LA Clippers (46-22) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (32-38), 1:00 ET, TNT
- Portland owns the top-ranked offense in the NBA restart, scoring 122.0 points per 100 possessions. The Clippers rank fifth with an offensive rating of 116.1. The teams have nearly identical effective field goal percentages in the restart, with LA (57.0%) holding a slight edge over Portland (56.9%).
- Damian Lillard ranks fourth in scoring among all players in the restart at 31.3 points per game. Lillard’s 5.3 3-pointers made per game is topped only by his teammate Gary Trent Jr., who is averaging 5.5 3-pointers made per game and shooting a league-best 62.9% from beyond the arc (min 15 3PA in restart).
- During the restart, the Blazers (47.2%) and Clippers (44.1%) rank first and second, respectively, in 3-point percentage. Only Houston (20.0) averages more 3-pointers made per game than the Blazers (16.8) and Clippers (15.8).
- In two games against the Blazers this season, Kawhi Leonard has averaged 19.0 points on 31.6% shooting, which represent his fourth-lowest scoring average and second-lowest FG% against any opponent this season. The Clippers still outscored the Blazers by 23 points in Kawhi’s 63 minutes on court.
- In two games against the Clippers this season, Damian Lillard has averaged 19.0 points on 36.8% shooting, which represent his second-lowest scoring averaged and fifth-lowest FG% against nay opponent this season. CJ McCollum has led the Blazers in scoring against the Clippers at 21.0 points per game.
Utah Jazz (43-26) vs. Denver Nuggets (45-24), 3:30 ET, TNT
- Michael Porter Jr. has led the Nuggets in scoring during the restart at 26.3 points per game on 57.8% FG, 50.0% 3P, 94.1% FT shooting splits. The rookie is also averaging 10.0 rebounds, making him one of only five players averaging 25-10 in the restart.
- In two games against the Jazz this season, Nikola Jokic is averaging a triple-double with 29.0 points, 12.5 rebounds and 10.0 assists.
- In two games against the Nuggets this season, Jordan Clarkson has led the Jazz with 26.5 points per game on 65.5 FG, 60.0 3P, 85.7 FT shooting splits. Donovan Mitchell has been held to 11.0 points on 25.0% shooting against Denver.
- Among players have defended at least five shots at the rim per game during the restart, Nikola Jokic (45.8) and Rudy Gobert (46.4%) rank fourth and fifth, respectively, in holding opponents to the lowest shooting percentage.
- Rudy Gobert ranks second in the restart in screen assists with 6.3 per game, which have produced a league-high 15.5 points each game for his team.
Los Angeles Lakers (51-17) vs. Indiana Pacers (42-27), 6:00 ET, TNT
- Anthony Davis has led the Lakers in scoring during the restart with 23.2 points to go with 9.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. His 10.8 free throw attempts per game ranks fourth in the restart and he is shooting 87.0% from the line.
- T.J. Warren is tied with James Harden as the leading scoring during the restart at 33.8 points per game. Warren’s 12.0 points in the opening quarter leads all players.
- The Pacers won the first meeting with the Lakers this season, 105-102 on Dec. 17. The Pacers have the third-best record against Western Conference teams (15-9) of any Eastern Conference team.
- The Lakers have the lowest-rated offense (95.7) and lowest effective field goal percentage (45.4%) of any of the 22 teams in the NBA restart. Prior to the restart, the Lakers ranked fourth in both offensive efficiency (112.6) and eFG% (54.8%).
- T.J. Warren has the highest-scoring game of the restart with a career-best 53 points in Indiana’s win over Philadelphia on Aug. 1. Anthony Davis’ 42-point effort win the Lakers’ win over Utah is the fourth-highest scoring game of the restart.
Milwaukee Bucks (55-14) vs. Dallas Mavericks (41-30), 8:30 ET, ESPN
- Giannis Antetokounmpo leads all players in the restart in fourth quarter scoring with 10.7 points on 77.8% (14-18) shooting.
- Luka Doncic ranks third in both scoring (32.8 PPG) and assists (9.8 APG), and is tied for fourth in rebounding (11.0) during the restart. However, he also leads all players in turnovers (6.0 per game).
- The Mavericks knocked off the Bucks in their first meeting of the season, 120-116 on Dec. 16, and did so without Luka Doncic. Kristaps Porzingis and Seth Curry paced the Mavericks with 26 points apiece in the win.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 48 points in Milwaukee’s loss to Dallas on Dec. 16. It is his second-highest scoring game fo the season and the third-highest scoring game of his career.
- This is a matchup between the league’s top ranked offense this season (Dallas at 115.7) and the league’s top-ranked defense (Milwaukee at 102.1).
