The first game night of 2024 brought a bunch of surprises to NBA fans, with some shocking upsets dominating the headlines. Fadeaway World went 4-4 on our daily picks from last night, bringing our overall record to 55-26 for the season. With an action-packed six-game slate on tap for tonight, let’s talk about our predictions for the same.
The games begin with the Philadelphia 76ers hosting the Chicago Bulls, followed by a matchup between two of the best teams in the NBA, the OKC Thunder hosting the Milwaukee Bucks. At the same time as Thunder vs. Celtics, the New Orleans Pelicans will host the Brooklyn Nets and the Memphis Grizzlies will host the San Antonio Spurs.
The final games of the night will have the Sacramento Kings host the Charlotte Hornets while the Golden State Warriors host the Orlando Magic. We want to shake the .500 finish from last night to add six correct predictions to our strong record from this season.
Chicago Bulls at Philadelphia 76ers – 7 PM EST
Bulls Last 10 Games: 6-4
76ers Last 10 Games: 7-3
Bulls Injuries: Lonzo Ball – Out (Knee), Zach LaVine – Out (Foot), Nikola Vucevic – Out (Groin), Torrey Craig – Out (Heel), Onuralp Bitim – Out (Nose)
76ers Injuries: De’Anthony Melton – Out – (Back)
Last 5 Meetings: Bulls Lead 4-1
The Chicago Bulls have found stability in recent weeks after a terrible start to the season. The team is gradually inching back to .500 and will hope to keep their strong form going when they travel to Philadelphia to face the 76ers. The last game for both franchises came on 30 December, when they faced each other and the Bulls walked out with a 105-92 win at home. They’ll hope to carry that performance into their first game of 2024 against the 76ers.
Joel Embiid missed the last game and is expected to play tonight against the Bulls, likely weighing the scales in Philly’s favor. Andre Drummond was the difference-maker last game with 15 points and 23 rebounds, a feat that will be almost impossible against a healthy Embiid. The Bulls have found a good rhythm even with many rotational players being hurt, but this game may be a step too far for them after their recent win and the return of Embiid to the lineup.
Prediction: 76ers def. Bulls 123-108
Boston Celtics at Oklahoma City Thunder – 8 PM EST
Celtics Last 10 Games: 9-1
Thunder Last 10 Games: 8-2
Celtics Injuries: N/A
Thunder Injuries: N/A
Last 5 Meetings: Celtics Lead 3-2
These are two healthy teams coming into a must-watch clash as two of the best teams in the NBA this season. The Celtics have the best record in the NBA with 26 wins to six losses, while the Thunder have the fourth-best record with 22 wins and nine losses. These are well-matched teams, as the Celtics have built off years of continuity to look like genuine title contenders, with the Thunder in their first season looking like a major threat in the West.
Despite the Celtics having a better team, a better record, and a fully healthy lineup, we lean toward the Thunder in this matchup. OKC is built to disrupt the Celtics at almost every position, with wing defenders such as Lu Dort and Jalen Williams, the league leader in steals with guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and rookie rim protector Chet Holmgren. They’re designed to bother the Celtics at every position, and this is the perfect regular-season matchup for them to prove their validity as one of the best teams in the NBA this season.
Prediction: Thunder def. Celtics 117-115
Brooklyn Nets at New Orleans Pelicans – 8 PM EST
Nets Last 10 Games: 2-8
Pelicans Last 10 Games: 7-3
Nets Injuries: Dorian Finney-Smith – Probable (Knee), Lonnie Walker IV – Out (Hamstring), Ben Simmons – Out (Back)
Pelicans Injuries: N/A
Last 5 Meetings: Nets Lead 4-1
The Brooklyn Nets and New Orleans Pelicans are both middle-of-the-pack teams in their respective conference, looking for a way to establish themselves in the upper echelons. Maximizing wins would be a great strategy for the same, so both teams are approaching the next game as a must-win situation. The Pelicans have shrugged off a slow start to the season for a 19-14 record, good for top-six in the West right now. The 15-18 Nets have edged downward all season and need this win to keep themselves in the play-in mix.
The Pelicans are rarely healthy. Whenever they are unencumbered with injuries, they tend to perform well, as has been happening recently. Their versatile offense with Zion Williamson, C.J. McCollum, and Brandon Ingram may be too much for a Nets team without Dorian Finney-Smith and Lonnie Walker IV. The team lacks depth in wing defense behind Mikal Bridges and Royce O’Neale, so will have to watch out for the plethora of versatile wings on the NOLA roster like Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones.
Prediction: Pelicans def. Nets 116-105
San Antonio Spurs at Memphis Grizzlies – 8 PM EST
Spurs Last 10 Games: 2-8
Grizzlies Last 10 Games: 4-6
Spurs Injuries: Keldon Johnson – Probable (Back), Zach Collins – Out (Ankle), Charles Bassey – Out (Knee)
Grizzlies Injuries: Brandon Clarke – Out (Achilles), Steven Adams – Out (Knee)
Last 5 Meetings: Grizzlies Lead 5-0
The San Antonio Spurs have been among the worst teams in the NBA all season long, but have found a better rhythm in recent games by responding well to Gregg Popovich making lineup changes. The Grizzlies started out just as bad, but have been much better since Ja Morant returned from suspension. The Spurs are the worst team in the West and are expected to take another trip to the draft lottery this season, but the Grizzlies will be pushing for a play-in spot with Morant at the minimum.
This should be a simple win for the Grizzlies, who have shown their caliber as a playoff-worthy team since Morant’s return. They’re 4-3 since Ja came back and have a legitimate shot of entering the top ten of the West. Even with Victor Wembanyama’s brilliance and slowly improving team play, the Grizzlies will ensure they don’t lose a game like this when they’re trying to maximize wins from now until the end of the season.
Prediction: Grizzlies def. Spurs 126-111
Charlotte Hornets at Sacramento Kings – 10 PM EST
Hornets Last 10 Games: 0-10
Kings Last 10 Games: 6-4
Hornets Injuries: Terry Rozier – Probable (Illness), Mark Williams – Questionable (Back), Frank Ntilikina – Questionable (Leg), LaMelo Ball – Out (Ankle), Gordon Hayward – Out (Calf)
Kings Injuries: N/A
Last 5 Meetings: Hornets Lead 3-2
The Hornets have not found the recipe to return to the playoffs this season, with another poor start to an NBA season. The team that owns the longest active playoff drought in the NBA doesn’t look like they’ll be making the playoffs this season. The team that held the longest active playoff drought up until last season was the Kings, which ended a 16-year streak of no playoffs and looks on track to be a threat for the playoffs this season as well.
Given the injuries across the Hornets roster and the good health of the Kings, it’s an easy pick to go with Sacramento. Unless Brandon Miller has a career-defining game and carries this Hornets squad to a win, the Hornets’ 11-game losing streak will have a 12th loss added to it.
Prediction: Kings def. Hornets 138-108
Orlando Magic at Golden State Warriors – 10 PM EST
Magic Last 10 Games: 4-6
Warriors Last 10 Games: 5-5
Magic Injuries: Markelle Fultz – Questionable (Knee), Joe Ingles – Out (Ankle), Jonathan Isaac – Out (Hamstring)
Warriors Injuries: Draymond Green – Out (Suspension)
Last 5 Meetings: Magic Lead 4-1
The Warriors are in the middle of a rough season where it’s becoming apparent that the dynasty that won four titles since 2015 is coming to an end. The 15-17 Warriors are on the outside of the Western Conference Play-In Tournament and need to desperately stack wins before they fall further behind in the new year. The Magic, on the other hand, has been one of the league’s biggest success stories this year, holding onto the fourth seed in the East with a 19-13 record.
The motivation to win against a young squad is present for the Warriors. Unfortunately for them, it doesn’t look like the Magic will pass up on the opportunity to send a message to Golden State. The duo of Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero have been sensational all season long and will come into Golden State playing an out-of-form Warriors squad who are dealing with offensive struggles from not just Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins, but also Stephen Curry.
