After what was hopefully a great Thanksgiving for everyone, we have another strong week of non-national games.

Monday

Heat @ Wizards: Washington picked up a good home win on Saturday against the Pelicans and will look to continue their strong play against the Heat. Chris Bosh’s ability to stretch the floor will force the Wizards to tweak their defense in ways that could create some driving opportunities for the guards.

Nuggets @ Jazz: After a rough start, Denver has made it all the way back to .500. They face an underrated test in the other high altitude team and Utah should be amped up since they have only played one home game since November 7^th. I hope we get to see Arron Afflalo guard Gordon Hayward for at least a little while. 

Tuesday

Bucks @ Cavaliers: Milwaukee’s length has helped propel them to a shockingly great defensive start but the Cavs will test that with their offensive talent. We should see Giannis guarding LeBron for stretches and plenty of tests for Larry Sanders’ rim protection abilities.

Mavericks @ Bulls: The Dallas offense has produced at almost inconceivable levels so far this season but the Bulls have the personnel to wreak some havoc on what the Mavs do so well. The punches and counters on pick and roll plays make this a fun game for basketball geeks everywhere.

Thunder @ Pelicans: With Russell Westbrook’s return to the floor the Thunder make their triumphant return to NNGW. Anthony Davis has played brilliantly so far but Serge Ibaka has the right kind of profile to make him work for every bucket. Expect tons of weak side blocks in this one. 

Wednesday

Hawks @ Heat: The Hawks are getting there (finally) and could use a statement road win to establish themselves as a potential playoff team in a still-forming Eastern Conference playoff picture. Miami can do the same with a win, especially if they can pull it off at less than full strength.

Mavericks @ Bucks: Dallas gets to recover from a slugfest in Chicago by facing Milwaukee on the tail end of a back-to-back. At the same time, Milwaukee has to go from the #5 offense in the NBA to #1 on consecutive nights. I am intrigued to see how Jason Kidd choses to defend former teammate Dirk Nowitzki.

Sixers @ Timberwolves: This game and a roadie against Detroit on Saturday are Philly’s two best chances at a win for a little while. Minnesota pulled one out against the Lakers on Friday but continue to struggle without Ricky Rubio. Andrew Wiggins could put up a big number against a Sixers team that runs all day.

Thursday

Pacers @ Trail Blazers-: Just have a feeling this one could be worth keeping an eye on.

Friday

Cavaliers @ Raptors: It feels like these teams are playing daily at this point but this will only be their second matchup with the third coming next Tuesday. DeMar DeRozan’s injury puts a damper on this one but Toronto could ride their crowd to a notable win without him here.

Spurs @ Grizzlies: Don’t look now but the Spurs have won ten of their last eleven and should add two more before this big game. Marc Gasol has played his way into the early MVP conversation but the Spurs have the interior talent to make Memphis work. The Conley/Parker duels are underrated fun as well.

Suns @ Mavericks: Just a hunch but I think the scorekeeper will be slightly busier here than in Spurs/Grizzlies. Even with their growing pains, Phoenix has been fun to watch while the Mavericks continue to play exhilarating basketball. We should see Devin Harris take the lead on Goran Dragic but the Mavs’ guard rotation could be massively exposed against the Suns.

Saturday

Suns @ Rockets: Houston has stuck around pretty well despite Dwight’s injury but will continue to face challenges in the stacked West. These two teams pose some strange challenges for one another and I fully expect to see Eric Bledsoe defend almost teammate James Harden for stretches.

Pelicans @ Clippers: Any potential playoff hopes New Orleans has require some quality road wins and even though they are closer than before the Clippers are still not all the way back. Steve Ballmer’s team will need Blake Griffin’s A game to slow down Anthony Davis.

Sunday

Wizards @ Celtics: I still have no idea what to make of the Celtics. Maybe this game will help and plus it is Paul Pierce returning to the Garden.

Thunder @ Pistons: If Kevin Durant makes it back by this point, we could see his coming out party here since Detroit lacks a perimeter defender who can make the MVP’s life difficult. Josh Smith would be the most interesting cover and I also want to see Andre Drummond and Steven Adams battle it out inside.