The Atlanta Hawks are one of the latest NBA teams to get hit by the injury bug, as starting forwards John Collins and De’Andre Hunter both went down in Wednesday’s win over the Orlando Magic. Hunter will be out for at least a week after an MRI showed a strain in his right hip flexor. He missed two months with a wrist injury last season, and he will miss at least four games this time around. Collins has a left ankle sprain, as well as some ankle swelling that will keep him on the shelf for at least two weeks. Collins got hurt on a slam-dunk that didn’t even count, because it came after the halftime buzzer, and Hunter only played seven minutes in the 125-108 win. Let’s take a look at two NBA betting matchups from the Association for you to consider.
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Sacramento Kings at L.A. Clippers (4:00 pm ET)
Sacramento (11-9) snapped a three-game skid by thumping the Indiana Pacers, 137-114, on Wednesday night. Malik Monk and Harrison Barnes each dropped 22 on the Pacers, giving Monk his fifth game with at least 20 points this season. The Kings had won seven in a row before the three-game losing streak and have their best 20-game start in 17 years; they started 14-6 that season. Domantas Sabonis had a near-triple-double with 11 points, 10 boards and seven assists, and De’Aaron Fox added 19. Forward Trey Lyles missed his second straight game with a non-COVID illness and is questionable for Saturday.
The Clippers (13-10) have split their last four, losing at home to Denver before beating Indiana at home and Portland on the road – and then losing in Utah on Wednesday, 125-112. In that loss, the Clippers led in bench scoring, beating the Jazz, 65-22. John Wall came off the bench to score 26, and Reggie Jackson added 15. The Clippers were down by double digits early before mounting a 12-0 run during the second quarter that put them up two. However, they had no answer for Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton and may have tired in the high altitude of Salt Lake City.
Final Score Prediction: Los Angeles 119, Sacramento 114
Portland Trail Blazers at Utah Jazz (9:00 pm ET)
The Utah Jazz (13-11) got a season-best 33 points and five assists out of Clarkson in that win over the Clippers, ending a five-game skid. Sexton contributed 21 points, six boards and six assists. Lauri Markkanen added 23 points and nine boards, and Jarred Vanderbilt scored 14 points and grabbed a dozen rebounds. The Jazz had a terrific night offensively, shooting 55% overall from the floor, knocking down 14 three-balls and putting up 52 points in the paint. That sort of complete game will make the Jazz difficult to beat, so they need to do it more consistently. The Jazz host the Pacers on Friday night before welcoming Portland on Saturday.
The Trail Blazers head to Utah on a three-game skid, with losses in Brooklyn, at home against the Clippers and against the Lakers down in L.A. The loss to the Lakers came in 128-109 fashion and came on the second night of a back-to-back. LeBron James led the Lakers with 31 points, and Anthony Davis added 27, just too much scoring for the Blazers to overcome without Damian Lillard, who missed his sixth game in a row with a calf strain. Jerami Grant put up 27 points, Anfernee Simons chipped in 22, and Justise Winslow had a season-best 21. The Trail Blazers have some days to rest and prepare for the Utah offensive onslaught.
Final Score Prediction: Utah 118, Portland 114
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