Last week, Chicago beat Toronto again, Miami dominated Cleveland in shocking fashion and Dirk turned back the clock with a huge 40 points in an overtime win over Portland.
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This week, the bottom half of the Western Conference playoff picture will gain some clarity as the Trail Blazers, Rockets, Jazz and Mavericks all have big games against quality opponents.
Monday, March 21
Milwaukee Bucks at Detroit Pistons, 7:30 p.m. ET
The Pistons have a slight lead in the race for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot but have to win games like this one to keep hold of it. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker have been coming on since the All-Star break, but the Bucks do not have effective counters for Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson.
Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks, 8 p.m. ET
Like Detroit, Washington is looking to grab that final playoff spot while Atlanta is still in the running for the 3-seed and (likely) ducking Cleveland in the second round. The Wizards will need John Wall to outplay his Hawks counterparts to have a decent shot at a big win.
Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8 p.m. ET
After losing to the Spurs on Saturday, the Warriors look to rebound against Karl-Anthony Towns and the Wolves. Towns may have a better than expected shot if Golden State has to play without Andrew Bogut.
NATIONAL GAMES: San Antonio Spurs at Charlotte Hornets, 7 p.m. ET, NBA TV; Memphis Grizzlies at Phoenix Suns, 10 p.m. ET, NBA TV
Tuesday, March 22
Miami Heat at New Orleans Pelicans, 8 p.m. ET
The Pelicans picked up a shocking win over New Orleans the day Anthony Davis was ruled out for the season and will have another opportunity against the Dwyane Wade and the Heat.
NATIONAL GAMES: Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m. ET, TNT; Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Wednesday, March 23
Utah Jazz at Houston Rockets, 8 p.m. ET
A huge game for the Western Conference playoff picture. Houston still has a chance to get out of the 7 and 8 seeds with a strong finish while the Jazz are right in the middle of it too. James Harden and Rodney Hood are two strong creators at off-guard and potentially could spend some time guarding one another.
Miami Heat at San Antonio Spurs, 8:30 p.m. ET
The Heat have played well since losing Chris Bosh and can show that against the Spurs and their remarkable home winning streak. Pending free agent Hassan Whiteside has a chance to raise his stock with a big game against a stacked San Antonio frontcourt.
Dallas Mavericks at Portland Trail Blazers, 10 p.m. ET
After beating Portland on Sunday, Dallas has the tiebreaker over the Blazers but both teams still have a good chance at the playoffs. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum returning the favor would put them in a good position to continue their surprising run.
NATIONAL GAMES: New York Knicks at Chicago Bulls, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN; Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Thursday, March 24
Chicago Bulls at New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m. ET
Getting Jimmy Butler back has reinvigorated the Bulls and their playoff chances. This game concludes an unusual home-and-home between teams in different divisions.
Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m. ET
Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and company appear locked in to the three seed out West but will challenge the Jazz all the same. Serge Ibaka and Derrick Favors are two different types of power forwards but each could be key to a victory for their side.
Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Clippers, 10:30 p.m. ET
The day after hosting Dallas, the Blazers have to head to L.A. to face the Clippers. Chris Paul and Damian Lillard will feature prominently but Portland will have to contain DeAndre Jordan to have a fighting chance.
NATIONAL GAME: New Orleans Pelicans at Indiana Pacers, 7 p.m. ET, NBA TV
Friday, March 25
Milwaukee Bucks at Atlanta Hawks, 8 p.m. ET
Paul Millsap has played at an All-NBA level this season but Jabari Parker has become a much more capable competitor as he approaches full recovery from ACL surgery. Khris Middleton guarding Kyle Korver could also be a nice test of his defensive value.
Toronto Raptors at Houston Rockets, 8 p.m. ET
Houston got a big win in Toronto a few weeks back and the Raptors will look to return the favor behind Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. Toronto turning to Bismack Biyombo with the starters could affect James Harden’s aggressive drives.
Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors, 10:30 p.m. ET
A potentially notable game in Golden State’s drive for history and Dallas’ to try and face them in the first round of the playoffs. The Warriors won recently in Dallas behind big shooting nights from Curry and Thompson but Dirk’s 40 on Sunday show he still has major performances in him.
NATIONAL GAME: Charlotte Hornets at Detroit Pistons, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV
Saturday, March 26
Chicago Bulls at Orlando Magic, 7 p.m. ET
Despite being out of the playoffs, Orlando has kept trying hard and gave scares to both Cleveland and Toronto last week. Presumably Jimmy Butler and Victor Oladipo will go at it on both ends of the floor, which should be worth watching.
Atlanta Hawks at Detroit Pistons, 7:30 p.m. ET
One of those games that could linger as mid-April approaches. Andre Drummond has helped Detroit accelerate their progress while Al Horford accomplished that a few years ago.
Utah Jazz at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8 p.m. ET
Quallity matchups all over the floor, especially Karl-Anthony Towns vs. Rudy Gobert and Gordon Hayward vs. Andrew Wiggins. This does not have to be close to provide useful information about the potential of a series of talented young players.
NATIONAL GAME: San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m. ET, NBA TV
Sunday, March 27
Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers, 3:30 p.m. ET
The Clippers have developed a nasty penchant for making games more competitive than they otherwise should be and Denver has stayed relevant after falling hehind the pace. Rookie Emmanuel Mudiay started the season rocky but has grown over the year and his athleticism could challenge Chris Paul.
Houston Rockets at Indiana Pacers, 6 p.m. ET
Paul George has built a reputation for being a defensive stopper but carrying a larger offensive load has changed his responsibilities somewhat. Since Indiana’s shooting guards are ill-suited to handling James Harden that burden should fall on him, making this a far more interesting contest.
Dallas Mavericks at Sacramento Kings, 6 p.m. ET
Facing a challenging road to the playoffs means the Mavericks have to win games like this against DeMarcus Cousins and former Mav Rajon Rondo. Boogie will be challenging for each one of Dallas’ centers to contend with and could make this a surprisingly fun game.
