The Blazers and Bulls both head out on the road and face some serious competition. Elsewhere the Mavs and Rockets face off in what could be a playoff preview, and the Raptors and Wizards fight for 2nd in the East.
Below is an exciting match up for each day this coming week that you should check out:
Monday, January 26th – Trail Blazers at Nets, 7:30pm ET on NBATV
The Blazers start their week with a trip to Brooklyn. The Nets are in a free-fall, and are fighting to stay in the playoff picture with the Hornets and Pistons coming up in the standings. The Blazers start the week coming off a big win over Detroit on Saturday night, but heading out on a road trip that could define their season and will test the team and LeMarcus Aldridge’s hand in particular. The Blazers should win handily, but they have a tendency to underplay games or take a night off, and while they won on Saturday, last week was not a good week for them overall.
Tuesday, January 27th – Bulls at Warriors, 10:30pm ET on NBATV
The Warriors have been the best team in the NBA all year, and their match ups against the elite teams of the league have either been blowouts or must-see TV. The Bulls come in a little shaky, and after losing to the Heat on Sunday, they need to right the ship as they are now 8 1/2 games out of first place in the East. Games like this become stages for great players – and Derrick Rose is in need of a great performance on a great stage after a mediocre game on Sunday. The same can be said for the Warriors guards, though, who have a chance to have a field-day running on the Bulls as they did in their last meeting.
Other great games tonight include Grizzlies at Mavericks (8:30pm ET on NBALP) and Cavaliers at Pistons (7:30pm ET on NBALP).
Wednesday, January 28th – Mavericks at Rockets, 8:00pm ET on NBA League Pass
Very close in the standings and both noted trade participants in recent weeks, Dallas and Houston are both ripe for a good game. Tyson Chandler is the perfect defensive answer to Dwight Howard, James Harden will look to blow by Monta Ellis, and Dirk will stretch out Montejunas and run him all over the floor. Expect a close game, but both teams need a win to keep pace in the West.
Other great games tonight include Hornets at Spurs (8:30pm ET on NBALP), Wizards at Suns (10:30pm ET on ESPN), and Trail Blazers at Cavaliers (7:00pm on NBALP).
Thursday, January 29th – Nuggets at Grizzlies, 8:00pm ET on TNT
The announcement of the All-Star reserves will be the key moment on Thursday, but this game promises to be interesting. Memphis should handle the Nuggets, but the Grizzlies have tended to take nights off, and struggled against teams who don’t want to “grind it out” with them. If Denver can run and Ty Lawson can hit his shots, this could be a closer game than anticipated.
Friday, January 30th – Trail Blazers at Hawks, 7:30pm ET on NBA League Pass
The Blazers continue their tough week with a trip to Atlanta, where the Hawks enter the week having won 16 straight. Now unquestionably the best team in the East, we’re all looking for the flaw in the Hawks. If Aldridge is healthy enough to play, he has a chance to dominate inside – perhaps the Hawks only weakness – so Damian Lillard will be crucial for his ability to make good clean entry-passes without falling to the Hawks team defensive schemes.
Other great games tonight include Clippers at Pelicans (8:00pm ET on NBALP), Mavericks at Heat (8:00pm ET on ESPN), and Bulls at Suns (10:30pm ET on ESPN).
Saturday, January 31st – Raptors at Wizards, 7:00pm ET on NBA League Pass
The Battle of the 2nd and 3rd place teams in the East gives us a good playoff preview for two teams expected to meet in the later rounds of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The Wizards have faltered lately, not gelling since DeRozen’s return. The Wizards, meanwhile, need a solid effort from Gortat and Nene to go along with John Wall in order to be successful. Expect an up and down game, and a battle between the two All-Star starting guards for the East, John Wall and Kyle Lowry.
Other great games tonight include Rockets at Pistons (7:30pm ET on NBALP), Thunder at Grizzlies (8:00pm ET on NBALP), Clippers at Spurs (9:00pm ET on ESPN), and Suns at Warriors (10:30pm ET on NBALP)
Sunday, February 1st – Heat at Celtics, 1:00pm ET on NBALP
On a day with only two games, this seemed the best bet (I can’t condone watching the Knicks vs. Lakers). Let’s see if the Heat show up for a Celtics team that is young and can surprise people on any given night, then say goodbye to the NFL for this season.