Gilgeous-Alexander battles Morant in huge clash to headline weekend of NBA action on TSN, TSN+
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Canadian superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the Oklahoma City Thunder against the Memphis Grizzlies in a battle of the best in the West, and a clash of Eastern Conference heavyweights headlines the weekend slate of NBA action on TSN.
For a full weekend broadcast schedule, click here.
Los Angeles Lakers look to stay hot when they take on Indiana Pacers
The NBA landscape was rocked in a significant - and perhaps never-before-seen - way just after midnight eastern last Saturday, when the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks pulled off perhaps the most shocking trade in NBA history.
Dallas sent 25-year-old perennial MVP contender Luka Doncic to the Lakers for All-NBA big man, Anthony Davis, without so much as a peep leaking out ahead of time.
Players, reporters, celebrities alike were stunned and in disbelief when ESPN's Shams Charania first reported that the deal had been completed.
"I thought it was fake news. It’s insane. This is the world we’re living in. It’s a business. You have to understand this. Nobody’s safe," Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo said.
“Unprecedented, right? That those kind of players are moving — you know, surprising, for sure,” Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse added.
The Lakers now look to stay hot with Doncic's debut for the team on the horizon - reports indicate the superstar will likely make his first appearance Monday - having won four straight.
San Antonio Spurs, Victor Wembanyama take on Orlando Magic on TSN+
The San Antonio Spurs revamped their lineup leading up to the trade deadline, acquiring star guard De'Aaron Fox in a trade with the Sacramento Kings.
Fox had 24 points and 13 assists in his Spurs debut, and he teamed up with superstar sophomore Victor Wembanyama to beat the Atlanta Hawks 126-125 on Wednesday.
The combination gives the Spurs an elite guard in Fox, who is averaging 25.0 points and 6.3 assists per game this year, to run their pick-and-roll with Wembanyama.
Wembanyama has taken a step forward this year after his historic rookie campaign a season ago. The Le Chesnay, France native is averaging 24.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game this season - all improvements over last season.
The Spurs enter play against the Magic just a game and a half out of a play-in spot in the Western Conference.
Canada's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can continue to build his MVP resume
Later on, in a game also featured on TSN+, superstar forward Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the Oklahoma City Thunder against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The high-stakes clash features the best team in the NBA, Oklahoma City (40-9), against the second-best team in the Western Conference in Memphis (35-16).
Gilgeous-Alexander is the current favourite to take home the Most Valuable Player award. The native of Toronto, who was raised in London, Ont., is averaging a league-leading 32.8 points to go with 6.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Gilgeous-Alexander recorded the first 50-point night of his career on Jan. 22, and has repeated the feat twice since then. Each of Gilgeous-Alexander's 50-point performances have come within the Thunder’s last seven games, which is the shortest span across a player’s first three career 50-point games in NBA history.
In his past seven games, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 40.7 points, 5.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.9 steals while shooting 55 per cent from the floor.
Memphis is no pushover with stars Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the lineup - they crushed the Toronto Raptors 138-107 in their last game on Wednesday. The Grizzlies have won four straight, and nine of their last 10.
This matchup could be a potential Western Conference Finals preview, and Oklahoma City won the only matchup between these teams this year, 130-106 on Dec. 29.
Jayson Tatum leads Boston Celtics against New York Knicks in battle of Eastern Conference heavyweights
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been the most consistent performer in the Eastern Conference to this point, but the two teams trailing them - the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks - have carved out a tier of their own in the standings.
Boston (36-16) is the defending NBA Champions, while the Knicks (34-17) are trying to get over the hump with top off-season acquisition Karl-Anthony Towns proving his usual dominant self.
The Celtics were the big winners the first time these teams met this year, torching New York 132-109 behind 37 points from Tatum.
This is a different Knicks squad though, as the pieces are starting to settle into the lineup and play more coherently. New York has wins in eight of their last 10 games, best in the Eastern Conference over that span.
The Boston - New York rivalry exists across all sports, and these two are no stranger. They've met 14 times in the post-season, though the most recent battle came in 2013.
Toronto Raptors take on Houston Rockets on Sunday
The Raptors take on the Houston Rockets on Sunday afternoon before the Super Bowl gets underway.
Toronto travels to Houston to battle the Rockets, but old friend Fred VanVleet will be on the shelf while he nurses a right ankle injury.
VanVleet has spent the last two seasons in Houston after playing his first seven in Toronto, where he was named an All-Star once and was a key contributor off the bench to help the Raptors win the 2019 NBA Final.
The young guard-centre combination of Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun has elevated the Rockets to fourth in the Western Conference this season.
Meanwhile, Toronto awaits the debut of newly-acquired forward Brandon Ingram, who came over in a deal with the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.
Ingram has averaged 22.2 points per game this season, but hasn't played since Dec. 7 due to a sprained ankle. He is not expected to play against the Rockets.