The NBA playoff race is heating up, as some teams scramble to put together a much-needed run, while others sit pretty atop the standings with little in their rearview.
Want to know which teams are going head-to-head this week? We have the five marquee matchups that you won't want to miss.
San Antonio Spurs at Charlotte Hornets
When: Monday, March 21 at 7 pm ET on NBA TV
Season series: San Antonio leads 1-0.
The matchup: The Hornets enter the week with a 39-30 and in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, 1 1/2 games behind the Atlanta Hawks for third place, but only 3 1/2 games ahead of the eighth place Chicago Bulls. In what has the potential to be a rest game for Gregg Popovich's older players, the Hornets will look to start the week on the right foot before a four-game road trip.
Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder
When: Tuesday, March 22 at 8 pm ET on TNT
Season series: Tied 1-1.
The matchup: The Rockets won the first matchup because of a 37-point performance from James Harden. The Thunder won the second behind a triple-double from Russell Westbrook and 33 points and 12 rebounds from Kevin Durant. Now, the Thunder sit comfortably in the third place spot in the West, while the Rockets continue to hang on for dear life in the bottom of the playoff race. If nothing else, there should be a lot of points scored, as both teams rank in the top four in the league in points per game and the bottom half in team defense.
L.A. Clippers at Golden State Warriors
When: Wednesday, March 23 at 10:30 pm ET on ESPN
Season series: Golden State leads 3-0.
The matchup: What was built up to be one of the NBA's most heated rivalries this season has been far from it, as the Warriors have won in all three of their meetings with the Clippers thus far. In the fourth and final showdown of the regular season, this game figures to be a hard fought battle by both, as the Warriors continue to eye an NBA-record 73 wins while the Clippers have no plans of being swept in the season series.
Charlotte Hornets at Detroit Pistons
When: Friday, March 25 at 7:30 pm ET on NBA TV
Season series: Charlotte leads 2-0.
The matchup: It might not be the sexiest game on this list, but with both teams still fighting for their playoff lives, it has the potential of being a knock down, drag out battle. The Hornets (39-30, sixth place) have been one of the NBA's hottest teams since the All-Star break and have won eight of their past 10 games, while the Pistons (36-34, ninth place) are still scrambling to get it all together for a postseason spot.
San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder
When: Saturday, March 26 at 8 pm ET on NBA TV
Season series: Tied 1-1.
The matchup: What do you get when you have Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and LaMarcus Aldridge on the floor at the same time? Must-see TV. The Thunder won the first matchup at home, 112-106. The Spurs won the second at home, 93-85. Now, San Antonio will travel back to Oklahoma City as winners of 14 of their last 15 and just three games behind the first place Warriors.
Follow AJ Neuharth-Keusch on Twitter @tweetAJNK
