Boston Celtics vs. Denver Nuggets (Sunday, 3pm)
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In the second of their two consecutive clashes in the 2024 NBA Abu Dhabi Games, the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets square off at the Etihad Arena on Sunday before flying back to the United States to wrap up their pre-season schedule.
With the likes of Russell Westbrook, Jaylen Brown, Nikola Jovic and Jason Tatum on show, Payton Pritchard finished with a game-high 21 points to fire the Celtics to a 107-103 victory in their first clash on Saturday.
We say: Celtics to win
While the Celtics and Nuggets sort out their rotations, figure out combinations and get their stars back in shape ahead of the new season, we expect another thrilling showdown between the last two NBA title winners.
Following Saturday's defeat, Michael Malone will urge his side to go all out and secure bragging rights against the 2024 champions, and while there are very few teams on the Nuggets' level, we predict the Celtics will come out on top once again.
Charlotte Hornets vs. New York Knicks (Sunday, 10pm)
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A new-look New York Knicks get their 2024-25 NBA pre-season fixtures underway on Sunday when they take on the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center on Sunday.
The Hornets finished with a 21-61 record in a forgettable 2023-24 season, while the Knicks enjoyed a stunning run to the Western Conference semi-finals before losing against Indiana Pacers in a thrilling seven-game series.
We say: Knicks to win
While the Charlotte Hornets got swept by the New York Knicks in the 2023-24 regular season, they picked up a 94-90 victory when the two sides met in the just-concluded Summer League and will look to secure back-to-back victories over the Knicks.
Having traded Julius Randle and Marcus Morris in the offseason, the spotlight will be on new man Karl-Anthony Towns, who will look to quickly form chemistry with Jalen Brunson and integrate with the rest of the team.
The Hornets were amongst the best and most exciting teams to watch in the Summer League, but Tom Thibodeau's men have more depth and experience, which should see them to a hard-fought victory.
Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards (Monday, 12:30am)
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The Toronto Raptors get their NBA pre-season campaign underway with a meeting against the Washington Wizards at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Monday.
Both teams endured largely disappointing campaigns last time out, as the Raptors (25-57) finished 12th in the East, two places above the Wizards (15-67), who had the second-worst record in the entire NBA.
We say: Raptors to win
After kicking off their Summer League journey with wins against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets, the Raptors lost each of their final three outings by a double-digit margin.
Finishing with a 3-2 record over five Summer League games, the Wizards performed slightly better than their upcoming opponents and will head into Monday's meeting on a run of consecutive victories.
Ahead of his first-ever NBA season as a manager, Wizards boss Brian Keefe will be keen to make an impression in pre-season, while opposing number Darko Rajakovic will enter into the new campaign with a lot to prove off the back of an underwhelming debut year, and we can see the Raptors prevailing in this one.
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Detroit Pistons vs. Milwaukee Bucks (Monday, 1am)
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The Detroit Pistons entertain the challenge of the Milwaukee Bucks in their NBA pre-season curtain-raiser at the Little Caesars Arena on Monday.
The Pistons ended last season as the NBA's worst team with a 14-68 record and will seek to redeem themselves in the upcoming campaign, while the Bucks head into the new season with a weight of expectations as they look to improve upon their playoff first-round exit to the Indiana Pacers last time out.
We say: Bucks to win
The Bucks boast a plethora of talent at both ends of the floor, and while we expect their big hitters to feature in a limited capacity, we still fancy the team from Milwaukee to come out on top here.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns (Monday, 2:30am)
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Two Western Conference title contenders are in action in the 2024-25 NBA pre-season as the Phoenix Suns go head to head with the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
While both teams still fine-tune their rotation and set out to gather momentum ahead of the start of the regular campaign, we anticipate a fierce battle in Palm Springs as they look to secure early bragging rights.
We say: Suns to win
The Los Angeles Lakers fell to a 124-107 defeat against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Saturday's pre-season opener, but LeBron James and Anthony Davies being handed minutes here should make them significantly stronger than they were against the Timberwolves.
However, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker lead the Suns, who have strengthened in free agency, and we are backing them to take the win against their conference rivals and begin preparation for the regular season as they mean to go on.
Joshua Ojele
