The Warriors received a big boost on Sunday with Klay Thompson making his highly anticipated return after missing the last two seasons with injuries.
Their reward? A challenging week that will see them take on some of the league's best.
The Warriors open the week against the Grizzlies, who have been one of the hottest teams in the league lately and are led by Ja Morant, a likely first-time All-Star this season and potential All-NBA selection. They then take on two of the Eastern Conference's best teams in a back-to-back, facing the Bucks on Thursday followed by the Bulls on Friday.
Those are the three biggest games of the week, but there are a few others you'll want to circle on your calendar.
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Monday, Jan. 10
Bucks vs. Hornets (7:00 p.m. ET, TSN 5 and RDS): The Hornets defeated the Bucks in a fun one on Saturday. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 43 points and Khris Middleton fell an assist shy of a 27-point triple-double, but it wasn't enough to overcome strong performances from LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Miles Bridges and Kelly Oubre Jr.
Also watch: Nets vs. Trail Blazers (10:00 p.m., NBA TV Canada) for what could be Kyrie Irving's second game of the season.
Tuesday, Jan. 11
Warriors vs. Grizzlies (8:00 p.m. ET, SN One): A battle between two of the league's best and most exciting point guards in Stephen Curry and Ja Morant. Through three career games against Morant, Curry is averaging 42.7 points on .460/.429/.960 shooting splits. (You read that right.) Morant, meanwhile, is averaging 22.3 points, 6.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds against Curry.
Wednesday, Jan. 12
Nets vs. Bulls (10:00 p.m. ET, TSN 1/3): The third and final meeting between the Nets and Bulls this season. The Bulls won the first matchup comfortably by 23 points. The second one came down to the wire, with the Bulls escaping with a four-point victory behind a combined 50 points from DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine.
Also watch: Mavericks vs. Knicks (7:30 p.m., TSN 1/3/5) for Luka Doncic's lone trip of the season to Madison Square Garden.
Thursday, Jan. 13
Warriors vs. Bucks (7:30 p.m. ET, TSN 1/4): A potential Finals preview. The Bucks are the defending champions while the Warriors are going back and forth with the Suns for the best record in the Western Conference. To add to the fun, this could be Thompson's third game of the season and his first against a title-contender.
Friday, Jan. 14
Warriors vs. Bulls (7:30 p.m., TSN App): Thompson is unlikely to play in back-to-backs, so if he suits up against the Bucks on Thursday, don't expect him to play against the Bulls on Friday. Still, this should be a fun one with or without Thompson, as two of the league's best teams go head-to-head.
Also watch: Mavericks vs. Grizzlies (10:00 p.m., SN One) for a showdown between Doncic and Morant.
Saturday, Jan. 15
Lakers vs. Nuggets (9:00 p.m. ET, TSN 4): LeBron James vs. Nikola Jokic alone is worth the price of admission, but the Lakers and Nuggets enter the week side-by-side in the Western Conference standings. A big game for both teams.
Sunday, Jan. 16
Jazz vs. Nuggets (8:00 p.m. ET, TSN 2): Rudy Gobert missed Utah's last meeting with Denver. He's currently in the league's health and safety protocols, but hopefully he's able to return by Sunday because it's always a joy to watch Gobert and Jokic face-off.
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