Get excited NBA fans – we are officially back in action!
While things look a little different - with all games being played in the Orlando Disney World bubble - boy will it be good to have basketball back.
The 22 highest seeded teams will play eight games to finish off the regular season. The top seven teams in each conference will advance, while the eighth seed in each conference will be decided by a potential play-in tournament.
From there, the traditional 16-team playoffs will begin.
New Orleans Pelicans vs Utah Jazz
A massive Western Conference showdown kicks off proceedings between the Jazz and Pelicans on Friday morning at 8.30 (all times AEST).
Utah currently sit 1.5 games behind the third-placed Nuggets and will be looking to improve their seeding to gain a more favourable playoff matchup.
The Jazz had won three games in a row going into the league shutdown as one of the form teams. They have been defensively anchored all season by Rudy Gobert (averaging 15.1 points, 13.7 rebounds and two blocks per game) and led by Donovan Mitchell (24.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists) at the other end of the court.
Utah will be without their best shooter Bojan Bogdanovic after he underwent season-ending wrist surgery.
After a slow start to the season battling several injuries, the Pelicans caught fire halfway through the campaign to make a charge towards a top eight seed. They currently sit 10th and are 3.5 games behind the eighth-placed Grizzlies. They will want to stay on pace with Memphis to force a potential play-in matchup or better yet take their spot.
Rookie sensation Zion Williamson was the talk of the league after firing out of the gates in his first season – averaging 23.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in 19 games. He departed the Orlando bubble for family reasons but is back and ready to go.
The Pels’ star power doesn’t stop there, with Brandon Ingram (24.3 points, 2.4 threes, 6.3 rebounds) and Jrue Holiday (19.6 points, 2.1 threes, 6.9 assists, 1.7 steals) both enjoying stellar seasons.
The Jazz are 2-1 against the Pelicans in their earlier meetings this season.
Tip: Jazz +3.0 @ $1.87.
What bigger clash could we have asked for to headline the NBA’s return day schedule? The Lakers and Clippers go head-to-head in the LA showdown on Friday at 12pm.
The first-seeded Lakers will be keen to regain their momentum from the regular season against the crosstown rivals. LeBron James enjoyed a dominant MVP-standard campaign, averaging 25.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and a league-high 10.6 assists per game.
Fellow All-Star Anthony Davis is the frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 26.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 2.4 blocks per game.
Davis’ defence has largely transformed the Lakers’ identity and was a big reason behind their resurgence to powerhouse status this season.
The star duo will go head-to-head with Kawhi Leonard (26.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, five assists, 1.8 steals) and Paul George (21 points, 3.2 triples, 5.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals), who have helped guide the Clippers to the second seed and create a power struggle in LA not seen in years.
The Clippers lead the third-placed Nuggets by 1.5 games and could send a serious message to the league about their title credentials if they can knock off the Lakers here.
The Lakers will be without Avery Bradley (family reasons) and Rajon Rondo (broken thumb) and could introduce JR Smith and Dion Waiters into their rotation. Montrezl Harrell, Pat Bevrley and Lou Williams have all left the Clippers camp for family matters.
The Clippers are 2-0 against the Lakers in their earlier meetings this season.
Tip: Clippers +9.5 @ $1.45.
