Mercifully, basketball is back without the specter of Kevin Hart or Mr. Beast. An eventful if deeply confusing All-Star Weekend gives way to the final two months of the season. Players are rested up, teams are reconfigured and playoff windows are wide open. This weekend’s slate is appropriately loaded, with multiple national TV looks for the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Here’s a look at the upcoming matchups, with one late-season focus for each team.
Celtics at 76ers
Thursday, 7 p.m. ET, TNT
Boston: “Survive and advance,” as the adage goes. The defending champions are one of two teams with top-five rankings on both ends of the floor. They are third in net rating and won seven of eight games before the break. They also didn’t do much at the trade deadline, showing steadfast faith in this seasoned core. The Celts don’t have anything to prove, certainly not in February and March. They’ll simply need to stay healthy, maintain pace and keep cool. Jrue Holiday (shoulder) and Jaylen Brown (knee) missed outings last week; Joe Mazzulla said both starters are day-to-day.
Philadelphia: Remind fans that the Eagles just won the Super Bowl. The Sixers hit All-Star Weekend on a five-game losing streak. Joel Embiid will reportedly require another knee surgery this offseason. Paul George is having a Kafkaesque first go in Philly. The team is scrapping for the Eastern Conference’s 10th seed … and its forthcoming first-round pick will convey to Oklahoma City if it falls beyond the top six. Maybe it’s time to shut everything down, blow on the cartridge and reset the game.
Suns at Spurs
Thursday, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Phoenix: Let Kevin Durant go full-fledged. The Suns have the highest payroll in NBA history and are two games below .500. “We’re in a great position — not a good position — a great position,” owner Mat Ishbia said nine months ago. Alright then! With this season all but lost and Durant looking like the next superstar relocation, Phoenix might as well let the 36-year-old All-Star ball out to his heart’s content and inflate his trade value. He has somehow had the third-most efficient year of his lengthy NBA career.
San Antonio: Get De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama in rhythm. There are no moral victories in professional sports, but the Fightin’ Wembies have absolutely done what they needed to do this season. Their all-universe centerpiece is improving as a sophomore — more points, rebounds, 3s and blocks, with fewer turnovers — and Fox is now locked in as the franchise’s long-term initiator. Let’s appreciate this nascent pairing, because it will be a dominant headlining duo in the years to come. Fox is 27 years old and Wembanyama just turned … 21? That can’t be right?
Knicks at Cavaliers
Friday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN.
Cleveland: Hold on to that No. 1 spot. It’s been a sublime few months for Kenny Atkinson and Cleveland. The Cavs have the sport’s top-rated offense, have won eight of nine before All-Star and lead the reigning champions by 5.5 games in the East. The Cavs’ home court has been rocking (and ribbiting); they’ll need it come crunch time.
Timberwolves at Rockets
Friday, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Minnesota: Get out of the play-in. The Timberwolves weathered the backlash of trading a franchise icon, then watched as the two players it got in return went down with injuries. They’ll be thin without Julius Randle (groin) and Donte DiVincenzo (toe), and will roll with hero-ball Anthony Edwards and starting-lineup Naz Reid for at least the next few weeks. Minnesota will be understandably exhausted come April. They’re seventh in the West right now, one game behind the Clippers and three back of the Lakers. The play-in field will probably include Golden State and Sacramento, which rejuvenated their seasons with big deadline moves
New York: Show out against the Celtics and Cavs. The Knicks manufacture gorgeous offense and just yielded two All-Star starters for the first time in five decades. The vibes are largely great, but New York is 0-3 against the conference’s top two teams, and just received a Boston beatdown at Madison Square Garden before the midseason intermission. To reach their first conference finals in 25 years, Tom Thibodeau’s team will need to get past the Celtics or the Cavaliers. They play both on national TV this weekend.
Lakers at Nuggets
Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Los Angeles: Keep praying to the basketball deities. Seriously, how is Luka Dončić in purple and gold? That trade is still one of basketball’s most elaborate fever dreams, and feels more like a David Lynch motif than an actual NBA transaction.
