The Utah Jazz (23-18) take a 3-0 season-series lead into San Antonio (25-15) tonight to test the Spurs at the AT&T Center for the second time this year. The last time the Jazz played in San Antonio they defeats the Spurs 113-99. The Spurs kept it closer the last time they met up, but lost nonetheless 104-101. The game airs live nationally tonight on ESPN at 9:00 PM EST.

Which Spurs team wil show up tonight? (Credit: picapp.com)

The game tonight features a Spurs team has been slowly beginning to play up to its potential, however, they have gone 4-3 over their last 7. It is tough to determine which version of the Spurs will show up on any random night, as one night they can pummel the Lakers by 20, then 6 days later they can lose to a team like Memphis. Nothing against Memphis, but they are a weak team defensively, and not in the same breath as the Lakers.

Will the games Tim Duncan misses to preserve his knees for the playoffs cause him to be too rusty to score 15 points and eclipse the career 20,000 point mark? Will Manu Ginobili show up to play tonight or will he lay a bunch of bricks?

The Jazz has played well of late going 5-2 over the last 7 games, beating Dallas and Cleveland during that span. Deron Williams has been battling through the pain of a sprained right wrist while Andrei Kirilenko is recovering from a hyper extended knee.  Either player can be one drive to the basket, or a steal attempt away from sitting on the bench with a bag of ice.

The outcome of this game will depend on which version of the Spurs show up tonight versus the health of Williams and Kirilenko, players vital to Utah’s chances of winning. If the Spurs team that walked over the Lakers show up, it will not matter much if Utah is at full strength or not. If the Spurs play the way they did when they lost to Memphis, A depleted Utah team could walk away as the winner.

Tonight is the battle of Los Angeles, speaking in NBA terminology. The Los Angeles Lakers, showing signs of being mere mortals lately due to injuries to Pau Gasol and the further deterioration of Kobe Bryant, “host” the Clippers at the Staples Center. Ironic, when you realize the Clippers home games are in the same arena. The game broadcasts regionally on the Fox Sports Prime Ticket and the NBA League Pass.

Can the Lakers stop Baron? (Credit: picapp.com)

The Clippers must squash the blues of finding out Blake Griffin is done for the year, and must try to push past being without Chris Kaman, who is out with a sore back. Baron Davis has been on fire of late, playing some of the best hoop of his career. Marcus Camby is quite possibly the league’s best defensive player, at the age of 35. Will wonders never cease?

Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, and Ron Artest will need to produce tonight for the Lakers to beat the Clippers. Yes, I said it.

Bynum tends to thrive with Gasol out of the lineup, and can overpower Camby. What will DeAndre Jordan bring against Bynum?

The Clippers have the advantage at the point, and the Lakers had no answer for Boom Dizzle as he scored 25 points and dished out 10 assists in a 102-91 victory over the Lakers on January 6th.

The Boston Celtics (25-8) head into Philips Arena to face off with the Atlanta Hawks (22-12) tonight at 8:00 PM EST. The game will be broadcast live on the ESPN television network,  and can also be caught on ESPN360.com.

Tonight’s match up pits two Eastern Conference rival forces head to head for what looks to be a tight battle. Boston had beaten  the Hawks 9 straight times on their home floor until  the Hawks beat Boston 97-86 November 13.

Eastern Conference rivals clash tongight on ESPN. (Credit: picapp.com)

Atlanta had been faltering of late and snapped a 4-game losing streak after purging their woes against the New Jersey Nets, 119-89. The Hawks now face a real challenge against Boston, and if they can build on their momentum after “clearing their slate” against the Nets, they should be able to compete in this potential playoff series atmosphere game.

The Keys for Boston to win will be based on the performances of Rasheed Wallace and Bostons reserves stepping up to make solid contributions. With Garnett and Marquis Daniels listed as out, and Paul Pierce, Kendrick Perkins, Rajon Rondo, and Eddie House all listed as day-to-day, the depleted and beat up Celtics will be in dire need of their bench to step up.

Can Joe Johnson take Atlanta over the top? (Credit: picapp.com)

Atlanta ‘s roster has no one listed with any significant injuries. Look for Atlanta to push the pace and keep applying a fast pace game on the Celtics. With Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford running and gunning, a depleted and exhausted Celtics team wil have to dig deep in order to compete by the time the 4^th quarter rolls around.

Look out for Josh Smith and Al Horford using their agility and athleticism in the paint tonight to get Rasheed into foul trouble early. A few tick tack foul calls might also send Rasheed into the technical foul zone. All of these events wil factor into Atlanta’s favor.

This game will represent a mid-season litmus  test of where these teams rank against each other. If Atlanta hits on all cylinders, it is hard to imagine Boston smothering all of the Hawks offensive weapons sans Kevin Garnett.

The Orlando Magic (17-5) experienced a blowout loss in Salt Lake City last night. After scoring 60 first half points, Utah closed the gap, and with their confidence thriving, held off the Magic 120-111. They are in Phoenix tonight to face of against the Suns (15-7), who have recently not faired well out on the road, dropping 4 out of the last 5. The game airs live at 10:30 PM EST on ESPN.

For Phoenix, heading back home is a blessing. The Suns have already played a league high 15 road games this season, and the wear and tear has been showing lately. Even though Nash and company will not admit it, their exhaustion has led to losses by large margins to New York (126-99), Cleveland (107-90) and the Lakers (108-88).

Phoenix is coming into this game on two days rest and those 2 days are huge for veterans Nash, Grant Hill, and Amare Stoudemire.

Orlando has showed it has been tough to beat on the road going 2 of 3 on their recent road trip. Those 2 victories were against the Clippers and Warriors. Dwight Howard played his usual game and Vince Carter dropped in 34 last night. However, it could not offset a combined 2 points from Jason Williams and Michael Pietrus. Orlando must get more output from all of their starters to win tonight.

Ryan Anderson had 20 points and 10 rebounds the last time these teams matched up in Orlando on November 4^th.

Will Orlando have the energy on back to backs? (Credit: Picapp.com)

The question will is: Can the Magic perform at a high enough level on back-to-back road games against two tough Western Conference teams? Utah methodically used their disciplined offensive system leading to Deron Williams exploding with 32 points and 15 assists.

Steve Nash had mediocre numbers the last time they played Orlando. Jason Richardson and Grant Hill were both held scoreless during the game. Phoenix lost 122-100.To make matters worse for the Suns, the Magic beat them without Rashard Lewis while he was serving his 10-game suspension to start the season.

With Jameer Nelson on the shelf due to his knee injury, Nash will duel it out with Jason Williams. It will be interesting to see how Nash and his Suns fair tonight against the Magic.

The Chicago Bulls beat the Cleveland Cavaliers last month. Tonight, LeBron James and the Cavs will have the opportunity to avenge this loss. Chicago (7-9) enters Quicken Loans Arena looking to gain momentum towards making the push above .500, but it will not be easy. The game airs live at 8:00 PM EST on ESPN.

Can Luol Deng and the Bulls step up to the Cavs? (Credit: picapp.com)

Cleveland (13-5) enters tonight’s game looking to capture their 11^th win in their past 13 games and are playing well together after starting the season 3-3. After that 3-3 start, the Cavs have melded well with Shaq, resulting in a 10-2 record since . They look to improve furthermore upon this hot streak tonight against a depleted Chicago Bulls roster.

With everything clicking on all cylinders for the Cavs, the odds are in their favor tonight.

Coach Vinny Del Negro will be shorthanded tonight as guards Kirk Hinrich (Thumb) and Jannero Pargo (Hip) have depleted the Bulls depth in the back court. Derrick Rose and John Salmons will have to log huge minutes tonight. They must also yield strong production with these minutes to have any chance of contention.

Lindsey Hunter is a capable defensive player in short bursts but at age 39 one must wonder how long he can be effective on the floor. He is Rose’s lone backup option at the point tonight.

With Tyrus Thomas still out due to injury, the Bulls depth is meager at best in both the back and front court. Rookies Taj Gibson and James Johnson will have to bear quite a load.

Luol Deng will have to have a monster night as well. Look for a stress filled Vinny Del Negro tonight in search of answers that will likely elude him.

Vinny Del Negro faces a tough match up tonight. (Credit: picapp.com)

Unless Derrick Rose digs deep within himself, and performs like he did in last years playoffs against Boston, look for this to be a an interesting, entertaining, yet one-sided game in favor of the Cavaliers. However, as Rose showed us in those playoffs last year, you must not count the Bulls out until the sound of the final buzzer.

This Thanksgiving Day match up pits teams with identical records (11-3) against each other at 8:00 PM ET at Philips Arena, broadcasting live on TNT.

The Hawks have a chance to show the nation how it can perform against the defending Eastern Conference Champs. The winning team takes sole possession of first in the Southeast Division, making this game the most important of this young season.

I'm calm, no seriously, I am not about to freak out or anything… (Credit:picapp.com)

Orlando (5-2) has the better road record than Atlanta (4-3) and is taking a 5-game winning streak into Atlanta tomorrow. This should help the new and improved, calmer, Stan Van Gundy continue to keep his newfound cool.

Atlanta had their 7 game winning streak snapped when they lost in New Orleans last Saturday. This can be accredited to the amazing play by Hornets’ rookies Marcus Thornton and Darren Collison.

It will be interesting to see how the Hawks match up against the Magic. Here is a position by position breakdown featuring which team has the advantage:

1. Jason Williams vs. Mike Bibby (Advantage: ATL)
2. Vince Carter vs. Joe Johnson (Advantage: ATL)
3. Michael Pietrus vs. Marvin Williams (Advantage: ORL)
4. Rashard Lewis vs. Josh Smith (Advantage: ORL)
5. Dwight Howard vs. Al Horford (Advantage: ORL)

This game will satisfy the most insatiable cravings of NBA appetites. You will have tons of outside shooting, powerful play in the paint, and of course we can all wait to see if Stan Van Gundy implodes. This game will have tons of rough play and many hard fouls.

What the? Stan is actually pretty calm. This really scares me. (Credit: picapp.com)

This is a must watch game. Tomorrow you will be surrounded with good food and great people, and have the opportunity to watch the most important game of the year thus far. Have a drumstick and beer in hands, and make sure to get your fill of food and NBA action.

Enjoy your thanksgiving, and make sure to not miss this Game of the Week!

Tonights game features the Chicago Bulls playing the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center.It airs at 7:30 PM PST onTNT.

It will be entertaining to watch the Lakers battle the young Bulls, and will represent the Bulls most important road game of the season.

Look for Derrick Rose’s ankle injury (admittedly not 100% recovered) to hinder the Bulls’ chances. Even with his sail at half mass, Rose is better than any of the Lakers point guards, but Chicago needs a100% healthy Rose to really have a chance in this one.

Will Kobe teach Derrick Rose a thing or two tonight? (Credit: picapp.com)

John Salmons has apparently snapped out of his slump, and just in time. Chicago needs his scoring if they want to have a chance hanging with the Lakers tonight.

Salmons scored 30 points against the Lakers after joining the Bulls via trade last year.

The reemergence of Luol Deng this season is a plus for Chicago, and if Deng has a monster game, the Bulls could upstage Los Angeles.

Kobe Bryant is coming off of scoring his 100th career 40 plus point game. We will see tonight if this hot streak continues.

More importantly for the Lakers is the return of Pau Gasol to the lineup after missing the first 11 games this year. Pau will probably be rusty for part of his season debut, but do not expect him to have a poor night. He is too good to have a anything less than a decent night in his return.

The biggest obstacle the Lakers will face  incorporating Gasol back is maintaining their overall rhythm and flow. This should not take too long, but expect a few mistimed or errant passes, a few “my bads” amidst welcome back smiles from Gasol and his teammates. Then expect a highly formidable triangle offense moving forward for the rest of the game.

It will be fun to watch the uprising Bulls battle it out against the experienced defending champion Lakers.

The match up of the Spurs vs. Trail Blazers will represent a slug-fest in the west.

Portland will test themselves against the retooled Spurs lineup, as the Spurs will also see how well they can perform against a deep yet young team  who is coming off of 54 wins last year.

KEY MATCH UPS

Tim Duncan vs. Greg Oden Duncan has been opting to shoot more outside jumpers, a strategy derived by Greg Popovich, in order to spare Duncan’s knees from the constant grind of pounding points down low in the paint. Greg Oden has shown signs of life rebounding and defending this season, and Duncan will provide him another tough guard to add another clink in his armor. Brandon Roy vs. Manu Ginobili

Brandon Roy will put Ginobili’s surgically repaired ankles to the test tonight. Both Roy and Ginobili are crafty, smart players. It will be fun to watch who will out-craft who with their similar style of game.

Ginobili will to be looking forward to a post game icing.

SYNAPSIS

Both teams are reputable for their long range shooting. This game should be a well-balanced long range bombing fiasco. Look for Rudy Fernandez, Steve Blake and Roy to balance out bombers Matt Bonner, Richard Jefferson, and Ginobili.

For the Blazers it will be interesting to see if free agent signing Andre Miler will help slow down Tony Parker. Steve Blake has been a major liability playing against the leagues best point guards, so tonight will indicate how dividends Miller will pay for the Blazers.

With the Spurs reeling off loss in Utah last night, they should come to play. Only thing is, playing in Rose Garden Arena might be just as tough as playing in Energy Solutions Arena, making this the game of the week worth catching!

Tonight’s match up between the Chicago Bulls and the San Antonio Spurs is the must watch game of the week. It airs tonight at 8:00 PM EST on TNT.

Derrick Rose will try to build upon his mercurial rise during last season’s playoffs, and it will not be easy for him to do so tonight, facing off against Tony Parker and the solid defensive minded Spurs.

Rose's second campaign begins with a true test. (Credit: picapp.com)

It will be interesting to see who picks up the scoring gaps that departed Ben Gordon took with him to the Pistons.

The Spurs manhandled the New Orleans Hornets last night, but we will have to see how well Tony Parker fairs after his hard ribcage-first landing last night. Reports claim he just had the wind knocked out of him, but by gauging by the sound of the thud from the impact, he might be a step slow starting things off.

The rest of the Spurs should be ready tonight as they were able to rest early after blowing out the Hornets by the end of the 3^rd quarter.  You know you’re in good shape for game 2 of a back to back if Matt Bonner leads the team with 29 minutes played the previous night.

Manu Ginobili dusted his first summer off for hoops in a few minutes. After a couple bizarre shots,  he was lights out the rest of the way. He looked like his former self last night.

No more tailored suits and sidelines for Manu. (Credit: picapp.com)

Richard Jefferson was solid during his Spurs debut. Look for him to explode soon once he adjusts.

Tonight’s highlights to look forward to will be seeing if Derrick Rose can lead his team past a revamped Spurs roster. It will be interesting to see how the Bulls and Spurs match ups play out.

The thing I am most looking forward to is seeing DeJuan Blair perform in his second NBA game. His first game was nothing less than amazing.

Will anyone in Chicago’s frontcourt can stop him?