This will be a fun League Pass week because there are a ton of East vs. West matchups which only happen twice per season. That will be highlighted by Damian Lillard facing John Wall, Isaiah Thomas and Kemba Walker in the same week while Pacers center Myles Turner gets Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gobert. 

There are also solid in-conference contests, including the Rockets/Grizzlies rematch which is the Game of the Week. 

Monday

Trail Blazers at Wizards, 2 p.m.: Damian Lillard and John Wall deserve the spotlight here but CJ McCollum and Bradley Beal are both having very nice seasons as their backcourt partners. It may come down to which team’s big men can better handle their drives.

76ers at Bucks, 3:30 p.m.: Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo sharing the court makes this must-see even if they never guard each other. Also, the Sixers have played much better since returning Nerlens Noel to the rotation and he will be challenged by the Bucks’ athleticism.

Pelicans at Pacers, 4 p.m.: Anthony Davis being the Pelicans’ starting center means extended minutes against Myles Turner, which is exciting. Both talented bigs should force the other out of his comfort zone, especially since each has shaky help defense from their power forward.

Hornets at Celtics, 7:30 p.m.: While the Hornets have stumbled recently, both of these teams could host first round playoff series and the point guard matchup is great as Isaiah Thomas and Kemba Walker are both having career years. If Avery Bradley makes it back, he makes the matchups even more compelling. 

Tuesday

Mavericks at Bulls, 8 p.m.: Dallas has won two straight but Jimmy Butler continues to dominate when not battling illness. The Mavericks paid big money to Wesley Matthews and Harrison Barnes with the idea of them being able to handle big assignments like they will have here. 

Timberwolves at Spurs, 8:30 p.m.: This looked like a bigger game before the season but Minnesota still has the capability of beating good teams and this also provides a significant test for both Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. Kawhi Leonard is having another great season and will put Wiggins through the ringer here. 

Wednesday

Grizzlies at Wizards, 7 p.m.: A more intriguing contest because these teams only play twice per season. John Wall vs. Mike Conley will be a blast but David Fizdale should consider sliding Tony Allen over like he did in the second half against Russell Westbrook last week.

Trail Blazers at Hornets, 7 p.m.: Another point guard duel in an inter-conference game and hopefully Lillard/Walker delivers as well. Former Blazer Nicolas Batum will have an important role too but Charlotte could put Michael Kidd-Gilchrist on CJ McCollum for stretches.

Pacers at Kings, 10:30 p.m.: A sneaky fun game if both teams play hard with some unusual matchups, including DeMarcus Cousins and Myles Turner at various places on the floor, Jeff Teague against former Pacer Darren Collison and Paul George against whoever the Kings put in front of him, hopefully Matt Barnes.

Thursday

Suns at Cavs, 7 p.m.: Even if the final outcome is probably not in doubt, these teams played a shockingly fun game recently and it will be nice to see if some of Phoenix’s young players rise to the challenge of facing the defending champs on their home court.

Mavericks at Heat, 7:30 p.m.: A clarifying game for both teams both in terms of their commitment to winning and talent level at this point in the season. Plus, this could be Dirk Nowitzki’s last game in Miami.

Nuggets at Spurs, 8:30 p.m.: Nikola Jokic has been fun to watch this season and Pau Gasol could be a nice reflection of where he could be soon. Plus, the Nuggets should provide an interesting test for San Antonio’s pick and roll defense when both team’s starting fives are on the floor. 

Friday

Trail Blazers at 76ers, 7 p.m.: It will be awfully hard to not include a Sixers game when the expectations are that Joel Embiid will play. That logic applies here. 

Raptors at Hornets, 7 p.m.: Excellent test for both teams, particularly with Charlotte at home. Lowry and DeRozan have continued their All-Star performances from last year and Lowry in particular will need to defend here even though the Hornets’ offense has not been as potent as last season. 

Bulls at Hawks, 8 p.m.: Atlanta’s combination of Dwight Howard and Paul Millsap has thrived on defense this season and the Bulls generally do not have enough outside shooting to take them out of their comfort zone. If Chicago can overcome that on the road, it will be a huge positive sign for their viability as a playoff team.

Saturday

Trail Blazers at Celtics, 5 p.m.: This one should just be fun. Portland has been figuring it out since Al-Farouq Aminu returned from injury but the Celtics continue to play well at full strength (or close to it). Great point guard matchup and also interesting to see how Brad Stevens closes the game considering we pretty much know what Portland wants to do at the end.

Rockets at Grizzlies, 8 p.m. (Game of the Week): This occurs eight days after the Grizzlies beat the Rockets in Houston, putting a little fire under the Rockets. James Harden can bolster his MVP case with a strong performance against Tony Allen in the Grindhouse.

Pacers at Jazz, 9 p.m.: Rudy Gobert is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, possibly even the favorite, but can be challenged by floor-spacing centers. Myles Turner can certainly do that and putting Gobert on Thaddeus Young would not exactly help matters. Plus, Paul George and Gordon Hayward will likely spend serious time on each other.

Clippers at Nuggets, 9 p.m.: Like Gobert, DeAndre Jordan can be tested by floor-spacing bigs and gets a different one here in Nikola Jokic. Also, the Nuggets start the combination of Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler at the forward spots, which could challenge Doc Rivers’, preferred small lineup in Blake Griffin’s absence. 

Sunday

Warriors at Magic, 12 p.m.: A potentially interesting game that also benefits from being the only game in its timeslot. Keep an eye on how the Warriors defend Nikola Vucevic because their traditional big men can struggle handling pick and pop centers. 

Lakers at Mavericks, 3:30 p.m.: Significant contest because both teams are still looking to compete but could turn their focus downward if they continue to struggle. The Lakers’ young players will have some challenging assignments here, particularly if Dirk Nowitzki plays.

Nuggets at Timberwolves, 7 p.m.: Two of the league’s more intriguing young teams have plenty of motivation here as they fight for a sliver of playoff hope. Karl-Anthony Towns playing power forward likely puts him on Wilson Chandler, which will be strange.