NBA Sunday Tips: Dallas aware of sting from Lottery-bound Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets are among four teams already guaranteed to miss the NBA Playoffs but, suddenly, the Dallas Mavericks are on track to join them. Mark Woods previews Sunday’s action.

Dallas Mavericks @ Charlotte Hornets

Tipoff: 6pm Sunday GMT (Sky Sports Arena)

Does familiarity breed contempt or just Groundhog Day? We’ll find out on Sunday afternoon when the Mavs visit the Hornets, barely 36 hours after Charlotte claimed a 117-109 win in Dallas that saw the hosts booed off the court.

Not that the outcome truly matters for the Hornets. The buzz has long since gone, even before they were mathematically eliminated from contention for the NBA Playoffs last week. Bar an unexpected turn of events, they will finish 14th in the Eastern Conference.

Not bad enough to maximise their Draft Lottery chances in the forthcoming Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. Not good enough to matter with five losses from their last seven games. Except they retain a peculiar influence on the post-season chase, with all bar one of their remaining opponents jostling for position. 

Dallas has now dropped out of the play-in places and is staring a post-season void in the face with three consecutive losses and six reverses out of eight. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are now 3-7 when available together. No wonder the NBA Championship odds on last season’s West finalists have gone out to 55. 

Charlotte is among just two of the Mavs closing eight foes who will likely be out of playoff contention. For a team that was chasing a title by signing Irving, that is quite the sting in the tail, even if revenge will be a powerful motivational tool today. 

Prediction: Over 230 points @ 2.04

Chicago Bulls @ Los Angeles Lakers

Tipoff: 8.30pm Sunday GMT (Sky Sports Arena)

Just when it looks like the Bulls were stampeding off to the beach, they go and win six out of eight to retain a marginal shot at a .500 record and to move up the Play-in pecking order.

They will play the Lakers twice in the run-in, nine games in which the only gimmes come against Charlotte and old rivals Detroit. 

Chicago has under-performed with underwhelming performances all season. It may all be too little, too late. Losing to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday cost them a shot at a first four-game winning streak of the current campaign but it came just three days after they had knocked off the NBA’s form team. 

However, the Lakers are on a relative tear with three wins in a row that has taken them to a .500 record for the first time since January 2022. LeBron James, it has been indicated, will be back by the end of the regular season. It has helped that LA, over its last ten games, has outscored opponents 114.7-109.2. The Bulls remain 15-21 on the road, and now it is desperation time for both.

Prediction: Lakers -3 @ 2 

San Antonio Spurs @ Boston Celtics

Tipoff: 11pm Sunday GMT

The Spurs should be easy pickings for Boston, but it is as much about performances and momentum for the Celtics at this point. Still in a position to overhaul the Milwaukee Bucks, they need an improvement in form that’s seen them go 6-5 over their last eleven. 

The C’s problem of late has been killing off close games. Successive defeats to the Knicks, Cavs, Rockets and Jazz were all by four points or less. Not the stuff that deep playoff runs are made off when the stakes are high and margins slim. That’s a factor in Boston slipping to 2.44 in the NBA Eastern Conference odds and 5.2 in the NBA Championship betting.

Don’t sleep on the Celtics yet. Back-to-back wins over Sacramento and Indiana have come by an average of 24 points. Their defence has shown signs of its old self, which is bad news for the Spurs. 

Prediction: Celtics -12 @ 1.5

NBA Sunday Tips

Dallas Mavericks @ Charlotte Hornets: Over 230 points @ 2.04
Chicago Bulls @ Los Angeles Lakers:  Lakers -3 @ 2
San Antonio Spurs @ Boston Celtics:  Celtics -12 @ 1.5