On Monday night, one of the 15 games will be a face-off between Kevin Durant and Luka Donic.
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).
Given that games start every 15 minutes, it’s probable that they will conclude 15 minutes apart as well. Thus, from around 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. ET, there will be continuous crunch time action to enjoy on League Pass. If swapping feeds on League Pass seems bothersome, consider NBA CrunchTime on the NBA App. This feature offers a live viewing experience similar to NFL RedZone, with peeks into every game, particularly the final minutes. This ensures that you won’t miss any key moments, starting at 9 p.m. ET.
Every squad. Every match. Completely FREE.
All 30 NBA teams will be playing TONIGHT, with 15 games accessible at no cost on the latest NBA App. The games will commence 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 will need to average slightly over eight assists per game, which is higher than his current season average of 7.1 per game, ranking him 13th in the league.
Other milestones to watch for this week
- Kyle Lowry is just eight 3-pointers away from being the 12th player to achieve 2,000.
- Devin Booker is just two 3-pointers away from achieving a career total of 1,000.
3. The Temp Check: Hottest & coldest teams entering the week
In the previous edition of The Five, we spotlighted two impressive players, Luka Doncic and Donovan Mitchell, and one outstanding team, the undefeated Bucks, as they stepped into the third week of the season. As they enter the fourth week, all three are maintaining their exceptional performance: Luka consistently scores over 30 points every game this season, Mitchell continues to excel in Cleveland, and the Bucks remain unbeaten – even securing their ninth consecutive victory of the season with Giannis Antetokounmpo observing from the sidelines while enjoying some popcorn.
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports credits the Bucks as the only team in the league to maintain an undefeated 9-0 record.
Heat Check: Cleveland, Milwaukee, Memphis and Dallas
This week, we’re focusing on teams that have both a heat and cold check. The Bucks are still leading with a heat check, but the Cavaliers are closely trailing them in the Eastern Conference standings. As we enter Week 4, Cleveland boasts an eight-game win streak, their longest since they won 13 consecutive games from November 11 to December 6, 2017.
Entering Week 4, two teams in the West, Memphis (7-3) and Dallas (5-3), are on a three-game winning streak. The Grizzlies are only 1/2 game away from Utah and Phoenix, who are currently No. 1 in the West. Meanwhile, Dallas is two games above .500 and only 1 1/2 games behind the Jazz and Suns for the top spot.
Cold Check: Golden State
The Warriors, reigning champs and currently 13th in the Western Conference with a 3-7 record, are entering the fourth week on a five-game losing streak. Should fans in the Bay Area start panicking or is patience the key? Normally, losing five consecutive games would trigger a certain level of panic. However, considering the Warriors’ championship history, much of this reaction should be contained, especially considering it’s still 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 in the final of two crucial intra-city clashes.
Wednesday: Knicks vs. Nets (7:30 ET, ESPN) & Lakers vs. Clippers (10 ET, ESPN)
The two NBA cities, New York and Los Angeles, each boasting a pair of teams, will have their intra-city rivals competing against each other on the same night. The Nets will host the Knicks at Barclays Center (7:30 ET) in New York while in Los Angeles, the Clippers will host the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena (10 ET).
Both the Nets of New York City and the Clippers of Los Angeles, often viewed as the “little brother” in their respective intra-city rivalries, are heading into Wednesday’s game with impressive winning streaks against their city rivals.
The Knicks have lost the last seven match-ups against the Nets, a losing streak that started on Jan. 13, 2021. From the start of the 2018-19 season, the Knicks have a 3-12 record against the Nets.
The Clippers head into Wednesday’s game with an eight-game winning streak against the Lakers, a streak that began on Dec. 22, 2020. The city rivalry over the past decade has seen the Clippers dominating with a record of 33-7 in their last 40 games against the Lakers, a streak that dates back to the start of 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.
The reigning Kia MVP, Nikola Jokic, has surpassed Wilt Chamberlain on the triple-double leaderboard, putting him in 6th place of all time.
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.
