NBA Games Today: Lakers vs Blazers the headline matchup for tonight, as Chris Paul gets set to take on former team Houston Rockets | August 18th

The NBA games today will see the number 1 seeds from Eastern and Western Conference take the court tonight . The NBA games today are expected to be very entertaining, but it will be tough to match the action from yesterday, which saw three closely contested encounters.

Yesterday’s thrilling performances included the LA Clippers narrowly beating the Dallas Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers challenging Boston Celtics without Ben Simmons and the Denver Nuggets beating Utah Jazz in overtime for the second time in the NBA bubble.

The most noteworthy individual performance of the night was Luka Doncic, who scored 42 points and set the record for most points by player on his NBA playoff debut. The NBA games today are likely to see some explosive individual performances as well.

42 points in 1st ever playoffs. Built different. pic.twitter.com/YSjmYIknNb

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) August 18, 2020

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Check out the lineup of NBA games today

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Orlando Magic vs Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks v Houston Rockets

The depleted Orlando Magic will take on Championship contenders Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. This matchup is expected to be extremely one-sided as Milwaukee Bucks have already swept Orlando Magic (4-0) in the 2019-20 NBA regular season. Additionally, the Milwaukee Bucks are extremely motivated to win a championship in order to retain their star player, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Orlando Magic have faltered in the NBA bubble and have only been able to win 2 of their 8 seeding games. Nikola Vucevic and James Ennis have been the only players on the Orlando Magic roster, who are performing consistently and have put up over 35 points combined in 4 of their 8 seeding games. The Orlando Magic duo will need to limit Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton in order to have a shot at winning this matchup.

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Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers

Indiana Pacers v Miami Heat

This Eastern Conference battle will see the Miami Heat take on Indiana Pacers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs 2020. The last time these two teams met in the Playoffs was in the 2014 Conference Finals which had culminated in Miami Heat winning the series in 7 games. The Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat have changed significantly since then, however, this series will be just as entertaining as the last time.

Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers have both shocked basketball fans with how well they have performed in the regular season. Both teams have unearthed and nurtured young talent. Miami Heat’s young core consists of sharp-shooters, such as Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro who have both been averaging nearly 40% from behind the arc.

Indiana Pacers will be reliant on Victor Oladipo and T.J. Warren for scoring and Malcolm Brogdon for playmaking. Expect this match to go down to the wire and keep an eye out for the TJ Warren- Jimmy Butler matchup. This will be the most entertaining contest of the NBA games today.

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OKC Thunder vs Houston Rockets

Indiana Pacers v Houston Rockets

OKC Thunder will take on Western Conference rivals Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs 2020. The young and inexperienced OKC Thunder would ideally like to start this series off with a victory against a Houston Rocket’s team that is missing Russell Westbrook.

OKC Thunder will be relying on the defensive abilities of Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel to limit the Houston Rocket’s small-ball offense. Rockets won’t be benefitted by the fact that they have made less than 30% of their shots from behind the arc in their last three games and desperately need to get out of this slump.

Chris Paul will be going up against James Harden, his former teammate who was responsible for his exit from Houston Rockets. The tension is palpable and this matchup will be the most dramatic of the NBA games today.

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NBA games today : Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Lakers

The Portland Trail Blazers were the latest addition to the NBA Playoffs 2020 bracket after a nail biting win against Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in tournament. They will be taking on the LeBron James led LA Lakers who finished as the top seed in the Western Conference.

The Portland Trail Blazers are entering this matchup with all the momentum as they have won their last four games in the NBA bubble. On the other hand, the La Lakers have only managed to win one out of their last five games.

Portland Trail Blazers v Los Angeles Lakers

The Portland Trail Blazers have an explosive offense that is led by NBA Bubble MVP, Damian Lillard. Additionally, Carmelo Anthony, CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic have propelled scoring down the stretch. The LA Lakers have finished the regular season as the third best defensive team and will need DPOY front-runner Anthony Davis to be at his best for this matchup.

Portland Trail Blazers have the potential to be the sixth eighth-seeded team to win a Playoff series against the first seed provided that they win this opening matchup. La Lakers will be looking to limit a red-hot Portland Trail Blazers offense and take Game 1.

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