A photo of a basketball net with the NBA on ESPN logo

A photo of a basketball net with the NBA on ESPN logo

NBA Weekly Preview: Jan. 19-25

Following a busy MLK Day, the NBA slows the tempo while cranking the heat. Here's this week's national TV schedule and more.

Their Christmas Day games may be the biggest gift, but the NBA also does great things on Martin Luther King Day. As always, the NBA scheduled a full day of nationally televised games for both those watching from the couch as well as us office drones. And at this particular moment in our nation’s history, it’s hard to think of a better person to celebrate than a man who bridged hateful divides with unfailing grace and composure.

The NBA’s national TV schedule may be a little lighter this week, but there’s still a gaggle of great games. Check out the weekly ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV schedules below (postponed games can also be found at the end of this column). NBA fanatics can sign up for Sling Orange + Blue with Sports Extra and add NBA team and league passes using the link at the bottom of this page.

NBA National TV Schedule Jan. 19-25

DATE
TIME (ET)
ROAD TEAM
HOME TEAM
NATIONAL TV
Tue, Jan 19
9:00 PM
New Orleans Pelicans
Utah Jazz
NBA TV
Wed, Jan 20
7:00 PM
Boston Celtics
Philadelphia 76ers
ESPN
Wed, Jan 20
9:30 PM
Phoenix Suns
Houston Rockets
ESPN
Thu, Jan 21
7:30 PM
Los Angeles Lakers
Milwaukee Bucks
TNT
Thu, Jan 21
10:00 PM
New Orleans Pelicans
Utah Jazz
TNT
Fri, Jan 22
5:30 PM
Boston Celtics
Philadelphia 76ers
ESPN
Fri, Jan 22
10:00 PM
Denver Nuggets
Phoenix Suns
ESPN
Sat, Jan 23
5:00 PM
Golden State Warriors
Utah Jazz
NBA TV
Sat, Jan 23
7:30 PM
Miami Heat
Brooklyn Nets
NBA TV
Sun, Jan 24
3:30 PM
Toronto Raptors
Indiana Pacers
NBA TV
Sun, Jan 24
7:30 PM
Atlanta Hawks
Milwaukee Bucks
NBA TV
Mon, Jan 25
7:30 PM
Miami Heat
Brooklyn Nets
NBA TV
Mon, Jan 25
10:00 PM
Minnesota Timberwolves
Golden State Warriors
NBA TV

Upcoming Game of the Week

https://www.youtube.com/embed/9LngA1YH3Us

Los Angeles Lakers at Milwaukee Bucks

Thur. Jan. 21, 7:30pm ET, TNT

This showdown between two of the top teams in their respective conferences feels like a potential Finals preview. With a league-best 11-4 record, the Lakers picked up where their championship season left off; their +10.2 point differential is tops in the league. Although they were humbled by the Nets' new supersquad on Monday, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks still look like one of the top teams in the East, and they'll no doubt be eager to put LeBron James and the Lakeshow on notice in this primetime matchup.

Sling TV Performance of the Week

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Trpt4Toa0UM

As we noted last week, Nuggets center Nikola Jokić is off to a historic start this season and he notched his fifth triple-double of the year (23 pts, 14 reb and 10 ast) in his team’s 114-104 win over Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors last Thursday on TNT.

Dunk of the Week

https://www.youtube.com/embed/_W36Uefn1SI

Zion Williamson makes his first appearance of the season in this space, and it’s hard to imagine it will be his last. The clip above labels his dunk over Sacramento’s Chimezie Metu “ruthless.” The word I would use is vicious. The way announcer Mark Jones reacts, you’d think he just saw a man get knifed.

Smart Choice Assist of the Week

https://www.youtube.com/embed/SjiCHsB0Szo

We’re big fans of the in-bound alley-oop around these parts and the heads up play between Hawks’ young bucks Kevin Huerter and Cam Reddish is a beautiful example of the form. As an added bonus, Reddish earned a trip to the charity stripe on the dunk.

LOL of the Week

https://www.youtube.com/embed/7sWteDCLmDQ

After Nikola Jokić’s aforementioned Sling TV Performance of the Week, America’s biggest goofball (literally) Shaquille O'Nea l ended his interview with a friendly “dosvedanyia.” The problem is, Joker is Serbian, not Russian. Nyet good.

Postponements

Wed. Jan 20

Washington at Charlottle

Memphis at Portland

Sign up for Sling Orange +. Blue with Sports Extra using the link below, and select your Team or League Pass before checkout.

https://main--sling--aemsites.aem.page/aemedge/fragments/try-sling-combo-sports