BASKETBALL NBA ARTICLES

The Houston Rockets are healthy again and rolling. With James Harden back in the lineup the team has looked good of late, including an ultra-impressive victory over the defending champion Golden State Warriors. Houston must hit the road next time out but it won’t be a big deal as they will make the short trip to take on the woeful Dallas Mavericks.... 

As the trading deadline approaches, the Los Angeles Clippers are trying to determine whether to unload players or push for the playoffs. Los Angeles is currently sitting as the final seed in the Western Conference playoff standings so it is looking at a critical next few weeks before the trading deadline.... 

The NBA regular season is more than half over, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are not looking like title contenders. Even though LeBron James and a host of other big names are on the roster, the Cavs sit in just third place in the Eastern Conference and have been struggling lately. They hope to turn it around this week in a big road game against the San Antonio Spurs.... 

The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics were, for a long time, the two dominant franchises in the NBA. Boston has returned to among the league’s best this year, but Los Angeles is still in the midst of its rebuild. The teams will face off this week, as the Lakers would love to pull the upset in this matchup.... 

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers both entered the season expected to be on the short list of title contenders. More than halfway through the season, neither is looking very hot. Both of these struggling teams are looking to find their groove down the stretch. They will face off with one another in a pivotal regular season matchup this weekend.... 

Regular season games don’t get much bigger than this. Arguably the two best teams in the NBA will face off on Saturday when the defending champion Golden State Warriors hit the road to face off against the Houston Rockets.... 

The New York Knicks and Utah Jazz are both trying to hang around in the playoff race, but the margin of slim down the stretch is slim for both. Utah will host the Knicks in a regular season game this week which is a crucial one for both sides to grab.... 

The Denver Nuggets are Washington Wizards are both in a logjam of teams in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference playoff race. Four spots separate the teams in the standings but only two games, and if the Pistons can protect their home court in a matchup against the Wizards this week it would go a long way in inching up the standings.... 

The Houston Rockets have lost some ground on the other Western Conference powers with star James Harden sidelined. They are hoping he gets back this week, and Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves would be the quickest possible return.... 

The Los Angeles Clippers have hit a groove of late, slingshotting themselves back into the playoff race in the Western Conference. The Clippers have closed fast on the Denver Nuggets for the eighth seed, and these two teams will face off this week in a critical matchup.... 

In the United States or overseas, the Boston Celtics have had the Philadelphia 76ers’ number this season. They will aim to sweep the four-game series between the teams this week. Boston has won each game by double digits, including a matchup last week between the teams in London, England.... 

The Oklahoma City Thunder is running out of time to prove itself an upper echelon team. There were grand expectations placed upon the team after the offseason acquisitions of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, but Oklahoma City is closer to .500 then to contender status. The Thunder will aim to turn it on down the stretch, which could start this week at home against the Los Angeles Lakers.... 

The rivalry gets renewed once again. The two superpowers in the NBA will meet up again early next week when the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Golden State Warriors in a regular season affair. The game is more important to Cleveland as it is jockeying for positioning in the Eastern Conference.... 

The Los Angeles Clippers are hanging around in the playoff race but could use some upset victories to gain some ground on teams ahead of them like the Pelicans and Nuggets. Los Angeles is at home later this week but faces a powerful foe in the Houston Rockets.... 

While most of the teams in the NBA still have realistic playoff hopes, it’s looking grim for a pair of teams in the Western Conference basement. The Los Angeles Lakers will hit the road this week for a game against the Memphis Grizzlies.... 

The Minnesota Timberwolves have surprised many observers as they sit fourth in the Western Conference more than midway through the regular season. They would love to stay there to get home court advantage in the playoffs. The closest team below them is the Portland Trail Blazers, and these teams will match up in a critical game this week.... 

The Milwaukee Bucks have some pretty good home wins this season, but this one would take the cake. The Eastern Conference playoff hopeful would give a treat to their fans if they can find a way to knock off the defending champion Golden State Warriors this week.... 

The Houston Rockets scored 90 points by halftime the last time they faced the Phoenix Suns, cruising to an easy win. This time could be harder, because they won’t have MVP candidate James Harden at their disposal. Houston must hit the road for this contest and is looking for every win it can muster as it jockeys for position in a muddle Western Conference playoff race.... 

The rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs used to be a good one. But while San Antonio has stayed among the best teams in the NBA, the Lakers have fallen off. Los Angeles was hoping to show some progress this season but has slid to the worst record in the Western Conference.... 

It seems like the Toronto Raptors’ best chance at knocking off the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs will be by earning home court advantage in the regular season. Toronto is currently a couple of games ahead of Cleveland for the No. 2 seed and could take another step toward that goal when the teams face off in a critical regular season showdown this week.... 

The Los Angeles Clippers are hanging around in the playoff race, and if they can sneak in, Wednesday’s matchup may be a harbinger of things to come. If Los Angeles can grab the No. 8 seed it would likely face off with the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the postseason.... 

The Minnesota Timberwolves have turned the corner in their development and seem to be a shoo-in as a playoff team in the Western Conference after a nice start. They will aim to make a statement with a home this week over fellow conference power the Oklahoma City Thunder. While neither team is in the stratosphere that the Warriors, Rockets and Spurs preside, they are on that next tier.... 

The Memphis Grizzlies have been in a rut since star point guard Mike Conley went down due to injury. He is close to returning but it’s unknown if he will be back in time to face the Washington Wizards this week. If so, it will be a huge boost for a group which has fallen to among the worst records in the NBA.... 

The Miami Heat and New York Knicks are close to each other and on the bubble for Eastern Conference playoff spots, and based on their talent level, could stick around there all year. Each team would love to pick up a win when they face off in a regular season matchup down in Miami this week.... 

The matchup between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference was going to be a good one anyway. There could be just a bit more intrigue with Isaiah Thomas ready to play after healing all season from a hip injury. Thomas led the Boston Celtics to the conference finals last season before his team was eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The teams swapped superstar guards in the offseason with disgruntled Kyrie Irving heading to Beantown. The Cavs have done well without IT, but he could be what turns them into East champs once again....