The NBA Cup champion will be crowned on Tuesday, but the NBA just keeps rolling after that mid-season highlight. Here is a schedule of the games you should not miss this week, including where to watch them.
Full NBA National TV schedule
For games Dec. 16-22 | All times Eastern
| GAME | TIME | TV |
Bucks at Thunder (NBA Cup Championship) | Tue., 8:30 pm | ABC |
| Thunder at Magic | Thu., 7 pm | TNT |
| Knicks at Timberwolves | Thu, 9:30 pm | TNT |
| Bucks at Cavaliers | Fri., 7:30 pm | NBA TV |
| Knicks at Pelicans | Sat., 8 pm | NBA TV |
Milwaukee Bucks at Oklahoma City Thunder
NBA Cup Championship
Time: Tuesday, 8:30 pm ET
TV: ABC
Why you watch: This may be the most intense game you see until the start of the playoffs — the players care about winning this Cup, which might have something to do with the more than half a million that goes to the players on each winning team. The NBA has (arguably) the best team in the league on one side in the Thunder, led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Milwaukee Bucks come in maybe the hottest team, led by former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (who has shunned taking 3s this year and focused on what he does best, getting downhill). The Bucks want to prove that their early slow start was a fluke, and beating the Thunder would do just that.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Orlando Magic
Time: Thursday, 7 pm ET
TV: TNT
Why you watch: No rest for the Thunder, who go from Las Vegas to Orlando and face the tough-to-play-against Magic. Two of the best defensive teams in the league face off, but does banged-up Orlando (no Paolo Banchero or Franz Wagner) have enough offense and shot creation to keep this game close?
New York Knicks at Minnesota Timberwolves
Time: Thursday, 9:30 pm ET
TV: TNT
Why you watch: Karl-Anthony Towns returns to Minnesota, facing off against former friends and teammates Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert. Towns will feel the love from Timberwolves fans, he was invested in that community and didn’t want to be traded. Towns has sparked the Knicks to the third-best offense in the NBA this season but the Timberwolves have won 7-of-8 coming into this week thanks to a top-five defense in the league. Can it slow New York down?
Milwaukee Bucks at Cleveland Cavaliers
Time: Friday, 7:30 pm ET
TV: NBA TV
Why you watch: Boston is still considered the best team in the East, but who is second best? Cleveland has staked its claim, it has the best record in the East (and the NBA at 22-4) with the league’s best offense behind its guard combination of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. However, there are a lot of Cavaliers skeptics, both among fans and in league circles. Milwaukee has found its groove of late, won 10-of-12, and advanced to the NBA Cup championship game — a case can be made they are second-best in the East right now. That makes this Friday night game a good measuring stick for both sides.
New York Knicks at New Orleans Pelicans
Time: Saturday, 8 pm ET
TV: NBA TV
Why you watch: You tune into this game to see Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns put up big numbers against a Pelicans team that has lost 13-of-14. Or, you can tune in to scout Pelicans players you hope your team can trade for before the Feb. 6 deadline.
League Pass games of note
• Miami Heat @ Detroit Pistons (Monday, 7 pm ET): Don’t tell anyone, but Miami has won four in a row (and 6-of-8) and can make a case for being one of the three best teams in the East right now, and they are always dangerous when Jimmy Butler plays and is engaged. Watch the Heat zone defense try to keep Cade Cunningham in check.
• Cleveland Cavaliers @ Brooklyn Nets (Monday, 7:30 pm ET): The Nets are in a four-game losing streak and hanging on the edge of the play-in bubble, and the Cavaliers remain atop the East over the Celtics at 22-4. However, Brooklyn did give Cleveland all it could handle in their last meeting Nov. 9 at Cleveland, leading by as many as 14 in the third quarter before imploding in the fourth quarter and losing 105-100.
• Denver Nuggets @ Sacramento Kings (Monday, 10 pm ET): Nikola Jokic vs. Domantas Sabonis is always worth tuning in for, two of the best passing big men in NBA history on the court together. Sacramento comes in having won 4-of-5 behind their top trio of Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox and DeMar DeRozan — can the Nuggets defense slow them?
• Golden State Warriors @ Memphis Grizzlies (Thursday, 8 pm ET): Some fans are just starting to wake up to how good the Grizzlies are this season:18-9, sitting second in the West at the start of this week. That’s one reason to check this game out, the other is Stephen Curry vs. Ja Morant is always a show.
• Miami Heat @ Orlando Magic (Saturday, 7 pm ET): The Heat are quietly in the top 10 in offense and defense this season — one of the statistical signs of a title contender (they are 10th in both, but that still counts). Tyler Herro is having his best season as a pro, plus Miami has Jimmy Butler, but the elite defense of the Magic will test them.
• Warriors @ Timberwolves (Saturday, 8 pm ET): After stumbling out of the gate this season, Minnesota has put things together and has won 7-of-8, led by a top-five defense in the league. That strong play of late will be tested by Stephen Curry and company.
