NBA

Optimal NBA League Pass viewing plan for Friday's 10-game slate (Jan. 29, 2021)

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There's nothing quite like a Friday night filled with NBA hoops.

With 10 games to look forward to on Friday, here's the full schedule, biggest storylines and optimal viewing plan to get you ready.

League Pass is the best place to watch the action

Schedule

Game Time U.S. | Canada Broadcast
Indiana Pacers vs. Charlotte Hornets 7:00 p.m. League Pass
Atlanta Hawks vs. Washington Wizards 7:00 p.m. League Pass
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks 7:30 p.m. League Pass
Sacramento Kings vs. Toronto Raptors 7:30 p.m. League Pass | SN One/SNE/SNO
Milwaukee Bucks vs. New Orleans Pelicans 7:30 p.m. ESPN | TSN 1/TSN 4/TSN 5
LA Clippers vs. Orlando Magic 8:00 p.m. League Pass
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves 8:00 p.m. League Pass
Brooklyn Nets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 8:00 p.m. League Pass
Denver Nuggets vs. San Antonio Spurs 8:30 p.m. League Pass | NBA TV Canada
Dallas Mavericks vs. Utah Jazz 10:00 p.m. ESPN | SN

All times listed are Eastern Standard Time

Games on Sportsnet, TSN and NBA TV Canada are not available live on League Pass

Biggest storylines

Rudy Gobert Mike Conley Bojan Bogdanovic

Keeping the streak alive

Both the Nuggets and Jazz will be looking to keep their winning streaks alive on Friday. The Nuggets are going to their sixth straight win when they take on the Spurs while the Jazz are going for their 10th straight win when they take on the Mavericks.

The Jazz might have to get it done without Donovan Mitchell, who is questionable (concussion protocol).

The battle of the paint

Two of the league's best paint scorers will go head-to-head when the Bucks and Pelicans meet.

On the Bucks, that's Giannis Antetokounmpo, who led the league with 17.5 points per game in the paint last season and ranks third this season with 15.1 points per game in the paint. On the Pelicans you have Zion Williamson, who is leading the league this season with 18.5 points per game in the paint.

Williamson struggled in his one and only meeting with the Bucks last season, finishing with 20 points on 5-for-19 shooting from the field. Can the Bucks contain him again?

Where it all began

Kevin Durant will face the Thunder for the 11th time in his career when Oklahoma City hosts Brooklyn. Durant spent the first nine seasons of his career with the franchise and established himself as one of the best players in the league, earning seven of his 10 All-Star selections, as well as his MVP award.

Durant has career averages of 31.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists on .527/.435/.917 shooting splits against the Thunder.

The Thunder enter the matchup on a two-game winning streak, having defeated the Portland Trail Blazers and the Phoenix Suns on the road.

Optimal viewing plan

Zion Giannis

7:00-7:30 p.m. — Start the night with Hawks-Wizards, which will see two of the Eastern Conference's best guards do battle in Trae Young and Bradley Beal.

7:30-8:30 p.m. — Friday's main event begins when the Bucks face the Pelicans. The Bucks have been the far superior team this season, but it will be an opportunity to watch two of the league's most dominant players square off in Antetokounmpo and Williamson.

8:30-10:00 p.m. — If the Bucks have jumped out to a big lead at halftime, now would be a good time to survey the league. The first round of games will be coming to an end, so keep an eye the ones that are going down to the wire. Pacers-Hornets has the potential to be interesting, as does Cavaliers-Knicks.

If nothing is particularly close, check in on Durant's return to Oklahoma City or watch the first half of Nuggets-Spurs. The Nuggets are one of the hottest teams in the league right now and the Spurs have been competitive this season, sporting a 10-8 record. It should be a fun one.

10:00-Bedtime — Last but not least, the Jazz go for 11 in a row when they face Luka Doncic and the Mavericks. It's been a struggle for the Mavericks lately, losing three straight games to move them to 12th in the Western Conference. It would be a big win for them if they can pull it off.

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Author(s)
Scott Rafferty Photo

Scott Rafferty is a Senior NBA Editor for The Sporting News