Something Has to Give The Calgary Flames have struggled in nearly every facet of the game in their last four contests. The Edmonton Oilers haven’t looked much better lately. Each team looks to snap a four-game skid on Saturday when the Northwest Division rivals square off in Calgary.
Author: Anthony Rome
Stars Head West The Dallas Stars look to close out a four-game road trip against Pacific Division rivals with three victories when they meet the Los Angeles Kings on Friday. Dallas (7-7-2) is in the midst of playing six straight games within its division, splitting the first four contests. The Stars’ two wins in that span, though, have come on this trip – 5-0 over Anaheim and 3-1 at San Jose.
Utah Heads to Seattle Kevin Durant and the rebuilding Seattle SuperSonics had to expect some growing pains. They weren’t, however, expecting to set a franchise record for futility less than two weeks into the season. Durant looks to help the Sonics avoid matching the longest winless start in team history on Friday when they host the Utah Jazz in a Northwest Division matchup.
Road Woes Jarrett Jack won a tight position battle to earn the starting point guard spot for the Portland Trail Blazers at the beginning of the season. He lost the job three games into the campaign, but now he’s relishing his new role. After coming off the bench to lead the Blazers to their first win, Jack looks to continue his strong play as a reserve Friday when the Blazers host the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Philly Cure The Toronto Raptors hope a matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night can help them halt a three-game losing streak. The Raptors (2-3) have won five of their last six games against the 76ers (2-2), including the last three trips to the Wachovia Center. Toronto opened the season with a 106-97 home win over Philadelphia on Oct. 31.
Game of Kings Three straight blowout losses on the road to start the 2007-08 season left the Sacramento Kings pining to come home. After winning their opener at Arco Arena, the Kings are anxious to take the court again in one of the NBA’s loudest venues – even if it means facing LeBron James and the defending Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers. Sacramento will try to put together back-to-back wins for the first time this season Friday night when it hosts Cleveland.
Not All About McGrady In his five full seasons in the NBA, Yao Ming has emerged as one of the league’s best big men while helping the Houston Rockets become a legitimate title contender. Yi Jianlian, Yao’s 6-foot-11 teammate on the Chinese national team, is hoping to do the same with the Milwaukee Bucks. The countrymen meet in the NBA for the first time on Friday when the Rockets host the Bucks in the most highly anticipated matchup between two Chinese players in league history.
S.A. Heads to The Big Easy The New Orleans Hornets are 4-1 for the second straight season, but they’re hoping the similarities end there. The Hornets will be trying to bounce back from their first loss of the season and end a seven-game losing streak against San Antonio as they host the Spurs on Friday.
Magic Head to The Garden The Orlando Magic look to build upon the best road start in team history as they head to Madison Square Garden on Friday night to face the New York Knicks.
Having Fun, Playing Well The Boston Celtics are having fun, and they don’t expect that to change any time soon. With their marquee trio leading the way, the Celtics look to open with four straight wins for the first time in 20 seasons when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.