After a big overtime win over the red-hot Cavaliers on Sunday afternoon, the Rockets come into the week with high hopes and face a week of huge games including a back-to-back with the Hawks and Grizzlies. Elsewhere the Mavericks, who have been lackluster of late, will be tested by the Pelicans and Blazers. The weekend will bring a huge Eastern Conference matchup on Friday, and two great daytime games on Sunday as we close in on 6 weeks until the playoffs.
Below is an exciting match up for each day this coming week that you should check out:
Monday, February 23rd – Pelicans at Mavericks, 8:30pm ET on NBA League Pass
The Mavericks are having problems. After trading for Rajon Rondo, the team has not been markedly improved, and this past week Rondo was suspended after a vocal argument with his coach. The Pelicans, left for dead after injuries ravaged their starting line-up and star Anthony Davis, have run off 5-straight wins coming into the week and are fighting for the 8th and final playoff spot that was once too much to hope for this year. Davis won’t be back by this matchup, but Rondo is back and the Mavs need to solidify themselves in the next 6 weeks or they face certain doom in the first round – a failure for this talented team.
Tuesday, February 24th – Rockets at Hawks, 7:30pm ET on NBATV
The Rockets start their big back-to-back with a trip to Atlanta. A dream matchup featuring Houston with it’s star James Harden versus Atlanta with its team approach and lack of a star. Houston enters the week in third place, 6 games back of Golden State, and coming off of a huge win at home against the Cavs. The Hawks are a full 10 games clear of the 2nd place Raptors and are cruising into an Eastern Conference regular season title. The key for the Rockets has been their role players – Josh Smith, Trevor Ariza, and Montejunas. If they can come up big, they could be the difference on the road in one of the toughest places to win.
Other great games tonight include Wizards at Bulls (8:00pm ET on NBALP)
Wednesday, February 25th – Grizzlies at Rockets, 8:00pm on NBA League Pass
The Rockets head home after Atlanta and host the Grizzlies, the below-the-radar 2nd place team in the West who are honing their skills for a long playoff run. The Grizzlies are a rough-and-tumble team, who will look to body up on the Rockets and force James Harden to stay outside and shoot from long range. The Rockets will accept the challenge with their bevy of long-range shooters – six Rockets take at least 4 3-pointers a game, and they do so at a very effective rate. For a team like this that scores so many points, a battle against the grind-it-out Grizzlies will be a test of wills for both teams.
Other great games tonight include Cavaliers at Raptors (7:30pm ET on NBALP), Bucks at Warriors (10:30pm ET on NBALP), and Trail Blazers at Clippers (10:30pm ET on ESPN).
Thursday, February 26th – Mavericks at Trail Blazers, 10:30pm ET on TNT
The Trail Blazers are finally whole, having missed a large part of the season as a unit with injuries to Robin Lopez and others. The pickup of Aaron Afflalo has been good for them, giving them another scoring option and taking pressure off of young star Damien Lillard. We’ve already discussed the Mavericks, but by this point in the week we could be talking about the possibility of them dropping further down the Western conference standings.
Other great games tonight include Thunder at Bulls (8:00pm ET on TNT).
Friday, February 27th – Cavaliers at Hawks, 7:30pm ET on NBA League Pass
The Cavs come in off of a loss in Houston, but are the hottest team in the league. They’re collection of talent is unmatched, and the star-studded lineup is a stark contrast to the Hawks, who are focused on team basketball and don’t feature a “star”. Many have anointed the Cavs as the favorite in the East now that the Bulls are undergoing injury issues, but the Hawks still lead the conference and have been strong all season – so expect a good matchup of styles.
Other great games tonight include Mavericks at Warriors (10:30pm on ESPN).
Saturday, February 28th – Wizards at Bucks, 8:30pm ET on NBA League Pass
The Wizards are on a free-fall. Coming into the week having lost 7 of their last 10, they face off against the Bucks who come into the week only 2 1/2 games back of Washington. The Bucks are this year’s surprise, but made moves at the trade deadline that are so far keeping them from moving up in the standings. Both of these teams are sure playoff contenders, but both will need to quickly shape up if they have hopes of advancing past the first round.
Other great games tonight include Grizzlies at Pelicans (7:00pm ET on NBALP) and Suns at Cavaliers (7:30pm ET on NBATV).
Sunday, March 1 – Clippers at Warriors, 3:30pm ET on ABC
Great Sunday daytime games are a sign that spring is coming soon, and this matchup is one of the best rivalries of the past few years. The Clippers have owned the Warriors of late, but this year the tables have turned and the Warriors seem to have shaken their mental block with the Clippers. A huge first-round matchup from last year’s playoffs, every time these teams face off it is an event.
Other great games tonight include Bulls at Spurs (1:00pm ET on ABC) and Raptors at Thunder (7:00pm ET on NBATV).