The battle for playoff spots is heating up, with the 2024-25 NBA regular season nearing its conclusion. Save for the top six teams in the Eastern Conference, the Thunder, and the Rockets, almost everything remains up for grabs.
Luka Doncic will return to Dallas for the first time since the blockbuster three-team trade that saw him go to the Lakers. Mavs fans will likely give the Slovenian star a warm reception since they never wanted him to leave Texas for Los Angeles (of all places) in the first place.
Meanwhile, the Celtics, Sixers, Hornets, Heat, Blazers, Spurs, Thunder, Nuggets, and Rockets will visit the Magic, Wizards, Raptors, Bulls, Jazz, Warriors, Suns, Kings, and Clippers.
Check out today’s SBOTOP preview, as we analyse the top three matches to watch out for from tomorrow’s schedule.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Dallas Mavericks
The Lakers plan to solidify their Top 4 spot, and beating the Mavericks on the road will help. They’re the third seed in the Western Conference at 48-31 and are fresh from a 136-120 loss against the top-seeded Thunder.
After winning the first game of their back-to-back set last Monday (126-99), the Lakers imploded in the second game. Luka Doncic was ejected after he picked up his second technical foul in the fourth quarter, and Oklahoma City outscored Los Angeles 29-12 the rest of the way.
LeBron James top-scored for the Lakers in the losing effort. The King recorded 28 points, seven rebounds, and three assists on 8-for-19 shooting from the field and 9-for-10 from the free throw line. Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic, and Dorian Finney-Smith added 24, 23, and 12 points.
The Mavericks are clinging to the final play-in berth, with the Suns lurking. Dallas have lost three of their last four after dropping back-to-back games against the Clippers.
In the 135-104 loss last Saturday, the Mavericks couldn’t slow down Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac, who combined for 82 points. Anthony Davis did his best with 27 points and nine rebounds on 8-for-19 shooting from the field and 10-for-13 from the free throw line in the losing effort. Kai Jones, Klay Thompson, and PJ Washington added 18, 14, and 12 points.
Betting tip – Los Angeles Lakers Asian Handicap -5.50 @ 2.12
Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls
The Heat and Bulls are guaranteed to qualify for the play-in tournament and have identical 36-43 records. Tomorrow may offer a preview of the ninth versus 10th matchup. The NBA 2025 odds favour Chicago since they’ve beaten Miami twice this season.
Miami ended their two-game slide with a home win against the Sixers last Monday. Duncan Robinson came off the bench and dropped 21 points (including 12 in the final period) on 7-for-8 shooting from the field. Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Pelle Larsson, Davion Mitchell, and Alec Burks added 20, 19, 12, 12, and 11 points. Bam Adebayo (back) and Andrew Wiggins (hamstring) are questionable to play against the Bulls after missing the Sixers match, while Kevin Love (personal) is ruled out.
Chicago’s three-game winning streak ended at the hands of Cleveland last Tuesday. Patrick Williams led with 21 points, three rebounds, five assists, and five three-pointers on 7-for-11 shooting from the field. Matas Buzelis, Talen Horton-Tucker, Jalen Smith, and Jevon Carter added 19, 17, 13, and 10 points.
The Bulls didn’t have Josh Giddey (forearm), Nikola Vucevic (calf), Kevin Huerter (neck), and Coby White (rest) against the East leaders, but they might be ready to go tomorrow.
Betting tip – Over 226.00 @ 1.87
Denver Nuggets @ Sacramento Kings
The Nuggets made big NBA 2025 news when they sacked head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth with just a few days left in the 2024-25 regular season. Malone led Denver to its first championship in franchise history in 2023 and will be replaced by lead assistant David Adelman on an interim basis.
Before firing Malone and Booth, Denver were on a four-game losing streak, including a 125-120 defeat against the Pacers. Nikola Jokic and Christian Braun combined for 71 points, and Russell Westbrook and Michael Porter Jr. added 16 and 15 points, but they still fell short. Starting point guard Jamal Murray is expected to miss his sixth consecutive match due to a hamstring injury.
The Kings secured a play-in spot after winning 127-117 against the Pistons last Monday and because the Suns lost 133-95 to the Warriors. Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan combined for 80 points, and Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valanciunas added 19 and 10 points.
Betting tip – Denver Nuggets Asian Handicap -3.00 @ 1.89
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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