The three-month pause on the NBA season looks to be nearing its end, as the season’s suspension will officially be up on July 30 with the return of the premier basketball league officially releasing their 22-team schedule last night in a televised special on ESPN.
The relieving information brought on to sports fans across the stratosphere came at a time of necessity, perhaps, given the unpredictable reality of the teetering improbability of a season resuming where COVID-19 infection rates are low-to-nonexistent. Still, NBA supporters must’ve been glad to hear the news about their favorite teams’ schedules for the compromised season and with that, we can’t wait to break down some of the more anticipated matchups for the remainder of the year leading up to the postseason which should tip-off sometime late August.
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10. New Orleans Pelicans vs. Utah Jazz- There’s nothing like the first. In what will be the official resumption of NBA competition since March 11, 2020 (AKA the infamous date that the NBA was suspended) basketball will be back, live and direct to the people on TNT at 6:30 p.m. ET. The NBA just couldn’t wait to get the phenom, Zion Williamson, back on primetime television as the Pellies have somewhat of a red carpet-like path to the postseason. Aside from the Clippers, they’ll have the Grizzlies, Kings, and Wizards as their main competition coming up.
In comparison to the other three teams duking it out for the eighth and final seed in the West, New Orleans has arguably the easiest schedule of eight remaining games, and the Utah Jazz have one of the harder schedules with games against the Lakers, Grizzlies, and Mavericks within their plans to earn a higher seed for the postseason.
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9. Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers – This is going to be the final regular-season matchup between these two Western powerhouses, but it may be a little more subsidized as we may have wanted in accordance with the news surrounding star Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic and his contraction of the Coronavirus.
Though it’s likely, It is yet to be seen if he’ll take part in the NBA’s bubble games but if he participates, we’re surely in for a barnburner and potential playoff preview. On the other hand, the Clippers are in prime position to uphold their second seed in the West with a fairly easy schedule. On August 12th at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, when the shorter season reaches its conclusion, this game could be a measuring stick for both teams now that both teams’ intensities must elevate in order to get ready for the playoffs.
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8. Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks – This could very well be a preview of our Eastern Conference Finals this year. This is the first game for both Boston and Milwaukee on their path to the playoffs as well, and it’s happening on July 31 at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Both teams have gotten wins off of each other earlier this season and line up with each other quite well for what should be another compelling duel between two of the East’s most prominent teams.
While the Bucks have one of the more difficult slew of games in Orlando (tack on games against Miami, Houston, and Toronto) they’ve set unprecedented marks this year and are still holding on to the highest average scoring margin of any team in the NBA (+11.3) and don’t look to be taking it easy on anyone. Boston, on the other hand, has a real shot of landing the No. 2 seed in the East with games against Brooklyn, Portland, and Orlando as the most challenging games on the list.
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7. Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks – Dallas is balancing on a tightrope when it comes to getting higher in the Western standings and any infraction against the seventh-seeded Mavs could be severe. They’re in a tight battle with the Thunder for a higher seed in the West, and Orlando could be a huge opportunity to improve their marks just in time for the postseason. Tipping off at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN on July 31, this now neutral Battle of Texas features several playmakers in James Harden and Russell Westbrook going against MVP candidate Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis in a contest that should be a good one.
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6. Miami Heat vs. Toronto Raptors – And next, we have yet another potential playoff preview that we’ll likely see at some point during the Eastern Conference Playoffs, tipping off at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV. Toronto’s laid plans of keeping the 2nd seed heading into August’s postseason could go awry, considering that they could lose their seeding with one of the more tedious schedules in all of the NBA. The Raps have to play the Lakers, Celtics, Bucks, Grizzlies, and 76ers and in the midst of that turbulence, lie the Miami Heat who could be a threat to reach the conference finals in their own right. But a lot of fans wouldn’t mind seeing Jimmy Butler exact revenge on the team that ousted him in the postseason last year.
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5. Houston Rockets vs. Milwaukee Bucks – One of the more suspenseful and rivalry-filled games that we’ll be treated to in Orlando, the two “good buddies” in Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden take their grievances to the court on August 2nd at 8:30 P.M. ET on ABC for what could very well be a Finals preview. Houston’s schedule isn’t all that challenging which can only mean good things for a sixth-ranked Rockets squad desperate for some wins. And when you look at the Western teams that are higher on the conference Totem Pole, teams like the Lakers, Nuggets, and Thunder may have a hard time keeping their status in the West.
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4. Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers – As mentioned in the last section about these Rockets’ rather easy schedule…this probably isn’t one of those games. Still, the duel between Houston’s league-leading backcourt in scoring – of course, that’s Russell Westbrook and James Harden – and LA’s most intimidating frontcourt and Pick-and-Roll connection – LeBron James and Anthony Davis – is still going to be a dandy to watch. It’ll be live on TNT at 9:00 p.m. ET. Had the virus delay never commenced, this was actually scheduled to be the next game on the schedule for both the Rockets and Lakers but as fate would have it, we’re getting this battle of Western Goliaths later in the summer.
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3. Boston Celtics vs. Toronto Raptors – Taking place on August 7 at 9:00 p.m. ET on TNT, these teams could very well be neck-and-neck racing for the second seed and again, as mentioned in earlier sections, it’s polar opposites when comparing the strength of schedule between these Eastern factions. What won’t be up for debate is how intriguing this matchup is going to be. Boston is 2-1 this year against Toronto and by the looks of it, they have some sort of an advantage over the defending champions in more ways than one.
With this time off, however, Toronto will walk into Orlando as one of the lone squads that are completely healthy, and that’s quite a game-changing variable considering how much success Raptors coach Nick Nurse has had over the course of this year with his lineup combinations while missing substantial pieces like All-Star Pascal Siakam, Norman Powell, Kyle Lowry, and Fred VanVleet.
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2. Memphis Grizzlies vs. New Orleans Pelicans – This is probably the final duel between the two presumptive Rookie of the Year candidates, and it could shape up to be a significant matchup, considering the playoff placement of the two teams that are battling for the final postseason spot in the West. Two must-see physical anomalies in Ja Morant and Zion Williamson could be playing for the continuation of their seasons, and their final duel for the 2019-20 season will take place on August 3 at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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1. Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers – So, if all predictions are true and all media experts’ initial postseason theories are correct at the end of the day, the Battle of L.A. will be a thing by the time the Western Conference Finals go down. The duel of the Staples Center inhabitants will now, more than ever, play in a neutral arena (as if they were going to play in anything different, right?) and the best part of this rivalry’s renewal? It’ll be the first game out of the gate for the Clippers and Lakers’ trip to Orlando, as the two teams square off on July 30 at 9:00 p.m. ET on TNT!
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