The Quickie Preview has returned to OG. We have several noteworthy NBA games this weekend, including Steph Curry from the Golden State Warriors trying to break the all-time 3-pointer record, and the bloody awful Detroit Pistons desperate to get off the schneid by ending their 10-game losing streak.
Once again, the top two teams in the NBA are from the Western Conference. The Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors were the first two teams to reach the 20-win mark this season, while the best teams in the Eastern Conference (Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls) only have 17 wins. Golden State keeps on winning while Curry closes in on a prestigious NBA record.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic are in another bum fight to see which is the worst team in the East. They have nine combined wins. Rough, bruh. The Pistons saw their losing streak reach double digits with 10 losses in a row.
NBA Friday: Mavs/Pacers, Rockets/Bucks
Dallas Mavericks (12-12) at Indiana Pacers (11-16)… Rick Carlisle bailed a sinking ship in Dallas, but now he hosts his old team when the Mavs visit Indianapolis. The Pacers are about to implode the team and enact a rebuild by trading away their top players, including Domantas Sabonis (18 ppg, 12.1 rebounds). The Mavs are 10-14 ATS this season.
Milwaukee Bucks (16-10) at Houston Rockets (8-16)… The Rockets rattled off seven-straight wins after ending an ugly 15-game skid. Despite the upswing, the Rockets are +9 home dogs against Giannis “Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. The Bucks struggled to beat the spread this season with an 11-15 ATS record.
Detroit Pistons (4-20) at New Orleans Pelicans (7-20)… The worst team in the East visits the worst team in the West. One of these horrible teams has to win. The Pistons are in the middle of a 10-game losing streak and have a chance to win for the first time since mid-November. The Pelicans are -6.5 favorites in this battle of the bottom feeders.
NBA Saturday: Bulls/Heat, Curry vs Curry
Utah Jazz (18-7) at Washington Wizards (15-11)… After starting the season 10-3, variance caught up to the Wizards who went 5-8 since then. They recently ended a three-game losing streak with a luckbox victory in overtime against the crappy Detroit Pistons thanks to a buzzer-beater from Kyle Kuzma. The Jazz won six in a row and are quietly going about their business as the third-best team in the NBA.
Chicago Bulls (17-9) at Miami Heat (15-11)… This one is must-see TV when the Bulls head to South Beach. Jimmy Butler is nursing a sore butt after a nasty fall the other night, but he’s going to want to play against his old squad. The Bulls are fighting a COVID-19 outbreak with four players down, including leading scorer DeMar DeRozan. The Bulls are one of the best betting teams in the NBA with a 17-9 ATS clip, but Miami is no slouch at 15-11 ATS.
Golden State Warriors (21-4) at Philadelphia 76ers (14-12)… Steph Curry is only 10 more 3-pointers away from snapping Ray Allen’s all-time record. He could make it happen on Saturday, so keep an eye on this matchup against the 76ers and his younger brother, Seth. The 76ers are looking much better after Joel Embiid ignited a heater after returning from a nasty bout of COVID.
NBA Sunday: Greek Freak at MSG
Milwaukee Bucks (16-10) at New York Knicks (12-13)… The defending champs visit Gotham for a Sunday afternoon matchup against the struggling Knicks. Head coach Tom Thibodeau benched Kemba Walker hoping that the shakeup will get the Knicks back on track, but it hasn’t worked.
Orlando Magic (5-21) at LA Lakers (13-13)… The Lakers were whooped by the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies last night, which is a cause for an alarm. LeBron James dismissed rumors that head coach Frank Vogel is on the hot seat and said the veterans need to play better. In the meantime, the Lakers have two easy opponents this weekend with a game in Oklahoma City against the Thunder on Friday, and then a home game in Hollywood against the five-win Orlando Magic on Sunday night. The Lakers have the worst ATS record in the NBA at 9-17, so they’ve been fade-worthy this season.