Some teams chose the worst time to free-fall. Others, on the other hand, are getting their rhythm right when it matters the most, and you definitely want to get hot when the playoffs are just around the corner.
We have close to ten games left in the regular season. This means that every single game matters at this point, as playoff seeding could end up having a massive impact. With that in mind, we’ll take a look at today’s most important matchups.
The Los Angeles Lakers should have some tired legs. They played a double-overtime thriller in Milwaukee against the Bucks, coming back from a 19-point deficit to steal a win without LeBron James.
Even if that’s the case, they should have James back on the floor for tonight’s matchup, and the Memphis Grizzlies are dealing with a plethora of injuries right now, so they might not be able to keep up.
Pick: Lakers -3.5
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are the absolute hottest team in the NBA right now.
They’ve won eight in a row, and nine of their last ten. Most of those wins have come against bottom-feeding teams, but that’s still impressive.
They’re only playing for player development and a pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, as their season has been over for months. The Utah Jazz, on the other hand, haven’t fared much better.
Nevertheless, the Spurs will continue to be without star rookie Victor Wembanyama, and that should lay the ground for a win for the home team here, even if Gregg Popovich’s side is fresh off a big win over the Phoenix Suns.
Pick: Jazz -3
Michael Gonzales / National Basketball Association / Getty
Denver Nuggets vs Phoenix Suns
The Denver Nuggets got the best of the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs last season, so Frank Vogel’s team most definitely has this game marked on its calendar. They know they could square off in the postseason again.
The Nuggets are still trying to make a push to secure the top seed in the West, and the Suns will look to prove that they can keep up with them.
That could be the case, but Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic are listed as game-time decisions, so we lean towards the over here.