5 NBA games to watch this week
With only a month remaining in the season and playoff races kicking into high gear, each and every possession - let alone each game - is that much more meaningful.
Here are five games to watch this week as the NBA season comes down the stretch.
Monday: Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami Heat, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
There's no guarantee LeBron James will be in the lineup after tweaking his knee Sunday, and the Cavs come in 12 1/2 games ahead of the Heat, so it's not exactly a clash of titans. But the possibility of a healthier King James returning to Miami for the first time since the Heat stunned his Cavs on Christmas Day makes this a national TV must-watch.
Wednesday: Minnesota Timberwolves at Toronto Raptors, 7:30 p.m. ET
On the surface, this game has no place on any top-five list. The Timberwolves are languishing near the bottom of the standings and the free falling Raptors have lost 10 of 12. The real story here, however, is Andrew Wiggins making his first trip back home as a pro. The Air Canada Centre should be buzzing for a special night.
Friday: Atlanta Hawks at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m. ET
This tantalizing matchup has game of the week written all over it. The East-leading Hawks continue their aesthetically pleasing journey towards the first 60-win season in franchise history, while Russell Westbrook and the surging Thunder continue their push for the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff spot.
Throw in a potential Kevin Durant return and a raucous OKC crowd on a Friday night, and you have yourself what one famous Oklahoman might call a slobberknocker.
Saturday: Portland Trail Blazers at Memphis Grizzlies, 8 p.m. ET
As the Blazers rise (8-2 in their last 10) and the Grizzlies (5-5) stagnate, Portland enters the week only a game behind Memphis - and tied in the loss column - for the Western Conference's second seed.
Given the incredibly tough matchups West teams will see regardless of seeding, the difference between No. 2 and No. 3 or 4 may not seem like much. But if games like these mean the difference between a potential second-round matchup opening in Portland instead of Memphis, or vice versa, they're well worth your time.
Sunday: San Antonio Spurs at Atlanta Hawks, 3 p.m. ET
Welcome to bizarro world, San Antonio.
No team has been compared to Gregg Popovich's modern Spurs as much as this season's Hawks, who have soared to the East's top spot with mesmerizing ball movement, offense by committee and an underrated defense, all under the guidance of Popovich disciple Mike Budenholzer.
The Spurs edged the Hawks, 94-92, in early November, but the Hawks have obviously become a different team since then.
The basketball should be beautiful, and the only thing standing in the way of one of the potential games of the year is one or both coaches resting a number of their stars.
Don't take that as a challenge, Gregg.