The NBA taking Thanksgiving off actually stocks the League Pass pond as it puts more games on the same nights. A fantastic Black Friday (including Spurs/Celtics in the Game of the Week) and a shocking four Trail Blazers games headline a great League Pass stretch.

Monday

Heat at 76ers, 7 p.m.: Joel Embiid games have become League Pass catnip for good reason: he is both incredibly talented and fun to watch. The frontrunner for Rookie of the Year plays his first game against Hassan Whiteside should be a fascinating experience, particularly if Embiid tries to take him outside. 

Celtics at Timberwolves, 8 p.m.: Boston getting Al Horford and Jae Crowder back makes this substantially more interesting as it provides fascinating matchups all over the court. While Towns vs. Horford may be the most compelling (if it actually happens much due to the presence of Gorgui Dieng), Ricky Rubio trying to shut down Isaiah Thomas could be even more fun.

Raptors at Clippers, 10:30 p.m.: Fresh off last night’s controversial finish in Sacramento, the Raptors head south to face the Clippers in LA. Compton native DeMar DeRozan has been tearing up the league this season and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute brings an unusual skill-set to handle one of the NBA’s most potent scorers. Of course, Kyle Lowry and Chris Paul going at it will be more than worth the price of admission.

Tuesday

Trail Blazers at Knicks, 7:30 p.m.: Portland has struggled a fair amount without Al-Farouq Aminu and will need to contain Kristaps Porzingis in order to get a big road win at Madison Square Garden. Damian Lillard and Derrick Rose did not peak at the same time but could produce some highlights here.

Bulls at Nuggets, 9 p.m.: Denver has looked competitive despite their 5-8 record and possess one of the NBA’s strongest homecourt advantages. It feels unlikely that Nuggets fans will resent Dwyane Wade due to his strange flirtation with the team over the summer but Jimmy Butler will have a chance to shine if Denver puts Danilo Gallinari on him for extended stretches. 

Wednesday

Trail Blazers at Cavaliers, 7 p.m.: Lillard vs. Kyrie will be absolutely phenomenal while presumably Moe Harkless will draw the short straw and have to defend LeBron James. Cleveland will have to figure out how they want to defend Lillard/Plumlee pick-and-rolls but their strategy and success could help get a sense of how they will handle some of the most dangerous teams in the NBA. 

Raptors at Rockets, 8 p.m.: Grab some popcorn and get ready for a ton of scoring. The Raptors have struggled so far this season against perimeter scoring threats and James Harden has torn up the league so far. On the other end, the Rockets have had trouble defending almost everyone and Toronto has one of the NBA’s most potent offenses.

Thunder at Kings, 10:30 p.m.: A great nightcap with plenty of star power and the possibility of Steven Adams goading DeMarcus Cousins into a truly epic confrontation. Russell Westbrook should be able to get points on college teammate Darren Collison but the Kings’ move to smaller personnel could open up some scoring opportunities as well. 

Thursday

The NBA takes Thanksgiving off, so enjoy the holiday! 

Friday

Spurs at Celtics, 1 p.m. (Game of the Week): A completely unusual start time on Black Friday means the best League Pass game gets its own timeslot. The Celtics have looked better after getting some starters back from injury while the Spurs are finding their footing with Danny Green in the fold again. Kawhi Leonard will loom large but keep an eye on how each team chooses to defend the other’s dominant big man. 

Clippers at Pistons, 7:30 p.m.: DeAndre Jordan vs. Andre Drummond is worth watching no matter what happens but the Pistons have played some strong stretches so far this season even without Reggie Jackson. If Stan Van Gundy puts Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on Chris Paul, it should be a fun night.

Hawks at Jazz, 8 p.m.: Big Man Friday concludes with a stacked duel at both power forward and center as Dwight Howard and former Jazzman Paul Millsap face Rudy Gobert and (hopefully) Derrick Favors in Salt Lake City. Kent Bazemore will have his hands full with both Gordon Hayward and Rodney Hood so Thabo Sefolosha may get a chance to make an impression as well. 

Saturday

Knicks at Hornets, 7 p.m.: This probably does not quality as a Courtney Lee Revenge Game but the shooting guard will get a chance to play his former teammates. He will likely draw Nicolas Batum for most of the night but Michael Kidd-Gilchrist guarding Carmelo Anthony should be the most compelling matchup. 

Pistons at Thunder, 8 p.m.: Unfortunately, it looks like Reggie Jackson will not be ready by this point but still a worthwhile contest with two traditional centers. Russell Westbrook will try to ruin Ish Smith in Jackson’s absence but again Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could take over and create another fun challenge.

Timberwolves at Warriors, 10:30 p.m.: The last time Minnesota played at Oracle Arena, they handed the Warriors their second and final home loss of the regular season. Karl-Anthony Towns will have time to shine against Golden State’s traditional centers but Draymond Green may seek out the defensive assignment and make this must-see TV. 

Sunday

Nuggets at Suns, 3:30 p.m.: Two youngish teams trying to figure things out that also feature talented backcourts. Emmanuel Mudiay has looked better in his second season but Eric Bledsoe’s physicality brings a unique challenge. Also, Marquese Chriss will likely start out the game guarding a traditional center, which will be fun. 

Rockets at Trail Blazers, 9 p.m.: Another offensive explosion of a game with tons of scoring on the perimeter and two teams comfortable running. The return of Patrick Beverley gives this one some added edge and the Blazers will presumably try a variety of different defenders on James Harden.

Hawks at Lakers, 9:30 p.m.: A week into the season, the Lakers beat the Hawks in Atlanta for what is still one of the season’s most surprising results. Former Laker Dwight Howard and his teammates will look to avenge that loss in their final matchup of the season.