Hey. We know you’re busy.

You love watching basketball but you also have work, and family, and Thursday night volleyball (a league you wanted to quit seven years ago but you just didn’t have the heart to tell Janet you’re not signing up again).

So I want to help you plan your week of basketball. Not listing out every single game–what are we, in college? But one or two top picks per night so you can plan your evenings. If a night is empty it’s because I didn’t think there was anything urgent to watch. If I’m wrong, just keep an eye out for the Traveling Bear on Friday for what you missed.

I’ll be here every Monday morning, my calendar out, ready to throw you a crisp bounce pass. Let’s get you a great week!

Sincerely,

Mr. Monday

Tonight

Michigan vs. Villanova, 9:20 p.m. EST, TBS

Can Michigan slow down Villanova’s 3-pt assault? Or will their Houston Rockets-esque shooting continue? Note: Nova has yet to play a game decided by single digits. 

Tuesday

Toronto vs. Cleveland, 7:00 p.m. EST, NBA League Pass

Possible Eastern Conference Finals preview. If you haven’t watched a lot of NBA this season, quick update: the Raptors are having a sneaky great year. Tied with the Warriors for the second-best record overall.

Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:00 p.m. EST, TNT

Russell Westbrook in full angry/revenge mode might be the best thing to watch in the NBA. See how the Thunder stack up against GSW in their last regular season matchup. Still a very possible first-round playoff matchup. 

Thursday

Portland Trailblazers vs. Houston Rockets, 8:00 p.m. EST

I don’t know if ‘best-kept secret’ is the right label for either the Rockets or Damian Lillard, but I feel like Dame being 5th in scoring and the Rockets being a full seven games better than the Warriors are still floating somewhat under the radar. Give ’em a watch, dangit!

Friday 

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 7:00 p.m. EST, NBATV

While it’ll still be fun to see LeBron and Ben Simmons, I want to protect you from getting your hopes up. Why? Because Joel Embiid will be out for a couple more weeks recovering from a face injury. Trust the Process. 

Saturday

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets, 8:30 p.m. EST, ABC

Another measuring-up game for OKC. Can they slow down the Rockets high-power offense? 

BASKETBALL EBOOKS

Looking for something to read during the week? We’ve got you covered!