Expert NBA GAME Previews

This rematch has a very different feel from the one Cleveland just won on Wednesday. The Cavaliers head to State Farm Arena for a 7:00 p.m. ET tip on Friday at 51-29, still fighting for Eastern Conference positioning, but Atlanta is the team under real pressure at 45-35. The Hawks are trying to stay out of the play-in, and with

Detroit heads to Spectrum Center on Friday night for a 7:00 PM ET tip in a game that still matters a lot more for Charlotte than it does for the visitors. The Pistons come in 58-22, already locked into the No. 1 seed in the East, while the Hornets sit 43-37 and are still trying to improve their postseason position.

Dallas closes the road portion of its season Friday night at Frost Bank Center, with tipoff set for 8:00 p.m. ET in San Antonio. The Mavericks come in at 25-55 and long since eliminated, while the Spurs are 61-19, locked into the No. 2 seed in the West, and trying to carry real momentum into next week’s playoff opener. San

The Memphis Grizzlies head to Delta Center on Friday night for a 9:30 p.m. ET tip against the Utah Jazz, and this one looks like a late-season game between two teams simply trying to get through the finish line without completely losing structure. Memphis comes in at 25-55 and has dropped six straight. Utah is 21-59, stuck in a 10-game

Oklahoma City heads to Ball Arena on Friday night for a 9:00 PM ET tip in a game that looks very different depending on who actually suits up. The Thunder are 64-16, first in the West, and already locked into the No. 1 overall seed. Denver is 52-28, sitting third in the conference, and this one still matters because the

Everything about this matchup points to playoff intensity before the play-in even starts. The Clippers arrive at Moda Center on Friday night at 10:00 p.m. ET sitting 41-39 and holding the No. 8 spot in the West, while Portland is 40-40 and one game back in ninth. That makes this one of the biggest games on the Friday board, especially

The Miami Heat head back to Scotiabank Arena on Thursday night for the second half of this mini-series, and the urgency is not exactly equal. Toronto is 44-35 and still fighting to lock down a clean playoff spot in the East, while Miami sits at 41-38 and is already stuck in the play-in. That changes the feel of the game

Chicago and Washington run it back Thursday night at Capital One Arena after the Bulls rolled to a 129-98 win in this same building on Tuesday. The Bulls are 30-49 and already out of the postseason picture, so this is less about standings and more about seeing which young pieces still have something to say over the final week. Washington

Boston heads to Madison Square Garden on Thursday night for a game with real playoff weight. The Celtics are 54-25 and can lock up the No. 2 seed in the East with a win, while the Knicks enter at 51-28 and still have a path to that same spot if they close strong. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET