We all know the Super Bowl is this weekend, but let’s throw a Hail Mary and see if we can catch any of the Top Five Games on NBA League Pass this weekend.
Zion Needs to Win on the Road
1) New Orleans Pelicans at Indiana Pacers – Friday at 7:00pm EST. The Pelicans have lost their last three road games. While the Pacers are coming in 3-3 in their last six, with a great win on Tuesday against the Grizzlies, snapping the Grizzlies’ seven game win streak. The Pacers have their own “poor-mans” big three in the form of Malcolm Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis, and Myles Turner. Turner has 14 blocks in his last five games and makes any trip into the lane an adventure. This should be an interesting matchup for Zion as he relies on scoring around the hoop. If I was Zion, and I’m not, but if I was, I would try and get Sabonis and Turner into foul trouble early and dominate the paint. If he wants to take his game to the next level, he needs to be able to dictate the style of play and this should be an interesting test to see if he can do that.
Cavs face uphill battle and the Buck(s) stops here.
2) Milwaukee Bucks at Cleveland Cavaliers – Friday at 7:30 pm EST. The NBA schedule is very interesting this year, and this game marks the first of eight games in a row that the Cavs will face an opponent that’s above .500. With a loss against the Clippers on Wednesday, the Cavs face a do-or-die month of February. The Bucks are first in the Central, but have been highly inconsistent this year. Giannis Anteteokounmpo is coming off a triple-double and should continue to dominate offensively against the Cavs. The Cavs young backcourt of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland need to continue to play well if the Cavs are going to survive February. This should be a fun one to watch.
Jazz can Ball, but so can the Hornets
3) Utah Jazz at Charlotte Hornets – Friday at 8pm. The Jazz are 12-1 in their last 13 games and are playing some amazing team basketball. The Hornets are still young and inconsistent, but LaMelo Ball is playing really well averaging 13, 6, and 6. The Hornets are a couple of players and a year or two of maturation away from being more than just competitive. The goal is to compete for championships and the Jazz are trying to break out of the West this year. This should be a great game with some young talent. I will have to drink a Red Bull to stay up, but I’m excited to watch this game.
The Big Three Look to ring the Liberty Bell
4) Brooklyn Nets at Philadelphia 76ers – Saturday at 8pm EST. Well, this is a treat. The 76ers have been one of the most consistent teams of this young NBA season and have been leading the Nets in the Atlantic Division all season. The Nets are looking to change that and are only a couple of games behind the 76ers. The entire NBA world has changed since the 76’ers lost to the Nets on January 7th and this game could be a contender for regular season game of the year. If the Nets are healthy, they should win the East. Teams like the 76ers and the Bucks need to figure out a strategy to take advantage of the lulls the Nets still have on offense. I thank the NBA schedulers for scheduling this game the day before the Super Bowl. It’s a great appetizer and I’m giddy.
#1 pick vs. #2 pick
5) Memphis Grizzlies at New Orleans Pelicans – Saturday at 9pm EST. I am thankful for picture-in-picture because around 9, I will be in basketball heaven. The Grizzlies and the Pelicans are both fighting for playoff positioning in the Western Conference – with the Grizzlies in the 5th spot and the Pelicans in 14th. While the Grizzlies are in a better position right now they are only 3 games up on the Pelicans. It’s time for Zion to make the next jump in his NBA development, but let’s not forget he has played in fewer than 45 NBA games. Ja has played around 30 more games, and has come back strong from injury. This should be a good test for both teams and could be the start of the Pelicans rise up the playoff ladder.
That’s it – enjoy the weekend and thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy the games and of course the big game on Sunday.
