NBA Schedule 2017-18: 5 best games of the season

SAN ANTONIO, TX - MAY 2: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball against Kawhi Leonard #2 of the San Antonio Spurs in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs on May 2, 2016 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photos by Chris Covatta/NBAE via Getty Images) /

4 of 5

TORONTO, CANADA – FEBRUARY 14: Chris Paul /

2. Warriors at Rockets — Jan. 4

A game involving the Golden State Warriors realistically could fill every spot on this list — given that the defending champions play such a beautiful brand of basketball on both ends of the court and have accumulated so many rivals along their rise to the top. The Warriors will host the Rockets in the second game of the league’s opening-night doubleheader. That should be fun, but Houston will be playing its first regular-season game with its new-look roster, while the Warriors will bring in largely the same team that experienced so much success a season ago. For that reason, this second meeting between the teams stands out as the one to which viewers will want to pay the closest attention.

With the additions of Chris Paul, Luc Mbah a Moute and P.J. Tucker to a 55-win team that featured last season’s MVP runner-up, the Rockets are likely to finish near the top of the Western Conference. With that said, the Warriors have more than earned their projected top spot in the conference as well as the league. This game will allow the Rockets a prime opportunity to announce their arrival as a Western Conference power. Last postseason, the Rockets didn’t get the chance to meet the Warriors, falling in six games to the Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals. The previous two seasons before that, Houston was eliminated by Golden State in five-game series, losing five of those eight games by double-digits.

There’s the perception (and it’s there for good reason) that the Warriors belong in a class with no one else, that they’re that much better. If Houston has significantly closed that gap, this would be the optimal time to prove that.

Next: 1. Warriors at Cavaliers -- Jan. 15

Home/NBA