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| Heat F Lebron James and Thunder F Kevin Durant will meet for the second and final time in the regular season this Thursday night. |
Tuesday February 18, 2014 10:30pm NBATV
The Spurs have three tough games on the West Coast this week, and all of them are must-watches. If the Spurs have been playing the way they've been playing against the elite of the Western Conference so far, they could very well embark on a three-game losing streak. The Clippers easily handled the Spurs the first time the Spurs played them in the Staples Center. Tony Parker left that game early with an injury, but the Spurs will not use that as an excuse for the loss. The Clippers are only two games behind the Spurs in the Western Conference, so this is a game they want to win. This is also the final meeting between these teams, so the winner of this game owns the season tiebreaker if that should be an issue at the end of the regular season.
Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Wednesday February 19, 2014 10:30pm ESPN
The Lakers suck, as they're tied with the Kings for the worst record in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Rockets are rolling. After losing two straight to the Grizzlies, the Rockets have won seven straight games to jump ahead of the Clippers and Trailblazers for the three seed. This game isn't notable because it's a matchup between two good teams. It's a must-watch because Dwight Howard will make his return to the Staples Center to play the Lakers for the first time since departing the Lakers as a free agent. You can expect a lot of boos. With an underwhelming roster, Howard will have the last laugh.
Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Thursday February 20, 2014 8pm TNT
Kevin Durant is rightfully sick and tired of the comparisons about him and Lebron James. Both players will go at it for the final time in the regular season, and they may see each other again in the NBA Finals. It seems like Durant has locked up the MVP award, averaging 31.5 points a game while James is third averaging 26.5 points a game. The Thunder also handed the Heat an embarrassing home loss last month, and the Thunder may get Russell Westbrook back for this game. The Thunder can make a statement here with a resounding sweep of the Heat. Of course, a better statement would be an NBA title over the Heat.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Phoenix Suns
Friday February 21, 2014 9pm
The Spurs have beaten the Suns twice so far this season, but those wins didn't come easy. The Suns are shocking the country with their play, which has them in playoff contention. If the season were to end today, the Spurs would be playing the Suns in the first round. The Suns are a team that's young and full of energy, so the Spurs may have problems against them if they were to play each other in a playoffs series. If you remember the 2010 postseason, Goran Dragic had his coming-out party against the Spurs in the second round during his first stint with the Suns. The Suns surprisingly swept the Spurs in that series to advance to the Western Conference Finals. Could Tony Parker have problems with Dragic here?
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Sunday February 23, 2014 1pm ABC
We get back to our ABC doubleheaders with a great one, as the Clippers and Thunder don't seem to like each other at all. The first time these two teams played this season, Serge Ibaka and Matt Barnes were involved in a scuffle, and Barnes was ejected. Barnes would later engage in a Twitter rant during the game while in the locker room after being ejected. That rant cost him some money as well. Barnes isn't the only player to not like Ibaka, and Ibaka isn't the only player to not like Barnes either. Whenever Blake Griffin is involved, things can get testy. Griffin is strong and imposes his strength and force on opponents, drawing their ire at times. The Clippers would like to gain ground on the Thunder, but they're six back and the Thunder have been rolling. I'm not sure the Clippers catch that top spot.
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