What NBA Team Plays Tonight?
Contents
Keep up with the NBA schedule so you never have to miss your favorite team playing. Check out what games are on tonight and plan your viewing accordingly!
The teams
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and are one of the most successful franchises in NBA history, having gained 16 NBA championships, their last being in 2010.
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The Heat play their home games at American Airlines Arena, and have won three NBA championships.
Founded in 1988, the Heat began their inaugural season 0–17, the worst start in NBA history at the time. Following a period of mediocrity, the franchise found success under head coach Pat Riley, who helped lead the team to four conference titles between 1996 and 2005. Four years later, in 2009, after winning its first ever division title, the Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals to win their first championship. In 2012 and 2013, led by Ray Allen and LeBron James respectively, Miami won back-to-back titles for the second time in franchise history after defeating Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs in both Finals respectively. In 2016 and 2017 they reached a fourth consecutive Finals matchup, where they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers led by LeBron James both times.
The Heat hold a rivalry with the Chicago Bulls, having played each other in five NBA Finals between 1994 and 1998. They also maintain meaningful rivalries with fellow Eastern Conference teams such as the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics; as well as with Western Conference teams such as the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs due to playoff meetings during Riley’s tenure as head coach from 1995 to 2003.
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are an American professional basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of the league’s original eight teams, the team play their home games at TD Garden, which they share with the National Hockey League (NHL)’s Boston Bruins. The Celtics are one of the most successful teams in NBA history; they have won 17 NBA championships, tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for second-most behind only the San Antonio Spurs.[8][9]The franchise has played more games and won more playoff series than any other team in NBA history.Boston has appeared or been ranked as high as second in greatness among all teams by some sporting analysts over years.
In 1950, Bill Russell became captain of the team, and he led them to their first championship when they defeated the Minneapolis Lakers in seven games that year. The following season saw rookie center Bob Cousy win Rookie of the Year after averaging 18.5 points per game, and Cousy went on to lead The Cooz to 11 straight All-Star appearances.[10] In 1957–58, with Cousy leading an inexperienced squad featuring second-year forward Bill Sharman and rookie power forward Kevin McHale, Boston finished with a then-record 57 wins and 25 losses,[11] winning their sixth championship in eight seasons.[12] Under head coach Red Auerbach from 1957–1966 (“The Dynasty Years”),Bill Russell missed only 40 games over 13 seasons while playing for Celtic teams that captured ten league titles during that span including seven straight championships from 1959–1966 He also helped lead Boston to 11 NBA titles overall during his 13+ years with them as a player—more than any other player in NBA history not to have won an MVP award during his time on any given team—and is widely considered one of basketball’s all-time best defenders.[13][14] Russell won his first formal MVP award after averaging 18.9 points per game and 23.0 rebounds per game during 1966–67; he had previously been selected for eight straight All-Star Games (1958–1965),[15][16] 11 straight All-NBA First Team selections (1959–1969),[17] 12 straight All-Defensive First Team selections (1964–1975),[18]and led his team to eleven Finals appearances including nine straight from 1957–1965. He is also one of just two players (the other being Wilt Chamberlain) to average over 30 rebounds per game for an entire season; he accomplished this feat four times between 1960 and 1963 while playing an average of 45 minutes per game,[19][20][21][22][23]and twice more as primarily a reserve player later on in his career.[24][25][26]”Celtic pride”, “Green runs deep”, “It’s a way of life” – these are all expressions synonymous with Boston’s storied NBA franchise
The game
The Lakers are playing the Clippers tonight. The game is at 7pm.
When does the game start?
The game between the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers starts at 8:00 pm EST.
What channel is the game on?
The game you are looking for is on ESPN at 7:30pm.
Who are the commentators?
The game tonight features the announcing talents of Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy.
The players
The Los Angeles Lakers are set to take on the Golden State Warriors in what is sure to be an exciting match up. The Lakers are currently in first place in the Western Conference, while the Warriors are in second place. This match up will be a good test for both teams.
Who are the starters?
The starting lineup is the first five offensive players on a basketball team. The starters are usually the best players on the team and they play the majority of the minutes. They typically stay in the game for around 8 to 10 minutes before being replaced by the bench players. The starters then rest until they are needed to come back in the game, usually in the second half. When one of the starters needs a break, they are replaced by a bench player.
Who are the key players?
The starting lineup for the Golden State Warriors is:
-PG: Stephen Curry
-SG: Klay Thompson
-SF: Kevin Durant
-PF: Draymond Green
-C: Andrew Bogut
Key players off the bench include Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and Harrison Barnes.
Who is injured?
Joel Embiid- Philadelphia 76ers
It’s looking like Joel Embiid will not play tonight against the Charlotte Hornets. He is listed as doubtful with a left knee contusion. Embiid, who is averaging 27.5 points and 11 rebounds per game, has missed four of the Sixers’ last five games.
Marcus Smart- Boston Celtics
Marcus Smart is out for tonight’s game against the Indiana Pacers with a right calf strain. Smart is one of the Celtics’ best defenders and his absence will be felt on the court.
Kristaps Porzingis- Dallas Mavericks
Kristaps Porzingis is doubtful for tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets with right knee soreness. Porzingis, who is averaging 20 points and 9 rebounds per game, has been struggling with knee issues all season.
The odds
The odds are in and the team to place your bet on is the Golden State Warriors. They are up against the Oklahoma City Thunder who are struggling as of late. The Warriors are favored to win by 7.5 points.
Who is favored to win?
Boston Celtics are favored to win tonight by 5.5 points.
What is the point spread?
The point spread is the number of points by which the favored team is expected to win. A negative point spread means that the team is expected to lose by that many points. The favorite is always indicated by a minus sign (e.g. -5.5) and the underdog is indicated by a plus sign (e.g. +5.5). If you bet on the favorite, you win your bet if they win the game by more than the point spread. If you bet on the underdog, you win your bet if they win the game or lose by less than the point spread
Over/under
The over/under is a wager in which bettors wager that the TOTAL points scored in a game will be OVER or UNDER the oddsmakers’ set point total. For example, if an NBA game has a total of 215 points, you would need 216 or more points to win an “over” bet, and 214 or fewer points to win an “under” bet.
