As the NBA regular season continues and the trade deadline approaches, the intensity of the games only continues to increase. Here’s a look at the most exciting matchups and what fans can expect to see on Thursday night:

Knicks Travel To Face Celtics

The New York Knicks’ up-and-down season continues on Thursday night as they visit the division-rival Boston Celtics. New York looks for its second straight win after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers at home 105-103 on Tuesday night to break a four-game losing streak. The Knicks are 26-23 and are fourth in the Atlantic Division, trailing the Celtics by nine games. 

New York had won seven of their previous eight games before their latest losing streak. Evan Fournier is listed as day-to-day on the injury report for New York and will likely play in tonight’s contest.  

The Celtics recently had their nine-game winning streak snapped on Monday by the Orlando Magic and have now lost two straight after their last defeat to the Miami Heat, 98-95 on Tuesday. However, Boston still holds the best record in the NBA at 35-14, but their lead in the conference has been reduced to three games ahead of the rival 76ers, who continue their hot streak. The home-court advantage will be huge for the Celtics in this game as they go for their eighth straight win at TD Garden. 

Boston wins to take a 2-0 lead in the season series. 

Cavs Look To Recover In Houston

The Cleveland Cavaliers look to recover from a recent slump as they visit Toyota Center in Houston to face the Rockets on Thursday night. The Cavs have cooled off after a hot start to the season and are now with a 29-20 record. They’re fifth in the Eastern Conference and trail the Milwaukee Bucks by 2.5 games in the Central Division. 

Visiting Houston may be what this team needs after going 4-6 in the last ten games and losing three of their previous four contests. They hope to bounce back after Tuesday’s loss to the Knicks on the road. 

The Rockets continue to struggle this season with an 11-37 record, which is the worst in the NBA. They’re now 20 games out of first place and probably thinking about making some moves before the trade deadline in two weeks to secure more top draft picks for the future. 

Houston recently snapped a 13-game losing streak with a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday but lost their most recent contest to the Washington Wizards 108-103 last night. The Rockets have lost 16 of the previous 18 games overall.  

Cleveland recovers to get back in the win column.

Mavs Hope To End Slump Against Surging Suns

The Dallas Mavericks travel to Phoenix on Thursday and hope to bounce back from their recent slump against the Suns at Footprint Center. Since their last seven-game winning streak, Dallas has a 3-8 record and is now in third place in the Southwest Division with a 6.5-game gap between themselves and the Memphis Grizzlies. Luka Doncic continued his hot scoring, putting up 41 points in a losing effort in their 127-126 home loss to the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night. 

The Suns are on a four-game winning streak after going 2-12 in the previous 14 games. However, they will be without Devin Booker and Cameron Payne, whose injuries will be evaluated next week. Phoenix holds the seventh spot in the Western Conference and trails the Sacramento Kings in the Pacific Division by three games. The Suns blew out the Charlotte Hornets in their last game 128-97 on Tuesday. 

Phoenix wins to keep the streak alive.