Now that all of basketball’s biggest stars have had their fill of turkey and stuffing, the NBA season is back on track. All of the best ballers on the planet are now back to lacing themselves up to play some of the best basketball that we will see over the weekend.
There’s one interesting thing eagle-eyed fans will notice about the upcoming games is that there are three underperforming teams that will be playing. The Boston Celtics, the Houston Rockets, and the Golden State Warriors are all good basketball teams that have good NBA 2018 odds of making the NBA Finals. However, these are the same three teams that have underperformed thus far.
They will be hoping to turn their poor run of form around and build a winning formula through these games. With that being said, it will be interesting to see if we will get to see some motivated play from these leaders.
Houston Rockets @ Cleveland Cavaliers (November 25, 07:30 GMT+8)
The Rockets have seemingly rediscovered their groove.
Cutting Carmelo Anthony from the team was not the easiest decision to make, but the impact of not having the ball get clogged at the hands of the forward. James Harden and Chris Paul were able to play their natural games, and the offence is beginning to look a lot like what it was last season.
Of course, Houston’s defensive problems still exist, and they still need to find an answer to that. Fortunately for Mike D’Antoni, their opponents will be the Cavaliers. While they will still be tired after battling the Detroit Pistons the day before, I don’t the Cavs would thrive without the injured Kevin Love and George Hill.
New Orleans Pelicans @ Washington Wizards (November 25, 08:00 GMT+8)
The Pelicans are just outside of the playoff picture as of the moment, but that could be blamed to the stretch of time Anthony Davis spent away from the team due to injury. The good times have seemingly come back to the team, and they have played very entertaining basketball thus far.
Meanwhile, the Washington Wizards are somehow winning games despite the fractured locker room multiple reports have revealed. I’m not certain that John Wall and Bradley Beal can simply force their way past a solid New Orleans squad.
Chicago Bulls @ Minnesota Timberwolves (November 25, 08:00 GMT+8)
The Bulls finally broke their losing streak with a home win over the struggling Phoenix Suns, but that doesn’t mean that good times are ahead for Fred Hoiberg‘s team as they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center. Bobby Portis and Lauri Markkanen are still out with injuries and aren’t likely to play until the dawn of the next month.
Derrick Rose picked up from where Jimmy Butler left off to become the third scoring option that the team badly needed. In addition to that, both Robert Covington and Dario Saric have been playing well for the Wolves. I don’t see any reason why Tom Thibodeau’s team should lose this in front of their home crowd.
Denver Nuggets @ Oklahoma City Thunder (November 25, 08:00 GMT+8)
Many of OKC’s fans are on a high after they extended the Warriors’ losing streak to four in their last match. Given the way both Paul George and Russell Westbrook have thrived so far this season, there’s little to no question that they are slight favourites coming up against the Denver Nuggets.
I don’t think Jamal Murray and Garry Harris are good enough players to match Westbrook and George’s production offensively. However, they do have a key man in Nikola Jokic who will make things easier for them.
Boston Celtics @ Dallas Mavericks (November 25, 08:30 GMT+8)
Whether it is due to their inability to gel their players or Kyrie Irving insulting one of the most essential American holidays, the Boston Celtics are far below their expected productivity levels. Kyrie is trying his best with his 26.6 scoring average, something’s just not making sense for Brad Steven’s squad.
They need to figure out what’s the problem in their roster even as they face another tough customer in the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas have made the American Airlines Center a fortress with their 7-2 record, and their exciting pick-and-roll game will cause problems for a shoddy Boston defence.
San Antonio Spurs @ Milwaukee Bucks (November 25, 08:30 GMT+8)
The Spurs are struggling through a slow start to the season despite great efforts from DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay and LaMarcus Aldridge. They just haven’t found the winning formula yet and are just trudging along below the .500 line.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks continue to play exciting basketball. With Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the team in points, rebounds and steals, there’s no question that the Bucks will plough through the Spurs at the Bradley Center. The only question for SBOBET fans is the margin by which the Bucks will win.
Sacramento Kings @ Golden State Warriors (November 25, 08:30 GMT+8)
The losing streak and their off-court drama have become one of the most unfortunate NBA 2018 highlights for the defending champions. While they do know that this rut won’t last forever, the fact that they lost to an underperforming San Antonio squad had to hurt their pride.
They have a shot at putting things back on track as they welcome the surprisingly impressive Sacramento Kings. Of course, the bookies all favour the Dubs, but nothing’s impossible given the losing skid they are on.
If the Dubs can’t manage to win over De’Aaron Fox‘s Kings even if Stephen Curry is listed as injured, then I think an intervention is due for Steve Kerr‘s team.
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