The Nets are putting on a show, the Joker is no joke, and courtside Karen's get their comeuppance. Plus this week's schedule.
Hellooooo, Brooklyn! It’s still early into the Nets “Big 3” era, but first impressions have been very promising. Brooklyn is 7-3 since acquiring James Harden from Houston, with one of those losses coming under almost impossible circumstances. They bounced back with a nice win over the Clippers last night and are now just two games back from the surging 76ers for the best record in the East. Perhaps most impressively, the Nets have surpassed the Knicks in local viewership and have become the darlings of NBA League Pass.
We’ll have to see how they do as the season wears on, but some experts are already predicting that Brooklyn will come out on top in the East. That's a long way off, but KD, Kyrie, and Harden have been well worth the anticipation thus far. Check out this week’s nationally-televised schedule below, along with previews, highlights, postponements and more. To get the most NBA without league or team passes, sign up for Sling Orange + Blue with Sports Extra using the link at the bottom of this page.
National TV Schedule, Feb. 3-9
DATE
TIME (ET)
ROAD TEAM
HOME TEAM
NATIONAL TV
Wed, Feb 3
9:30 PM
Phoenix Suns
New Orleans Pelicans
ESPN
Thu, Feb 4
10:00 PM
Denver Nuggets
Los Angeles Lakers
TNT
Fri, Feb 5
7:30 PM
Toronto Raptors
Brooklyn Nets
ESPN
Fri, Feb 5
10:00 PM
Boston Celtics
LA Clippers
ESPN
Sun, Feb 7
2:00 PM
Boston Celtics
Phoenix Suns
NBA TV
Mon, Feb 8
7:00 PM
Houston Rockets
Charlotte Hornets
NBA TV
Mon, Feb 8
9:30 PM
Milwaukee Bucks
Denver Nuggets
NBA TV
Upcoming Game of the Week
Milwaukee Bucks at Denver Nuggets
Mon. Feb. 8, 9:30pm ET, NBA TV
The league is so loaded with stars, it’s easy to forget some of the best players in the league, including, somehow, defending back-to-back MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. It’s a testament to his freakishness that it feels like he’s having an under-the-radar season while still in the top 10 for points (27.3) and rebounds (11.0). Denver’s Nikola Jokić was just named Western Conference Player of the Month, as the versatile big man averaged 27.3 points, 11.8 boards, and 7.3 assists in January. If he keeps this up, the Joker could have an outside shot at dethroning Giannis as MVP.
Sling TV Performance of the Week
Fed by league-leading assist man James Harden (11.2 ast per game), Kyrie Irving went off for 39 points (including 6-of-8 from downtown) in Brooklyn’s 124-120 win over the Clippers Tuesday night on TNT. His teammate Kevin Durant is currently second in the NBA in scoring, with an average of 30.8 points per game.
Dunk of the Week
What’s especially fun about this downright nasty dunk that rising Spurs star Keldon Johnson threw down last week against the Celtics is watching Jayson Tatum just get out of the way as Johnson soars to the rim. The momentary defensive lapse is embarrassing, but at least he’s not immortalized in shame on a poster.
Smart Choice Assist of the Week
Less than a week after Sweet Lou Williams dished a gorgeous behind-the-back dime to his longtime running mate Ivica Zubac, Williams flashed some nice agility to dish out this bounce pass to Zubac for a rim-shaking dunk against the Magic.
LOL of the Week
I’m not sure that there’s been anything funnier in 2021, NBA or otherwise, than LeBron James’ instantly iconic “Courtside Karen” tweet. The full story is too long to get into here, but suffice it to say, do not jaw at the King when he’s on the court; that man will absolutely kill you with kindness.
Postponements
Sunday Feb. 7 - Portland Trail Blazers at Charlotte Hornets
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