The NBA has gifted basketball fans an absolutely awesome night of hoops on Wednesday, with a number of games that could be considered “must-watch” affairs. It’s arguably as good a slate as one could ask for, so let’s dig in.
NBA schedule 2014: Stacked slate features Cavaliers hosting Spurs
A great night of basketball features some of the best teams in the league tiping off on Wednesday.
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
The appetizer
It's not necessarily a matchup between juggernauts as both San Antonio and Cleveland work through some early-season issues, but this is still a highly anticipated matchup between two title contenders. LeBron James and the Cavs are coming off a disappointing loss to the Nuggets on Monday night and will surely hope to rebound against the four-time MVP's longtime rival. San Antonio is working things out in Tiago Splitter's absence, but hopefully Pop rolls with most of the key guys for a big game.
TV: ESPN
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(Note: If you're not into this matchup for some odd reason and have League Pass, there are some other great games starting at 7 p.m. as well. The big one sees the Mavericks visit Washington as Bradley Beal makes his season debut, although Hornets vs. Pacers should be entertaining if you're into defense. So many choices!)
The main course
This one doesn't have the name value of Spurs-Cavs, but few teams have played as well as both Memphis and Toronto this season. They're currently atop their respective conferences with records of 10-1 and 8-2, and both are in the top-5 in net rating, per NBA.com. Neither team boasts big stars or a famous coach, but the Grizz and Raps are complete teams that boast deep, stable cores. The one place where Toronto might have an advantage is the wings, so expect DeMar DeRozan and Terrence Ross to have their chances to break out.
TV: TSOH, TSN, NBA League Pass
More on this game: Grizzly Bear Blues | Raptors HQ
The dessert
Nobody is expecting Los Angeles to beat a stacked Houston team on the road, but among the late games, nothing beats Kobe Bryant battling Dwight Howard and the Rockets. Bryant has shown early this season that there's still a lot left in the tank, at least as a scorer, and it'll be fun seeing him gun it up against the likes of James Harden on Wednesday night. And hey, if Kobe can shoot the team into a competitive game, that'll just be a bonus of sorts.
TV: ESPN
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The leftovers
Mavericks at Wizards, 7 p.m. ET (Fox Sports Southwest, CSN Washington, NBA League Pass)
Hornets at Pacers, 7 p.m. ET (TSOH, Fox Sports Midwest, NBA League Pass)
Clippers at Magic, 7 p.m. ET (Fox Sports West 2, Fox Sports Florida, NBA League Pass)
Celtics at 76ers, 7 p.m. ET (CSNNE, CSN Philly, NBA League Pass)
Bucks at Nets, 7:30 p.m. ET (Fox Sports Wisconsin, YES Network, NBA League Pass)
Suns at Pistons, 7:30 p.m. ET (Fox Sports Arizona, Fox Sports Detroit, NBA League Pass)
Knicks at Timberwolves, 8 p.m. ET (MSG, Fox Sports North, NBA League Pass)
Thunder at Nuggets, 9 p.m. ET (Fox Sports Oklahoma, Altitude, NBA League Pass)
★★★
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