The 2021 NBA season is now in the remaining weeks of the First Half of its regular season. Before it headlines to the Second Half, the All-Star break will fill-in the gaps, which will run from March 5-10. Remember that the NBA League this year had introduced a shorter ball game format as COVID-19 continues to rage on.
As the First Half concludes, every team participating in the West and East Conference is showing an impression of how they can work it out this year. If you look into each team’s odds, the defending champs and other solid teams have a hard time securing a dominating position. It is because some sleepers are coming in, outperforming them.
With the NBA Regular season headed onto the Week 9 games, this is a more crucial stage for every group to take heed. Their lines and Odds provided by FanDuel might significantly move depending on the outcome of their performance. That said, here are the most important games you need to watch out for this week.
Wizards V.S. Knicks
The current 14th seeded team in the East, the Washington Wizards, is going up against a tougher team this Saturday, the Knicks. Yesterday, the Wizards faced the Chicago Bulls, and they had successfully won the game to a 105 over 101 final score. Bradley Beal was the man behind the team’s success generating 35 points, five rebounds, and seven assists.
On the other hand, the Knicks are on the 9th seed in the East. They are looking forward to beating Washington to maintain their spot in the top ten. Last week, they went up against the Portland Trail Blazers, where they won a 110-99 game run. Today, they are jousting against the Miami Heat before the Knicks on Saturday.
Hornets V.S. Timberwolves
The Western Conference got the tightest seeding this year as all teams are outdoing each other. The Minnesota Timberwolves, on the one hand, take the bottom rank on this side. That said, their remaining games in the First Half are all crucial as they would determine their fate in the next rounds. Yesterday, the Timberwolves lost to the Mavericks, and they should have won over the Hornets to get back up.
Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets are pounding better this year, landing on the East’s 6th seed. For many years, this team is looking to mark a remarkable NBA story, which they found today. They wrestled with the Rockets yesterday and dispatched them to a 119-94 final score. LaMelo Ball has shown no rookie moves garnering 24 points, seven rebounds, and ten assists.
Celtics V.S. Pistons
The Boston Celtics are going up against the Detroit Pistons this week. It is exciting to see how the low performing team can outlast the favorites or the other way around. The Celtics have gone too far in the First Half, taking the 4th seed in the East. Despite a tough loss they suffered from the Suns last Monday, they are looking to redeem themselves if they turn down the Jazz and the Pistons this Saturday.
On the flip side, the Detroit Pistons are no cowards to face the Celtics. During the last week of January, this team had boosted their confidence after upsetting the L.A. Lakers to a 107-92 game run. The defending champions shook their head as they didn’t see this loss coming. Blake Griffin impacted the team during this match, and he’ll surely do it again against the Celtics.
Lakers V.S. Grizzlies
The Lakers are presently sitting next to the Jazz in the West ranking. Yesterday, the team won against the Thunders to an overtime game earning a final score of 119 over 112. As the playoffs move toward Week 9, the defending champions face the Grizzlies, which is in the lower bracket. If they won over, then they might get back up to the first rank.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are not making it easy for the Lakers to regain their dominance. Although they lost to the Raptors yesterday, they had made a significant win against the Spurs in Week 7. All the key players contributed to winning the match, like Kyle Anderson, Brandon Clarke, and Gorgui Dieng. This team needs to do the same and show even more to make miracles against the Lakers.
Takeaway
These four games scheduled for Week 9 First Half Playoffs are critical for each competing team. It can either make or break their lines to end up with better odds positioning for the conference they represent.
As an avid NBA fan, there is no time to lay back as the games this week are becoming more intense and thrilling. Make sure not to miss the important games above and see how each team moves forward to the end of the 2021 NBA First Half.
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