5 must-see NBA games in December include a lot of Los Angeles Lakers
By Phil Watson
On Sunday, the calendar flips to December, it’s time to look ahead to 5 NBA matchups in the month that, from a competitive standpoint, are must-see TV.
November comes to an end on Saturday, putting the first full calendar month of the 2019-20 NBA season into the books as it does so. That means it’s time to peek ahead to the NBA schedule for December to see the must-see games, from a competitive standpoint at least.
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There are some surprises among the teams that have broken out to the top of the NBA thus far this season. The Los Angeles Lakers this season were expected to return to the playoffs after a six-year drought after adding Anthony Davis to team with LeBron James, but their 16-2 start — even against a relatively weak schedule — has been eye-opening.
The defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors, meanwhile, were all but written off after losing two starters to Los Angeles in free agents –Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard to the LA Clippers and 3-point specialist Danny Green to the Lakers. But even with injuries to Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet are carrying much of the offensive load in a 13-4 start.
The Denver Nuggets (13-3) and Milwaukee Bucks (15-3) have shown their giant leaps forward last season were not flukes, while life with the Boston Celtics is reportedly drama-free, even if their fan base is having some difficulty letting go of its displeasure with the team’s former All-NBA point guard, Kyrie Irving.
Here are the matchups to watch next month: