After a fun and exciting all-star weekend in New York City, the NBA takes several days off to rest up, finish any trades, and gather themselves for the final run of 30 or so games. Once we come back, though, it’s a beautiful schedule, with some prime match ups that will start to determine who is in and who is out in both Conferences.
Below is an exciting match up for each day this coming week that you should check out:
Monday, February 9th – No Games
Tuesday, February 10th – No Games
Wednesday, February 11th – No Games
Thursday, February 12th -Mavericks at Thunder, 8:00pm ET on TNT
Nothing like starting back up with the All-Star MVP driving his team in pursuit of the final playoff spot. The Mavericks are 1/2 game behind the Suns, and a win puts them tied with 30 games to go. Meanwhile the Mavericks have been struggling, and the world will be watching to see if the pickup of Amar’e Stoudemire is a good move for a team that has seemed to change form every 6 months since they won the title.
Friday, February 13th – Raptors at Hawks, 7:30pm ET on NBA League Pass
The Hawks had 4 All-Stars this year, yet none really starred in the actual game. That’s been the formula for the Hawks who have seemed to lack a “star” through much of the season. They shrug it off as teamwork and a case of nobody grabbing the spotlight, and with 30 games to go they are a full 6 1/2 games clear in the Eastern Conference and are losing doubters daily. Behind them is the Raptors, who featured Kyle Lowry at the weekend and need to start picking up ground if they want to challenge for the number one spot. The Raptors likely need another piece before the trade deadline, so we’ll see what this team looks like when we get to Friday’s action.
Saturday, February 14th – Raptors at Houston, 8:00pm ET on NBA League Pass
We’ve already mentioned the Raptors and their climb in the East, but the Rockets have a different battle out west. James Harden is convincing more and more people of his MVP worthiness, but many believe that Houston needs Dwight Howard to be a legit title contender. With rumors flying about the possible trade for a new point guard from Phoenix, this team could look different by Saturday. No matter what, Harden needs help, and in order to go deep we’ll need to see a third option in Trevor Ariza, Josh Smith, or perhaps a newly acquired guard.
Sunday, February 15th – Grizzlies at Blazers, 9:00pm ET on NBA League Pass
These two teams enter the week 2nd and 3rd seeds in the Western Conference. With seeding and match ups so important, both teams will be anxious to get a win over another top-tier team. Expect a battle inside, where the Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph take on LeMarcus Aldridge and Robin Lopez for the Blazers. Outside, Damien Lillard will be looking to avenge his weak All-Star performance with a strong last 30 games and playoff run.