NBA games of the week: Kobe's last hurrah and Warriors' chase for 73
As the NBA season comes to close, the basketball world will be faced with a dilemma ... On Wednesday night, fans have to choose between watching the final game of Kobe Bryant's storied 20-year career or the Golden State Warriors' chance to earn their record breaking 73rd win of the season.
The two biggest storylines of the year just so happen to come together on the same night and at the same time, and that's not all that's on the plate in this shortened week of NBA action.
The rest of the playoff race is intensifying from top to bottom, and we have the top three marquee games that you won't want to miss as we enter the final chapter of the 2015-16 NBA season.
Miami Heat at Boston Celtics
When: Wednesday, April 13 at 8 pm ET on ESPN
Season series: Boston leads 2-0
The matchup: As if the Kobe/ Warriors double-header wasn't enough, the night starts off with an Eastern Conference battle with postseason implications. You might want to make sure your calendar is cleared for Wednesday. The Celtics and Heat enter the week as the fourth and fifth seeds in the East, respectively, both with a 47-33 record. If the playoffs started today, they would play each other in the first round, but with the Charlotte Hornets a game behind in sixth and the Atlanta Hawks a game ahead in third, the East playoff picture is far from settled. The Celtics control the tiebreaker and have won in the previous two meetings this season, but Miami won't go down without a fight.
Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors
When: Wednesday, April 13 at 10:30 pm ET on ESPN
Season series: Golden State leads 3-0
The matchup: With 81 regular season games and 72 wins in the books, it all comes down to this. Whether Steve Kerr says that he doesn't really care about the record or Stephen Curry and Draymond Green say that they really do, the fact remains: history will (more than likely) be made on Wednesday night in Oakland. As for the matchup itself, the Warriors have outscored the Grizzlies by a combined score of 319-252 in three games this season, but narrowly snuck by (100-99) in the most recent game on Saturday night.
Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers
When: Wednesday, April 13 at 10:30 pm ET on ESPN2
Season series: Utah leads 3-0
The matchup: With two decades of NBA history in the books, Kobe fans and haters alike will say goodbye to one of the league's most storied guards. This game marks the end of an era, and emotions will be flowing. The Lakers (16-64) have nothing to play for other than the Black Mamba, but the Jazz enter the week in eighth place in the West, just one game ahead of the Houston Rockets, looking to secure their first playoff spot in four years.
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