BASKETBALL NBA ARTICLES

In their last 10 games, the Golden State Warriors have only fallen to one team: the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers. The Portland Trail Blazers, on the other hand, have struggled through the first part of the season and come into play on Wednesday having won just two of their last nine. The question isn’t who will win so much as by how much will the Warriors win as the spread figures to be rather large given Golden State will be hosting Portland.... 

The NBA’s top two assists leaders will meet on the court on Thursday when Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder head to Texas to take on James Harden and the Houston Rockets. The two dynamic guards are also amongst the top four in scoring as each lead their respective teams to very strong records. Westbrook was the one with the triple-double the last time these teams met, but it was Houston that won the game.... 

It’s been an interesting week for the Cleveland Cavaliers already. They knocked off the Golden State Warriors by a point on Christmas Day, but then lost to the Detroit Pistons the next day as LeBron James rested.... 

The Los Angeles Lakers have fallen on some hard times of late, but aren’t yet out of the playoff race in a Western Conference that doesn’t have a clear eighth-best team. Los Angeles needs to play much better going forward, and that includes a home victory over the struggling Dallas Mavericks.... 

The Los Angeles Lakers have long dominated the Southern California NBA scene, but they will be the underdog against city brethren the Los Angeles Clippers on Christmas. The Lakers have been on a rebuild for the past couple of years and while they are the de facto home team in this matchup there isn’t much of an advantage since the Clippers players get to sleep in their own beds.The Clippers are among the best teams in the Western Conference and should be able to take care of business in this one, even after losing leading scorer Blake Griffin for several weeks to a knee injury. Chris Paul is still around to lead the way for a Clippers team which will be the favorite in this showdown.... 

It’s a muddled chase for the third seed in the Eastern Conference this season, with many teams capable of capturing it. The Boston Celtics are currently in the catbird seat for it and will aim to hold off the New York Knicks. A road win would be a big step for Boston when the teams face off on Christmas Day.The Cavaliers are likely to grab the top seed in the conference so avoiding them until the conference finals is everyone’s goal. Even though they are the road team, the Celtics may be slight favorites in this matchup.... 

The San Antonio Spurs have only lost five times this season, but one of them came at the hands of the Chicago Bulls. They will aim to pull even in the season series when the Spurs host Chicago on Christmas Day.Despite the previous result, San Antonio is the clearly superior team. The home court advantage is another key piece as the Spurs will certainly be the favorite in this one. The Bulls feel like they match up well and would love to be competitive in this matchup,... 

The Oklahoma CIty Thunder are battling for one of the final spots in the Western Conference and must keep accumulating victories against inferior competition. One such of those games comes on Christmas when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves.... 

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors will meet for the first time since last year’s NBA Finals series and for the first time since Golden State added Kevin Durant to the lineup. This is a matchup basketball fans have been anxiously awaiting all season and it will be interesting to see which one emerges victorious.... 

Two perennially strong franchises have fallen on hard times. The Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat are used to challenging for NBA titles, but this year they will be hard-pressed to even make the playoffs.... 

The Los Angeles Clippers had the best start in the NBA, but has come back down to earth of late. They have dropped to the second tier in the Western Conference, a place where they were pegged to begin the season. The Clippers would love to close the gap on the San Antonio Spurs and have a golden opportunity at home.... 

The Dallas Mavericks have been perennial playoff participants and sometimes NBA title contenders over the past decade-plus, but have fallen on hard times this season. The team will aim to turn it around but will be the underdogs when they face off against the Utah Jazz on the road in a regular season affair.Dallas is tied for the worst record in the NBA, as they are the lowest-scoring team in the NBA by a wide margin. The Mavericks must find some offense in order to have a chance at pulling this upset.... 

The Los Angeles Lakers got off to a surprisingly fast start but have fallen on tough times of late. They will aim to end a long skid on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers.Both of these teams are rebuilding, but the Lakers have done better in the earlygoing. Philadelphia has been marginally better at home than on the road this season but is still one of the worst teams in the NBA.... 

The Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks are both in the thick of the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference, and facing off against each other could have big ramifications down the road.... 

The Golden State Warriors had grand expectations before the season started, and sometimes it’s hard to live up to such lofty heights. This team has done it and more, as it has the best record in the NBA and is scoring points at an obscene rate. The Warriors will aim to keep it rolling when they host the New York Knicks in a regular season matchup.... 

The San Antonio Spurs have not been a dominant home team this season after rolling past teams a year ago, but it’s still at a big advantage when they play in front of the favorable crowd. The Spurs will be expected to win when they host the Boston Celtics in a regular season affair.... 

The Miami Heat watched its two superstars leave over the past two years, and unsurprisingly, so have a lot of wins. WIthout LeBron James and Dwyane Wade leading the way, the Heat is one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference.... 

The Russell Westbrook Show travels on, this time stopping in Portland. Westbrook and his Oklahoma State Thunder team will look to pull out a crucial road victory this week against the Portland Trail Blazers.... 

The Chicago Bulls will be favored to pick up a third consecutive victory when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves in a regular season affair. Chicago’s additions this offseason have paid off and it will aim to continue a push to make the playoffs.... 

The Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns both figured to be rebuilding this season, but one is on a more promising path than the other. The Lakers have done better than expected to start the season, and while they are still a few games under .500, making a push for one of the final playoff spots doesn’t seem completely out of the realm of possibility at this point.... 

James Harden and Russell Westbrook used to team with Kevin Durant to form a core which was a dynasty in the making. The lofty expectations were never met when the trio played together for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and now Westbrook is the only one left. Harden long ago moved on to the Houston Rockets, and he will return in a key Western Conference clash between the teams.... 

The Toronto Raptors have been one of the most impressive teams in the NBA early in the season and should keep it rolling at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The T-Wolves come to town with some young talent, but it has yet to translate into victories.... 

The San Antonio Spurs are in a mad rush to finish atop the Western Conference, but it will be a challenge with the Golden State Warriors playing so well. San Antonio can’t afford to lose any toss-up games, and this could be one on the road against the Chicago Bulls.... 

The New York Knicks took some time to fit their new pieces into place, but things have been going well of late. They can really take an upward turn as they aim for the home upset of the Cleveland Cavaliers.... 

The Golden State Warriors are putting up points at an unbelievable rate lately and should be in line for an entertaining showdown with the Los Angeles Clippers. Both teams are among the best in the NBA thus far on the season and with a home game, the Clippers could have a shot at pulling off the upset....