1. All-Star big man showdown in Philadelphia
The Sixers are 12-0 at home and have been impressive of late no matter where they play thanks to 10 wins in their last 12 games. Tonight’s matchup with the visiting Nuggets (8 ET, TNT) not only puts that glimmering home mark on the line, but features a Joel Embiid vs. Nikola Jokic center showdown. For those who forgot, the Nov. 8 matchup between the two was a thriller and was capped off by Jokic drilling the game-winning shot with 1.2 seconds left.
2. Heat try to stay perfect at home, too
Miami’s 10-0 mark at home hasn’t come without its thrillers, including Sunday’s nail-biter against the Bulls. The Heat have a 1/2 game lead on the Sixers as the Hawks pay a visit (8 ET, League Pass) and can’t afford a misstep in the race to stay among the East elite. While Jimmy Butler, Kendrick Nunn, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo get a large part of the credit for Miami’s success, don’t overlook Duncan Robinson. He’s shooting 48.8% on 3-pointers over his last six games … and that comes after going 5-for-15 on 3-pointers in his last two games. Additionally, should the Hawks’ Vince Carter play in this one, it will mark the 1,500th game of his career.
3. The ‘Melo reunion tour rolls on
First it was a matchup with (and loss to) the Thunder on Sunday. Tonight, it’s a game against the Knicks (10 ET, League Pass). After that, there’s the final stop in the Carmelo Anthony reunion tour with a visit to Denver on Thursday. It’s hard to believe the Anthony era with the Knicks ended just three seasons ago. There’s little time for nostalgia for Portland though, as it keeps losing ground in the West chase with each passing game.
On this date in 1995, James Worthy became the sixth player in Lakers’ history to have his jersey retired. The team hoisted his No. 42 jersey to the rafters at halftime of a game against Detroit. Worthy, who played in 926 regular-season and 143 playoff games for the Lakers over 12 seasons, was also a member of NBA championship teams in 1985, ’87 and ’88.
