Fadeaway World had a rough night of predictions after going 6-6 on the NBA’s blockbuster 12-game slate last evening. But a new day brings a new opportunity, with the NBA putting five high-octane matchups on display tonight. Our season record for picks has become 159-87, translating to a 64.63% accuracy rate. With today’s contests, let’s see if we can have a strong outing this time around.
The biggest game of the night will see the Los Angeles Lakers travel to the Atlanta Hawks and face heavily linked trade target Dejounte Murray alongside Trae Young. The New York Knicks will hope the Utah Jazz can’t compete with their season-altering defensive improvements while The Celtics look to avoid a 3-1 season series loss to the Pavers.
The final night of the game pits Stephen Curry against Joel Embiid (if he plays) as the Golden State Warriors look to pull their season together by beating the top-three seed in the East with their current roster. Without further ado, let’s take a look at what our picks for the games tonight are.
The Los Angeles Lakers (24-24) head to the East Coast on the second night of a back-to-back after losing on the road to the Houston Rockets. With a four-game trip in the East, the Lakers will need to maximize their wins before returning home on February 8. LeBron James and Anthony Davis haven’t been enough to lead the Lakers to a top-six seed, but the team is still hoping they can climb up the standings.
The Atlanta Hawks (19-27) ended a four-game losing streak with a one-point win over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. They have had season-long struggles when it comes to finding consistency, as they sit outside the play-in tournament in a weak East. Despite being at home, facing a motivated Lakers squad designed to dominate a team like the Hawks with their physicality will be too much for Atlanta in this encounter.
The Utah Jazz (24-24) aren’t content with being a tanking franchise, overcoming a slow start to the season by establishing themselves as a threat in the West playoff race. The 10th-seeded Jazz will look to keep the pressure on the Lakers, who have the same record while pushing toward the Pelicans and Mavericks ahead of them. With strong health and the inspired form of Lauri Markkanen, this team can achieve a lot.
The New York Knicks (30-17) have been one of the best teams in the NBA since the acquisition of OG Anunoby, losing only two games since the start of 2024. Even when Anunoby is absent, the Knicks’ defensive sophistication causes them to regularly hold teams under 100 points. They’ve done it seven times over their last 13 games and will be looking to assert the same dominance over a hot-and-cold Jazz team at home.
The Indiana Pacers (27-20) had a rough start to the Pascal Siakam era, going on a losing streak after the blockbuster acquisition. However, those fortunes have been turned into winning ones as the Pacers have found their rhythm with Siakam while Tyrese Haliburton recovers from a hamstring injury. Their high-pace offense has been yielding great results but face a juggernaut next,
The Boston Celtics (36-11) have been the best team in the NBA since the start of the year and look unbeatable when healthy. Their three losses in the last 10 games came against elite opponents like the Nuggets, Clippers, and Bucks. However, they’re 1-2 in three games against the Pacers this season. If the Pacers clinch this game, they’ll have won the regular season series against Boston, but it’s unlikely they can pull that off against an in-form Celtics team while being without Haliburton.
The Toronto Raptors (16-30) have fallen off a cliff since trading Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, with the team playing exciting basketball that’s not translating to wins. They’ve only won one game since trading Pascal Siakam and have looked like one of the worst teams in the NBA. The inconsistency of players like Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett in the lineup has further hurt a team that looks destined for the lottery this season.
The Chicago Bulls (22-25) were supposed to be similar to the Raptors in terms of being a team with winning pieces stuck in the middle of nowhere as a play-in team. However, they’ve looked like a team that could finish over .500 after recent strong play despite missing Zach LaVine. The quality of their players is better heading into this game, as the Bulls look to actively climb up while the Raptors seem to be free-falling.
The Philadelphia 76ers are dealing with injury struggles on their roster, with MVP-caliber play from Joel Embiid being interrupted by a knee injury. Despite that, the 76ers center is expected to be questionable for the second game of a back-to-at the Chase Center. Philly will hope at least Tyrese Maxey plays after being held out in the first game due to an ankle injury.
The Golden State Warriors are properly struggling to keep themselves in the playoff fight, losing a 2OT masterclass to the Lakers and watching their record worsen despite the core enjoying good health. The team has looked rudderless all season long and will pray they can catch the 76ers without their two star players to revive their hopes of making a playoff push. But if either Maxey or Embiid is available, the Warriors may fall to another loss.
