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Basketball fans will have a chance to watch 13 NBA games on Friday. The basketball schedule is packed and features several amazing matchups with major playoff implications.
The two NBA games on the day will be nationally televised. That includes a matchup between the LA Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves, who are fighting for the top spot in the play-in tournament.
While the other 11 games won't be available on national TV, fans will be able to watch them on local channels as well as on NBA League Pass.
There are two nationally-televised NBA games on Friday
The second stop of the LA Lakers' five-game road trip is on Friday night in Minneapolis. The Lakers (38-38) will square off against the Minnesota Timberwolves (39-38) in an attempt to move up the standings.
The Timberwolves are 0.5 games ahead of the Lakers and are eighth in the Western Conference. The two teams have met twice this season, with the Timberwolves winning both matchups, so the Lakers do not have a tiebreaker over them. The game tips off at 8:00 pm Eastern Time.
The second NBA game on national TV will be between the Denver Nuggets (51-25) and the Phoenix Suns (41-35). The Nuggets have a 3-game lead for the top spot in the conference over the Memphis Grizzlies (48-28), but still haven't locked it in.
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The Suns, meanwhile, are fourth in the West, but are at risk of losing their position. They have a lead of 0.5 games over the LA Clippers (41-36) and a 1.5-game lead over the Golden State Warriors (40-37). The Western Conference matchup begins at 10:30 pm.
Other NBA matchups on March 31
There are many NBA games on Friday that almost every fanbase will tune in to watch their favorite team. Besides the two nationally televised games, here are all the other matchups and their start times:
- Chicago Bulls vs. Charlotte Hornets, 7 pm
- OKC Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers, 7 pm
- Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 7 pm
- Orlando Magic vs. Washington Wizards, 7 pm
- Utah Jazz vs. Boston Celtics, 7:30 pm
- Atlanta Hawks vs. Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 pm
- New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 7:30 pm
- Detroit Pistons vs. Houston Rockets, 8 pm
- LA Clippers vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 8 pm
- San Antonio Spurs vs. Golden State Warriors, 10 pm
- Sacramento Kings vs. Portland Trail Blazers, 10 pm
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With these fabulous games, there's no doubt that NBA fans are in for a treat. Several matchups have major playoff implications, including the one between the Grizzlies and the Clippers.
