What to Watch, You NBA Sicko: Mar. 9 - Mar. 15
The best viewing experiences the NBA has to offer...this week
Monday - March 9
Early Slot: Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder (7:30 PM) Peacock/NBCSN
Despite getting Aaron Gordon back, the Nuggets are 5-5 over their past ten games and sit in sixth in the West. Now, Jamal Murray is day-to-day with an ankle injury. It’s Nug-up or shut up time in Denver. Meanwhile, the Thunder are 8-2 over their past ten, are 50-15 on the season, and look to be rounding into form for a deep playoff push. These are still the two favorites in the West, but for how much longer? The Nuggets don’t need to win this game; they just need to show that they’re still who we thought they were.
Late Slot: New York Knicks at Los Angeles Clippers (10:00 PM) Peacock/NBCSN
Remember when the Clippers traded James Harden and Ivica Zubac? Remember when the Knicks were frauds? Well, the Knicks are firmly entrenched in third in the East, and the Clippers are now just a game back of .500 after a 6-21 start. These aren’t two of the league’s absolute best, but they’ve been playing like top-four seeds for most of the season, and they both need to keep the pace up.
Tuesday - March 10
Early Slot: Boston Celtics at San Antonio Spurs (8:00 PM) NBC/Peacock
The Celtics are now 2-0 since Jayson Tatum returned and have a net rating of +16.2. Yes, it’s two games, but that’s about as promising a start as you can have. However, the Spurs are 15-1 in their past 16 games, and own a net rating of +13.4 in that span. There’s a real chance that this is a Finals preview, and even if it isn’t, it’s still a showdown between two of the best four teams in the league.
Late Slot: Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers (11:00 PM) NBC/Peacock
Somehow, someway, despite mediocre underlying metrics, the Lakers continue to win games. They’re 39-25, fifth in the West, despite a +0.8 net rating, and no team has outperformed their point differential more. The Timberwolves, thanks to an 8-2 run, are now third in the West, but their position is as tenuous as it comes. Three through six in the West are separated by a single game, which means every single head-to-head matchup is of the utmost importance.
Wednesday - March 11
Early Slot: Cleveland Cavaliers at Orlando Magic (7:30 PM) ESPN
The Magic are on a wee bit of a roll. They’ve won four straight, and while one of those was a one-point victory over a Cooper Flagg-less Mavericks, it also included a 119-92 beatdown of the mostly hot Timberwolves. At some point, presumably, Franz Wagner will return, and perhaps the Magic can make good on their preseason predictions. The Cavaliers got four days of rest and then absolutely got shattered by the Celtics. However, I wouldn’t read too much into a game where they went 13 of 45 from three. What I will read into is if they drop this game to the Magic.
Late Slot: Houston Rockets at Denver Nuggets (10:00 PM) ESPN
As noted time and time again, these head-to-head matchups between the Western Conference’s three through six seeds are crucial. While the Rockets are 6-4 in their past ten games, and 19-14 since the New Year, they haven’t performed like a serious playoff threat. Their +1.3 net rating in their past 33 games is concerning, and their vaunted offensive rebounding, while still excellent, is no longer historically elite. A win for the Rockets would provide affirmation, while a loss for the Nuggets could lead to a full-on panic. At this time of the year, vibes are as important as net rating.
Thursday - March 12
Early Slot: Milwaukee Bucks at Miami Heat (7:30 PM)
The Heat are on a five-game winning streak, are 7-2 since the All-Star break, and are 9-3 in their past 12. What I’m trying to say is that the Heat are hot. The Bucks are not, but with each passing game, Giannis Antetokounmpo should gain a bit more wind in his sails. At the very least, this game has the potential to be incredibly fun.
Late Slot: Denver Nuggets at San Antonio Spurs (9:00 PM)
Jokic, Wemby, collision course. Not really sure you should need much more of a sell. But if you do, the Nuggets and Spurs are deemed the greatest challengers to the Thunder in the West. There’s a decent chance these two meet in the playoffs, and there’s a decent chance one of them finds their way to the Finals. But if they don’t…
Late Slot: Boston Celtics at Oklahoma City Thunder (9:30 PM) Prime
Could this be a Finals preview? The Celtics certainly look like they could be the best team in the East, and the Thunder have proven, without a shadow of a doubt, that they’re the best of the West. Unfortunately, the NBA has scheduled two absolute banger games to tip off 30 minutes apart. I would never advocate for split-screening a basketball game, but maybe have one on the laptop and the other on the big screen.
Friday - March 13
Early Slot: Phoenix Suns at Toronto Raptors (7:30 PM)
The Suns and Raptors have had strikingly similar seasons. The Suns are 37-27, and the Raptors are 36-27. The Suns have a net rating of +1.1 with a more difficult schedule, while the Raptors have a net rating of +2.0. The Suns have an offensive rating of 114.8. The Raptors’ is 114.7. And their defensive four factors look like siblings. The Suns have a defensive effective field goal percentage of 53.4%, while the Raptors’ is 53.8%. The Raptors force turnovers at a 14.2% clip, while the Suns come in at 14.5%. The Suns’ opponent free throw to field goal attempt ratio is 0.217, while the Raptors’ is 0.219. The only real difference is that the Raptors own a defensive rebounding percentage edge of 74% to 71.2%. So, basically, this game should go into quadruple overtime with at least one player dying from exhaustion.
Late Slot: Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden State Warriors (10:00 PM) Prime
On March 2nd, the Warriors said Stephen Curry would be reevaluated. Well, March 13 is 11 days later. If he’s a go, this game becomes infinitely more interesting. The Warriors have done an okay job holding down the fort in his absence, but that means they’ve won a few games, not that they’re actually playing well. However, Kristaps Porzingis returned on Sunday, and while he’ll be out Monday against the Jazz, there’s a decent chance he’ll be ready to go. I’m incredibly curious about the Curry and Porzingis pairing, and wonder just how powerful Curry and an elite stretch big will be for spacing. If this is their debut, then this is appointment viewing.
Saturday - March 14
Early Slot: Charlotte Hornets at San Antonio Spurs (3:30 PM) Prime
Since 2026, the Spurs have the best record in the league (23-8), while the Hornets have the best net rating (+10.5). Are these the two best teams in the league? Probably not, but it’d be hard to say anyone has been playing better. In all honesty, this is the game that I’m most excited for this week. Which is not something anyone was expecting to write back in October.
Late Slot: Orlando Magic at Miami Heat (8:00 PM)
If you’d rather watch the Nuggets and Lakers at 8:30, I wouldn’t blame you, but this game has massive stakes. The Heat are 36-29 and seventh in the East, while the Magic are 35-28 and sixth. On top of that, the Magic are 4-0 against the Heat this season, which gives them the first tie-breaker. Getting out of the play-in is massive, and both teams have a real shot to pass Toronto (36-27) and secure the five seed. On top of that, the aforementioned Hornets are coming for everyone and could play themselves out of the play-in altogether.
Sunday - March 15
Early Slot: Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder (1:00 PM) ABC
This is the fourth and final meeting between the Wolves and Thunder. Minnesota currently holds the season series edge 1-2, and while I don’t think winning the season series makes them a huge threat to the Thunder, it does, hypothetically, mean they’ve somewhat evenly matched. It also shouldn’t be forgotten that the Thunder only have a 2.5 game lead on the Spurs for first in the West. At the end of the day, these are two of the best teams in the league, led by two of the best guards in the league– Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards.
Late Slot: Detroit Pistons at Toronto Raptors (3:30 PM)
The Pistons have hit their first true wobble of the season. They’ve lost four straight, seen their lead in the East drop to 2.5 games, and have likely squandered their chance at the number overall seed. While I don’t think the sky is falling for the Pistons, it’ll be interesting to see how they respond to their first taste of adversity. Chances are they’ll beat the brakes off the Nets in a revenge fixture, then handle both of the Sixers and Grizzlies on a back-to-back, but if they don’t, then this game gets extra juicy. The Raptors aren’t a particularly good team, but their defense should give the Pistons’ offense fits.
For any inquiries about work, discussion, and the like, you can email me at nevin.l.brown@gmail.com.