ShotQuality Wire

PREVIEW: The Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics meet at the TD Garden on Wednesday night , with vastly different trajectories heading into this matchup. Detroit has won 15 of their first 17 games , while the Celtics are hovering near the .500 mark this season. The Pistons arrive on a 13-game losing streak. behind their All-NBA lead guard, who continues to elevate his game as the season progresses. Boston has won four of their last five games overall , giving them momentum despite their inconsistent campaign. The Pistons' offensive firepower presents a significant challenge for the Celtics on their home...

PREVIEW: The Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors meet Wednesday in NBA action at the Chase Center. This matchup marks the teams' first meeting since their first-round playoff series, where the seventh-seeded Warriors defeated the second-seeded Rockets 4-3 behind a historic Game 7 performance. Kevin Durant, who was acquired by Houston during the offseason, is expected to be sidelined due to a personal family matter. Both squads are just 1-2 in NBA Cup group play, meaning this final group-stage contest carries significant weight for their tournament viability. The Rockets have won 11 of their last 13 games while averaging 125.5 points...

PREVIEW: The Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors meet Wednesday in NBA action at the Scotiabank Arena. The Pacers have lost 15 of their last 17 games , a stark contrast to the Raptors winning 12 of their last 13 games. The Pacers will be without Tyrese Haliburton, Obi Toppin, Kam Jones, Aaron Nesmith, Johnny Furphy, and Quenton Jackson , making this matchup heavily one-sided on paper. The Toronto Raptors (13-5) are heavily favored (-10) to extend an eight-game winning streak when they host the Indiana Pacers (2-15) , creating a significant gap between two teams heading in completely...

PREVIEW: The Memphis Grizzlies take the court against the New Orleans Pelicans in this NBA clash. Memphis lost their last matchup, falling 125-115 at home to Denver. New Orleans bounced back from adversity with a 143-130 home victory over Chicago. The Grizzlies have dominated the recent series, winning the past five matchups and claiming 7 victories in their last 10 head-to-head meetings. Memphis has struggled mightily, losing 10 of their last 13 games. New Orleans faces an even steeper climb, having dropped 22 of their last 25 contests. The Grizzlies feature the sixth-best offensive rating in the league while ranking seventh...

PREVIEW: The Miami Heat make a strong push in the in-season tournament this year, facing another big NBA Cup matchup on Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks. Miami enters as a 6.5-point favorite while attempting to extend a five-game winning streak, with the team sitting at 12-6 compared to Milwaukee's 8-10 record. The Heat have been on a tear recently, winning eight of their last ten games and building their current winning streak after sneaking past the Mavericks on Monday. Unfortunately, shot quality data remains unavailable for both squads, making it difficult to assess the precision and efficiency of their...

PREVIEW: The Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder meet Wednesday in NBA action at the Paycom Center. The Thunder enter this home game on a nine-game winning streak and with an NBA-best 17-1 record. Minnesota has dropped back-to-back games following late collapses, leading by eight with less than a minute remaining before falling 114-113 on Friday in Phoenix, then being up 10 with three minutes left in regulation before losing 117-112 in overtime on Monday at Sacramento. The Thunder lead the league by a wide margin with a 102.8 defensive rating and are forcing 18.4 turnovers per game while scoring...

PREVIEW: The New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets enter Wednesday's matchup with their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, as both teams face elimination from the knockout round with a loss. New York arrives in Charlotte with significant road struggles, having captured just two victories away from home all season. Despite their travel woes, oddsmakers still favor the Knicks following their dominant performance against Brooklyn on Monday. The Hornets, meanwhile, have stumbled through the campaign, winning only four of their opening 17 games while ranking 21st in net rating. Jalen Brunson enters the contest in excellent three-point form, shooting 36.7 percent...

PREVIEW: The Sacramento Kings host the Phoenix Suns in this NBA clash on Thursday. , setting up a compelling matchup between two teams heading in opposite directions. The Kings sit 13th in the standings with a 5-13 record, while the Suns hold the sixth seed at 11-7 . However, Sacramento has discovered momentum at precisely the right moment, having ended their eight-game losing streak with a victory over Denver before defeating Minnesota in overtime. The Kings have won consecutive home matchups against Phoenix recently and split their last four overall encounters , providing hope they can challenge the favored Suns...

PREVIEW: The San Antonio Spurs travel to Portland's Moda Center on Wednesday night with the Trail Blazers opening as 2.5-point favorites in an NBA Cup showdown. Portland enters the matchup at 2-1 in group play and tied with Denver atop West Group C, while San Antonio sits at 1-1. The Spurs face significant injury concerns with Victor Wembanyama sidelined for multiple weeks due to a calf injury and Stephon Castle expected to miss a couple of weeks with a hip issue. Despite missing key contributors, San Antonio has leaned heavily on De'Aaron Fox, who has scored at least 26 points...