The NBA All-Star game is always a good time to break when it comes to looking at the various conferences and divisions are going in the NBA and when the action returns this week, there will be plenty of players, fans and coaches desperate for a few wins that will dramatically change the layout of the current tables.
In the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers are tearing it up in the Central Division with a 38-14 record and an 8-2 record in their last 10 games. There are two teams in the Atlantic Division with an 8-2 record in their last 10 games as well, with the Toronto Raptors holding a 35-17 record and the Boston Celtics tucked in just behind them with a 32-23 record. The Atlanta Falcons in the Southeast Division have a 31-24 record at this stage of the season.
In the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors remain the team to beat, they have a 48-4 record in the Pacific Division. The Los Angeles Clippers have a 35-18 record in the Pacific Division. The Spurs are 45-8 in the Southwest while the Oklahoma City Thunder are 40-14 in the Northwest Division.
The best winning streak at the moment is 11, held by the Warriors, while the Spurs are on a 6 game winning streak. The Phoenix Suns are currently on a 9 game losing streak and the Philadelphia 76ers are still sitting on less than 10 wins this season, sitting with an 8-45 record this season.
The West won convincingly in the All-Star game
The MVP for the All-Star game went to Russell Westbrook, making this the second year in a row that the Oklahoma City Thunders guard picked up this award. The game ended in a 196-173 win for the West over the East. This was a record setting victory in the game that allows the NBA and its fans to let its hair down. The break has been good for a number of teams but the action returns in a few days and it will be full steam ahead until the end of the regular season.
NBA fans in the UK and Europe have to wait until the early hours of Friday morning for some basketball action but this weekend is shaping up to be a good one.
Friday 19th February 00:00 GMT Tip-off time / 01:00 CET
- Utah Jazz @ Washington Wizards
Friday 19th February 01:00 GMT Tip-off time / 02:00 CET
- Chicago Bulls @ Cleveland Cavaliers
Friday 19th February 03:30 GMT Tip-off time / 04:30 CET
- San Antonio Spurs @ Los Angeles Clippers
The Spurs trip to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers is likely to be a decent game sparks fly when the Bulls and the Cavaliers get together. Add in the fact that the Jazz in Washington has the potential to be an exciting match as well and the three early morning Friday games offer a lot of potential.
Saturday 20th February 00:00 GMT Tip-off time / 01:00 CET
- Dallas Mavericks @ Orlando Magic
- Detroit Pistons @ Washington Wizards
Saturday 20th February 00:30 GMT Tip-off time / 01:30 CET
- New York Knicks @ Brooklyn Nets
Saturday 20th February 01:00 GMT Tip-off time / 02:00 CET
- Toronto Raptors @ Chicago Bulls
- Philadelphia 76ers @ New Orleans Pelicans
- Charlotte Hornets @ Milwaukee Bucks
- Minnesota Timberwolves @ Memphis Grizzlies
- Indiana Pacers @ Oklahoma City Thunder
- Miami Heat @ Atlanta Hawks
Saturday 20th February 02:30 GMT Tip-off time / 03:30 CET
- Houston Rockets @ Phoenix Suns
Saturday 20th February 03:00 GMT Tip-off time / 04:00 CET
- Denver Nuggets @ Sacramento Kings
- Golden State Warriors @ Portland Trail Blazers
Saturday 20th February 03:30 GMT Tip-off time / 04:30 CET
- San Antonio Spurs @ Los Angeles Lakers
- Boston Celtics @ Utah Jazz
The Celtics in Utah and the Spurs in Los Angeles may be the final games of the morning for UK and European fans but they could be amongst the most exciting. The Heat in Atlanta is well worth looking out for, as is away to the Thunder. The Wizards should have enough about them to deal with the Pistons at home and the Mavericks in Orlando isn’t a bad way to get the early morning fun started.
Sunday 21st February 00:30 GMT Tip-off time / 01:30 CET
- Washington Wizards @ Miami Heat
- Milwaukee Bucks @ Atlanta Hawks
Sunday 21st February 01:00 GMT Tip-off time / 02:00 CET
- New York Knicks @ Minnesota Timberwolves
Sunday 21st February 01:30 GMT Tip-off time / 02:30 CET
- Golden State Warriors @ Los Angeles Clippers
Sunday 21st February 20:30 GMT Tip-off time / 21:30 CET
- New Orleans Pelicans @ Detroit Pistons
- Cleveland Cavaliers @ Oklahoma City Thunder
Sunday 21st February 23:00 GMT Tip-off time / 00:00 Sunday 22nd February CET
- Boston Celtics @ Denver Nuggets
- San Antonio Spurs @ Phoenix Suns
- Memphis Grizzlies @ Toronto Raptors
- Charlotte Hornets @ Brooklyn Nets
- Indiana Pacers @ Orlando Magic
The Cavs away to the Thunder is likely to be the biggest game of the weekend and given that it is played out at 8.30pm in the UK, there is no excuse for missing out on this game. The Wizards in Miami should be an enticing game and the Celtics in Denver has a lot going for it as well.
The five games that bring the night to a close are worth checking out so don’t make plans to be in work bright-eyes and bushy-tailed on Monday morning!
Monday 22nd February 00:00 GMT Tip-off time / 01:00 CET
- Philadelphia 76ers @ Dallas Mavericks
Monday 22nd February 01:00 GMT Tip-off time / 02:00 CET
- Los Angeles Lakers @ Chicago Bulls
Monday 22nd February 02:00 GMT Tip-off time / 03:00 CET
- Utah Jazz @ Portland Trail Blazers
The Lakers and the Bulls will always be a game for nostalgia lovers, the Mavericks should deal with Philadelphia at home and the Jazz in Portland is a solid way to round off the few days of basketball action after the NBA All-Star game.
At 3-1 down in the NBA Finals, many people predicted that the Cleveland Cavaliers would lie down, perhaps looking for the pain to be over and done with for another year. After all, they were facing the record breakers, the team that had shown themselves to be the best of the best by a good...