NBA 2018-19: Matches to watch out for in Week 9, Dec 10th to Dec 16th

#5 Oklahoma City vs. Los Angeles Clippers, Sunday, December 16th

Russell Westbrook doesn't like Patrick Beverley ever since the former Rocket made a dirty play against him which resulted in a serious knee injury and ruled him out of the 2013 playoffs. Westbrook hasn't forgotten nor forgiven, and the beef between them seems to show its face whenever they meet. They have already faced off on two occasions this season, both in October, and tensions were high between the pair in both games.

The Thunder are second in the West and the Clippers are fourth; this game holds some importance in the Western Conference standings and could even have playoff tiebreaker ramifications later down the track. Many thought the Clippers drop-off was inevitable after they started the season so well, but after eight full weeks they still stand among the West's elite and are showing very few signs of slowing down.

Behind Westbrook and Paul George, the Thunder have been rolling and are starting to look like a real threat. They have flown under the radar, but it's time to acknowledge them as they are now sitting second in the West and look like they can go deep into the playoffs. They are playing the most balanced, organised, team-oriented basketball since Kevin Durant's departure in 2016.

The Clippers have been one of the most polarizing teams in the league as they keep winning games with no true superstar at the helm. Tobias Harris, Louis Williams, Danilo Gallinari and co. keep finding a way to get their wins; Doc Rivers is clearly the coach of the year so far.

Keep one eye on Westbrook and Beverley, but don't get caught up in that and miss out on what should be a great game of basketball between two highly entertaining teams.

#4 Houston vs. Portland, Tuesday December 11th

Portland Trail Blazers v Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are currently 14th in the Western Conference standings, and they are officially out of excuses for losing games. Carmelo Anthony shouldered the blame, but he is no longer part of the equation; injuries made things difficult, but the team is back to full strength; poor defence was letting them down following the loss of defensive coordinator Jeff Bzdelik, but he too is back with the team.

The Rockets simply can't play well for four full quarters, and this game hosting the Blazers on Tuesday is a chance for them to turn things around.

Houston have regularly been let down by a single poor quarter in many of their losses; Luka Doncic's heroics against Houston on the weekend was just the latest in a string of Houston collapses.

Meanwhile, Portland's Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum have inspired the Blazers to be one of the few NBA teams so far this year to play with consistency. Can they continue their impressive start to the campaign by sinking the Rockets to a new low? Or will James Harden and co. rise to the occasion like the team we came to know in 2017-18?

#3 Dallas vs. Atlanta, Wednesday, December 12th

Luka pictured on

Draft

night alongside Adam Silver

Rookie sensation Luka Doncic scorched the Rockets on Saturday night and built the hype surrounding his name to near-unprecedented levels for a rookie; It may be remembered as 'Halleluka night' someday in the future. Jason Gallagher and Isaac Lee are the two men responsible for that, as the songwriter and performer of 'Halleluka', a parody of Jeff Buckley's iconic song, Hallelujah which Lee performed live during the Dallas Mavericks' win over the Rockets.

Doncic responded by scoring eleven consecutive points late in the fourth quarter to erase an eight-point deficit and single-handedly delivered Dallas an iconic win. He even capped his eleven-point run with a step-back three that looked eerily like a right-handed James Harden.

Doncic and Atlanta Hawks point-guard Trae Young will always be linked thanks to the draft day trade which saw them switch teams, and this matchup between the two serves as a particularly intriguing contest. While Doncic is rapidly announcing himself as a generational talent, Young has hit an early rookie wall and crashed back down to Earth after starting the season on fire.

Through his first 13 games, Young averaged 18.5 points, 8.2 assists, and 3.3 rebounds, all while compensating for his low three-point percentage by converting more than 50% of his two-point attempts. In his last 13 games, he has averaged just 12.3 points, 6.2 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and shot a woeful 31.3%.

There will always be some extra feeling in the game when these two go head-to-head, and this game should have some extra spice to it given the trend of the rookie' seasons recently.

#2 Toronto vs. Golden State, Wednesday December 12th

Golden State Warriors v Cleveland Cavaliers

NBA fans will be spoiled for choice on Wednesday; the two best teams in the NBA go to war on the west coast after the rookie showcase takes place in Atlanta.

Steph Curry is back from injury and the Warriors look back to their best after a rough patch a couple of weeks ago stemming from the KD-Draymond Green drama. Kawhi Leonard, New Balance's latest poster boy, has led the Toronto Raptors to the best record in the NBA and looks like a true MVP candidate. The teams colliding on Wednesday will likely make for one of the best games of the year.

Toronto will be looking to prove that they aren't just fortunate to be playing in the East, but they are the real deal and are genuine championship contenders. Leonard and Kevin Durant scored 37 and 51 points respectively when the teams last met two weeks ago as the Raptors pulled off an overtime win, but Curry wasn't playing for Golden State.

Will Curry power the Warriors to victory, or will Leonard strengthen his MVP case? Most importantly, is this the last time we will see these star-studded teams play each other this year, or is this a preview of The Finals?

#1 Philadelphia vs. Detroit, Monday December 10th

Philadelphia 76ers v Detroit Pistons

Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond have one of the most entertaining rivalries in the league currently. The pair do not like each other and they make no secret of it. This will be the final matchup between the teams, here's how the first three have gone:

October 23rd: Detroit win in overtime thanks to 51 points from Blake Griffin. Embiid still decides to talk trash after the game and brags about owning a lot of real estate in Drummond's head.

November 3rd: Embiid outscores Drummond 32 to nil in the first half, he also records eight rebounds and two blocks in just 17 first-half minutes. Drummond was in foul trouble as he simply couldn't guard Embiid. "He's a fun matchup, I feel like I dominate every game, especially against him," Embiid said after the game. Drummond complained that the officiating was bad.

December 7th: Embiid, who is the first to admit his standard of play was dipping recently, gets a well-deserved rest. Drummond gets no chance to go up against a tired and sore Embiid, so instead must wait three days for their next matchup, one which will feature a well-rested Embiid on his home court.

It doesn't take a genius to see why this rivalry has become so entertaining and why this game is a can't-miss. Embiid timed his rest perfectly and he is in the perfect position to thrash Drummond yet again.