Only two games last night but we’re catching up fast because tonight is the end of the pre-season! Last general rehearsal for the franchises and in five days we attack the regular!
#Program of the day
1h : Magic – Cavaliers
1h : Raptors – Celtics
1h : Pacers – Rockets
1h30 : Knicks – Wizards
2h : Wolves – Nets
2h : Pelicans – Hawks
3h: Jazz – Mavs
4h : Warriors – Nuggets
4h : Kings – Lakers
This time we are on target! It’s the last batch of the pre-season and that means the NBA’s recovery has never been so close! For this final program, we will especially insist on the main interests of the night. Practical alarm clock info, it starts at 1 a.m. on the Orlando side and this match will mark the big return to the game of a certain Evan Mobley! Injured in the ankle in early October, the nugget from Ohio had not been able to participate in previous games and we have not seen him on an NBA floor since April. After a very studious summer where he was able to gain muscle, we can’t wait to see the progress of the young interior. Only small regret, Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen are at rest. The new look version of the Cavs will therefore have to wait a bit.
We also keep our eyes open in the Great Lakes region, where the Wolves host the Nets from 2 a.m. Obviously, what we are waiting for is the debut of the Towns-Gobert doublet in the racket. The two interiors have still not been able to test each other together and Chris Finch admitted midweek that he was hopeful of getting there before the restart. So it’s now or never.
We would not say no to the idea of also seeing the Pelicans version 2022-23 on a parquet floor. Brandon Ingram still hasn’t played a game in pre-season, CJ McCollum has also had his share of physical glitches. Again tonight, it’s uncertain whether he’ll be able to see the local Big 3 in action as BI and Thanos are listed as doubts.
Unmissable meeting at 4 a.m. near San Francisco where the Warriors champion is finishing his final preparations before defending his title. Good news for the Dubs, they can count on Klay Thompson tonight against Denver, while it was preserved throughout the preparation. This match also marks the return of Draymond Green to the group. Away after his punch at Jordan Poole, the pit bull will not ultimately be sanctioned sportingly and it will be interesting to see the interactions between the two players to see if the hatchet is buried… or not.
We end up with a small Californian derby between the Kings who can finish this pre-season undefeated against the Lakers who have won only one of their five pre-season games. Darvin Ham seems especially attached to the idea of finding the winning formula to attack the season and this night Russell Westbrook will start the game on the bench! Brodie sixth man, so this is the latest fashionable test in Hollywood. Simple pre-season trial or real long-term option for LA? It will probably depend on the result.
ESPN reporting with @Mcten: The Lakers are planning to bring Russell Westbrook off the bench in the final preseason game vs. Kings tonight (ESPN, 10 ET). Darvin Ham and Westbrook have been exploring possibility of Westbrook quarterbacking second unit and they’ll try it tonight.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 14, 2022