The Sacramento Kings have been the big surprise in the NBA. The Kings are up in second in the West and have the most prolific offence in the league.
However, the Kings’ ability to light the beam will be put to the test as they take on the NBA-best Milwaukee Bucks, who are a formidable foe with or without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis has missed the last few games with a hand injury, but he might return to take on the Kings.
Elsewhere in the league, the Grizzlies and Mavericks will both be missing their star guards for their second straight matchup, while the defending champion Warriors will look to get a winning streak going as they take on the Suns.
Read on below as SBOTOP previews the three most important games in the NBA’s upcoming seven-game slate.
Memphis Grizzlies @ Dallas Mavericks
The Grizzlies and Mavericks are set for an immediate rematch after meeting over the weekend. The Grizzlies won that game 112-108 as the Mavs were missing their dynamic duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
And unfortunately for Dallas, the two are set to miss out once again when they take on Memphis, which will be a huge blow to their NBA 2023 betting odds of beating the Grizzlies. Doncic remains out with a left thigh strain while Irving is still dealing with right foot soreness.
The Mavs, who have gone just 3-8 in their last 11 games and are in danger of falling below .500 for the first time since December, saw big games from young guards Josh Green and Jaden Hardy, who combined for 43 points in Doncic and Irving’s absence. And Tim Hardaway Jr led the team with 23 points.
Hardaway has been on a hot streak since returning from the All-Star break as he’s averaging 18.5 points while shooting a sizzling 58 per cent on 3-pointers. He will continue to play a big part in the Mavs’ offence in Irving and Doncic’s absence.
As for the Grizzlies, who were still without All-Star point guard Ja Morant, Desmond Bane led the way with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists, while rookie David Roddy added a season-high 24 points off the bench as he led the Grizzlies to a fourth-quarter comeback.
Tyus Jones has once again been strong while starting for Morant. The 26-year-old is averaging 18.5 points and 9 assists over his last four games.
Phoenix Suns @ Golden State Warriors
The Warriors finally got their first win since Stephen Curry’s return from injury as they edged out the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks 125-116 in overtime.
Curry had a spectacular game with 36 points, 22 of which came in the fourth quarter and overtime, to lead the defending champions to victory.
Steph has quickly gone back to producing NBA 2023 highlights after returning from his thigh injury. The 34-year-old is averaging 33 points on 50 per cent shooting, with 5 rebounds and 5 assists in his four games back.
Fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson added 22 points, while Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green stepped up with 38 points combined.
Curry will look to shine once again as they host the Phoenix Suns, who had their four-game win streak snapped in a 128-119 loss to the Sacramento Kings.
Devin Booker had 28 points and 8 assists while Chris Paul added 16 points and 16 assists in a losing effort for Phoenix, who are still without superstar Kevin Durant due to an ankle sprain.
Sixth man Terrence Ross has been terrific in Durant’s absence, averaging 21 points over the last two games off the bench.
Milwaukee Bucks @ Sacramento Kings
The Bucks almost won the battle of the last two NBA champions as they very nearly beat the defending champion Warriors on their home floor despite missing superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Giannis has been out for the last three games due to a hand injury and is listed as questionable to face the Kings.
Brook Lopez has continued to step up in Giannis’ absence. The veteran centre had 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 blocks against the Warriors and is averaging 21.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks over his last 10 games. Meanwhile, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton are also contributing to the cause.
If Giannis does miss another game, the Bucks will need a complete team effort as they take on the Kings, who have risen to second in the West after winning eight of their last nine games.
The Kings offence continues to hum along. They lead the league in scoring at 121 points per game, a full three points more than the second-placed Warriors and Thunder.
Domantas Sabonis continues to be in stellar form, averaging 20 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 7.5 assists over his last 10 games. But it has been a complete team effort of late, with seven players scoring in double digits in each of the last three games.
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