The best NBA games on this week’s schedule

Focus, people. There are only two weeks remaining in the NBA season.

The playoff picture is far from complete, so this is the most important week of the NBA season. Key players have returned from injury — Karl Anthony-Towns on Wednesday and LeBron James on Sunday — and more are on the way.

Of course, the Western Conference standings are still a cluttered mess from 5-13, but that has to somewhat clear up this week with only a handful of regular-season games left to play.

The Men’s and Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournaments should have sports fans’ in a postseason frame of mind. A mindset to stay in while watching these upcoming games that all have postseason ramifications, and a few superstar showdowns.

When: Mar. 27, 9:30 p.m. EST

Where to Watch: NBA TV, NBC Sports Philadelphia, Altitude Sports Network

The Battle of the MVP Frontrunners II. Joel Embiid won the first one in resounding fashion. The 76ers defeated the Nuggets on Jan. 28, 126-119. Embiid had one of his best games of the season that afternoon. He scored 47 points and hauled 18 rebounds. Embiid certainly looked like the better player between him and Nikola Jokić in their first matchup.

That game was in Philadelphia. Their final head-to-head contest — unless the 76ers and Nuggets play in the NBA Finals — will be in Denver. If Jokić wants to get his final push going for a third consecutive MVP, Monday night is the ideal time to go for it.

When: Mar. 27, 10:00 p.m. EST

Where to Watch: League Pass, Bally Sports North, NBC Sports California

The Timberwolves have their season back on the right track with three consecutive wins. Each one of those victories was against a team that is currently high enough in the standings to qualify for the postseason. At 38-37, they are now a half-game away from jumping ahead of the Warriors in the standings and out of the play-in tournament.

If the Kings want to maximize their first postseason appearance since Dwight Howard’s rookie season, it would help to secure home-court advantage for the first two rounds. For those of you too young to comprehend basketball in the early aughts, you are in for a surprise in the playoffs. The Kings crowd might be the loudest in the entire NBA.

The Kings do have an issue that can momentarily hold them back, however. De’Aaron Fox tweaked his hamstring last week.

When: Mar. 28, 7:30 p.m. EST

Where to Watch: TNT, TSN

These certainly are not two of the most entertaining teams in the league to watch, but this matchup is most certainly consequential.

The Miami Heat have been stringing together some wins in recent weeks, even though they lost badly to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. That loss dropped the Heat back into the play-in tournament, but they still have the same record as the Nets. It won’t take much for them to get back that No. 6 seed.

The Raptors have won five of their last seven games and are playing some of their best basketball of the season. However, they are still holding steady as the No. 9 seed in the east. The Raptors also have the same record as the team just ahead of them in the standings — the Atlanta Hawks.

When: Mar. 28, 10:00 p.m. EST

Where to Watch: TNT, NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors sure spit that game up against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night. Center court at the Chase Center, they ralphed away a lead in the final seconds. On Tuesday, they have to face another team from the cluster in the bottom half of the Western Conference in which they are battling to stay atop.

The Pelicans were out of the playoffs at one point last week. Currently, they are eighth and only one game behind the Warriors for that coveted No. 6 seed. With the carrot dangling of a potential Zion Williamson return before the end of the regular season, the Warriors could help themselves, and the rest of the conference, by defeating the Pelicans. Thereby keeping the Pelicans’ playoff hopes in peril.

When: Mar. 29, 8:00 p.m EST

Where to Watch: League Pass, SportsNet LA, NBC Sports Chicago

The Bulls spoiled LeBron James’ return to the floor following a 13-game absence. They had one of their best shooting games of the year. Even DeMar DeRozan hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter. The Lakers will be looking to leave Chicago on Wednesday with a split in their season series.

With the Lakers’ Sunday loss and the Timberwolves’ win against the Warriors, the Lakers are now a full game behind them in the standings. In the east, the Bulls’ win pulls them to within half a game of the Raptors and the Atlanta Hawks in the play-in seedings.

When: Mar. 29, 10:00 p.m. EST

Where to Watch: ESPN, Bally Sports North, Bally Sports Arizona

Another big matchup for the Timberwolves. A win against the Kings on Monday — again who might be undermanned — would give them four in a row. At this point, they would only have six games remaining on the schedule. With two of those against the San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers, as tough as this season has been they could still avoid the play-in tournament.

The bad news for the T’Wolves though, four out of six of those games will be played on the road. They will be in Phoenix taking on the Suns as they hit the west coast for the final time this regular season. The Suns got a big win on Saturday against the 76ers but had lost six of their previous seven games. They will get a boost this week with Deandre Ayton’s return to the lineup.

An even bigger boost would be if this game is the return of Kevin Durant.

When: Mar. 30, 7:30 p.m. EST

Where to Watch: TNT

NBA on TNT Thursday returns after a two-week hiatus — sans Ernie, Kenny, and Chuck — with a bang. It’s best-on-best in Milwaukee. The Celtics and Bucks are arguably the two best teams in the NBA and both still have a shot at the best record.

The Bucks didn’t make the effort to maximize the previous regular season. They elected not to play their starters in their final game and fell behind the Celtics in the standings. Even without the home court — and no Khris Middleton — they were still a Jayson Tatum, Game 6, on the road, series-saving performance from winning that series. In recent weeks, a large swath of NBA media has shifted from believing that the Celtics are the NBA Championship favorite to the Bucks. The Celtics have struggled as of late while the Bucks have been on a tear since mid-January.

The best are about to go head-to-head in what might be a preview of a playoff rematch.

When: Mar. 31, 8:00 p.m. EST

Where to Watch: League Pass, Bally Sports So Cal, Bally Sports Southeast

With Ja Morant back as the Grizzlies’ starting point guard they are trying to hold off the Sacramento Kings and keep home-court advantage in a potential second-round matchup. The Clippers are in that mass of Western Conference teams trying to simultaneously stay in the postseason and out of the play-in tournament.

The Grizzlies hold a significant tiebreaker advantage on the Kings for the No. 2 seed. Their division record is four games better than the Kings’ and they have only one divisional opponent remaining on the schedule. As long as the Grizzlies keep a steady pace for the rest of the season, they should be able to remain put in the standings.

The Clippers lost Paul George likely for at least the rest of the regular season. Even though they are the No. 5 seed, they are only a game away from falling into the play-in. Also, they have a back-to-back over the weekend.

When: Apr. 2, 6:00 p.m. EST

Where to Watch: NBA TV, Bally Sports SE, Bally Sports SW

Two disappointments meet up to attempt to cling to what is left of six months of unfulfilled expectations. The Mavericks made the Western Conference Finals last season, and the Hawks looked solid around Thanksgiving before the Dejounte Murray injury.

March is almost over and the Mavericks are on the outside looking in on the entire postseason after embarrassing consecutive losses to the Charlotte Hornets. On Sunday, Trae Young unleashed his superpower of not being able to consistently hit 30-plus foot shots and the Hawks lost a winnable game to the Grizzlies.

The Hawks would have to spontaneously combust to fall out of the East play-in, but it would be beneficial for them to at least host their first game. The Mavericks traded for Kyrie Irving on Feb. 6. At that time they were three games over .500, and would go on a three-game winning streak. They have won five games since, and are currently on a four-game losing streak.

The Hawks may have firmer postseason footing, but at least the Mavericks can say that they didn’t fire a second-consecutive coach midseason.

When: Apr. 2, 8:00 p.m. EST

Where to Watch: League Pass, NBC Sports Philadelphia, Bally Sports Wisconsin

Another matchup of the NBA elite. Both of these teams have other big upcoming matchups and will end the weekend against each other.

Giannis Antetokoumnpo is likely on the outside looking in on the MVP race, but his team went undefeated in February which helped propel them to the best record in the NBA. The Warriors may be the defending champions, but the road to the title likely goes through the home of the 2021 champs.

The 76ers have been on a roll since Dec. 9. Since that date they have the best record in the NBA and the second-best offense behind the Kings. They have blown teams out and also pulled out gutty wins like when they ended the Bucks’ 16-game winning streak by coming back from an 18-point deficit on the road on Mar. 4.