NBA League Pass Games to Watch: Week 9
The Jazz enter Week 9 having won 18 of their last 19 games dating back to Jan. 8.
(Note: All stats and records from games played through Sunday, Feb. 14.)
Feb. 15
Philadelphia (18-9) at Utah (22-5)
9 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
The top team in the East (Philadelphia) and the top team in the West (Utah) meet for the first time this season. Utah is off to its best start in franchise history and enters the week having won seven straight and 18 of their last 19 games. The Jazz are the only team in the league to rank in the top five in both offensive (116.0, 4th) and defensive (107.0, 2nd) efficiency. They will be tested against Kia MVP candidate Joel Embiid and a Philly squad looking to snap a two-game losing streak as they wrap a four-game road trip in Salt Lake City. The Sixers are 11-2 at home, but just 7-7 on the road.
Feb. 16
Denver (15-11) at Boston (13-13)
7 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
The Nuggets enter Week 9 riding a three-game win streak, including a 17-point win over the defending champion Lakers Sunday behind Nikola Jokic’s sixth triple-double of the season (2nd in NBA) and a game-high 25 points from Jamal Murray. This season has been a bit of a yo-yo for the Nuggets as this three-game win streak follows a stretch where they lost four of five games, which was preceded by a five-game win streak. Denver will look to extend its current streak to four games against a Boston team that is looking to right its own ship. The Celtics enter this week having lost two straight and four of their last five games. Since opening the season 8-3, Boston has gone 5-10 over its past 15 games.
Feb. 17
Portland (16-10) at New Orleans (11-15)
9 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
Portland enters the week riding a four-game win streak thanks to the latest episode of Dame Time with Damian Lillard knocking down the go-ahead 3-pointer with 32 seconds to lead the Blazers past the Mavericks on Sunday. Lillard ranks fourth in clutch scoring this season with 58 points in 45 clutch minutes (score inside five points in final five minutes). Lillard is shooting 55.2% from the field, 41.7% from 3-point range and hit all 21 of his free throws with the game on the line.
Utah (22-5) at LA Clippers (20-8)
10 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
After opening the week against the top team in the East, the Jazz get another strong test with a matchup with the Clippers on Wednesday. Entering Week 9, there are three teams in the league that have reached 20 wins – these two teams, and the team that they are looking to dethrone, the defending champion Lakers. Utah won the first meeting with LA on New Year’s Day behind a big game from Mike Conley. A key question heading into their second matchup will be the availability of Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. George has missed five straight games with a right foot injury and Kawhi joined him on the sideline over the weekend with a lower leg contusion.
Feb. 19
Golden State (14-13) at Orlando (10-18)
7 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
Stephen Curry is tied with Bradley Beal and Luka Doncic for the most 40-point games of the season so far with three entering Week 9. His latest 40-point effort came against the Magic on Feb. 11 as he shot 14-26 from the field and 10-19 on 3-pointers to lead the Warriors to 111-105 win in the Bay Area. With the scene shifting to Orlando for the rematch, will Curry have the same shooting touch against the Magic?
Feb. 20
Washington (7-17) at Portland (16-10)
10 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
Who is ready for a duel between two of the top four scorers in the NBA on a Saturday night. League-leading scorer Bradley Beal (32.9 ppg) and the Wizards will be in Portland to take on Damian Lillard (29.2 ppg, 4th in NBA) and the Blazers. In their first meeting on Feb. 2, Beal won the individual scoring battle 37-32, but it was Lillard and the Blazers that earned the 132-121 win. The short-handed Blazers (without C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic due to injury) have found a way to keep winning as they enter the week having won four in a row and six of their last seven games.
Feb. 21
Sacramento (12-14) at Milwaukee (16-11)
9 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
No player on the current Kings roster was on the team the last time the Kings beat the Bucks on Feb. 1, 2016. The Bucks have won eight straight meetings with the Kings and will look to continue their dominance in the matchup when they host Sacramento on Sunday. The Bucks are 9-2 at home this season, but the Kings enter the week having won four of their last five road games. One of those wins came in Toronto as it snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Raptors. Can the Kings repeat that feat against the Bucks?
