The best thing about having NBA League Pass is the ability to watch bad, unpopular teams. There are a couple of teams that won't receive a lot of media coverage, but they are playing extremely well. Over the weekend I got to watch Charlotte play against Washington, which went into Overtime and was a really compelling game between teams that won't be on TV much, and won't be receiving a ton of media coverage. It was also my game to watch for Saturday from my last blog post.
The first Overtime ended with Chris Singleton needing to hit free throws to potentially win the game and lead the Wizards to their first win of the season. They were down 2 and he was fouled while taking a 3 point shot, so 3 free throws meant a win, 2 free throws meant double overtime and 5 more minutes of basketball, and hitting 1 or less meant that the Wizards would lose for the 11th time in a row. He hits the first one, followed by cheering from the crowd. He misses the second shot which deflates the entire building. Then he hits the third giving the Wizards, another opportunity at their first win. It isn't often that free throws have me at the edge of my seat, but it ended up being great theatre.
Now off to the games of the week.
Monday
New York Knicks @ Brooklyn Nets TNT (Nationally Televised)
I don't need to describe how big this game is. The two teams are geographic rivals and it has been a while since both teams were good at the same time. Now that the Nets have moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn. They also have added better ownership and players. They appear to be primed to take the crown as the best team in New York. If the playoffs started today the Knicks would be the second seed and the Nets would be 3rd. This is a huge game and the first in a series of strong, meaningful games for both franchises.
Tuesday
Toronto @ Houston (League Pass)
The return of Kyle Lowry to Houston, and a good excuse to watch the two franchises.
Wednesday
Houston @ OKC (NBA TV)
Do I even have to explain why the return of James Harden is a big game. For the uninitiated, James Harden was drafted by the Thunder and played in Oklahoma for the first few years of his contract. This year he was up for a new contract and negotiated for it. Harden wanted a maximum deal (4 years/60 million) and the Thunder didn't want to pay him that much, instead offering him 4 years/52 million. The reasoning was that Harden, while a good player was still the 3rd best player on the team and giving him a max contract would reduce financial flexibility for the other positions on the teams. When Harden rejected the low offer, the assumption was that the thunder would keep him and try to negotiate a better deal over the course of the season. Instead, the Thunder traded him to Houston where he received the max contract he sought. Now he's back, going against Oklahoma City, and likely seeking revenge on his former team.
Thursday
San Antonio @ Miami TNT
San Antonio against Miami was the match up that many predicted would be the NBA Finals last year when the playoffs started. San Antonio was widely viewed as the worst matchup for Miami, and that Oklahoma City beating San Antonio made the path to a ring easier for the Heat. This should be an interesting matchup.
Denver @ GS TNT
The other TNT game is going to be interesting. The upstart Warriors are going to be tested against the Nuggets. I'm interested in how both teams perform.
Friday
Denver @ LAL (ESPN)
Remember when the Lakers were dead in the water after losing their first couple of games and not winning at all during the preseason. Well, after a coaching change the Lakers are exactly who we thought they were. Theyy should perform well against Denver.
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