Bulls-Knicks Rivalry. One of which is the defending champions Los Angeles Lakers going against the Los Angeles Clippers. Since 1999, both teams have won 40 games in the same season only five times, and both teams have reached the playoffs in the same season only four times. Each team has two dynamic duos in James and Anthony Davis for the Lakers and Kawhi Leonard and George for the Clippers. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey has often accused the league of officiating games between the two sides poorly, even asking for an audit of the league’s officiating after the Dubs knocked the Rockets out of the postseason. CO, IA, IN, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA or WV only. So when they play each other in a competitive setting, there is some real significance behind those meetings. 10 NBA Players Who Could Get Dealt Before the Trade Deadline, We Built an Entire Starting Lineup Using Russell Westbrook's 2021 Salary, The Perfect Team Pairings for NBA Players on the Trade Block, Ranking the 5 Best LaMarcus Aldridge Trade Destinations, Warriors Reportedly Promised to Take LaMelo Ball With No. With both franchises residing in the same city while being at the top of the Western Conference standings, the interest level in seeing these two teams play is unmatched with any other combination of squads in the sport right now. And the intra-arena rivalry is the most important team or player rivalry in the NBA this season. Russell Westbrook vs. Patrick Beverley isn’t the only NBA beef these days. Entering the 2020-21 season, both the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers are relevant. Both of these Texas teams boast dynamic offenses, led by the two best scoring guards in the game today in Luka Doncic and James Harden. In the 2010 Playoffs, James met the Celtics’ big three in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, where LeBron and co. were dispatched in 6 games. Please Gamble Responsibly. On an individual level, the personal rivalry that is budding between Paul George and Damian Lillard is fascinating. Giannis and Durant have never been rivals, nor have the Bucks and Thunder, or Bucks and Warriors. Indiana Pacers’ Miller was a showman whose performance in games … Though they were on the same team, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green had a rivalry of their own while they were on the Golden State Warriors together last season. 2 Pick in 2020 NBA Draft, Ranking the 5 Worst Referee Calls in 2021 So Far. Wives and girlfriends have involved themselves in the recent social media beef, making this mini-rivalry one worth keeping an eye on in and out of the bubble. These 10 rivalries in particular combine some of the animosity of yesteryear with all of the talent that makes the league a can’t miss attraction. James Harden vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo. First … The Rockets are buried in NBA Finals odds after trading Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards and might plummet further if a disgruntled James Harden is moved before or during a season in which the Mavericks might re-establish themselves as the premier team in the state of Texas. A clash between Pacers and Knicks was a clash of basketball titans. By using LINES, you accept our. In their sixth game in franchise history, the Buffalo Braves lost to the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 30, 1970. Drama, thrilling rivalries and unique personalities headline the first week of the 2020-21 season. Excludes Michigan Disassociated Persons. One of the main criticisms you will hear about the current generation of the NBA is that the players get along too well. Gambling Problem? For the Lakers, it was the first of 17 trips to San Diego and the first of 34 total meetings, the other 17 of which were played at The Forum in Inglewood. But he managed to get under Kevin Durant’s skin during an in-game exchange in the 2018-19 season that foreshadowed Durant's departure to Brooklyn. Dallas responded with a 20-2 run, capped by Dirk Nowitzki’s go-ahead 3 with 26.7 seconds left. In baseball, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez continue to be the subject of great debate despite having been teammates for eight seasons now. This site uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Greatest players rivalries in sports history by Pete M.D. A team plays each opponent from the other conference in one home game and one away game. The playoff run started with a seven-game series win over the Utah Jazz, where he and Donovan Mitchell brought a largely overlooked Northwest Division rivalry into the national picture and set the stage for this season and beyond. And while they’ve recorded similar stats in the 10 meetings, Durant is dominating the win-loss column, going 8-2 against the Bucks while playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors. In the deepest division in the NBA, all eyes are on the three Atlantic Division teams who finished five, 10.5, and 15 games behind the expectation-shattering Toronto Raptors. Skip ahead to Opening Night of the 2010-11 … It was the first of 32 matchups over the next nine years in a series that saw both teams rack up frequent flyer miles. With the Trail Blazers repeatedly underachieving, Oklahoma City Thunder embarking on a massive rebuild, and the Minnesota Timberwolves doing nothing, these two young stars will headline what could be the closest division race in the NBA. Stephen A. Smith revealed various players around the NBA resented the rise of Stephen Curry in 2015. Intradivisional rivalries comprise games between opponents in the same division. This year, the Warriors will not be in the playoffs to interfere with the Rockets, but the ghosts of previous failures against Golden State could haunt Houston when it counts this time around. 2020-2021 NBA Season Leaders - National Basketball Association - ESPN. All-time Vince vs. Garnett. Durant did leave the team after the 2019 Finals, choosing to join the Brooklyn Nets. The Rockets won 65 regular-season games and another 17 playoff games in 2017-18 alone. 2019 NBA Playoff Rivalries That Will Stick in 2020 Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers. This is the most storied of all-NBA rivalries. Rivalries add to the entertainment of the NBA and as the league eventually moves into a new era, these five rivalries are sure to not disappoint. As both of these teams look to break into the upper echelon of the Western Conference, we can all look forward to them entertaining us with Texas-style shootouts on the basketball court. In what could become the best rivalry in this era of the NBA’s history, the Lakers and Clippers are currently the top rivalry in the league today. The Los Angeles Lakers are second with a total of 16. Lillard sent George home in the first round of the playoffs while George was a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, winning that series with a shot from near midcourt before waving goodbye to the Thunder bench. 1. That didn’t happen after the Clippers fell to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals, but their first-ever playoff meeting is looming. All-Stars Chris Paul and Trae Young headline first-ever NBA HORSE Challenge. Andrew Doughty is a writer for BetMGM and host of High Motor, a college football podcast available on Apple Podcasts and everywhere else. Luka Dončić and the Mavericks have an opportunity to flip this rivalry, regain control of the Southwest Division, and shoot up NBA odds throughout the season. Nets vs. Knicks. Sports Illustrated is proud to offer our list of the Top 100 NBA players of 2020, an exhaustive exercise that seeks to define who will be the league's best players in the 2019-20 season. Coming off a season in which they combined for 101 wins, which, despite playing 20 combined fewer games, tied the 2012-13 Clippers and Lakers for the most combined wins. Results aside, it's clear that these two teams do not like each other very much. Call 1-800-522-4700 (CO & VA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA & WV), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), Call or Text the Tennessee REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN), If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Since Giannis entered the league in 2013, he’s played against Durant only 10 times. Flexibility. And when the Clippers “visit” the Lakers, they travel 38 feet from the home bench to the away bench at Staples Center. By Rotimi Bello. You can simply feel the heat in terms of fighting, fearless attitude, match intensity, breathtaking performances of the players. In 2019, the Raptors managed to overcome the top-seeded Bucks to reach the Finals, where they defeated a depleted Golden State Warriors team to bring Canada its first NBA championship. The 2020-2021 NBA regular season starts in a few hours and teams are already preparing for their season opener. It could be argued that this rivalry was only between the Celtics and LeBron himself, carrying over from James’ early days playing for the Cavaliers. College Basketball Coaching Changes Tracker & Grades, 11 Candidates to Replace Larry Krystkowiak as Utah Head Coach, March Madness Betting Tips / Betting Guide, NCAA Tournament: Teams With Most Quadrant 1 Wins, BetMGM Launches Mobile Sports Betting in Virginia, BetMGM To Launch Mobile Sports Betting In Tennessee On Nov. 1, BetMGM Launches Mobile Sports Betting In Pennsylvania, Our Predictions for the 2021 World Series, Bracketology: Projecting the 2021 NCAA Tournament Field. The Los Angeles Lakers are the Sixer's biggest rival from the Western Conference. Next year, there should finally be some equal footing for these two basketball teams, as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will help the Nets get back to the level where the Sixers have been for several years. The Boston Celtics are the winningest team in the league with a total of 17 NBA titles won. Allen Iverson. And with a potential 2020 NBA Finals matchup on the horizon, there is a chance that there could be some real stakes behind their next games. The NBA is a player’s league and for as much structure as there is around team rivalries it is often the rivalries between individual players that drive the narrative. Since the Mavericks pulled within two games of their northern neighbor in 2013 in the all-time series (80-78), the Rockets have won 18 of the last 24 meetings, including last year’s double-overtime beauty in the Bubble. Despite the Bulls-Pistons and Celtics-76ers rivalries being stronger and more intense historically, the Warriors-Cavs rivalry edges them out mostly on a recency bias. Are you sure that you want to delete this comment? They say that everything is bigger in Texas, and that applies to the point totals put up by the Dallas Mavericks and Rockets as well. Yup, we're talking about rivalries. Please allow the boundaries of the traditional two-team rivalry to be stretched because with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving leading a title-contending Brooklyn Nets’ team, Jayson Tatum and Co. back in Boston, and the 76ers in position to contend for the elusive division title, there are three potential 45-win teams in one division. LOS ANGELES LAKERS/BOSTON CELTICS (1959-1969, 1984-1988) Ah, how refreshing. Compared to the 1990s, where the play on the court often resembled a wrestling match, the NBA has certainly dialed down the violence in the present day. James and Giannis have been recent captains of All-Star Games against one another, as these two players have been deemed the faces of the NBA. KG is set to join the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and it won't be long before Carter joins him in Springfield. The Philadelphia 76ers and the Nets are a part of a greater rivalry involving the cities of Philadelphia and New York. For the better part of the first two decades sharing a home arena, almost no one outside Los Angeles noticed or, more importantly, cared about the proximity between the two benches because rarely were both teams relevant enough for anyone to care when they played. Historical links aside, though, the Lakers and Bucks are two of the best teams in the NBA right now and their matchups against one another have given us the treat of seeing James and Giannis Antetokounmpo on the floor as foes. In an overtime contest, they combined for over 300 total points, with the Rockets winning that contest. 2. But the Rockets have fallen short of that goal, thanks to some poorly timed injuries and a Game 7 in which Mike D’Antoni’s team missed an unfathomable 27 straight three-point attempts. Don’t miss an opportunity to bet on in-game lines, futures, and more at BetMGM. Finally, we get to the meat and potatoes of NBA rivalries: the Celtics and the Lakers, a … The 2020-2021 season opener features a lot of good matchups. George has since become a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, and the baggage between these two All-Stars has come with him to the West Coast.
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