BASKETBALL NBA ARTICLES

The Los Angeles Lakers are hosting LeBron James’ old team this weekend. Too bad James won’t play. The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming to town but the luster will be off this game as James continues to deal with a groin strain that has kept him sidelined since Christmas Day.... 

With the college football season over and the NFL winding down, it’s time for the NBA to take center stage, and there’s no shortage of interesting matchups on Saturday as the league hits the midway point in its season. Thus far the season has been a bit surprising. The defending champs and overwhelming favorite to topple the field again, the Golden State Warriors have struggled by their standards, though they appear to be over the drama that rocked them earlier in the year.... 

The Indiana Pacers continue to stick among the top teams in the Eastern Conference despite middling preseason expectations. Indiana is in third place in the East and only two game behind the Raptors for the top seed. The Pacers feel like they can stay up in that rarified air all year and have a good chance at claiming a road win this week against the New York Knicks.... 

The Los Angeles Lakers have tumbled without the services of star forward LeBron James. The injury to their best player has sent the Lakers from among the top teams in the West to the playoff bubble. They are trying to weather the storm and will likely need to for awhile longer.... 

Every time we try to pronounce the San Antonio Spurs’ dynasty dead, they return to impressiveness. Such has been the case of late, as a strong run has vaulted the Spurs back to among the elite in the Western Conference. The star trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili may be no more, but San Antonio has reloaded on the fly.... 

The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat may be right next to each other in the Eastern Conference standings, but they have vastly different ceilings. Boston is in fifth place in the East but still has designs of winning an NBA title this year, while Miami is more of a .500 team.... 

The Milwaukee Bucks have the best record in the NBA, but in order to truly be considered a championship contender, they have to consistently fare well against the other elite teams. Milwaukee has done that thus far and will look to add another big win when it faces off against the Houston Rockets this week.... 

The Los Angeles Lakers are missing their superstar. The Lakers have struggled badly since LeBron James was sidelined by an injury and will be without him once again in a matchup this week against the Detroit Pistons. The Lakers have slid from among the top teams in the Western Conference down to the playoff bubble and hope to avoid being in a race to simply make the postseason.... 

The Indiana Pacers have been one of the most pleasant surprises in the NBA this year, as they are right in the mix for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Indiana can inch even closer if it can pull an upset over the Toronto Raptors next time out.... 

The Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks have looked like the two best teams in the Eastern Conference all year. Both would love to finish atop the standings and they are currently in a tight battle for the best record in the NBA.... 

The Dallas Mavericks were a pleasant surprise early in the regular season but reality has hit hard of late. Dallas is in a rut and falling further out of the playoff race in the competitive Western Conference. Dallas would like to get back in the mix but has a tough matchup next time out when it hits the road to face off against the Boston Celtics.... 

The Warriors haven’t pulled away from the pack yet, but everyone still expects them to win the Western Conference. Their top competition in the West? That’s harder to figure out. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Portland Trail Blazers both believe they have enough talent to make a deep postseason run. Home court advantage in the playoffs could be a big deal so those teams will face off this week with plenty of potential repercussions hanging in the balance.... 

The Minnesota Timberwolves are among a glut of teams jockeying for the playoffs in the Western Conference, but they have fallen near the bottom of that group. Minnesota needs to get on a hot streak soon or risk falling out of the postseason race. They have a tough task on Wednesday as the T-Wolves hit the road to face off against the Boston Celtics.... 

The Toronto Raptors’ long hold on the top spot in the Eastern Conference is being challenged by the Bucks, as both teams desperately want home court advantage for as much of the playoffs as possible.... 

The Los Angeles Lakers are desperately trying to stay afloat without LeBron James in a closely-packed Western Conference. The superstar forward is currently out due to a groin strain and it’s unknown if he will be back in time for Wednesday’s nationally televised matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.... 

Much like a year ago, the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors were expected to run away from the pack in the Western Conference and be the clear two contenders for the NBA crown. It hasn’t quite worked out that way, as both have dealt with plenty of speed bumps heading into their showdown this week.... 

Is it time to start worrying about the Golden State Warriors? Everyone has been waiting for the defending NBA champions to turn it on and leave all the Western Conference challengers in the dust, but as the calendar gets ready to flip to 2019, it still hasn’t happened. The Warriors will look to break out in a tough road matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers.... 

The Los Angeles Lakers should be riding high after their statement road win over the defending champion Warriors on Christmas. Instead, there is concern about an injury to their superstar. LeBron James left the game early with a groin injury and if he misses Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers it would have a humongous effect on the spread.... 

The Toronto Raptors continue to boast the best record in the NBA, but it’s fair to wonder if a host of injuries will allow other teams to close the gap. Toronto has been dealing with the absence of many key players in recent weeks but will aim to keep on having success this week in a matchup against the Miami Heat.... 

The Philadelphia 76ers have been dominant at home this season, but their road performance has been a different story. The 76ers will need to improve away from home to truly be considered a championship contender, and a road win over the Utah Jazz this week would be a good step forward.... 

Just when the Houston Rockets began to find their groove, another key injury hit. Star point Chris Paul is out with a hamstring injury which is going to put a dent into the team’s hopes at moving up the standings in the Western Conference. Houston still has star James Harden leading the way but the supporting cast will need to step up. The Rockets will host the Boston Celtics this week in a crucial matchup for both sides.... 

It is clear by now that some pretty worthy teams in the Western Conference are going to be left out of the playoffs at the end of the year. The Utah Jazz is hoping it won’t be one of them. A recent skid has dropped the Jazz down the standings and the team will aim to turn it around in a Christmas Day matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers.... 

The Milwaukee Bucks are putting the pressure on the Raptors for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, and another win on Tuesday over the New York Knicks can ratchet it up even more. Milwaukee has looked like one of the best teams in the NBA all season long and grabbing the No. 1 seed heading into the playoffs would greatly help its chance of advancing to the NBA Finals. Even though it is early, every victory means something and the Bucks will aim to grab a road win.... 

There are five teams that figure to be in contention for the Eastern Conference crown come playoff time, and a pair of them will face off on Christmas Day. The Boston Celtics have been playing well of late and will welcome in the Philadelphia 76ers.... 

The Houston Rockets finally have liftoff. After sputtering badly to open the season, the Rockets have turned it around of late and are quickly moving up the Western Conference standings. Despite the bumpy start everyone figured Houston would eventually reclaim its rightful spot among the best teams in the NBA and it is beginning to come to fruition. The Rockets will aim to remain hot when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder in an intriguing matchup on Christmas Day....