In one of the 15 games on Monday night, Kevin Durant and Luka Donic will compete against each other.
Every Monday we will tell you what you need to know heading into a new week of NBA action.
1. Manic Monday and Voting Tuesday
There is no need to check the schedule, your favorite NBA team is playing on Monday night as all 30 teams will be in action on a rare 15-game night around the league.
The decision to have every team play on Monday is a result of the NBA’s decision to hold no games on Tuesday, Nov. 8, which is Election Day in the United States. Rather than following the action on the court, NBA teams will share election information with fans and encourage them to participate in the election.
Not only will Monday be unique with all 30 teams in action, the schedule will roll out a bit differently as a new game will tip off every 15 minutes beginning at 7 p.m. ET with the Hornets hosting the Wizards and concluding with the Clippers hosting the Cavaliers (10:30 ET, NBA TV).
Games are set to begin every 15 minutes, which means they will likely conclude at similar intervals. Consistent crunch time action will be available to watch on League Pass from approximately 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. ET. For viewers who prefer not to switch feeds on League Pass, NBA CrunchTime on the NBA App offers a feature similar to NFL RedZone’s live look-ins on every game. This ensures you won’t miss any key moments, particularly in the closing minutes, starting at 9 p.m. ET.
Every single team. Each and every game. Absolutely FREE.
TONIGHT, all 30 NBA teams will hit the court with 15 games that can be watched for free on the new NBA App! Each game will tip off 15 minutes apart!
Download the NBA App to watch: https://t.co/OVezzsML8x… pic.twitter.com/saryDqRuou
— NBA (@NBA) November 7, 2022
To learn more about Monday’s slate of games, click here to check out a breakdown of all the top storylines.
2. Milestone Watch: Can LeBron ‘pass’ Magic?
In addition to his pursuit of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record (1,107 points to go), LeBron James is chasing another Lakers legend in assists. Entering Week 4, LeBron needs 33 assists to pass Magic Johnson (10,141) for sixth place on the all-time assists leaderboard.
Just last week, LeBron passed Karl Malone for the most games with 20 or more points in league history with No. 1,135 of his career. After the accomplishment, LeBron shared a leaderboard graphic with the caption “Not bad for a pass first guy!” This upcoming assist milestone is more fitting to his basketball instincts, but the truth is there’s never been a better combination of scorer and playmaker than James.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by (@kingjames)
This week, the Lakers are scheduled to play four games. To surpass Johnson this week, LeBron would need to average slightly over eight assists per game, which is higher than his current season average of 7.1 per game (ranked 13th in the league).
Other milestones to watch for this week
- Kyle Lowry is just eight 3-pointers short of becoming the 12th player to achieve 2,000.
- Devin Booker is just two 3-pointers away from hitting a career total of 1,000.
3. The Temp Check: Hottest & coldest teams entering the week
In our previous edition of The Five, we spotlighted two standout players, Luka Doncic and Donovan Mitchell, and one formidable team, the undefeated Bucks. As we step into Week 4, the three continue to shine: Doncic continues his streak of scoring over 30 points per game, Mitchell maintains his stellar performance in Cleveland, and the Bucks remain unbeaten, even securing their ninth consecutive victory with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the sidelines, enjoying popcorn.
With a 9-0 record, the Bucks are still the only undefeated team in the league. Photo by Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports.
Heat Check: Cleveland, Milwaukee, Memphis and Dallas
This week, we’re examining teams that are on both a hot and cold streak. The Bucks currently hold the hot streak, but the Cavaliers are not far behind at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. As we enter Week 4, Cleveland boasts an eight-game winning streak, their longest since they won 13 games consecutively from November 11 to December 6, 2017.
As we approach Week 4, two teams in the West, Memphis (7-3) and Dallas (5-3), are enjoying three-game winning streaks. The Grizzlies are only half a game behind Utah and Phoenix for the top spot in the West. On the other hand, Dallas has managed to secure a .500 record and is 1 1/2 games behind the Jazz and Suns, also aiming for the No. 1 position.
Cold Check: Golden State
The Warriors, the current champions, (3-7) are heading into Week 4 on a five-game losing streak and are 13th in the Western Conference. Does this call for panic or patience in the Bay Area? Whenever a team experiences a streak of five losses, some level of anxiety is bound to creep in. However, the Warriors’ championship history should alleviate most of this concern, particularly so early in the season.
4. League Pass games to watch: Monday’s free preview
If you’re not yet subscribed to League Pass, Monday night may be the best free trial you ever see as all 15 games on Election Day eve will be streamed for free on the new NBA App. Here’s the full list (all times Eastern):
- 7 p.m.: Wizards @ Hornets (League Pass)
- 7:15 p.m.: Rockets @ Magic (League Pass)
- 7:30 p.m.: Thunder @ Pistons (League Pass)
- 7:45 p.m.: Pelicans @ Pacers (League Pass)
- 8 p.m.: Suns @ 76ers (NBA TV)
- 8:15 p.m.: Bucks @ Hawks (League Pass)
- Trail Blazers vs Heat at 8:30 p.m. on League Pass.
- 8:45 p.m.: Raptors @ Bulls (League Pass)
- 9 p.m.: Celtics @ Grizzlies (League Pass)
- 9:15 p.m.: Knicks @ Timberwolves (League Pass)
- 9:30 p.m.: Nuggets @ Spurs (League Pass)
- 9:45 p.m.: Nets @ Mavericks (League Pass)
- 10 p.m.: Kings @ Warriors (League Pass)
- 10:15 p.m.: Lakers @ Jazz (League Pass)
- 10:30 p.m.: Cavaliers @ Clippers (NBA TV)
The slate begins with No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero and the Magic taking on 2021 No. 2 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. and the Rockets. The Suns bring the best record in the Western Conference to Philadelphia to take on last year’s scoring champ, Joel Embiid. The Sixers will be without James Harden and Embiid’s status for the game remains questionable as he recovers from illness.
Later on, how about Ja Morant and the Grizzlies putting their three-game win streak to the test at home vs. the defending Eastern Conference-champion Celtics? And, what about the top scorer in the league (Luka Doncic, 36.0 ppg) taking on the third-ranked scorer in the league (Kevin Durant, 31.5 ppg) as the Mavericks host the Nets?
Cap off this epic night with a heat check squad (the Cavs) and the improving LA Clippers squaring off at Staples Center as Cleveland seeks its ninth straight win.
5. National TV spotlight: Must-see matchups
On Wednesday night, LeBron James and the Lakers face the Clippers, concluding two significant intra-city clashes.
Wednesday: Knicks vs. Nets (7:30 ET, ESPN) & Lakers vs. Clippers (10 ET, ESPN)
New York and Los Angeles, both cities with two NBA teams, are set for intra-city rivalries on the same night. The Nets are set to host the Knicks at 7:30 ET at the Barclays Center, while the Clippers will host the Lakers at 10 ET at the Crypto.com Arena.
The teams frequently viewed as the “underdogs” in their respective city rivalries – the New York City’s Nets and Los Angeles’s Clippers – both approach Wednesday’s game with notable winning streaks against their city rivals.
The Nets have been victorious in their last seven encounters with the Knicks, a streak of wins that began on Jan. 13, 2021. From the start of the 2018-19 season, out of 15 games, the Nets have beaten the Knicks 12 times.
The Clippers come into Wednesday’s game with an eight-game winning streak against the Lakers, a streak that started on December 22, 2020. The city rivalry of the past decade has seen the Clippers dominate with a record of 33-7 in their last 40 games against the Lakers, a trend that started in the 2012-13 season.
Friday: Denver at Boston, 7 ET (NBA TV)
The Celtics and Nuggets each enter Week 4 at 6-3, each having won their past two games to rank third and fifth in their respective conference. Denver is led by the reigning back-to-back Kia MVP in Nikola Jokic, who just passed Wilt Chamberlain for the most triple-doubles by a center (79) and is nearly averaging one through nine games (20.3 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 9.2 apg). Additionally, Denver’s Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. are continuing to round into form following extended absences due to injury. Boston has won five straight games against Denver and is one of only two teams (along with Brooklyn) to have two players — Jayson Tatum (30.3 ppg) and Jaylen Brown (25.3 ppg) — averaging at least 25 points per game so far this season.
Current Kia MVP Nikola Jokic has surpassed Wilt Chamberlain on the all-time triple-double leaderboard, moving into 6th place.
Friday: Minnesota at Memphis, 9:30 ET (ESPN)
This matchup pits two of the NBA’s most exciting and explosive players against each other: Memphis’ Ja Morant and Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards. Much was made of Edwards’ lack of dunks through the first nine games of the season, but he stopped that streak on Saturday with a pair of throwdowns against the Rockets. Meanwhile, there’s been no shortage of highlight plays from Morant early in the season as he’s led the Grizzlies to a 7-3 start.
