Fadeaway World brings another round of predictions for a slate of seven games being played around the NBA tonight. Yesterday, we saw many surprises and unlikely performances, as we went 4-4 on our predictions, bringing our season record to 143-76. Tonight’s matchups are full of excitement with razor-thin margins.
The marquee matchup will be an Eastern Conference Finals rematch between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. Another 2023 playoffs rematch also features prominently with the Golden State Warriors facing the Sacramento Kings. The Denver Nuggets take on a tough New York Knicks squad, while the Los Angeles Lakers face the Chicago Bulls at home. Reigning MVP Joel Embiid will also be in action against the Indiana Pacers.
The Utah Jazz (22-23) have lost some of the momentum that helped them jump into the West play-in race over January but are still one of the most dangerous sides in the NBA right now. They’re at full health and are getting solid production all across their roster, with Lauri Markkanen leading them admirably. They’re coming into this one having lost their last three games.
The Washington Wizards (7-36) are relatively healthy and have seemingly revived Marvin Bagley into looking like an NBA-caliber center. However, the holes in the roster have been visible the entire year as the team enters this game on a five-game losing streak. The Jazz need this win badly and won’t let it slip against an out-of-sorts Wizards roster.
The Denver Nuggets (31-14) have been performing with metronomic consistency this season, sitting half a game behind the No. 1 seed in the West. Nikola Jokic isn’t putting up numbers like an MVP but it’s clear to see he’s performing at that level as he’s led the Nuggets to a three-game win streak recently. But they’re walking into Madison Square Garden to face one of the hottest teams in the NBA.
The New York Knicks (27-17) have only lost two games since acquiring OG Anunoby and look like legitimate threats in the East. This is one of their biggest tests with their new roster, as the team has the ingredients to slow the Nuggets down. With home-court advantage and a four-game winning streak behind them, the Knicks will try their best to outperform Denver. However, the Nuggets may punish their lack of center-play with Hartenstein possibly missing this game.
The Boston Celtics (34-10) are separating themselves from the rest of the league as the clear best team in the NBA right now. The No. 1 seed has looked unbeatable, even when star players like Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown underperform. But they tend to slip up against certain opponents and they’ll look to send a message in a rivalry matchup tonight.
The Miami Heat (24-20) last beat the Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but they’ve lost the four games around that one win. After a rough loss in Terry Rozier’s first game as a Heat, the franchise will hope they can pull out magic led by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in this high-stakes matchup. But their inconsistent form and lineup questions after acquiring Rozier could mean this game is a little too soon for the new-look roster.
The Minnesota Timberwolves (31-13) were usurped by the OKC Thunder for the No. 1 seed in the West, with a chance to earn it back tonight with a win. The shock loss against the Charlotte Hornets has sent waves around the franchise, and they ensured they didn’t suffer a similarly embarrassing loss in their last game where they had to come back and beat the Washington Wizards.
The Brooklyn Nets (17-26) have been in a rotten run of form. Outside of a victory over the Lakers last week, the Nets have been one of the worst teams in the NBA in 2024. Even with a mostly healthy roster, the incongruent pieces that form the rotation are limiting the franchise’s potential with Mikal Bridges. The Wolves have a tough defensive style of play that may be impossible for the Nets to overcome.
The featured Western Conference matchup of the evening will see the Sacramento Kings (24-18) put their recent struggles behind them. The franchise has lost some key games with massive blown leads over the last week but bounced back with a strong win over the Atlanta Hawks. They need to keep that energy in their next game as the race for the top six in the West intensifies.
The Golden State Warriors (19-22) returned from a week-long absence after the passing of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic with an emphatic win over the Atlanta Hawks last night. They’ll look to keep the magic going against their rivals Sacramento as they look to re-enter the Western Conference playoff picture. They’re the 12th seed right now and need to reach .500 as soon as possible to keep hopes alive. However, the Kings will ensure they don’t lose another game to the Warriors.
The Chicago Bulls are looking to solidify a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs but have fallen 3.5 games behind the sixth seed. Their recent form brought them from out of the play-in to being a week-long stretch away from being a threat in the West. Despite a close loss against the Suns last time around, the Bulls will hope that they can add a win with their solid cast of veterans and a resurgent Coby White.
The Los Angeles Lakers (22-23) are suffering from bouts of inconsistency this season, but are coming off a hard-fought loss to the Clippers without LeBron James. Unless James is returning against the Bulls, the Lakers will be in for a dogfight, with Anthony Davis also playing through minor injuries. D’Angelo Russell’s electric form continuing might be the catalyst for a Lakers win tonight.
