Watch select games of the NBA 2021-22 regular season LIVE on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand.
Can PG13 save the day in LA?
The LA Clippers have been rocked by the absence of their two biggest stars this season, with Kawhi Leonard not touching the hardwood once this year due to an ACL injury sustained in the 2021 playoffs and sidekick Paul George having issues with his elbow which has sidelined him since December.
George returned to action and in a big way earlier this week, leading his team to a 121-115 win at home over the Utah Jazz with 34 points and 6 assists in a statement to the rest of the league.
It's hard to go far in the NBA playoffs without star power, and with Kawhi all but ruled out until next year, PG will have to carry that burden solely on his shoulders.
Against a former defensive player of the year in Giannis Antetokounmpo, George may find it harder to score, but the Clippers will need another big effort from him if they want to topple the Bucks.
Bucks, Giannis primed for back-to-back run?
After winning a historic NBA title last year, the Milwaukee Bucks haven't let their foot off the gas this season, sitting second in the Eastern Conference at 47-28 and entering their matchup with the Clippers off the back of a statement victory over rivals the Philadelphia 76ers.
Reigning MVP Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a massive 118-116 win over the third-placed 6ers on Wednesday, as the Greek Freak took bragging rights with a monstrous 40 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.
Antetokounmpo sealed the win with a game-saving block on an attempted Embiid layup in the final seconds, exhibiting from the first to final minute that he's in championship form once again as the Bucks chase a second straight ring.
It makes a monumental task for the Clippers to overcome as the Bucks look to be one of the most elite teams heading into the end of the regular season.
LA Clippers v Milwaukee Bucks
11:00am - 1:30pm (AEDT)
LIVE on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand
Pressure on Warriors to win games without Curry
It's no secret the heartbeat of the Golden State Warriors is point guard Stephen Curry.
The 34-year-old is arguably the greatest shooter of all time and possesses the uncanny ability to find the bottom of the basket from literally anywhere inside half court.
But unfortunately for Steve Kerr's men, the Warriors have been forced to look for other options to fight on in the cut-throat Western Conference after a foot injury ruled out the superstar sharpshooter for the remainder of the regular season.
Currently third at 48-28, the Dubs don't want to fall out of the top four and lose home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs, so players like Klay Thompson, who recently returned from injury and Jordan Poole, will need to be on fire to secure victory against the Jazz and reigning defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert.
Jazz morale dropping at the worst time
The Jazz's loss to the Clippers yesterday was definitely a game to forget, as they blew a 25-point lead in a collapse rarely seen from the well-drilled Quinn Snyder unit.
Bad decisions and a failure to stop Paul George's scoring explosion left stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert with little words to explain what had transpired.
Not going further than the second round in the playoffs of recent memory, Mitchell and Gobert were left wondering if they'd grown at all as a team from past mistakes.
“I don’t know what to say," Mitchell lamented after the game
"This is literally the same thing as last year."
"It's just again, again and again," Gobert added.
"And the same way... It's the essence of the way we play, I think, it bites us.... It's like we just let go."
The Jazz needs to figure things out if they're going to come out strong at playoff time, and fortunately they have the chance to steer the ship back on course against the undermanned Warriors come Sunday.
Utah Jazz v Golden State Warriors
10:30am - 1:00pm (AEST)
LIVE on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand
