2021 NBA Schedule: Breaking Down Top 10 Games for 2nd Half of Season
This schedule release feels a little different.
Typically, the NBA's schedule release comes, well, before the season actually starts. It is usually a time for dreaming when every team is tied at 0-0 in the standings and fanbases can start circling games as easy wins, daunting tests and appointment viewing.
However, nothing has been typical in the world during the last year, and the NBA's 2020-21 schedule release is no exception.
Rather than release the entire schedule before the season started, the league decided to release it in two parts to provide more leeway to make up games that were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That means the second half of the schedule, which was released Wednesday, comes with pre-baked storylines that have already developed throughout the season's first half.
There is no shortage of storylines with the Los Angeles Lakers looking to defend their crown, the Utah Jazz and others attempting to play the role of spoilers and a three-way fight for supremacy in the Eastern Conference.
With that in mind, here is a look at the top 10 games of the season's second half, which were chosen based on those storylines such as their impact on the standings and which star players will suit up.
April 4 and May 6: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers
1 of 10
Maybe this will be the season for a Western Conference Finals showdown in Hollywood.
The Denver Nuggets played spoiler last season by stunning the L.A. Clippers in the second round of the playoffs to overcome a 3-1 deficit. That prevented what felt like an inevitable clash between the Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers, and the Purple and Gold had no problem dispatching the Nuggets.
Last season's disappointment aside, the Clippers are one of the few teams with enough talent to challenge the Lakers for the title.
Kawhi Leonard is the perfect defender to at least contain LeBron James for stretches, Paul George is an All-Star quality second option and there is still plenty of depth in the supporting cast even though Montrezl Harrell is now on the Lakers.
The Clippers won the season-opening matchup between these two teams and will look to seize control of the tiebreaker by doing so again in the second half in a potential Western Conference Finals preview.
April 14: Brooklyn Nets vs. Philadelphia 76ers
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This just might be an Eastern Conference Finals preview, but there will be no shortage of star power even if it isn't.
The Brooklyn Nets were appointment viewing with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving together, and then they went out and traded for James Harden as well. There are multiple league MVPs, multiple championships and unstoppable offensive firepower in a mix that is enough to outscore any team on a given night even with real defensive concerns.
Still, Brooklyn might not even be the best team in its own conference.
The Philadelphia 76ers have a front-line MVP candidate in Joel Embiid anchoring their attack with Ben Simmons as a triple-double threat, Tobias Harris as a versatile weapon and more outside shooting than they have had for years.
Expect points galore as the two powerhouses battle for Eastern Conference seeding and home-court advantage in their potential playoff series down the line.
March 17, April 22 and April 24: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Philadelphia 76ers
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If Joel Embiid is going to win MVP, he might have to go through the two-time reigning MVP.
Giannis Antetokounmpo won the award the last two seasons, but the Milwaukee Bucks star may be losing his grip on it to the likes of Embiid and LeBron James. This matchup is about more than the MVP race, though, as the Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers are both in similar positions in the Eastern Conference.
Both have been regulars in the playoffs the past few seasons before falling short before the NBA Finals. They can commiserate with each other about Kawhi Leonard's magical run to the title with the Toronto Raptors, but they will be defined by a failure to reach the Finals until they do.
Outside of the Brooklyn Nets, these are the top two contenders in the Eastern Conference.
The MVP and seeding for the playoffs could be on the line.
April 17 and April 19: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Utah Jazz
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It might not be fair, but nobody is going to remember what the Utah Jazz have done this season if they cannot replicate their success come playoff time against the top contenders.
The Los Angeles Lakers are the primary contender standing in the way as the defending champions, and this regular-season clash gives the Jazz an opportunity to make a statement that the Western Conference isn't just a race between the two L.A. teams.
Donovan Mitchell has a chance to take the next step as a superstar with impressive showings against the mighty Lakers. Rudy Gobert has a chance to further prove himself as an interior defender against Anthony Davis (assuming the Lakers big man is back on the floor). And Jordan Clarkson has a chance to remind his former team what it is missing.
Utah has been one of the best stories of the season's first half and could earn the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
This is a prove-it game on the national stage.
May 7: Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz
5 of 10
Even before the Utah Jazz shot up the Western Conference standings with a dominant first half of the season, this was a must-see matchup.
That is because of the show Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray put on in their first-round playoff matchup at Walt Disney World Resort.
That Denver and Utah split their first two matchups this season makes this all the more intriguing as a rubber match of sorts before a possible playoff rematch.
The Jazz have their eyes on an NBA Finals run, and the Nuggets are trying to get back to the Western Conference Finals for the second straight year. This game will serve as a measuring stick and give fans another chance to see Murray and Mitchell battle it out.
March 11 and May 13: Phoenix Suns vs. Portland Trail Blazers
6 of 10
The Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers and L.A. Clippers may be the top contenders in the Western Conference, but the middle of the playoff picture is loaded with superstars and intriguing challengers.
The Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns are perhaps the top two challengers in that group, making their head-to-head battles all the more important for seeding purposes.
There is no doubt the backcourts will be under the spotlight in this one with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum on one side and Chris Paul and Devin Booker on the other. Look for nonstop three-pointers and playmaking before they all try to take over in crunch time.
Phoenix hasn't made the playoffs since the 2009-10 campaign but appears primed to change that with Paul providing veteran leadership.
If the Suns are going to make noise once they get to the playoffs, they will need to defeat dangerous teams like the Trail Blazers before any potential showdowns with the top-notch contenders.
April 27: Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors
7 of 10
All it takes is one look at the last matchup between the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks to know why this is a must-see game.
The Mavericks prevailed 134-132 behind an incredible performance from Luka Doncic (42 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds). Stephen Curry dazzled as well with 57 points and five assists behind 11-of-19 shooting from three-point range.
It can be a show any time that pair goes against each other, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Doncic eventually join Curry as a multi-time MVP winner if he continues on his current trajectory.
This game makes the list for more than just the superstar showdown, as they are battling for positioning near the bottom of the Western Conference playoff picture.
There is more leeway with the play-in tournament between the Nos. 7-10 seeds this season, but both Dallas and Golden State would surely prefer to avoid possible one-and-done scenarios.
April 20 and May 15: New York Knicks vs. Charlotte Hornets
8 of 10
Not many people had the New York Knicks on their list of playoff contenders in the Eastern Conference, but that is where they find themselves in Tom Thibodeau's first season as head coach.
Julius Randle has been a revelation as a double-double threat every time he steps on the floor, while RJ Barrett has taken strides in his second season. Throw in Immanuel Quickley and Mitchell Robinson, and the future isn't so bleak any longer in New York.
The future is also brighter for the Charlotte Hornets than it was a season ago thanks primarily to the emergence of LaMelo Ball as Rookie of the Year front-runner. The first-year playmaker is a threat to tally a triple-double every game, and Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier are formidable scoring options around him.
This game also has playoff implications beyond the matchup between exciting players.
Charlotte and New York are part of a bottleneck of teams near the bottom of the Eastern Conference postseason picture, and head-to-head wins figure to be key for tiebreaker scenarios and as teams separate themselves.
March 24 and March 26: Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks
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The Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics have been among the top teams in the Eastern Conference the past few seasons, and as the second half of the season approaches, both teams are in the race once again.
After finishing with the best record in the NBA in each of the past two seasons, the Bucks currently sit in third place in the East at 19-13, two games behind the Philadelphia 76ers. Meanwhile, the Celtics (15-16) look to be a notch below those two and the Brooklyn Nets.
Talent isn't the primary issue for Boston, given its roster includes playmakers such as Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kemba Walker. However, the squad is underperforming, especially as of late. The Celtics have lost seven of their past 10 games.
With Boston needing to get things back on track, it faces a difficult schedule to open the second half. The Celtics will face the Nets, Utah Jazz and Bucks (twice) in their first nine games after the break. If they are going to prove themselves to be legitimate contenders, those back-to-back games against Milwaukee in late March loom large.
And of course, the Bucks will be looking to make a push for the No. 1 overall seed in the East.
April 10: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Brooklyn Nets
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Would anyone be upset if this was the NBA Finals matchup?
On one side would be the defending champions with LeBron James and Anthony Davis protecting their crown. On the other would be arguably the most talented trio of teammates in the league in Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving.
The Los Angeles Lakers have thrived on the defensive side for much of this season, but slowing down the Brooklyn Nets with that firepower might be a different story.
And it is difficult to envision Brooklyn slowing down the Lakers, especially in crunch time when LeBron attempts to take over.
This might be the eventual NBA Finals matchup, but fans will have to settle for a regular-season showdown for now.
