The NBA is back for its first post-bubble season, and although games have been cancelled and teams have been shorthanded due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the league has had no shortage of excitement or drama. However, the results are hard to parse: there’s no team in the league with fewer than three losses with about 10 games in the books. On the flipside, it feels like no team is out of it and anything is possible, especially with teams like the Phoenix Suns and the Charlotte Hornets climbing the ranks of the usual contenders.
Sling has you covered as we get into the meatier section of the schedule. In addition to the nationally televised games available to Sling Orange subscribers on ESPN and TNT, you can catch even more action by subscribing to NBA TV with Sports Extras. And if you’re an out-of-market fan, check out our League and Team Pass options to watch every game from your favorite team.
With that in mind, here’s a look at this week’s national TV schedule on Sling, along with our pick of the best game of the week, the best dunks and assists, and much more, below.
NBA National TV Schedule Jan. 12-18
| DATE | TIME (ET) | ROAD TEAM | HOME TEAM | NATIONAL TV |
| Tue, Jan 12 | 8:00 PM | Los Angeles Lakers | Houston Rockets | NBA TV |
| Tue, Jan 12 | 10:30 PM | Indiana Pacers | Golden State Warriors | NBA TV |
| Wed, Jan 13 | 7:30 PM | Brooklyn Nets | New York Knicks | ESPN |
| Wed, Jan 13 | 10:00 PM | New Orleans Pelicans | Los Angeles Clippers | ESPN |
| Thu, Jan 14 | 7:30 PM | Houston Rockets | San Antonio Spurs | TNT |
| Thu, Jan 14 | 10:00 PM | Golden State Warriors | Denver Nuggets | TNT |
| Fri, Jan 15 | 7:30 PM | Dallas Mavericks | Milwaukee Bucks | ESPN |
| Fri, Jan 15 | 10:00 PM | New Orleans Pelicans | Los Angeles Lakers | ESPN |
| Sat, Jan 16 | 5:00 PM | Houston Rockets | San Antonio Spurs | NBA TV |
| Sat, Jan 16 | 7:30 PM | Charlotte Hornets | Toronto Raptors | NBA TV |
| Sun, Jan 17 | 1:00 PM | New York Knicks | Boston Celtics | NBA TV |
| Sun, Jan 17 | 7:00 PM | Philadelphia 76ers | Oklahoma City Thunder | NBA TV |
| Sun, Jan 17 | 10:00 PM | Indiana Pacers | Los Angeles Clippers | NBA TV |
| Mon, Jan 18 | 12:00 PM | Orlando Magic | New York Knicks | NBA TV |
| Mon, Jan 18 | 2:30 PM | Minnesota Timberwolves | Atlanta Hawks | NBA TV |
| Mon, Jan 18 | 5:00 PM | Phoenix Suns | Memphis Grizzles | TNT |
| Mon, Jan 18 | 7:30 PM | Milwaukee Bucks | Brooklyn Nets | TNT |
| Mon, Jan 18 | 10:00 PM | Golden State Warriors | Los Angeles Lakers | TNT |
Upcoming Game of the Week
Dallas Mavericks at Milwaukee Bucks
Fri. Jan. 15, 7:30pm ET, ESPN
Slovenia’s Luka Dončić joined Dallas the season after Dirk Nowitzki retired and it looks like the Mavericks may have found yet another European superstar. On Monday, Dončić was named Western Conference Player of the Week after leading his team to three straight wins while averaging a triple-double (30.3 points, 12 rebounds, and 11.3 assists). On Friday night, he and the Mavs travel to Milwaukee to take on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the 7-4 Bucks, who are starting to find their groove after an offseason overhaul of the roster.
Sling TV Performance of the Week
Steph Curry went off for 38 points in ESPN's Friday nightcap against the Clippers. The performance came after Curry was named Western Conference Player of the Week, and he’s off to a great start in his return from last season’s injury, as he’s currently second in the league in scoring (28.6 points per game) and made three-pointers (42).
Dunk of the Week
If you search “Derrick Jones Jr. dunk” in YouTube, all sorts of delightful videos will surface, including a few that argue he’s the best dunker in the NBA (Jones Jr. has a trophy from the 2020 dunk contest to support this argument). After moving from Miami to Portland in the offseason, “Airplane Mode” continued to live up to his nickname with this elegant but forceful high-flyer against the Bulls.
Smart Choice Assist of the Week
Denver’s Nikola Jokic is an incredibly special player. In addition to his excellent range and a ball-handling style best described as “ungainly finesse,” his court vision is unrivaled for a big man, as evidenced by this incredible bounce pass to JaMychal Green. Through 10 games, Joker is off to a historic start: With 244 points, 112 rebounds and 104 assists, he just joined Oscar Robertson as the only players to have a 200-100-100+ stat-line through the first 10 games of the season.
LOL of the Week
This one’s a bit of an oldie, but we have to give a shout out (and our sympathy) to Thomas Bryant of the Washington Wizards, who accidentally (?) dunked on the wrong basket in his team’s loss to the Magic.
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