Did you fill up those NCAA brackets before the tournament began? If yes, then you know the games that make up the “Sweet 16” and “Elite 8” portions of March Madness are happening this week. Those games are still at the end of the week which means you have all the time to throw away those busted brackets and survey the NBA’s most appealing games of the week.
March 21
LeBron James returns to his home state of Ohio but unlike the past few years, he’ll be facing a much improved Cleveland Cavaliers team. Fans used to welcome LeBron home and that would be the story of the day. It will be different this time because fans can probably experience a little bit of competition and genuinely root for the trending-upward Cavaliers to win.
March 22
We all know what happened last time Grayson Allen faced Alex Caruso. Allen whacked Caruso while he was in mid-air. Intentional or not, the result was nasty. Caruso was injured during the controversial play and was sidelined for a long time. What made it gloomier was the image of Allen smirking a few minutes after Caruso fell down. Add that to the list of Allen’s sketchy moments in his basketball career. Caruso is back from the injured list and meeting Allen again will be a hot topic during the game.
March 23
Sacramento at Indiana: Remember when Tyrese Haliburton, who used to play for the Sacramento Kings and was actually a crowd favorite, expressed his feelings about being traded away? Well, this is his chance to stick it to his former team. The Kings travel to face the Indiana Pacers and Haliburton will be there waiting for them. He’ll probably say “Hi” to former teammates and coaches but he’ll be in business mode once the game starts.
Phoenix at Minnesota: Karl-Anthony Towns will be playing against one of his best friends in the world, Devin Booker when the Phoenix Suns make their way to the Target Center to face the Minnesota Timberwolves. Booker, who scored 70 points five years ago, will be revved up after learning that Towns recently scored 60 points in a game. Will an offensive outburst between the two friends happen? Maybe not but it will still be fun seeing these two play.
Brooklyn at Memphis: Ja Morant and Kyrie Irving in the same game? Possible right? We’re hoping that unvaccinated Irving plays in this game. There’s a big chance he will. The game won’t be played in the New York area where vaccine rules are strict. If the Morant-Irving match becomes a reality, then this becomes the story of the game. If that’s not enough, then you can count on Kevin Durant to provide more entertainment.
March 26 and 27: Possible Shift in the Standings
In the last two days of the week, some sort of movement in the Western Conference standings can be expected. The New Orleans Pelicans will host the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers on back-to-back days. Those are the three teams hovering around the tenth spot in the seeding arrangement. Fans can now calculate the different scenarios that could happen if any of those teams win or lose in that two-day stretch. Fans better fill up Smoothie King Center if they want to witness intense playoff-positioning battles.
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