In December, before the start of the 2020-21 season, the NBA took the rare step of launching only half the schedule. With the coronavirus pandemic still a major problem across the country, the league wanted to give itself some flexibility in case games needed to be postponed.
This proved to be a wise decision, as more than two dozen games have so far had to be rescheduled due to various issues related to COVID-19. Now, with the All-Star break and the end of the first half of the season approaching, the league has officially announced the second half of the calendar.
It will be held from March 10 to May 16, with the play-in tournament scheduled for May 18 to 21. Thereafter, the playoffs will run until July 22 at the latest. Here’s a look at 10 must-see games in the final stretch:
There was a bit of drama surrounding the All-Star Game starter’s announcement, with Luka Doncic winning Damian Lillard’s nod by a tiebreaker. They handled it elegantly, but it should still be interesting to see their first head-to-head after the event. And even if there’s no additional drama, it’s always fun to watch those two stars do their thing.
This game would definitely not be on the list at the beginning of the season, but the way things are going, it is suddenly a potential preview of the finals. Jazz surprised everyone by opening an advantage in several games at the top of the Western Conference, while the Nets added James Harden and is one of the best offensive units of all time.
The MVP race is really starting to heat up as we reach the middle of the season, and two of the top contenders are Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic. Unfortunately, the first meeting between these teams was marked by a strange situation at COVID-19, so they haven’t met on the court yet. But when they finally do, we’ll all be watching.
Of course, this game had to be on the list. The season did not go as planned for any of these teams due to injuries, but they are still close to the top of the Western Conference standings. Everyone should be healthy for the final clash in early April, which can have a significant impact on the playoff race.
There are only two teams in the NBA at the moment who are in the top eight in the league in offensive classification, defensive classification and net classification. They are, you guessed it, Jazz and Suns. No one would have predicted this in the season, but these two teams have been dynamite.
April 15: Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Every Celtics vs. Lakers clash is a must-see on TV, but especially when they have so much star power between them. In addition, there is an extra intrigue with how the Celtics disintegrated. Will they be back on track for this big test in April, or will they fight for a playoff spot?
This is another showdown that definitely wouldn’t have made the cut before the season, but the unexpected nature of sports is a big part of why we love them so much. LaMelo Ball and Zach LaVine have been two of the most fun players to watch this season and have their clubs in a position to potentially end their playoff droughts.
The Bucks have been good this year, but not as dominant as expected. And now they have a new power to fight against in the East: the Networks. Their first date was a thriller, and there is little reason to expect anything different when they meet again in early May. Hopefully, this will serve as a preview of the playoff.
There is a chance that this game does not mean much at this point, but if the classification remains similar to what it is now, it will have massive implications in the playoffs. And when Zion Williamson and Steph Curry are going to get involved, either way, it deserves a place on this list.
May 16: each team in action
There are busy nights on the NBA calendar that sometimes feature a dozen games or more, but having all teams in action on the same day is extremely rare. This is what we will have on the last day of the regular season, however, and it will be fascinating to see how it plays out, especially with playoff points and / or seeding on the line.