Indiana Pacers at Boston Celtics
Two of the East’s premier teams do battle as Indiana (26-13) travel to Boston (24-15).
With both sides competing for top four seeds, there will be some extra feeling in this one.
The Pacers are one of the league’s form teams, winning seven of their past 10 matches. They can be forgiven for dropping their last game in Toronto 105-121 on Monday (all times AEST). Prior to that, Nate McMillan’s team had won six straight.
With Myles Turner missing Wednesday’s clash in Cleveland, he could be considered doubtful for this one, severely weakening the Pacers on the defensive end.
The Celtics are not as potent to what they were last season despite getting Gordon Hayward back from that nasty leg break. Currently riding a three-game win streak, the C’s are always tough to beat at the TD Garden where they hold a 14-5 record.
Aron Baynes (hand) remains out for Boston to trim their front court.
Who cold forget the last time these teams met, when Victor Oladipo buried a huge 3-point buzzer beater on November 4 in Indiana to give his team the 102-101 win.
Oladipo finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals in that one. For Boston, Marcus Morris led the way with a team-high 23 points and six rebounds as none of Boston’s starters hit the 20-point mark.
Tip: Boston -6.0 @ $1.85.
Milwaukee Bucks at Houston Rockets (ESPN)
The Bucks and Rockets do battle in an enthralling inter-conference matchup and first of ESPN’s double-header.
Milwaukee are arguably the hottest team in the league, winning eight of their last 10 games to sit first in the Eastern Conference.
They took care of the Jazz 114-102 on Tuesday behind another monster game from Giannis Antetokounmpo (30 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks). Thon Maker chipped in with 15 points, five boards and two steals off the bench.
The Bucks will only go as far as the Greek Freak takes them, but they look a much more rounded team recently with Khris Middleton rediscovering his shooting touch and Malcolm Brogdon and Brook Lopez stepping up.
Mike Budenholzer’s team faces the West’s form team in Houston, who have won six of their past seven matches.
James Harden is in his best stretch for the season and has catapulted himself into MVP contention, averaging 39.6 points, 11.0 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 6.5 threes over his last five games to lead Houston’s high-octane offence.
Harden’s pick and roll game with Clint Capela has been near unstoppable, with the Rockets big man quietly carving out averages of 19.6 points on 66 pet cent shooting and 14.2 rebounds in his last five.
Houston ended Denver’s five-game win streak at home on Tuesday in a 113-125 victory.
This is the first meeting between Milwaukee and Houston this season.
Tip: Milwaukee to win @ $1.85.
Detroit Pistons at LA Lakers (ESPN)
The Pistons (17-21) visit LA (22-19) in the second of ESPN’s double-header in their first meeting for the season.
Detroit are one of the most unpredictable teams in the NBA and sit outside of the East’s playoff after dropping five of their past six matches. They have won just six games on the road this season.
Outside of Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin, no one on the Pistons is reliable and anything less than a playoff appearance would be disappointing for Dwayne Casey’s team.
The Pistons fell to the Spurs at home on Tuesday 107-119.
Meanwhile, the Lakers have found life tough since LeBron James went down with a groin injury. Luke Walton’s team have gone 2-5 over that stretch to slide down to the West’s eighth seed.
The Lakers and have also been without Rajon Rondo (hand) and Kyle Kuzma (back). Kuzma returned in LA’s 107-97 road win over the Mavs on Tuesday.
This is the first time these teams have met this season.
Tip: LA to win @ $1.82.
