It’s Final Four weekend in college basketball as March Madness comes to an end, but there’s also plenty of NBA action to keep an eye on during the first weekend in April. Giannis “Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks visit Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers in OG’s Game of the Week on Friday evening. Luka Doncic, the Unicorn, and the Dallas Mavericks visit Gotham to play the New York Knicks. Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Lakers and Clippers rumble in the “Battle of LA” to determine bragging rights among the Tinsel Town rivals.
The Sacramento Kings are making a playoff run, but they’re facing a difficult stretch of games, including back-to-back tilts this weekend against the LA Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks.
| NBA Friday |
- Dallas Mavericks at New York Knicks
- Atlanta Hawks at New Orleans Pelicans
- Milwaukee Bucks at Portland Trail Blazers
- LA Lakers at Sacramento Kings
| NBA Saturday |
- Dallas Mavericks at Washington Wizards
- Minnesota Timberwolves at Philadelphia 76ers
- Orlando Magic at Utah Jazz
- Milwaukee Bucks at Sacramento Kings
| NBA Sunday |
- LA Lakers at LA Clippers
- Charlotte Hornets at Boston Celtics
- Golden State Warriors at Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks have two tough, yet fun matchups this weekend with a road game against a banged-up Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans. Then, on Sunday, the Hawks host the struggling Golden State Warriors.
Friday: Unicorn Returns to MSG, Freak vs Dame
Dallas Mavericks (25-21) at New York Knicks (24-24)… Luka Doncic will take center stage at MSG, but all eyes will be on the Unicorn who’s making a trip back to his old stomping grounds. The Knicks are wicked pissed at themselves after blowing a late lead against the Minnesota Timberwolves and losing to the worst team in the league.
Atlanta Hawks (24-24) at New Orleans Pelicans (21-26)… The Hawks are playing the tail-end of a back-to-back stretch, and they’ll be a bit weary after winning a double OT game against the Spurs on Thursday. Zion Williamson missed Thursday night’s game with a sprained thumb, but he’s listed as day-to-day.
Milwaukee Bucks (30-17) at Portland Trail Blazers (29-18)… Greek Freak vs Dame is OG’s Game of the Week. Too bad these two teams don’t play back-to-back games this weekend. Damian Lillard is averaging just a tick below 30 ppg, and he’s ranked #2 in scoring. CJ McCollum is back from a foot injury and the Blazers added Norman Powell to their lineup to generate extra firepower off the bench.
LA Lakers (30-18) at Sacramento Kings (22-26)… Andre Drummond finally joined the Lakers, but then injured his toe in his first game. He’s out for a few games, but the banged-up Lakers better not overlook the Kings. They’ve been playing their best basketball of the season since the All-Star break. Rookie Tyrese Haliburton continues to gain more confidence with every game he plays. De’Aaron Fox is one of the hottest players in the NBA right now, if not the hottest one.
Saturday: Luka vs RWB
Dallas Mavericks (25-21) at Washington Wizards (17-30)… Bradley Beal is out with a sore hip, but Russell Westbrook has been crushing it with four consecutive triple-doubles. The Wiz are catching the Mavs on the second night of back-to-back games.
Minnesota Timberwolves (12-36) at Philadelphia 76ers (33-15)… Joel Embiid returns to the lineup after missing a couple of weeks with a bruised knee. The 76ers host the worst team in the NBA when the Minnesota Timberwolves visit Philly, but at least you can check out Rookie of the Year frontrunner Anthony Edwards.
Orlando Magic (17-31) at Utah Jazz (36-11)… The best team in the NBA hosts one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference. The Magic traded away their top players before the trade deadline last week, yet they’ve won two in a row.
Milwaukee Bucks (30-17) at Sacramento Kings (22-26)… The Kings are on an upswing and moved into the #11 spot in the Western Conference playoff hunt. Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday will get a chance to slow down De’Aaron Fox. Greek Freak and the second-highest scoring team in the league (118.9 ppg) will meet Sacramento’s porous defense (118.5 ppg), which is ranked second-worst in the NBA. The Bucks are the second-best team in betting the over this season at 28-16-1.
Sunday: Battle of LA, Steph vs Trae
LA Lakers (30-18) at LA Clippers (32-18) …Â It’s not quite the same vibe without LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the lineup, but that won’t stop the rest of the Lakers from bringing their A-game against the Clippers in this intercity rivalry.
Charlotte Hornets (24-23) at Boston Celtics (23-25)… Two of the “cluster teams” from the Eastern Conference meet. Only 1.5 games separate the two teams, yet the Hornets sit in the #4 seed, while the Celtics are in the #8 spot. The Hornets are 4-2 without LaMelo Ball (fractured wrist). The Celtics are still in trouble with a 4-8 record since the All-Star break.
Golden State Warriors (23-25) at Atlanta Hawks (24-24)… Any time you have a meeting between Trae Young and Steph Curry, it’s must-see TV. The Warriors struggle on the road this season with a 9-16 record.
