missing that much-needed third scorer.
Chicago Bulls @ Los Angeles Lakers
While the Mavs keep declining, the Lakers keep climbing in the West standings. They are now in eighth at 37-37 – the first time they have been .500 all season – thanks to a three-game winning streak.
The Lakers are coming off a 116-111 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Anthony Davis had a dominant game with 37 points on 15 of 21 shooting with 15 rebounds, while Dennis Schroder added 21 points against his old team.
D’Angelo Russell missed the game due to a hip injury and remains questionable to play against the Bulls. But LeBron James, who has been out since late February due to a foot injury, has been upgraded to doubtful.
Austin Reaves has been busy producing plenty of NBA 2023 highlights in LeBron’s absence and is averaging nearly 18 points and 6 rebounds while shooting 53 per cent from the field during the month of March.
But Reaves and the Lakers will have their hands full as they host the Bulls, who have won six of their last eight games to strengthen their hold of 10th place in the East.
The Bulls are coming off a 124-96 blowout win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Zach LaVine led the way with 33 points with 8 assists, while centre Nikola Vucevic had a huge 23-point, 15-rebound double double.
The Bulls were without leading scorer DeMar DeRozan (25 PPG) due to a quad injury. But DeRozan, an LA native, will do whatever he can to play in his hometown.
Memphis Grizzlies @ Atlanta Hawks
The Memphis Grizzlies are back. They were rolling despite the absence of Ja Morant, but the return of the All-Star point guard to the lineup has re-energised the Grizz, who have now won five games in a row and are 8-1 in their last nine games.
Morant, who has come off the bench in his first two games back from suspension, is averaging 17.5 points and 6.5 assists.
Meanwhile, other Memphis players continue to step up. Luke Kennard erupted for 30 points off the bench in their 151-114 thrashing of the Rockets last time out as he set a franchise record with 10 made 3-pointers.
Morant and co will look to extend their win streak to six games against the Atlanta Hawks, who are coming off a 143-130 win over the Indiana Pacers yesterday. John Collins had 21 points as he led a balanced Hawks attack that had eight players in double figures.
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are getting their act together. They have won three games in a row, two on the road and one at home against MVP front-runner Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Jordan Poole paced the Warriors with 33 points off the bench against the Sixers, while the Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, combined for 50 points.
Thanks to their three-game win streak, the Warriors have now risen to sixth in the West standings and can climb up even further if they can beat the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Wolves, who have won two in a row, are currently in seventh – 1.5 games behind the Dubs – but are tied with the Lakers and Pelicans at 37-37.
Minnesota squeaked out a 125-124 win over the Atlanta Hawks in star centre Karl-Anthony Towns’ first game back after a lengthy injury absence.
However, Towns – who had 22 points, including the game-winning free throws against the Hawks – is questionable to play against the Warriors. But the good news for the Wolves is that All-Star guard Anthony Edwards could return after missing the last three games with a sprained ankle.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE BASKETBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
