NBA League Pass Games to Watch: Week 8

Here is a closer look at some of this week’s best matchups available only on NBA League Pass. Note: All stats and records through games played on Sunday, Feb. 7

Feb. 8

Warriors (12-11) at Spurs (13-10)
8:30 ET, NBA League Pass

There have been five 50+ point games in the NBA this season … and Stephen Curry has two of them as he has posted the top two scoring performances of his career in 2021. Curry put up 57 points and 11 3-pointers against Dallas on Saturday, but it was not enough for the Warriors to get the win. How will he follow up that game? We’ll see when the Warriors take on the Spurs on NBA League Pass. Curry leads the NBA in 3-pointers made with 111 and is shooting 42.5% from deep. Meanwhile, the Spurs allow the 5th-highest 3-point percentage in the league (38.9%).

Feb. 9

76ers (17-7) at Kings (12-11)
10 ET, NBA League Pass

The Kings enter Week 8 having won four straight and seven their last eight games. De’Aaron Fox is making a push for his first All-Star selection with his play during this stretch — 27.0 ppg (10.0 in the fourth quarter), 7.8 apg, 3.8 apg and 2.6 3pg. They face a Philadelphia team with the best record in the East and one of the league’s top Kia MVP candidates in Joel Embiid, who enters this week averaging 29.3 ppg, 10.7 rpg and shooting 55.3%. The Sixers have won eight of their last 10 games, and are coming off a 16-point win over Brooklyn. 

Magic (9-15) at Trail Blazers (12-10)10 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass

Carmelo Anthony can climb as high as 10th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list this season. He can take his next step up the leaderboard on Tuesday as he needs 12 points to pass Oscar Robertson (26,710) for 12th in career scoring.

Melo’s Run to the Top 10

• 13th: Carmelo Anthony, 26,699 PTS
• 12th: Oscar Robertson, 26,710 PTS, Carmelo needs 12 points to pass
• 11th: Hakeem Olajuwon, 26,946 PTS, Carmelo needs 248 points to pass
• 10th: Elvin Hayes, 27,313 PTS, Carmelo needs 615 points to pass

Feb. 10

Pacers (12-12) at Nets (14-11)
8 ET, NBA League Pass

The Nets and Pacers enter this week ranked 3rd and 5th, respectively, in the East. Both teams looking tto get back on a winning track as the Pacers have lost three straight and five of their last six, while the Nets have lost two in a row and three of their last four. Brooklyn will have to do it without one member of the Big 3 as Kevin Durant is not expected to rejoin the team until Friday due to health and safety protocols.

Even with the No. 2 scorer in the league sidelined, the Nets still have two of the top 20 scorers in the league in Kyrie Irving (7th, 27.5 ppg) and James Harden (18th, 24.1 ppg). Indiana is looking to bounce back from its lowest-scoring game of the season as they put up just 95 points in a loss to Utah — which entered the game with the top record in the NBA.

Feb. 12

Bucks (15-8) at Jazz (19-5)
9 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass

Can I interest you in a matchup between the team with the best record in the NBA (Utah at 19-5) and the team that finished with the best record in the NBA in each of the past two seasons (Milwaukee, currently 15-8, 2nd in East)? The Jazz enter the week have won 15 of their last 16 games dating back to Jan. 8. During that stretch, Donovan Mitchell has averaged 24.8 points on 47.7% shooting from 3-point range.

He is one of five Jazz players averaging at least eight points and shooting better than 40% from 3-point range. The Jazz (40.3%) and Bucks (40.1%) rank 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in 3-point percentage this season. Defensively, the Jazz allow the 5th-lowest 3-point percentage (35.0%), while the Bucks allow the 7th-highest (38.2%). The Jazz made a team-record 25 3-pointers in 53 attempts in their first meeting of the season with Milwaukee en route to a 131-118 win.

Feb. 14

Celtics (12-10) at Wizards (5-15)
1 ET, NBA League Pass

This matchup features three of the top 12 scorers in the NBA this season. Bradley Beal leads all players at 33.2 ppg — nearly four points higher than any other player in the league. The Celtics duo of Jayson Tatum  (10th, 27.0 ppg) and Jaylen Brown (26.4 ppg) are one of three pairs of teammates to each average over 25 ppg this season — joining Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and Portland’s Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.

In their first meeting of the season, Tatum (32 points) and Brown (27 points) combined for 59 points to help the Celtics hold off Beal (41 points) and the Wizards for a 116-107 win. Will all three players have big scoring nights once again?