The next slate will be a special one, as it features an NBA Global Game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Paris, France.
French basketball fans are surely delighted to have the opportunity to witness the league’s brand of basketball right in the heart of their home country. Not to mention, the contest will be between two of the most electrifying teams in the Eastern Conference.
Mikal Bridges and the Brooklyn Nets will face off against Donovan Mitchel and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Accor Arena, located in the bustling neighborhood of Bercy.
The Cavs are looking to overtake both the Knicks and the Pacers in the Eastern Conference standings with a win against the Nets. And that doesn’t seem like such a tall order for J. B. Bickerstaff’s outfit, as Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen have been balling like All-Stars in the past few weeks.
Allen has taken matters into his own hands ever since his frontcourt partner, Evan Mobley, suffered an injury. In the past two weeks, Allen has averaged 20.8 points, 14 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game.
The win in Paris won’t be a walk in the park for Allen and the Cavs, though, with Brooklyn Nets’ No. 1 option Mikal Bridges finally starting to put his shooting slump behind him.
The former Phoenix Suns wing had a rough stretch of shooting, but as bucket-getters do, he figured it out in the most opportune time. Bridges had one of the games of his life right before flying to France. He got scorching hot against the Portland Trail Blazers and dropped 42 points in 15/26 shooting. Paris is in for a good one.
Boston Celtics @ Milwaukee Bucks
Back in the United States, the Boston Celtics will visit Giannis and the Bucks at Fiserv Forum for the second leg of their back-to-back. Jayson Tatum led the way for the Celtics during their overtime thriller against the Timberwolves at TD Garden.
Tatum scored the game-high 45 points while also tallying four rebounds, two assists, and a steal to boot. Meanwhile, his running mate Jaylen Brown filled the stat sheet with 35 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, two steals, and one block.
Their thrilling win over the Timberwolves improves their record to 29-8 and extends their winning streak at home to 18, the longest streak in franchise history.
Boston aren’t out of the woods just yet, as they face another formidable team in Milwaukee. Their back-to-back might be the toughest two-day stretch in the NBA season, but if any team can pull it off, it would be the Celtics.
The Bucks, on the other hand, have been on a two-game losing streak, and facing a tired Boston squad that just went to overtime against the top team in the Western Conference might be the perfect recipe for Giannis and Lillard to get back to their winning ways.
Portland Trail Blazers @ Oklahoma City Thunder
After Minnesota’s loss to the Celtics, the OKC Thunder are now just half a game from taking the top seed in the West. And with the Portland Trailblazers getting in the way, OKC are poised to summit the West after Friday’s slate.
The Thunder are the No. 1 team in the NBA Power Rankings after Week 12, which, in my opinion, is spot on. They edged out the mighty Boston Celtics to start the calendar year, where SGA cooked the best defencive backcourt in Derrick White and Jrue Holiday.
They’re currently on a two-game winning streak thanks to a collective effort against the Heat and the Wizards. And with the level of play they’re showcasing on the hardwood, there’s a strong chance that they’ll headline the NBA 2024 news stories as the top team in the Western Conference once the smoke clears.
Meanwhile, the Trailblazers are still without their offseason acquisition, Deandre Ayton. Ayton suffered a knee injury and has been sidelined ever since their clash with the Kings after Christmas Day. The Arizona standout doesn’t have a timeline for his return to action but is already travelling with the team.
Head coach Chauncey Billups seems like he’s in no rush to get his big man back on the court, given how their season is shaping up. In the meantime, Duop Reath will have the responsibility of containing the Thunder’s Rookie of the Year aspirant, Chet Holmgren, who is averaging 12.09 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.6 blocks in his rookie campaign thus far.
New York Knicks @ Dallas Mavericks
The Knicks are keen to continue their hot streak since acquiring OG Anunoby when they march to the American Airlines Center in an attempt to steal a win against Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and the rest of the Mavericks.
Jalen Brunson hopes to lead his team and extend their five-game winning streak in a familiar atmosphere. The former Dallas Maverick is making a case to be selected as an All-Star this season, with averages of 25.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and one steal while shooting an efficient 46.9 per cent from the field and 42.6 per cent from downtown.
But it certainly won’t be a cake walk for the Knickerbockers in Dallas, especially because eight-time All-Star and NBA champion Kyrie Irving is back on the floor for Jason Kidd. Uncle Drew missed 12 games in December but made his return on the floor to start the new year, and he looks like he hasn’t missed a step! Since returning, Irving has been averaging 27 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks.
As scary as that sounds, they also have a 24-year-old Slovenian guard by the name of Luka Doncic. The Knicks’ newly acquired defencive specialist, OG Anunoby, will definitely have his hands full trying to contain Jason Kidd’s backcourt.
Phoenix Suns @ Los Angeles Lakers
Kevin Durant and LeBron James will lock horns once again as the Phoenix Suns visit La La Land and challenge the Lakers in what will surely be a packed Crypto.com Arena.
It’s odd to look at the Western Conference standings and see both teams led by KD and LeBron in the bottom half of the table.
After winning the In-Season Tournament, the Lakers started struggling, specifically on the offencive side. Darvin Ham has been adamant about playing defencive-minded players, which results in offencive stagnations for lengthy periods of time.
Ham has experimented with his starting five countless times, even making their supposed third option, Austin Reaves, come off the bench on some occasions. But when facing a team with a plethora of weapons in their arsenal like the Suns, maybe prioritizing defence is the way to go.
The Suns on the other hand, have no problems putting the ball in the net but struggle mightily on the defencive side of the floor. The Suns big three are finally getting some reps in, but they’re still having a hard time putting up wins on a consistent basis.
Frank Vogel and his outfit are on a two-game losing streak and are now 5-5 in their last 10. It might take a while for KD, Booker, and Beal to figure things out, just like the Clippers, but they have to feel some sense of urgency now that they’re trending down in the standings and in the SBOTOP NBA 2024 betting odds.
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