PREVIEW: The Boston Celtics welcome the Charlotte Hornets to TD Garden on Friday night, looking to build on their strong 4-1 start to the season behind the leadership of Jayson Tatum and Derrick White. The Celtics' offensive approach features the NBA's highest 3-point shooting frequency at 53.6% of their attempts while maintaining exceptional ball security as the league's second-ranked team in turnover rate. Boston has dominated recent matchups, winning their previous five contests against Charlotte and claiming victory in nine of their last ten head-to-head battles. With their balanced attack ranking eighth in scoring (116.4 points per game) while boasting...

PREVIEW: The Chicago Bulls will conclude their regular season against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday afternoon, entering the contest with significantly different trajectories. Chicago has secured the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament after going 7-3 in their last ten games, powered by their quick tempo offense (ranked 2nd) and efficient free throw shooting (80.9%, ranked 3rd). The Bulls' high-frequency three-point shooting approach (ranked 4th with 45.8% of attempts coming from beyond the arc) has fueled their offensive success, though they struggle with offensive rebounding (ranked 26th). Led by Coby White's 20.7 points per game...

PREVIEW: The Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies face off at FedExForum on Sunday with significant playoff implications for both teams. Dallas is battling for the ninth seed, which would secure home-court advantage in their play-in tournament matchup against Sacramento, while a loss would force them to travel as the tenth seed. Memphis, currently locked into the play-in tournament, could move up to the seventh seed with a win combined with a Minnesota loss to Utah, giving them two home attempts to secure a playoff berth. The Grizzlies, who rank first in the league for tempo according to ShotQuality data, will...

PREVIEW: The Denver Nuggets travel to Houston seeking their 50th win of the season in Sunday's Western Conference clash, looking to secure the fourth seed while riding a two-game winning streak under interim head coach David Adelman. The teams have split their regular season series with one win apiece, making this rubber match pivotal for playoff positioning. Denver's attack centers around their elite efficiency at the rim (ranked 1st) and exceptional passing (also ranked 1st), presenting a formidable challenge for the Rockets' defense. Despite their inconsistent three-point shooting (ranked last in frequency at 35.6%), the Nuggets have leveraged their second-ranked...

PREVIEW: The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers will conclude their regular season with a crucial matchup at Chase Center on Sunday, with both teams entering in strong form—the Warriors at 7-2 over their last nine games and the Clippers riding a seven-game winning streak. Golden State, ranked second in three-point attempt frequency at 47.0%, will look to leverage their long-range shooting against a Clippers defense that has excelled at limiting opponents' three-point quality this season (ranked 7th). Currently holding the sixth seed with a 48-33 record, the Warriors must win to secure their playoff position and avoid the...

PREVIEW: The Milwaukee Bucks bring their six-game winning streak to Detroit for a crucial matchup against the Pistons in the first of back-to-back games that will determine Eastern Conference playoff seeding. Both teams have something significant at stake as Detroit needs to win both remaining contests to steal the fifth seed from Milwaukee, while the Bucks need just one victory to secure their current playoff position. The Bucks, ranked second in efficient rim attacks despite their low frequency (28th), will test the Pistons' fourth-ranked rim defense in what promises to be an intriguing battle in the paint. Milwaukee's struggles on...

PREVIEW: The surging Oklahoma City Thunder (42-9) will host the struggling New Orleans Pelicans (12-40) at Paycom Center on Monday night, with the Western Conference leaders looking to extend their dominance over the last-place Pelicans. OKC enjoys a comfortable 7.5 game cushion over the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies as they approach the All-Star break with just three games remaining. The Thunder are coming off a convincing 125-112 road victory against Memphis on Saturday, while New Orleans enters the contest mired in an eight-game losing streak. The season has become one to forget for the Pelicans, who continue to battle mounting injuries...

PREVIEW: The New York Knicks (50-31) and Brooklyn Nets (26-55) wrap up their regular seasons in a crosstown rivalry matchup at Barclays Center on Sunday afternoon. Despite entering on a three-game losing streak, the Knicks have already secured the Eastern Conference's third seed and may rest their key players, including Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. New York has dominated this rivalry recently, winning their previous nine meetings against Brooklyn, and their offensive strengths are evident in ShotQuality data, where they rank second in efficient three-point shooting and third in efficient transition play. The Knicks also boast a top-five ranking in midrange...

PREVIEW: The Oklahoma City Thunder (67-14) will visit the struggling New Orleans Pelicans (21-60) at Smoothie King Center on Sunday afternoon in the final game of the regular season. The Western Conference's top-seeded Thunder enter on a three-game winning streak following their dominant 145-111 victory over the Utah Jazz. Meanwhile, the Pelicans, sitting 14th in the conference, are limping to the finish line having lost six consecutive games, most recently suffering a lopsided 153-104 defeat to the Miami Heat. The Thunder will be seeking to complete a season sweep, having won all three previous matchups between the teams this season....

PREVIEW: The Orlando Magic (41-40) bring their impressive defensive credentials into State Farm Arena for their final regular-season game against the Atlanta Hawks (39-42) before their upcoming play-in tournament showdown. The Magic's league-leading defense has been instrumental in their recent success, allowing just 105.4 points per game while ranking first in defensive rebounding and limiting opponents to the fewest three-point attempts in the league at 38.4%. Currently riding a five-game winning streak, Orlando has demonstrated their defensive superiority despite operating at the league's third-slowest tempo and struggling with spacing (ranked 29th). The Magic's recent victory over Indiana showcased their depth as...

PREVIEW: The Sacramento Kings host the Phoenix Suns in their regular season finale with significant playoff implications at stake. Despite falling short of their higher expectations, the Kings have secured a spot in the Play-In Tournament and currently sit in ninth place in the competitive Western Conference. With a victory in this matchup, Sacramento would lock up the ninth seed and secure home-court advantage against the Dallas Mavericks in the Play-In Tournament. The Kings' impressive strengths this season include their second-ranked high frequency midrange game, third-ranked pick and roll frequency, and fifth-ranked defense against shots attacking the rim according to...

PREVIEW: The Toronto Raptors bring their 6-4 record over the last ten games to face a struggling San Antonio Spurs team that has dropped four straight at home and won just two of their previous ten contests. Scottie Barnes has emerged as the Raptors' standout performer recently, with Ochai Agbaji making a significant impact as well after a 24-point showing in their last outing. The Raptors have demonstrated statistical strengths that align with their ShotQuality data, ranking first in both attacking the rim and holding opponents to low-quality three-point attempts. Despite these advantages, Toronto has struggled with inefficient shooting from...

PREVIEW: The struggling Utah Jazz (17-64) face a daunting challenge as they visit the surging Minnesota Timberwolves (48-33) at Target Center in the regular season finale. Despite ranking 3rd in offensive rebounding percentage at 27.8%, the Jazz have struggled mightily this season, particularly on defense where they rank 30th against shots attacking the rim and 30th in forcing turnovers. The Jazz, who've dropped nine of their last ten games, will be severely shorthanded with multiple key players sidelined including Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, and Jordan Clarkson. Their road woes have been especially pronounced with a dismal 7-33 record away from home...

PREVIEW: The Washington Wizards (17-64) visit the Miami Heat (37-44) at Kaseya Center for the final game of the regular season with both teams taking divergent paths into the offseason. The Wizards bring their league-worst point differential (-12.6) and a five-game losing streak into Miami, struggling particularly with their perimeter shooting as they rank dead last in three-point efficiency according to ShotQuality data. Washington's quick tempo (ranked 4th) has failed to compensate for their weaknesses in multiple categories, including their league-worst passing metrics and bottom-five rankings in defensive rebounding, turnover rate, and spacing. Jordan Poole leads the Wizards with 20.5 points...