Another week comes to an end and it’s time for another weekend full of NBA games. So let’s drive to the hoop and review the Top Five NBA League Pass games this weekend.
“I mean, listen, we’re talking about practice…”
1) Brooklyn Nets at Cleveland Cavaliers – Friday at 7:30 pm EST. If you missed the first game, I’m sorry. I can’t guarantee this game will be close to the epic 2 OT game on Wednesday but tune in anyway. The Cavs bring the grit and toughness that so many teams lack. And, they should feel lucky to be playing the Nets right now and not after another month of meshing and some needed practice time. Great storylines and great players make this a fun one to watch. Cavs in 7.
The West ain’t ready…
2) Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs – Friday at 8:30 pm EST. Don’t look now, but the West’s playoff picture is tighter than a pair of pants after Thanksgiving Dinner. The Mavericks and Spurs currently find themselves fighting over the 8th spot, but this isn’t your daddy’s 8th spot teams. The Spurs feature the 2nd year star-in-the-making Keldon Johnson and I think we all know what the Mavericks bring to the court. If I was the No. 1 seed in the West and one of these teams was my first-round opponent, I would not be happy. But, you should be happy because this will be a good alternative game if that Nets-Cavs game is a blowout.
LeBron James travels East to the land of Jordan
3) Los Angeles Lakers at Chicago Bulls – Saturday at 8 pm EST. I’m a closet Bulls fan and you might not be able to tell from last week, but I really like Coby White. Normally, you would think that LeBron and the Lakers would make easy work of the Bulls, but Zach LaVine is doing his best to cover up for White’s horrific shooting (40% from the field). LeBron continues to mature like the expensive wine he drinks, but he’s averaging his fewest PPG since his rookie year. Is age catching up with him? Or is he in chill mode? I’m picking chill mode.
Curry is hot
4) Golden State Warriors at Utah Jazz – Saturday at 9 pm EST. Don’t look now, but Stephen Curry is heating up and that’s bad news for the West. Curry has scored 26 points in both of the Warriors’ wins earlier in the week. As the Warriors continue to rise in the West, the Jazz are trying to hold onto a Top 3 playoff spot. This will be a good test for both teams and might serve as a needed reminder to the league that Steph Curry is that good.
Rough stretch for both teams…
5) New York Knicks at Portland Trail Blazers – Sunday at 9 pm EST. The Knicks are pretty darn good. The Blazers are too, but the team is reeling from the recent ankle injury to CJ McCollum, which will see him miss at least one month. This game is the first of four straight for the Knicks against teams with a .500 or better record. The Blazers have an easier schedule, but it’s going to be hard to replace nearly 30 ppg. RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, Carmelo Anthony, and Jusuf Nurkic should provide entertaining matchups, but who is going to stop Damian Lillard? Aren’t you glad you don’t have to worry about that? I am.
Stay safe, stay inside, and tune in to the Top Five. Oh, and the NFL has something called championship games this weekend – not sure what that is.
