What to watch in the NBA this week: Celtics-Cavs, Doncic vs. Dallas, new-look Warriors

The primary weekend again from the All-Star intermission was a usually good cling. Luka Dončić had his first signature displaying as a Los Angeles Laker. Tyrese Haliburton went Harlem Globetrotter on Saturday night time. OKC and Minny placed on a present in primetime, and the Detroit Pistons performed significant basketball video games. We will dig it.

This week’s schedule is loaded, with a half-dozen nationwide TV seems to be and a few sneaky bangers on League Go. We broke down some matchups under in a format befitting Oscars week.

Within the phrases of Invoice Murray within the unique House Jam (1996): “Right here’s how I see it!”

Mavericks at Lakers

Tuesday, 10 p.m. ET, TNT

Finest Supporting Hooper: Max Christie. He was understandably overshadowed amid probably the most gorgeous celebrity swap in league historical past, however the third-year wing is admittedly approaching sturdy at Dallas’ reconstruction web site. Christie began 25 occasions with the Lakers, serving as a good 3-and-D plug-and-play choice. However he’s leveling up with the Mavs, averaging over 15 factors in 32 minutes throughout his first eight video games. He’s as much as the 97th percentile in factors per shot try on Cleansing the Glass and has soared past his profession help fee. Christie remains to be 21 years previous, and the nice vibes are bountiful. “Once you discuss protection and me being tasked with the purpose of assault or one of the best perimeter participant, if I set the tone on the man to begin, it simply trickles down into everyone else,” he advised The Athletic’s Jovan Buha in a December Q&A.

Finest Authentic Sport Plan: JJ Redick. LA’s noogie of the Denver Nuggets was wholly spectacular. The hosts at Mile Excessive misplaced by 23 factors and snapped their nine-game profitable streak. The otherwise-otherworldly Nikola Jokić was held to his worst sport of the season. JJ Redick flashed some impressed teaching right here, sticking 6-foot-8 Rui Hachimura on the mountainous three-time MVP. Hachimura was a gravelly irritant, checking Jokić throughout the half-court and denying ball entry within the publish. Redick admitted that he couldn’t sleep in anticipation of this sport plan. He nailed it Saturday night time.

Celtics at Pistons

Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET, FDSN, NBCS, League Go

Finest Supply Materials: “The City” (2010). For actual, the Joe Mazzulla program is working. If the staff’s lead strategist desires to observe Ben Affleck rob Fenway Park a number of occasions every week, effectively, how can we non-Ball Knowers probably protest? Neither loud nor stunning, the defending champs are nonetheless having a wonderful season to date. Everybody seems to have purchased into the title protection; egos are absolutely sublimated. That December mini-lull has been casually brushed apart, and Kristaps Porziņģis has been reintegrated. Boston begins the week third in internet ranking and top-five on each offense and protection.

Finest Director: J.B. Bickerstaff. Detroit has averaged 18.8 wins per season prior to now half-decade. Wipe the display off and acquire your self if mandatory. It’s actually been that dangerous. Possibly the treatment for societal loneliness is rooting for the competent, super-endearing Pistons, who’re winners of seven straight. Because the New Yr: an 18-8 report, seventh in plus-minus and internet ranking. Bickerstaff is getting a lot out of his veteran journeymen (Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr.) and has shepherded the ascents of the youth (Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson). The Pistons at the moment are on tempo for his or her first end above .500 since 2015-16.

76ers at Knicks

Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

Finest Documentary Characteristic: No matter this 2024-25 Sixers season is. Maybe Philly is giving us one enormous train in horror-noir. It’s more and more unhappy and uncomfortable for a bunch with championship aspirations just some months prior. Joel Embiid is clearly not wholesome. The 76ers misplaced at dwelling to the Bulls by 32 factors Monday night time.

Finest Returning Hooper: Mitchell Robinson. Truthful or not, the hopes of a sudden clampdown in New York will probably be pinned to the seven-footer coming back from ankle surgical procedure. The Knicks’ offense is Finals-worthy; the protection is completely not, as evidenced by final weekend’s blowout losses to Cleveland and Boston. Tom Thibodeau’s staff has the league’s worst defensive ranking this month. Robinson is anticipated to hitch the rotation this week, a much-needed temper booster from a sobering few days on the ground. This iteration is actually enjoyable however removed from elite, incongruent with a entrance workplace that gave up 5 first-round picks to compete on the highest plateau. From The Athletic’s James Edwards III:

“The weekend reaffirmed what was already on the market: the Knicks aren’t there but. The problems begin defensively, the place the Knicks have repeatedly been up-and-down all season. New York’s pick-and-roll protection, poor communication in transition and incapacity to protect throughout the board places them behind the league’s finest. And for a New York offense that has been upper-tier all season, it seems to be mortal in opposition to these championship contenders as a result of they’re able to doing issues the Knicks haven’t been capable of.”

Spurs at Rockets

Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Finest Tailored Screenplay: Brian Wright. This was by no means going to be the Spurs’ 12 months. It’s Victor Wembanyama’s age-21 season, and the Western Convention is loaded with win-now rivals. The group has taken a couple of wrenching well being scares, akin to Wemby’s blood clots and Gregg Popovich’s stroke. But time won’t render this season absolutely misplaced as a result of De’Aaron Fox has been put in because the long-term table-setter in silver and black. San Antonio has had a top-five help fee and turnover ratio because the Fox transfer. The eight-year veteran is barely 27 years previous and has ample time to acclimate to his new digs. GM Brian Wright did his factor right here.

Finest Supporting Hooper: Amen Thompson. The rangy second-year is unassumingly fifth in defensive win shares this season. He’s forward of stalwarts like Rudy Gobert, Evan Mobley, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Dyson Daniels. Thompson has been taking part in with elasticity and fearlessness on the opposite finish, placing up round 16 factors, 10 rebounds and 5 assists since changing into a starter. He might solely be a “supporting” hooper for therefore lengthy:

NASTY AMEN THOMPSON CROSS & POSTER 😤 pic.twitter.com/Gnb64KcF3I

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 4, 2025

Warriors at Magic

Thursday, 7 p.m. ET, FDSN, NBC Sports activities Bay Space, League Go

Finest Music: “Solely Wanna Be with You,” Hootie and the Blowfish (1994). Let Jimmy Butler sing to his coronary heart’s content material. The arrival in Golden State has clearly galvanized Stephen Curry and Draymond Inexperienced. “This staff all 12 months has been form of like, ‘Man, we’re proper there, however can’t fairly recover from the hump.’ However there’s a purpose that you simply really feel such as you’re proper there however can’t fairly recover from,” Inexperienced advised The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II and Sam Amick. “And the rationale I believe all of us thought we couldn’t fairly recover from was as a result of there was a lacking piece. That piece isn’t lacking anymore. That piece is him.” The Warriors look renewed, however there’s nonetheless a lot floor to make up in the event that they hope to keep away from the play-in.

Nuggets at Bucks

Thursday, 8 p.m. ET, TNT

Finest Lead Actor: Nikola Jokić. The singular Serbian expertise is in some way having one of the best stretch of his NBA profession. He hits this week rating:

Third in factors per sport
Third in rebounds per sport
Second in assists per sport
Tied for third in steals per sport
Second in field-goal proportion
Fourth in 3-point capturing
First in win shares, participant effectivity ranking and field plus-minus

Jokić is the league’s Daniel Day-Lewis: He’s received the highest particular person {hardware} thrice, appears virtually bored by his prodigiousness and can completely drink your milkshake.

Finest Enhancing: Doc Rivers. Milwaukee staved off catastrophe warnings with an impressed (if beauty) run for the NBA Cup. The All-Star break relieved them of an uninspired 4-7 stretch. Basketball Reference has them with the lightest power of schedule to this point. The random sequencing of this season has considerably obscured a wildly underwhelming marketing campaign.

Cavs at Celtics

Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Finest Image: The East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers. With one of the best offense within the sport, one of the best report within the convention and one of the best attendance on the gates, this Cavs season has been a feel-good story within the province of Steven Spielberg or Nora Ephron. The core is unbroken and underneath contract for the following three seasons. From The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd:

“The Cavs’ earlier championship period, imagine it or not, extra carefully resembles the mannequin the league was attempting to extinguish of unexpectedly assembling stars in a single market. LeBron James returned, the Cavs acquired fortunate within the lottery, swung a giant commerce for Kevin Love and poof! A four-hour parade on a 100-degree day. As a reference level, the Cavs would’ve been thought-about a second-apron staff underneath these present guidelines throughout James’ last three years in Cleveland. These Cavs have grown collectively rather more organically. They’ll attain repeat offender standing on the posh tax scale, whatever the aprons, for the primary time after the 2028-29 season.”

Finest Manufacturing Design: The Boston “3-party.” There’s been a whirring carousel of complaints and grievances round trendy basketball’s 3-point reliance. Irrespective of the validity of all of it, these Celtics have the numbers to justify their type. The reigning champs are No. 1 in 3s made and tried … and that has them profitable video games (third-best report within the league) with out sacrificing integrity (fifth in defensive ranking and defensive rebounding fee). Boston is ignoring the noise and sticking to its beliefs.

Knicks at Grizzlies

Friday, 8 p.m. ET, FDSN, MSG, League Go

Finest Cinematography: “Friday Evening Knicks.” We don’t know if New York harbors a title contender simply but, however we undoubtedly understand it has a championship-level presentation. The Knicks are a League Go delight for a lot of causes — Mike Breen’s everlasting class, Walt “Clyde” Frazier’s velvet wardrobe and linguistic innovation, and Madison Sq. Backyard’s general historic aura. However regional Knicks video games are significantly elegant on at the present time of all days, due to Robert Randolph and the Household Band’s “Friday Evening Knicks” jam. Christen your weekend appropriately:

Finest New Hooper: Jaylen Wells. The thirty ninth choose in final spring’s draft is main his rookie class in win shares and begins for the West’s second-winningest staff. Solely Jaren Jackson Jr. has performed extra minutes for the 37-20 Grizzlies this season. Wells is averaging 14 factors in his final 4 video games and drilled 4 3s in Cleveland on Sunday.

Clippers at Lakers

Friday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN

Finest Worldwide Characteristic: Ivica Zubac’s profession 12 months. The old-school Bosnian massive man has charmingly muscled his approach to one of the best NBA run of his nine-year profession. It’s at all times enjoyable to see a veteran participant decide to regular enchancment, particularly in less-glamorous departments like publish passing, paint protection and boxing out. Zubac is averaging over 15 factors and 12 rebounds, anchoring a Clippers protection that’s fourth in scoring in opposition to.

Finest Casting: Rob Pelinka. Yeah, touchdown a 25-year-old Luka Dončić to play the “Lakers’ subsequent generational world celebrity” function was a superb transfer.

(Picture by Ronald Martinez / Getty Photos)