BASKETBALL NBA ARTICLES

The New Orleans Pelicans and Washington Wizards are both without one of their stars right now, but both are doing just fine. Washington is keeping pace in the Eastern Conference while the Pelicans are red hot and moving up the ladder in the West. These two teams will face off in a game that figures to be intense.... 

There are right teams within four games of each other in the Western Conference playoff race, and the Minnesota Timberwolves are right in the middle of the pack. Needless to say every victory moving forward is huge and Minnesota has a tough game coming up next time out against the Boston Celtics.... 

The San Antonio Spurs have long been one of the best teams in the NBA, but a rash of injuries to their top players is making it tough to be in the hunt this season. San Antonio is currently the No. 5 seed in the West and can get as high as No. 3, but they are also only two games from falling out of the playoffs completely.... 

The Toronto Raptors continue to gain steam as a possible contender in the Eastern Conference. Toronto has expanded its lead for the top seed in the East over the Boston Celtics to a game-and-a-half, and finishing atop the conference would be big come playoff time. The Raptors can keep the pressure the pressure on the rest of the East by picking up a big win over the Detroit Pistons.... 

If the Cleveland Cavaliers want to convince everyone that they are truly NBA title contenders, they need to show something down the stretch. It has been an underwhelming season for the LeBron-James-led Cavaliers, and a midseason re-tooling hasn’t done much to change those fortunes. Cleveland will go on the road this week to take on the Denver Nuggets and could very well be the underdogs based.... 

The Houston Rockets are the hottest team in the NBA, as a long winning streak has pushed them to the best record in the NBA. Golden State is right on its tail and Houston needs to keep racking up wins down the stretch.... 

The New Orleans Pelicans were counted out when star forward DeMarcus Cousins was lost for the season due to a torn Achilles. Instead, Anthony Davis has taken on an even bigger role and has the team in the midst of the Western Conference playoff seeding. New Orleans has won eight straight games and will aim to keep it goin this week in a matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers.... 

The Houston Rockets are making the rest of the NBA look foolish. They have won 14 consecutive games and have risen to the top record in the NBA in that span. The Golden State Warriors may still be the team to beat but Houston is on its tail and looking like the chief contender. The Rockets will look to stay hot when they host the Boston Celtics in a critical clash of top teams.... 

The Portland Trail Blazers are battling a host of other teams for position in the Western Conference, and every win down the stretch is critical. The Blazers have a good opportunity to pick up a road win early next week when they head to Los Angeles to face off against the Lakers.... 

The Cleveland Cavaliers have had some nice moments since re-tooling the team on the fly at the trading deadline, but they are far from a finished product. It remains to be seen if the Cavaliers are a true title contender, and they will aim to prove their worth down the stretch.... 

The Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks are side-by-side in the standings as the NBA hits its stretch run. Both teams are in good shape to make the postseason but would love to get as high of a seed as possible.Philadelphia is slightly ahead by percentage points but these teams look extremely even in talent level. With that the case, the Bucks should be considered the favorite since they have the home court advantage.... 

The Utah Jazz are charging hard for a playoff berth, but to get one, they are going to have to knock off some higher seeds down the stretch. A golden opportunity will present itself later this week when Utah hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves in a key Western Conference clash.... 

The Toronto Raptors don’t roll off the tongue as a true title contender, but there’s no one playing better in the Eastern Conference. Toronto has surpassed the Boston Celtics for the best record in the East and is hoping to keep the No. 1 seed heading into the postseason. It has a big game coming up this week against the Washington Wizards.... 

The Western Conference playoff race is extremely tight for seeds No. 3 through 9, and the Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers are smack dab in the middle of it all. They will face off this week in a critical showdown. ... 

For the past few seasons, the Cleveland Cavaliers were the best team in the Eastern Conference and the Philadelphia 76ers were the worst. In 2017-18, they are much closer to equals. The 76ers are on pace to make the playoffs this season while Cleveland is no longer sitting atop the standings. These two teams will face off this week in Cleveland and the result could have a big impact on the playoff race. ... 

The Golden State Warriors have kicked it into high gear since the All-Star Break as they look to track down the Houston Rockets atop the Western Conference standings. Golden State hopes to keep rolling next time out when it hits the road to face off against the Washington Wizards. ... 

Do the Golden State Warriors have a true challenge to their throne? The Houston Rockets certainly seem to be making their case. Houston has one fewer loss than the Warriors as the season winds down and would love to finish the year with the best record in the NBA. They could pick up a key win next time out on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers. ... 

Even after trading Blake Griffin, the Los Angeles Clippers are still hanging around in the Western Conference playoff hunt. They only sit one game behind the Denver Nuggets for the eighth and final spot and the teams will face off this week in a critical showdown.... 

There are several teams jockeying for position in the Eastern Conference, with only a couple of games separating five of them in the middle of the pack. The Milwaukee Bucks can climb closer to the Washington Wizards if they can knock them off in a game this week.... 

The Minnesota Timberwolves aren’t just on track to make the playoffs this year, but they could make some noise once there. A team in a perennial rebuild has finally taken a leap forward this season after the acquisition of Jimmy Butler and is pressing hard for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.... 

There are some games on the NBA schedule in which the outcome is almost preordained before the contest starts. That seems to be the case for a matchup next week when the Golden State Warriors hit the road to face off against the New York Knicks.... 

The Philadelphia 76ers seem to be growing up in front of our very eyes, as a recent winning streak has them safely in the playoffs and in range of making a big move up the standings. The 76ers are only a couple of games behind the Washington Wizards as the teams prepare to face off soon.... 

Two perennial contenders have not looked that way thus far in 2018, and hope to pick it up down the stretch. The San Antonio Spurs will hit the road for a big-time faceoff this weekend against the Cleveland Cavaliers.... 

The Boston Celtics’ fast start is a memory at this point. The Raptors have surpassed them for the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings while the re-tooled Cavaliers are hoping to make a push as well. Boston is still a good team and would love to move back on top in the East. They have a big game this weekend against the New York Knicks.... 

The Oklahoma City Thunder has competed very well against the elite teams in the NBA this season, which bodes well for its competitiveness come postseason time. The Thunder beat the Golden State Warriors on the road recently and will aim to pull the trick again this weekend....