The Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers meet twice in the next few days, which means fans get a chance to watch Ja Morant and Damian Lillard go head-to-head twice this weekend. The sizzling New York Knicks won eight in a row and look to extend their winning streak to nine games. The Oklahoma City Thunder are desperate to snap a 12-game losing streak, but square off against a surging Washington Wizards team that won six in a row.
On Friday night, the Golden State Warriors host the Denver Nuggets in a game that’s expected to be a high-scoring affair. Steph Curry is the hottest player in the NBA right now and he tries to fend off Nikola Jokic, who has now become the sole front runner to win the MVP.
| NBA FRIDAY |
- Miami Heat at Atlanta Hawks
- Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets
- Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors
- Washington Wizards at Oklahoma City Thunder
| NBA SATURDAY |
- Toronto Raptors at New York Knicks
- Philadelphia 76ers at Milwaukee Bucks
- Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat
| NBA SUNDAY |
- Boston Celtics at Charlotte Hornets
- Phoenix Suns at Brooklyn Nets
- Memphis Grizzlies at Portland Trail Blazers
Several bubble teams are in action this weekend with must-win games on the docket. The Chicago Bulls visit Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat on Saturday. The Memphis Grizzlies currently sit in the #8 seed in the Western Conference, but the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs are looking to overtake the Grizzlies this weekend if the Griz falter against the Blazers.
Friday: Nugs/Warriors Shootout
Miami Heat (31-28) at Atlanta Hawks (32-27)… The Hawks will play the next few games without Trae Young (ankle). Lou Williams has a chance to shine with Young down. Butler blasted his Miami Heat teammates after an embarrassing loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Butler claimed the Heat were playing soft. Since then, the Heat won three in a row and climbed into the #7 seed in the east.
Boston Celtics (32-27) at Brooklyn Nets (39-20)… James Harden suffered a setback with his hamstring injury and he’s probably out the rest of the regular season. Kevin Durant is also dealing with a thigh bruise. The banged-up Nets are now neck-and-neck with the Philadelphia 76ers in the fight for the #1 seed. The Celtics are trending upward and won eight out of their last ten games to move into the #6 seed.
Denver Nuggets (38-20) at Golden State Warriors (29-30)… Even though the Nuggets lost Jamal Murray to a season-ending knee injury, the Nugs won four in a row thanks to heroics by Nikola Jokic. The Warriors handed Nugs a tough loss last Monday in San Francisco, but the Nugs are back into town again this weekend for a rematch.
Washington Wizards (25-33) at Oklahoma City Thunder (20-39)… Just when you thought the Wizards were dunzo, they rattled off six wins in a row and a legit contender for a play-in spot. The Wizards have an easy opponent against the OKC Thunder who look totally lost without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Saturday: Knicks Win 9 in Row?
Toronto Raptors (25-34) at New York Knicks (33-27)… The smoking-hot Knicks won eight games in a row, which is their biggest winning streak in seven years. The Knicks lead the NBA with a 38-21-1 ATS record, but 11-0 ATS in their last 11 games. The Raptors are on the bubble and cannot afford to lose any more gains against Eastern Conference foes if they expect to qualify for the play-in tournament.
Philadelphia 76ers (39-20) at Milwaukee Bucks (36-22)… The potent Bucks boast the second best over record in the NBA at 35-22-1. The 76ers dropped three in a row and currently tied with Brooklyn Nets for the #1 seed in the east. The Bucks are only 2.5 games back now. Could the Bucks overtake the slumping Sixers and dinged-up Nets and snatch away the #1 seed?
Chicago Bulls (25-34) at Miami Heat (31-28)… Tough spot for the Heat with back-to-back games, but the Bulls can leverage this situation to pick up much-needed ground on the Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards on the east bubble.
Sunday: Ja vs Dame
Boston Celtics (32-27) at Charlotte Hornets (28-30)… LaMelo Ball wants to play this weekend. The rookie had a speedy recovery from a fractured wrist, which he suffered five weeks earlier. Ball’s availability will be a game-time decision. The Hornets are in trouble and could use Ball’s help after Buzz City slipped to the #8 seed in the east.
Phoenix Suns (42-17) at Brooklyn Nets (39-20)… The Suns are in the middle of a five-game road trip against tough Eastern Conference playoff teams. They already picked off the Greek Freak and the Bucks in OT on Monday. The Suns squeezed by the slumping Sixers on Wednesday, but lost an ugly game against the Boston Celtics last night. They head to Gotham for back-to-back games with the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks before returning home. Their NYC sojourn tips off on Sunday against the dinged-up Nets. The Suns have the third-best record in the NBA covering the spread with a 36-22-1 ATS clip.
Memphis Grizzlies (29-28) at Portland Trail Blazers (32-26)… The Griz are the second-best team covering the spread with a 36-21 ATS record. The Blazers host the Grizzlies twice this weekend including Friday night. The Griz come into Rip City as a +3.5 underdog. Ja Morant vs Damian Lillard makes this game must-see TV.
