Viewer’s guide for NBA's first-ever Rivals Week

Rivalries both old and new take center stage this week with the first-ever NBA Rivals Week. From Tuesday through Saturday, 11 nationally televised games will feature some of the league’s most classic duels and some emerging rivalries between teams and players.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these matchups, digging into the numbers, the history and the current state of each rivalry.

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Wednesday (ESPN)

Nets at 76ers (7:30 p.m. ET)

Rivalry Snapshot

• All-Time Record (Regular Season): Sixers 120, Nets 88
• All-Time Record (Playoffs): Sixers 8, Nets 4 (Last met in 2019 First Round, Sixers won 4-1)
• All-Time Record (Combined): Sixers 128, Nets 92
• Last 10 Games (Combined): Sixers 6, Nets 4
• This Season (Sixers 1, Nets 0): Sixers 115-106 on Nov. 22

This has mostly been a regular season rivalry as the Sixers and Nets have only met in the playoffs three times throughout their teams’ history, most recently with Philadelphia eliminating Brooklyn in the first round of the 2019 Playoffs in five games.

The key to this rivalry is last season’s trade-deadline deal that sent Ben Simmons to Brooklyn and James Harden to Philadelphia. This is the second meeting of the season (both in Philadelphia) for the Nets and Sixers, as they enter Week 15 ranked second and fourth, respectively, in the Eastern Conference.

The Sixers won the first meeting back on Nov. 22 despite playing without their top three players: Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey. This was Simmons’ first game back in Philly since the trade last season. He finished with 11 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds while being serenaded with a chorus of boos from the Philly crowd every time he touched the ball.

Grizzlies at Warriors (10 p.m. ET)

Rivalry Snapshot

• All-Time Record (Regular Season): Warriors 52, Grizzlies 48
• All-Time Record (Playoffs): Warriors 8, Grizzlies 5 (including 1 play-in game)
• All-Time Record (Combined): Warriors 60, Grizzlies 53
• Last 10 Games (Combined): Warriors 6, Grizzlies 4 (Warriors won 2022 West Semifinals 4-2)
• This Season (Warriors 1, Grizzlies 0): Warriors 123-109 on Dec. 25

Immediately following Golden State’s 117-116 win in Game 1 of the 2022 Western Conference semifinals, Stephen Curry approached Memphis’ Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. while the Grizzlies teammates lamented their loss while standing under the basket. “Fun as hell, fellas. Come on! Come on!” Curry yelled while dapping up both players. Jackson then asked Curry, “You love this, huh?” and Curry quickly responded, “Absolutely!”

Two days later, Memphis tied the series with a 106-101 win in Game 2 behind Morant’s 47-point master class – including all of Memphis’ final 15 points in the final four-plus minutes of the game. After the final buzzer, Curry and Morant crossed paths near midcourt while exiting the court, and Morant returned the message to Curry: “We’re gonna have some fun.”

Unfortunately, the fun was cut short as Morant suffered a bone bruise in his knee during Game 3 and was ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs. The Warriors would go on to win the series in six games on their way to winning their fourth NBA title in eight years.

After winning the title, Klay Thompson called out Jackson for using Golden State’s catchphrase “strength in numbers” in a tweet following a Grizzlies regular-season win over the Warriors. Of course, Morant responded to that jab by saying the Grizzlies are taking up a lot of real estate in the minds of the Warriors.

The teams met on Christmas Day, with Golden State winning 123-109 without Curry as Jordan Poole (32) and Thompson (24) combined for 56 points to help offset Morant’s game-high 36 points. With matchups on Christmas Day and Rivals Week, this emerging rivalry should be entertaining to follow.

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Thursday (TNT)

Knicks at Celtics (7:30 p.m. ET)

Rivalry Snapshot

• All-Time Record (Regular Season): Celtics 300, Knicks 186
• All-Time Record (Playoffs): Celtics 36, Knicks 31 (last playoff matchup in 2013 First Round)
• All-Time Record (Combined): Celtics 336, Knicks 217
• Last 10 Games (Combine)d: Celtics 6, Knicks 4
• This Season (Celtics 1, Knicks 0): Celtics 133, Knicks 118 on Nov. 5

The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics rivalry dates back to the opening days of the NBA (then known as the BAA: Basketball Association of America) as they are two of the original 11 teams. Between the regular season and playoffs, the Knicks and Celtics have met 553 times entering their Rivals Week matchup on Thursday with Boston holding a 336-217 all-time advantage over New York.

Thanks to a barrage of 3-pointers, the Celtics won the first meeting of the season 133-118 on Nov. 5. Boston made a franchise-record 27 3s in the game, including six apiece by Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, who combined for 56 points.

Boston’s hot shooting helped keep the Knicks at bay as New York got a combined 78 points from Julius Randle (29), RJ Barrett (27) and Jalen Brunson (22). The Celtics rank second in 3-pointers made on the season (15.6 per game on 37.2% shooting), while the Knicks allow the third-most 3-point attempts (38 per game), the sixth-most 3-pointers made (13.1 per game), but the fourth-lowest percentage (34.5%).

Suns at Mavericks (10 p.m. ET)

Rivalry Snapshot

• All-Time Record (Regular Season): Suns 95, Mavericks 75
• All-Time Record (Playoffs): Mavericks 10, Suns 9
• All-Time Record (Combined): Suns 104, Mavericks 85
• Last 10 Games (Combined): Suns 5, Mavericks 5 (Mavericks won 2022 West Semifinals 4-3)
• This Season (Suns 1, Mavericks 1): Suns 107-105 on Oct. 19; Mavericks 130, Suns 111 on Dec. 5

Looking back at the history of this rivalry, the Suns had won 11 straight games over the Mavericks — a run that began on Jan. 28, 2020 and continued through May 4, 2022 when Phoenix took a 2-0 series lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals. Staring at an 0-2 deficit, the Mavericks bounced back and won four of the next five games — including a rout in Game 7 that saw Dallas lead by as many as 46 points before finishing with a 27-point win to close out the series and advance to the Western Conference finals.

The schedule makers wasted no time in getting these two teams back together following that seven-game series as the Suns and Mavericks met on opening night for both teams on Oct. 19. The Mavericks built a 22-point lead — bringing on feelings of déjà vu for fans in Phoenix, but the Suns rallied to earn a 107-105 win on Damion Lee’s jumper with under 10 seconds to play.

The teams met again on Dec. 5, where Dallas evened the season series 1-1 thanks to a 130-111 win behind Luka Doncic’s 33 points and 21 from Spencer Dinwiddie to snap a 10-game regular-season losing streak to Phoenix.

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Friday (NBA TV)

Grizzlies at Timberwolves (7:30 p.m. ET)

Rivalry Snapshot

• All-Time Record (Regular Season: Timberwolves 52, Grizzlies 51
• All-Time Record (Playoffs): Grizzlies 4, Timberwolves 2
• All-Time Record (Combined): Grizzlies 55, Timberwolves 54
• Last 10 Games (Combined): Grizzlies 6, Timberwolves 4 (Grizzlies won 2022 First Round 4-2)
• This Season (Grizzlies 1, Timberwolves 1): Grizzlies 114-103 on Nov. 11; Timberwolves 109, Grizzlies 101 on Nov. 30

This is another playoff rematch from last season as the Grizzlies eliminated the Timberwolves in the first round in six games. The Wolves made a major move in the offseason as they aspire for a deeper playoff run by trading for three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. The results so far have been mixed as Minnesota sits one game below .500 (24-25) and in ninth place in the West. All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns has been out since late November with a Grade 3 calf strain.

Beyond the playoff rematch, this game features a clash of two of the most exciting young guards in the game today in Memphis’ Ja Morant and Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards. This could end up being a battle of the top two poster dunkers in the league today. Need proof, take a look at these highlights from the past 10 days:

EVERY ANGLE OF JA MORANT'S UNBELIEVABLE DUNK OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE ️ pic.twitter.com/8u1j6ZNH3F

— NBA (@NBA) January 15, 2023

ANTHONY EDWARDS.

OH MY

https://t.co/1pomQZMAZK pic.twitter.com/UtHCNxOMWp

— NBA (@NBA) January 22, 2023

Raptors at Warriors (10 p.m. ET)

Rivalry Snapshot

• All-Time Record (Regular Season): Warriors 31, Raptors 20
• All-Time Record (Playoffs): Raptors 4, Warriors 2 (2019 NBA Finals)
• All-Time Record (Combined): Warriors 33, Raptors 24
• Last 10 Games (Combined): Raptors 6, Warriors 4
• This Season (Warriors 1, Raptors 0): Warriors 126-100 on Dec. 18

This rivalry stems from the 2019 NBA Finals, when the Raptors defeated the Warriors in six games to prevent Golden State from posting the sixth three-peat in NBA history.

Game 5 of that series saw the final appearance of Kevin Durant in a Warriors uniform as he suffered a torn Achilles tendon that would require him to miss a full season in recovery. An unrestricted free agent following the injury, Durant decided to play in Brooklyn alongside Kyrie Irving, with the Warriors and Nets executing a sign-and-trade deal in the summer of 2019.

Game 6 of that series saw the final appearance of Kawhi Leonard in a Raptors uniform as the Finals MVP would sign with the LA Clippers as a free agent in the summer of 2019 after just one season in Toronto. Game 6 also saw Klay Thompson suffer a torn ACL, setting off a 941-day journey back to the court that included a torn Achilles during his rehab.

Since the 2019 Finals, the Raptors and Warriors have traded wins back and forth over the past three seasons, with the Warriors winning the first meeting this season on Dec. 18 behind a 43-point performance from Jordan Poole as Golden State was without Stephen Curry.

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Saturday (ABC)

Nuggets at 76ers (3 p.m. ET)

Rivalry Snapshot

• All-Time Record (Regular Season): 76ers 52, Nuggets 42
• All-Time Record (Playoffs): Have never met in postseason
• All-Time Record (Combined): 76ers 52, Nuggets 42
• Last 10 Games (Combined): 76ers 5, Nuggets 5 (Denver has won three of last four games dating back to 2021)
• This Season: This is the first of two meetings this season
• Head-to-Head Record: Joel Embiid 4, Nikola Jokic 2

This game is less about a team vs. team rivalry as the 76ers and Nuggets don’t have a storied history and have never met in the postseason, which would have to be a Finals matchup.

Rather, this is a duel between two of the top big men in the game today — Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid. These two have been the top two finishers in the Kia MVP race in each of the past two seasons, with Jokic getting the edge on Embiid both times. In 2020-21, Jokic won the MVP vote 971-586, but last season Embiid closed the gap as Jokic’s win was just 875-706.

While Jokic is the two-time reigning MVP – and tops the latest Kia MVP Ladder – Embiid is the league’s reigning scoring champion as he became the first center since Shaquille O’Neal to win the scoring title with a career-best average of 30.6 points per game. Embiid enters Rivals Week as the league’s leading scorer once again, this time upping his scoring average to 33.6 ppg on a career-best 53.7% shooting.

On the other hand, Jokic’s scoring has dipped a bit this season as the Nuggets welcomed back Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. to the mix to take some of the scoring load off Jokic after the two players missed all (Murray) or most (Porter) of last season. Instead, Jokic has taken his playmaking skills to new heights, averaging a career-best 9.9 assists per game (second in the NBA as a center) to go with 25.1 points and 11 rebounds as he is just shy of averaging a triple-double for the season. Speaking of triple-doubles, Jokic leads the league with 14 on the season and already ranks sixth all-time with 90 career triple-doubles, which is the most ever by a center.

In six head-to-head matchups, Embiid’s Sixers hold a 4-2 edge over Jokic’s Nuggets. Embiid has averaged 22.2 points on 41.2% shooting, 10.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.2 blocks and 1.2 steals in six games against Jokic. Meanwhile, Jokic has averaged 21.5 points on 49% shooting, 9.0 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks when facing Embiid and the Sixers.

Knicks at Nets (5:30 p.m. ET)

Rivalry Snapshot

• All-Time Record (Regular Season: Nets 106, Knicks 101
• All-Time Record (Regular Season (Since Nets moved to Brooklyn in 2012-13): Nets 24, Knicks 16
• All-Time Record (Playoffs: Nets 5, Knicks 5 (last met in 2004)
• All-Time Record (Combined): Nets 111, Knicks 106
• Last 10 Games (Combined: Nets 8, Knicks 2 (Nets have won eight in a row)
• This Season (Nets 1, Knicks 0): Nets 112, Knicks 85 on Nov. 9 (first game with Jacque Vaughn as head coach)

This intracity rival is similar to that of the Lakers and Clippers in Los Angeles. While New York has always been a Knicks town, the Nets have gotten the better of the Knicks not only since arriving in Brooklyn in 2012 (Nets 24, Knicks 16 over the past decade), but the Nets hold a 111-106 lead in the all-time series. The Nets enter Saturday’s game riding an eight-game win streak in the head-to-head matchup with the Knicks.

While the Nets and Knicks have not met in the playoffs since 2004, that possibility exists in 2023 as the Nets (29-17) currently hold fourth place in the East and the Knicks (25-23) currently hold seventh (and would be in the Play-In Tournament).

The Knicks enter Rivals Week riding a four-game losing streak, while the Nets have won two in a row after dropping their first four games after Kevin Durant was lost to an MCL tear. Durant dropped a triple-double (29 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists) as the Nets beat the Knicks 112-85 on Nov. 9 in the debut game of Jacque Vaughn as head coach. Can the Knicks take advantage of a shorthanded Nets squad and finally end this eight-game losing streak in the Battle of the Boroughs?

Lakers at Celtics (8:30 p.m. ET)

Rivalry Snapshot

• All-Time Record (Regular Season): Celtics 164, Lakers 133
• All-Time Record (Playoffs): Celtics 43, Lakers 31
• All-Time Record (Combined): Celtics 207, Lakers 164
• Head-to-Head NBA Finals: Boston 9, Lakers 3
• Last 10 Games (Combined): Celtics 5, Lakers 5 (Celtics have won three of last four games)
• This Season (Celtics 1, Lakers 0): Boston 122-118 (OT) on Dec. 13

There isn’t an NBA Rivals Week without a matchup between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers – the preeminent rivalry in NBA history, and one of the biggest in the history of sports – as these longtime foes wrap up NBA Rivals Week with their 372 meeting on Sunday evening.

The Celtics and Lakers are tied for the most championships in NBA history with 17 apiece — the Lakers tied the Celtics with their 2020 title in the bubble. The teams have met in the NBA Finals a record 12 times, with Boston holding a 9-3 edge in head-to-head series with the championship on the line.

Both teams entered this season in search of title No. 18 to take sole possession of first place in championships and hold the ultimate edge in this storied rivalry. Boston vs. Los Angeles immediately recalls memories of some of the great individual rivalries as well: Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird, Bill Russell vs. Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant vs. Paul Pierce. Perhaps LeBron James vs. Jayson Tatum?

This is the second and final meeting of the regular season between Boston and Los Angeles, with the Celtics winning the first matchup 122-118 in overtime on Dec. 13 behind a 44-point gem from Tatum and a 25-point game from Brown. The Lakers were led by LeBron (33 points) and Anthony Davis, who finished with 37 points and 12 rebounds. Davis has been out of action since Dec. 16 with a foot injury.

This past weekend, it was reported that Davis “looked phenomenal” during a full-contact scrimmage. While no return date has been announced, the Lakers would love to get Davis back as this game in Boston marks the first of a five-game road trip for L.A.

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Rivals Week Completed Games:

Tuesday

Update: Heat 98, Celtics 95

Rivalry Snapshot

• All-Time Record (Regular Season): Celtics 80, Heat 52
• All-Time Record (Playoffs): Heat 16, Celtics 14
• All-Time Record (Combined): Celtics 94, Heat 68
• Last 10 Games (Combined): Celtics 6, Heat 4 (Boston won 2022 East Finals 4-3)
• This Season (Celtics 2, Heat 1): Boston 111-104 on Oct. 21; Boston 134-121 on Nov. 30; Miami 120-116 (OT) on Dec. 2

This rivalry heated up (pun intended) in the early 2010s as Boston’s Big Three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen clashed with Miami’s LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The Celtics were the final boss of the Eastern Conference that LeBron and Co. had to knock off in order to reach the Finals and contend for the title. Another layer was added to the rivalry when Allen switched teams in 2012 and won titles with both teams.

Fast forward a decade and a new generation of Heat and Celtics have revived this rivalry, with Boston being led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and Miami led by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Playoff series act as gasoline to any simmering rivalry, and these two teams have met in the Eastern Conference finals twice in the past three seasons – Miami winning in 2020 and Boston winning in 2022. So far this season, Boston leads the season series 2-1, with Miami picking up the most recent win on Dec. 2 in overtime with Adebayo leading four Heat players with 20+ points.

Update: Clippers 133, Lakers 115

Rivalry Snapshot

• All-Time Record (Regular Season): Lakers 150, Clippers 83
• All-Time Record (Regular Season, since Clippers moved to L.A. in 1984-85 season): Lakers 104, Clippers 63
• All-Time Record (Playoffs): Have never met in postseason
• Last 10 Games (Combined): Clippers 9, Lakers 1 (Clippers on nine-game win streak)
• This Season (Clippers 2, Lakers 0): Clippers 103-97 on Oct. 20; Clippers 114-101 on Nov. 9

When we look at the history of the Battle of Los Angeles, we see that the Lakers have dominated the Clippers, leading the all-time series 150-83 and 104-63 since the Clippers relocated to Los Angeles in 1984. The Clippers have always been seen as the little brother to the mighty Lakers in L.A. While the Lakers thrived and hung championship banners during the Showtime, Shaq and Kobe, and Kobe and Pau eras, the Clippers often struggled to make the playoffs.

However, recent history has favored the Clippers. Since the 2010-11 season, the Clippers hold a 38-13 advantage over the Lakers in head-to-head meetings, and enter Tuesday’s matchup riding a nine-game win streak against their intracity rival, with the Lakers’ last win over the Clippers coming on July 30, 2020 in the bubble.

Both teams enter Tuesday having won two straight games. Kawhi Leonard has appeared in seven of LA’s last eight games and is averaging 29.9 points on 54/53/93 shooting splits during this stretch. The Lakers have gone 10-9 since losing Anthony Davis to a foot injury on Dec. 16, with LeBron James averaging 33.9 points on 54% shooting as he continues to march toward the NBA’s all-time scoring record (224 points away).