As America celebrates the life of the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr today, the NBA schedule gets whipped into a frenzy, as it does every year on this day, with a majority of the teams in action. Today, 28 of the league's 30 teams will be on display.
The action kicks off at 2pm Eastern with the Detroit Pistons visiting the Washington Wizards, and concludes with the Portland Trail Blazers hosting the Golden State Warriors at 10pm on TNT.
Of the 14 games, the marquee is an east-west showdown that renews the league's oldest and most storied rivals, as the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Boston Celtics at 7:30. In the game, Lakers forward Anthony Davis makes his return after missing five games with a tailbone bruise. Davis, who is averaging 27.1 points and 9.4 rebounds on the season, will be a welcomed sight in the Laker lineup, and will move Kyle Kuzma back the bench. Kuzma had been averaging 20 points in Davis' absence.
The Celtics, meanwhile, could be without Kemba Walker once again as he is dealing with a sore right knee. Walker missed Saturday's game against the Phoenix Suns after posting 40 points and 11 rebounds on Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks. Celtic forward Jaylen Brown, who has a sprain in his right thumb, is hopeful to play, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, after missing the Celtics' last two games. Marcus Smart, coming off a career high 37 points, would see his minutes decreased if one of Walker and Brown returns. The Lakers sit atop the West with a record of 34-8, while the Celtics' 27-14 mark is currently 4th best in the East. This game has an outside shot at being an NBA Finals preview.
Chris Paul will be back in Houston, as the Oklahoma City Thunder visit the Rockets at 5pm. The Rockets are struggling - losers of their last three (121-110 to Memphis, 117-107 to Portland, 124-115 to the Lakers) - while the Thunder are coming off a 119-106 win over the Blazers on Saturday. A bright spot for the Rockets of late has been Russell Westbrook, who is averaging 32.5 points over his last four games. James Harden, meanwhile. has scored under 20 points in two of the last five games, and is shooting just 36.6% in January, in contrast to 48.1% in December. The Rockets need this game, with a tough stretch following that will include two games against the Denver Nuggets, road games in Utah, Minnesota, and Portland, and a home game against the Dallas Mavericks. At 26-15, the Rockets currently sit at 6th in the West, three games ahead of the Thunder.
The Philadelphia 76ers visit the Brooklyn Nets in a game that people will want to see based on star power alone, as Kyrie Irving matches up with Ben Simmons. Another big match-up is the 4th seeded Jazz, hosting the 5th seeded Indiana Pacers. Both records (Utah 29-13, Indiana 28-15) are nearly identical, and both teams are very similar in make up, both in the top 10 in points allowed who hang their hat on the defensive end. Both teams epitomize hard work and toughness, and it should be a competitive contest.
The Suns and the San Antonio Spurs also meet in a game of two teams separated by just one game in the west, with the 18-23 Spurs currently a half game up on the 18-24 Suns. The Suns are coming off two big victories out east - 121-98 over the New York Knicks and 123-119 over the Celtics - and have their star Devin Booker rolling, who is averaging 32 points per game in the last 10 and shooting 51.8%. Suns big man Deandre Ayton is coming off two monster efforts - 26 points, 21 rebounds against the Knicks and 26 points, 15 rebounds against the Celtics - and will battle with veteran All-Star Lamarcus Aldridge. This should be a competitive, tightly contested game between two teams that are jockeying for position in the playoff race.
Other games include the Toronto Raptors visiting Atlanta, the Sacramento Kings visiting the Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls visiting the Milwaukee Bucks, the Hornets hosting the Magic, Grizzlies hosting the Pelicans on TNT, the Knicks playing in Cleveland, and the Timberwolves home against the Nuggets.
All in all, it should be a great day of NBA action as we celebrate the life of a great human being.
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