It is the 29th of February, a day that only comes around once every four years but it is still very much business as usual in the NBA. As you would expect, the praise and focus in the past week has fallen on Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors and each week, more and more people are coming around to the idea that Curry is a legend of the game that deserves to be talked alongside the leading basketball players of all time.
On Saturday, Curry bagged a 32 foot shot in the dying seconds of overtime to ensure the Warriors won 121-118 over the Thunder. This was the Warriors 53rd win in just 58 NBA games this season and Curry has beat his own record for three point shots in a season. He is now on 286 for the campaign and of course, there are 24 games left for Curry to clock up more points.
The 52-5 record for the Warriors and the 50-9 record for the Spurs sees them classed as the two teams to beat, or watch disappear over the horizon in the West. In the East, the Cavaliers are 41-17 and the Raptors are39-19. These are both more than decent records but compared to the runaway form of the two leading teams in the East, it falls a bit flat. The 76ers are still looking to hit double digits for wins, sitting with an 8-51 record.
The NBA schedule is in March for UK and European fans when the action gets going and the Cavs will be desperate to get back to winning ways, coming into this game on a 2 match losing streak.
Tuesday 1st March 00:00 GMT Tip-off time / 01:00 CET
- Indiana Pacers @ Cleveland Cavaliers
- Philadelphia 76ers @ Washington Wizards
Tuesday 1st March 00:30 GMT Tip-off time / 01:30 CET
- Utah Jazz @ Boston Celtics
Tuesday 1st March 01:00 GMT Tip-off time / 02:00 CET
- Houston Rockets @ Milwaukee Bucks
Tuesday 1st March 02:00 GMT Tip-off time / 03:00 CET
- Memphis Grizzlies @ Denver Nuggets
Tuesday 1st March 03:00 GMT Tip-off time / 04:00 CET
- Oklahoma City Thunder @ Sacramento Kings
Tuesday 1st March 03:30 GMT Tip-off time / 04:30 CET
- Brooklyn Nets @ Los Angeles Clippers
The Cavaliers are well-fancied to get back to winning ways against the Pacers and you can take the LeBron James led side at -8, at odds of 1.90. You can find the Boston Celtics at -6, at odds of 1.90, to take on the Jazz and the Rockets are available at -1, at odds of 1.90, in Milwaukee as they take on the Bucks.
The Los Angeles Clippers are well fancied to destroy the Nets, so back the Clippers at -13, at odds of 1.90, and this is a game where the Over/Under market may be of interest. Look to go OVER 208.5 at odds of 1.90.
Wednesday 2nd March 00:00 GMT Tip-off time / 01:00 CET
- Phoenix Suns @ Charlotte Hornets
Wednesday 2nd March 00:30 GMT Tip-off time / 01:30 CET
- Chicago Bulls @ Miami Heat
- Portland Trail Blazers @ New York Knicks
Wednesday 2nd March 01:30 GMT Tip-off time / 02:30 CET
- Orlando Magic @ Dallas Mavericks
Wednesday 2nd March 03:30 GMT Tip-off time / 04:30 CET
- Atlanta Hawks @ Golden State Warriors
- Brooklyn Nets @ Los Angeles Lakers
The Warriors welcome the Hawks while the Bulls in Miami could well be the game of the day. The Magic in Dallas may have a lot to offer and if you are looking for a match between two toiling teams that are desperate for a win, the Nets playing away to the Lakers may give you what you are looking for.
Thursday 3rd March 00:00 GMT Tip-off time / 01:00 CET
- Charlotte Hornets @ Philadelphia 76ers
- Chicago Bulls @ Orlando Magic
Thursday 3rd March 00:30 GMT Tip-off time / 01:30 CET
- Utah Jazz @ Toronto Raptors
- Portland Trail Blazers @ Boston Celtics
Thursday 3rd March 01:00 GMT Tip-off time / 02:00 CET
- Washington Wizards @ Minnesota Timberwolves
- Indiana Pacers @ Milwaukee Bucks
- Detroit Pistons @ San Antonio Spurs
- Sacramento Kings @ Memphis Grizzlies
- New Orleans Pelicans @ Houston Rockets
Thursday 3rd March 02:00 GMT Tip-off time / 03:00 CET
- Los Angeles Lakers @ Denver Nuggets
Thursday 3rd March 03:30 GMT Tip-off time / 04:30 CET
- Oklahoma City Thunder @ Los Angeles Clippers
The Thunder in Los Angeles to take on the Clippers looks interesting, as does the Blazers in Boston. The Bulls in Orlando should get people interested and the Pistons in San Antonio could well be one of the best games in the NBA schedule this week.
Friday 4th March 00:30 GMT Tip-off time / 01:30 CET
- Phoenix Suns @ Miami Heat
Friday 4th March 01:00 GMT Tip-off time / 02:00 CET
- San Antonio Spurs @ New Orleans Pelicans
Friday 4th March 01:30 GMT Tip-off time / 02:30 CET
- Sacramento Kings @ Dallas Mavericks
Friday 4th March 03:30 GMT Tip-off time / 04:30 CET
- Oklahoma City Thunder @ Golden State Warriors
The Thunder versus the Warriors is always going to grab the attention but the Spurs in New Orleans ensures that there is more than one game to catch the eye in the early hours of Friday morning. The Kings in Dallas is also a game to look out for.
Saturday 5th March 00:00 GMT Tip-off time / 01:00 CET
- Miami Heat @ Philadelphia 76ers
- Phoenix Suns @ Orlando Magic
- Indiana Pacers @ Charlotte Hornets
Saturday 5th March 00:30 GMT Tip-off time / 01:30 CET
- Portland Trail Blazers @ Toronto Raptors
- New York Knicks @ Boston Celtics
Saturday 5th March 01:00 GMT Tip-off time / 21:00 CET
- Minnesota Timberwolves @ Milwaukee Bucks
- Washington Wizards @ Cleveland Cavaliers
- Utah Jazz @ Memphis Grizzlies
Saturday 5th March 02:00 GMT Tip-off time / 03:00 CET
- Brooklyn Nets @ Denver Nuggets
Saturday 5th March 03:30 GMT Tip-off time / 04:30 CET
- Atlanta Hawks @ Los Angeles Lakers
The early hours of Saturday morning provides plenty of NBA schedule action for UK and European fans. The Wizards in Cleveland and the Jazz in Memphis are likely to be the games that grab the attention but the Celtics at home to the Knicks is also worthy of consideration.
Sunday 6th March 00:00 GMT Tip-off time / 01:00 CET
- Utah Jazz @ New Orleans Pelicans
- Boston Celtics @ Cleveland Cavaliers
- Indiana Pacers @ Washington Wizards
- Detroit Pistons @ New York Knicks
Sunday 6th March 01:00 GMT Tip-off time / 02:00 CET
- Brooklyn Nets @ Minnesota Timberwolves
Sunday 6th March 01:30 GMT Tip-off time / 02:30 CET
- Houston Rockets @ Chicago Bulls
- Sacramento Kings @ San Antonio Spurs
Sunday 6th March 03:30 GMT Tip-off time / 04:30 CET
- Atlanta Hawks @ Los Angeles Clippers
Sunday 6th March 20:30 GMT Tip-off time / 21:30 CET
- Oklahoma City Thunder @ Milwaukee Bucks
- Golden State Warriors @ Los Angeles Lakers
Sunday 6th March 21:00 GMT Tip-off time / 22:00 CET
- Phoenix Suns @ Memphis Grizzlies
Sunday 6th March 22:00 GMT Tip-off time / 23:00 CET
- Dallas Mavericks @ Denver Nuggets
Sunday 6th March 23:00 GMT Tip-off time / 00:00 (Monday 7th March CET)
- Philadelphia 76ers @ Miami Heat
- Portland Trail Blazers @ Detroit Pistons
Sunday 6th March 23:30 GMT Tip-off time / 00:30 (Monday 7th March CET)
- Houston Rockets @ Toronto Raptors
There are some games on offer on Sunday evening for UK and European NBA fans, so these may be the most eagerly anticipated games of the week. The Warriors in Los Angeles will grab the fans but it could be the Rockets in Toronto that is the best game that rounds off the next week of NBA action in style.
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...