Gordon Hayward’s layup with 0.7 seconds left capped off a comeback win for the Hornets in Orlando on Sunday.
Here is a closer look at some of this week’s best matchups available only on NBA League Pass.
(Note: All stats and records are from games played through Jan. 24, 2021.)
Jan. 29
8 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
The Clippers enter Week 6 riding a seven-game win streak that has propelled them to a tie with the Lakers for the top record in the NBA. Kawhi Leonard has put up monster numbers during the streak: 29.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 5.6 apg, 2.1 spg, 57% FG, 48.7% on 3-pointers and 96.9% on free throws. This is the third game of a six-game East Coast road trip for the Clippers. Entering the week, the Clippers are 11-4 against West opponents and 2-0 against East opponents, averaging 129.5 ppg in games against Indiana and Chicago. After opening the season with four straight wins, the Magic have gone 3-10 since, but have three home games this week.
Kevin Durant and James Harden return to Oklahoma City for the first time as members of the Brooklyn Nets.
8 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
We spotlighted this game in our League Pass Watch Guide for the first half of the season as it marked the first appearance by Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City as a member of the Brooklyn Nets. Since then, the Nets added another former Thunder star in James Harden, who played his first three seasons in OKC. The Nets are 3-2 since adding Harden in a blockbuster trade, but the trio of Harden, Durant and Kyrie Irving have only shared the court for two games so far. OKC enters this week having lost three straight and five of its last six games.
Jan. 30
8 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
Injuries to starters CJ McCollum (out four weeks with a foot fracture) and Jusuf Nurkic (six weeks, wrist fracture) have hurt, but Portland still has Damian Lillard, who gives the Blazers a chance to win in every game. In the first two games since losing McCollum, Lillard has averaged 37 ppg on 52.5% shooting (45% on 3-pointers; 100% on free throws). Entering Week 6, Lillard ranks third in the NBA in scoring (28.9 ppg) and will face another top-10 scorer in Zach LaVine (career-best 26.8 ppg, eighth in NBA). LaVine is one of seven players to average at least 25-5-5 this season as he’s enjoying a career-best season stats-wise in 2020-21.
Jan. 31
7 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass
The Sixers enter Week 6 with the top record in the East and have Joel Embiid playing like a Kia MVP candidate. Last week, Embiid averaged a league-best 37.7 ppg on 61.1% shooting and added 11.7 rpg to lead the Sixers to a 3-0 record. This is the first meeting of the season between the Pacers and Sixers, but in two games last season, Embiid averaged 36.5 ppg on 60.5% shooting and 16.0 rpg. The Pacers have Myles Turner (league-high 4.2 bpg) and Domantas Sabonis to try to slow down Embiid and help Indiana try to take down the conference leader.
