NBA: 8 most anticipated matchups of the second-half schedule

With the 2nd half of the 2020-21 season released, which games will have fans glued to their seats, and what long-term impact do these matchups carry?

Earlier this week, the NBA officially announced the league’s schedule for the remaining half of the 2021 season. There is much to unpack with so many games to analyze and teams to compare, so let’s take a look at which dates NBA fans should be marking on their calendars.

Notable NBA games to look forward to in the second half of the schedule: May 7, Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz

The playoff matchup that absolutely propelled the momentum of the entire postseason in the bubble just last August. Both the Denver Nuggets and the Utah Jazz are two of the most well-rounded and entertaining teams to watch in the entire NBA.

The Nuggets are consistently a top-seeded arsenal in the West and Utah’s Donovan Mitchell and 2-Time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert usually keep their squad afloat in the lower half of the playoff contenders. What makes their next matchup so interesting is that both teams have seemingly swapped their expected positions in the conference this year with Utah absolutely dominating and Denver struggling to remain a contender.

The Nuggets have had their fair share of absentees this season due to both injuries and COVID-19 related complications while the Jazz has remained rather unscathed. The point of focus for this game will be in both team’s dynamic center-guard parings with Gobert and Mitchell lined up against Jamal Murray and MVP candidate Nikola Jokic.

Jokic, arguably the best offensive big man in the league facing the best defensive center in Gobert calls for an intense and rigorous match all the way through to the fourth quarter. Both Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray had immensely impressive runs in the bubble including their time spent playing against each other. It is every fan’s wish to see the same energy revitalized come May. If the Nuggets want to come out on top they’ll need every bench player they have to step up and compete.

As for Utah, starters like Mike Conley and Royce O’Neale have both exceeded expectations and will need to maintain the seasons they are having to fend off a very deep Nuggets team.