The NBA All-Star break is over and it’s time to get back to work. Back on the grind. Back to the treacherous shortened season schedule! It’s time to really get things crisp and ready for the playoffs. You ready for this? Let’s look at what’s worth watching this week, all times are eastern.
Tuesday at 7:00 PM, the Cavs battle the Celtics. The feisty, surprising Cavs should make this entertaining. Look for them to catch Boston by surprise early. The Celtics will take a quarter or so to realize it’s time to get back to work. Once they turn on their game faces, the Celtics will have the upper hand. Boston wins, but Cleveland will compete and keep it respectable.
Wednesday at 9:00 PM, the Bulls and Spurs square off. Two teams with hot records. The Bulls are the team just coming into their prime, while the Spurs are coming closer and closer to the end of an era. Due to the Bulls talent and youth, they’ll take this game. Derrick Rose and crew are too young, skilled and bouncy for the Spurs.
Thursday at 10:30 PM, the Clippers seek to ice the Heat. Do the Clippers look like contenders? Can they get through despite having a sucky coach? Is Chris Paul worth a bunch of young talent? This matchup will begin to answer those questions. The Clippers have started to mesh and perform and this second half of the season is time to put it into overdrive. They’ll start proving more now and will win this game in close fashion.
Friday at 8:00 PM, the Nuggets look to stop the launching Rockets. These teams are a hoot. Young, team oriented, well coached squads. Expect this to be close and entertaining. Nuggets are the more stacked team and they’ll come out on top.
Saturday at 7:00 PM, the Hawks attempt to fly over the Thunder. Atlanta is hurting without Al Horford. They’ve held down the fort, staying over .500 and playing decent. Hopefully Horford can return and they can surprise people in the playoffs. The Thunder is coming down more intensely each game. This team is tremendous and poised to have a huge postseason. While the Hawks can match them at a few positions, the Thunder are deeper. KD and the Thunder will win a game that will be somewhat competitive.
Sunday at 3:30 PM, the Heat look to fire up the Lakers. High profile game. Kobe, LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Gasol, Bynum. Hopefully it’ll be close. The Lakers bench is the constant key. The inconsistency from them makes it difficult for the Lakers stars to get rest. The Lakers will come out with a solid showing and stay close. Miami wins though.
What’s your eye going to be focused on this week?