Knicks vs. Heat and More Must-See Games This Week in the NBA
With only four days remaining before the All-Star break, the NBA's schedule is jam-packed with exciting games this week.
The week's schedule is headlined by Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks heading to South Beach to take on LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat.
That's not it, though, as the next four days will be fun for the basketball fan.
Here's a look at the seven must-see games of the week.
Boston Celtics at Dallas Mavericks
1 of 7When: Monday February 20, 8 PM EST
Dallas is coming off a tough loss to the Knicks that ended a six-game win streak, while the Celtics are reeling after losing three straight and five of their last six games.
The Celtics may not have Kevin Garnett in uniform, but this game could come down to a battle between stars Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce.
Nowitzki is coming off a season-best 34-point effort against the Knicks, but he's thrived against Boston, averaging 27.5 points per game against the Celtics since the beginning of 2002-03, his best against any opponent.
On the other hand, Pierce has averaged 27.2 points on 51.4 percent shooting in his last six visits to Dallas.
It could be a fun one to watch.
San Antonio Spurs at Utah Jazz
2 of 7When: Monday, February 20, 9 PM EST
The Spurs look to extend their season-high win streak to 11 as they head to Utah to take on the Jazz.
San Antonio has also won seven straight road games on the season after early season struggles to push their road record to 9-8.
Utah's struggled of late, going 3-7 in their last 10 games, but they have a chance to end the Spurs streak tonight as the Spurs will be without Manu Ginobili, as he was sent back to San Antonio after a strained oblique forced him out of the lineup.
Philadephia 76ers at Memphis Grizzlies
3 of 7When: Tuesday, February 21, 8 PM EST
The best game of the Tuesday slate sees the Atlantic Division-leading Sixers travel to Memphis to take on the red-hot Grizzlies.
Memphis has won four in a row and is currently sitting only a half game behind the Lakers for the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.
The Sixers, on the other hand, have won only four of their past 10 and have seen their division lead shrink to only four games over both the Knicks and Celtics.
Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks
4 of 7When: Wednesday February 22, 9:30 PM EST
It's a rematch of last season's playoff series that saw the Mavericks send the Lakers home for the season.
Dirk vs. Kobe and the up-and-down Lakers.
It promises to be a good game, but will the Lakers be able to conquer their road woes (only 5-11 away from the Staples Center) and steal a win against a Dallas team that looks like they have things turned around?
It's also a battle of two of the better defensive teams in the NBA as the Lakers (91.1) and the Mavericks (91.2) rank fifth and sixth in the league in points allowed.
Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers
5 of 7When: Wednesday February 22, 10:30 PM EST
If you are a fan of up-and-down, exciting basketball, this is the game of the week.
The Nuggets lead in the NBA in scoring at 103.8 points per game and the Clippers aren't far off (sixth in the NBA) at 97.8 points per game.
Denver has a deep team that can score in bunches and the Clippers naturally have the excitement of "Lob City."
In a game with this much offense, it could come down to who's the better defensive team.
New York Knicks at Miami Heat
6 of 7When: Thursday February 23, 8 PM EST
Lin gets his toughest test as the Knicks starter as New York heads to Miami to take on James and company.
Everyone knows the story of Lin and the remarkable turnaround for the Knicks, who will also have Carmelo Anthony back in uniform to take on the red-hot Heat.
While New York has won eight of nine with Lin in the lineup, Miami has won six in a row and nine of their last 10 en route to the NBA's best record at 25-7.
This is a rivalry that dates back to the '90s and promises to be a must-see game.
Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder
7 of 7When: Thursday February 23, 9:30 PM EST
Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are fresh off an historical performance Sunday night against the Nuggets, when they combined for 91 points in a Thunder come-from-behind victory.
Their offensive power will be tested against a tough Lakers defense.
While much attention will be paid to the outstanding matchup that will feature scorers Durant and Kobe Bryant, a matchup to watch will be that of two very good young centers in Oklahoma City's Serge Ibaka, who's coming off a triple-double, and the Lakers' Andrew Bynum, whose 12.5 rebounds per game is third in the NBA and has helped the Lakers become the best rebounding team in the league.
