Let’s begin the week with five things to look back and look ahead for in the NBA.
1. Steph Curry’s 3-point streak ends
A big streak ended Sunday night as Stephen Curry failed to his a 3-point shot for the first time in … well, it was a long time.
Curry set the NBA record by hitting a 3-pointer in 268 games, and that ended in Sunday’s 118-114 win against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Curry was 0-of-8 from 3-point range, 2-for-12 overall and scored seven points, one of his worst performances in a long time. His 3-point streak started at Detroit on Dec. 1, 2018.
2. How long does Monty Williams have to turn it around?
The Detroit Pistons continue to founder and will take on the Atlanta Hawks trying to stop a 23-game losing streak. The game in Atlanta tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET
The Pistons are closing in on the league record for longest losing streak within the same season at 26 games.
That record is jointly held by the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers had a 28-game losing streak that carried over from the 2014-15 season into the 2015-16 season.
Detroit is wasting the season from Cade Cunningham, who is averaging 21.4 points and seven assists per game.
Pistons coach Monty Williams signed a record contract in the offseason to run the team. But, with the losses mounting, his job could be in jeopardy.
3. Streaking teams meet in Indianapolis
Two teams going in opposite directions meet in Indianapolis tonight as the Los Angeles Clippers play at the Indiana Pacers at 7 p.m. ET
The Clippers come in hot, winning seven in a row. L.A. has been led by Kawhi Leonard, averaging 33.8 points in the past five games while shooting 64.8% from the floor.
The last time the Clippers won at least eight in a row was in the 2015-16 season.
Indiana, the darlings of the NBA In-Season Tournament, have lost three straight. The Pacers arrived two hours before tip-off of their game with the Minnesota Timberwolves Saturday in an 18-point loss.
4. Are the Dallas Mavericks for real?
After falling out of the race with a second-half collapse last season, the Dallas Mavericks have been steady this season and are right in the thick of the Western Conference race.
The third-place Mavericks will take on the defending NBA champs, the Denver Nuggets tonight in Denver at 9 p.m. ET.
Dallas comes in winning five of its past six games with Luka Doncic leading the way, scoring 32.7 points per game.
The Nuggets come in winning three of their last four.
5. Minnesota on a roll, faces Miami
Minnesota, the surprising leader of the Western Conference, will face the Miami Heat in Miami at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The Timberwolves have finished first in the conference once in their 35-year history, the 2003-04 season.
The Miami Heat were in the NBA Finals last season are playing without Tyler Herro, who has an ankle injury and Bam Adebayo, out with a hip injury.