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Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference will face each other in back-to-back games on Wednesday and Friday night. The Indiana Pacers will travel north of the border to face the Toronto Raptors on February 5, and then these two teams will switch venues before they clash on February 7. Toronto is currently in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 36-14 record, while Indiana is 31-19 and in fifth place in the conference. The Raptors are looking to defend their NBA title in the summer... 

The Los Angeles Lakers no longer have a stranglehold on the Western Conference. The Lakers have only won six of their last 10 games, allowing the crosstown Clippers and other contenders a chance to close the gap. The Lakers now have a three-game lead in their quest to earn the No. 1 seed and home court advantage through the Western Conference Playoffs, so they will be looking to grow that lead in the final third of the season. They will host the Houston Rockets in the second game of a doublehead... 

The Milwaukee Bucks are set to enter the NBA All-Star Break as the best team in the Eastern Conference. Giannis Antetokuonmpo has been even better than he was during his MVP season in 2018-19, and that has helped the Bucks reach a new level. They have a 6.5-game lead over Toronto in the race for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and they have won nine of their last 10 games as of Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers have lost three straight games to fall to the No. 6 seed i... 

The Houston Rockets have been slumping in January. They are 4-7 in their last 11 games, and that has led to them falling in the standings. Houston is now tied for fifth place with Dallas in the Western Conference, and that’s not where owner Tilman Fertitta expected the Rockets to be after acquiring Russell Westbrook in a blockbuster trade this offseason. That could lead to some massive changes at the end of this year if Houston is one-and-done in the playoffs, but for now, the Rockets are simply... 

The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers were supposed to contend for the Atlantic Division title this season, but both teams are looking up at the Toronto Raptors. Boston is 31-15 and 1.5 games behind Toronto as of Thursday morning, while Philadelphia has a 31-17 record and is 2.5 games behind the Raptors. These teams are each looking to close the gap and inch closer to the top spot in the Atlantic Division, and they will meet for the fourth and final time this year on Saturday.... 

First place in the Southwest Division will likely be on the line when the Houston Rockets welcome the Dallas Mavericks to town on Friday night. These are the top teams in the Lone Star State this season, and Houston and Dallas both have a potential MVP. The Rockets are led by former MVP James Harden, while last year’s Rookie of the Year Luka Doncic have improved by leaps and bounds in his second season. Houston currently has a half-game lead in the standings as of Wednesday afternoon with a 29-1... 

The Zion Williamson era is here. The most highly anticipated rookie in years made his debut on Wednesday night, and it was worth the wait. Williamson dazzled everyone with his athleticism, ripping off 17 straight points against San Antonio to finish with a team-high 22 points despite playing just 18 minutes. The New Orleans Pelicans ended up losing to the Spurs 121-117, but Williamson’s play has fans excited for the next few years. New Orleans will welcome the Boston Celtics to the Big Easy on S... 

The Los Angeles Lakers are out to grow their Western Conference lead when they take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night. The Lakers have a four-game lead on the Utah Jazz for the top spot in the Western Conference, but they are 2-2 in their last four games coming into this tilt. They were blown out by the Boston Celtics on Monday night, but they bounced back against the New York Knicks on Wednesday night to move to 35-9 on the year. Los Angeles will face Brooklyn on Thursday night ahead ... 

The Philadelphia 76ers are sure to be feeling aggrieved when they head back to the Great White North for just the second time since falling to the Toronto Raptors in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals last year. Kawhi Leonard sunk the first buzzer beater to win a Game 7 in NBA history to knock the Sixers out of the playoffs, and the Raptors went on to win their first NBA title. Leonard is no longer with the Raptors, but there are plenty of familiar faces from last year’s team, including... 

The Los Angeles Lakers are back atop the Western Conference after an interminable period. The Lakers are set to end a six-year playoff drought this season, and Los Angeles is currently the odds-on favorite to win both the Western Conference and the NBA title. They have a 4.5-game lead on both Denver and Utah in the race for the No. 1 seed, and the Lakers are out to extend that lead this weekend when they travel to the Lone Star State to face the Houston Rockets. The Rockets are currently mired i... 

The Milwaukee Bucks have been the best team in the NBA all season. At the halfway point of the 2019-20 campaign, Milwaukee has a 6.5-game lead on the Boston Celtics for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and the Bucks may as well hang the Central Division banner already. They are 9.5 games ahead of the Indiana Pacers, and the next three teams in the division are all more than 20 games behind the Bucks. Milwaukee is out to win its first conference championship since 1974, and its toughest ... 

Boston has been one of the most surprising teams in the NBA this season. The Celtics were supposed to be the best team in the Eastern Conference last year, but instead they sputtered with Kyrie Irving. They went 49-33 and should have been swept by the Milwaukee Bucks after sweeping the Indiana Pacers sans Victor Oladipo in the first round of the playoffs. Irving departed in the offseason, but it might have been a case of addition by subtraction as the Celtics have much better chemistry this camp... 

The Denver Nuggets have been one of the best teams in the NBA this season. Denver is currently tied with the Houston Rockets as the second-best team in the Western Conference, and the Nuggets have a one game lead on the Utah Jazz for the top spot in the Northwest Division. The Nuggets have stumbled in the middle of their five-game road trip though, losing by double digits to Houston and Washington. Denver must travel to face the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night too before finishing up with a nation... 

The first of two games on ESPN on Friday night has the Philadelphia 76ers visiting the Houston Rockets. The 76ers got a big win last week against Milwaukee, but then went on the road and couldn’t follow up that win, as they were beaten in Florida by Orlando and Miami. On the other side, the Rockets have benefited lately from a soft schedule, but they did have to play Denver on Tuesday and now they get the 76ers on Friday. Let’s look at the matchup for Friday and NBA picks.... 

The Milwaukee Bucks visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday afternoon in a game that can be seen on ABC. The Bucks have the best record in the Eastern Conference, while the 76ers are battling for second place in the conference. This will be the first meeting between the teams this season and a chance for the 76ers to prove they can beat the top team in the conference. Let’s look at the matchup for Wednesday and NBA picks.... 

Two teams battling for second place in the Eastern Conference meet on Wednesday, as the Boston Celtics visit the Toronto Raptors on ESPN. The Raptors are dealing with some major injuries so they are not at full strength and it would not be a shock to see them listed as a home underdog in this contest. Toronto is without leading scorer Pascal Siakam in addition to being without Marc Gasol and Normal Powell. Let’s look at the matchup for Wednesday and NBA picks.... 

Two of the best teams in the Western Conference and the entire NBA square off for a second time this season as the marquee matchup on Christmas day. The Los Angeles Lakers opened the season with a loss to their Staples Center co-tenants Los Angeles Clippers then proceeded to win 24 of their next 26 outings before a snafu. Suffering through their first losing streak of any kind, the West leaders will attempt to end a three-game losing streak. We’re hoping to see two superstars back in action afte... 

It is the clash of the titans on Thursday night on TNT, as the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Milwaukee Bucks. This is definitely a potential NBA Finals preview, as the Lakers and Bucks entered the week with identical records of 24-3. The Bucks started the week on an 18-game winning streak, while the Lakers had won seven in a row. There is no question this is the most anticipated matchup of the season to date. Let’s look at the matchup for Thursday night and NBA picks.... 

The Boston Celtics may get a break on Wednesday night, as the Dallas Mavericks could be without superstar Luka Doncic. He suffered an ankle sprain on Saturday and he may not play in this game on Wednesday night on ESPN. The Celtics also have a nice advantage in terms of rest, as they have not played since last Thursday, while the Mavericks were in Milwaukee on Monday. Let’s look at the matchup for Wednesday and NBA picks.... 

Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference meet on Thursday night, as the Philadelphia 76ers visit the Boston Celtics on TNT. It is not a good spot for the Celtics, as they will be playing the second half of a back-to-back, as they were at Indiana on Wednesday. Boston has won seven of the last ten in this series, but the 76ers have won the last two. Let’s look at the matchup for Thursday and NBA picks.... 

Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers visit the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night on ESPN. This will be the first time that Leonard goes up against his old team in Toronto. The teams did play in Los Angeles last month and it was the Clippers winning 98-88. The reception in Toronto for Leonard should be a positive one, as he led the team to an NBA title last season. Let’s look at the matchup for Wednesday and NBA picks. ... 

The Los Angeles Lakers visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night on ESPN. The Blazers have played much better since signing Carmelo Anthony, but they get a big test on Friday against a Los Angeles team led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Lakers have the best record in the NBA, but this is not a great spot for Los Angeles, as they are playing their third game in four days. Let’s look at Friday night’s matchup and NBA picks.... 

The Anthony Davis trade has been as much of a difference-maker as advertised for the Los Angeles Lakers, as the star center has helped lift the team to the best record in the NBA. Davis will face off against his former team this week when the Lakers hit the road to play the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans got a decent haul of young talent and draft picks back for Davis but they have been hit hard by injuries early in the season. New Orleans would love to knock off Davis and the Lakers, but Los Angeles will still be the clear favorite in this matchup. ... 

The Portland Trail Blazers expect to be one of the main contenders in the Western Conference this season but are off to a slow start. This team has talent but needs to pick it up soon because there are a lot of talented teams jockeying for position atop the West. The Blazers have a tough matchup next time out when they hit the road to face off against the Milwaukee Bucks. Milwaukee entered the season as the team to beat in the East and has gotten off to a nice start. This is a matchup between tw... 

The Boston Celtics may be the biggest surprise in the NBA, as they have run roughshod over their opponents in the early portion of the regular season to jump out to the best record in the league. The Celtics are looking like a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference and will face a great barometer when they hit the road to face off against the Los Angeles Clippers this week. The Clippers are off to a slower start than hoped but they are getting healthy now and aiming to find a groove. Thi...