How to win $25,000 on Nuggets vs. Clippers and the NBA Thursday slate
By Kevin Cooney
Special to FOX Sports
The madness will soon be ending in college basketball. The insanity that will be the stretch drive in the NBA’s playoff run is just getting started.
Another big Thursday night in the Association is on tap, highlighted by a battle in the Western Conference that will see Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets head to STAPLES Center to face Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers in a possible Western Conference playoff preview.
And you could enjoy the night by playing FOX’s Super 6 game on the NBA. Just pick all six winners of games with the correct scoring margins, and you could win the $25,000 grand prize.
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Here’s the night’s schedule (all times ET) and what to watch for.
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Philadelphia 76ers at Cleveland Cavaliers, 7 p.m.
It's the final game of Philadelphia’s six-game road trip that has seen the 76ers go 3-2 despite missing Joel Embiid for the duration. This is likely the final game without Embiid, who is scheduled to return Saturday night in Philly against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 76ers are still battling for the top overall seed in the East, entering Thursday 0.5 games behind the Brooklyn Nets for the top spot in the conference. One team that has given them problems, however, has been the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cleveland has won both times the teams have met this year, including a 112-109 win in Philadelphia on Feb. 27, thanks to Collin Sexton’s 28 points.
Washington Wizards at Detroit Pistons, 7 p.m.
Two teams playing out the string meet in Motown. The Detroit Pistons will play their second home game in as many nights after getting blitzed by the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, 124-101, despite Jerami Grant’s 30 points on 11-for-19 shooting.
The Washington Wizards failed to keep their two-game winning streak going after a 114-104 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night.
The two teams met on Saturday in Washington when Russell Westbrook put up a triple-double of 19 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists in a 106-92 victory. This is the only meeting in Detroit between the two this season.
Charlotte Hornets at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 p.m.
The Nets, 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks are the top three in the Eastern standings. However, Charlotte is the fourth seed and that could add some spice to this matchup as a potential conference semifinals matchup.
Brooklyn struggled for long periods on Wednesday night before pulling away late to beat the Houston Rockets at Barclays Center.
The real loss, however, could be the fact that James Harden had to leave the game against his former team with hamstring tightness. With the Nets still down Kevin Durant, the matchup against Gordon Hayward & Co. could be a difficult one.
Golden State Warriors at Miami Heat, 8 p.m.
Two of the marquee teams in the sport who are battling to get into the playoffs around the .500 mark meet on South Beach. Duncan Robinson’s 20 points on Wednesday night gave the Miami Heat a 92-87 win over the Indiana Pacers to get back to .500 at 24-24.
The Golden State Warriors ended a four-game losing streak with a 116-102 win over the Chicago Bulls in San Francisco. Steph Curry scored 32 points in his return from a five-game injury exile due to a bruised tailbone.
Atlanta Hawks at San Antonio Spurs, 8:30 p.m.
After a red-hot stretch of eight straight wins following the hiring of Nate McMillan as head coach, the Atlanta Hawks have come back to earth by losing four out of five during this eight-game road trip. Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 22 points along with six assists in a 117-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.
The San Antonio Spurs have been on a slide themselves, losing five out of six before a Wednesday night game at home against the Sacramento Kings. San Antonio has the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State and Sacramento breathing down their neck for playoff positioning at the eight spot.
Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Clippers, 10 p.m.
This is the first meeting between two Western Conference contenders since Christmas Day, which saw Paul George score 23 and Leonard go for 21 before catching an elbow in the face during a 121-108 victory in Denver.
The Nuggets have won three straight, including a blistering offensive start on Tuesday night when Jamal Murray scored 30 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 27 in a 104-95 win over the 76ers. The Clippers have won six out of seven but fell to the Orlando Magic by a 103-96 margin on Tuesday night despite Leonard’s 28 points.
This starts a big four-game stretch at home for the Clippers, who have the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, the Trail Blazers on Tuesday and the Suns on April 8.
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