By Steven Louis Goldstein | The Athletic, 2026-04-03 11:00:25
漫长而奇特的NBA常规赛终于进入了收官阶段。从开赛周的联邦起诉到全明星周末期间极其尴尬的场面，场外噪音不断。但对于那些保持关注的人来说，篮球本身的魅力依然存在。随着季后赛临近，是时候重新聚焦赛场了。
在这个赛季，维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 完成了进化，他所在的圣安东尼奥马刺队正蜕变为一支具备总决赛实力的“粉碎机”。夏洛特黄蜂队的表现也令人惊叹，他们打破了所有可能的预期，打出了交响乐般华丽的超高速进攻。东部的底特律活塞和波士顿凯尔特人展现了韧性。西部的卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Dončić) 和尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokić) 贡献了全年的高光集锦，尽管前者目前正在应对腿筋伤势。
以下是未来三天的观赛重点。东西部排名中游的球队差距都非常微小。本周末的一两场胜利就可能重排季后赛对阵图，改变未来系列赛的主场优势，或者帮助平息MVP的争论。
所有时间均为东部时间。
NBA周末观赛指南
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| 比赛 | 时间 | 电视转播 | 流媒体 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 森林狼 vs 76人 | 周五晚 7点 | League Pass (全美) FDSN North, NBC10 (当地) | Fubo (当地市场，立即观看) |
| 马刺 vs 掘金 | 周六下午 3点 | Prime Video | Fubo (当地市场，立即观看) |
| 活塞 vs 76人 | 周六晚 7点 | NBA TV | Fubo (立即观看) |
| 猛龙 vs 凯尔特人 | 周日下午 3:30 | NBA TV | Fubo (立即观看) |
| 黄蜂 vs 森林狼 | 周日晚 7点 | League Pass (全美) FDSN North, FDSN SE (当地) | Fubo (当地市场，立即观看) |
| 湖人 vs 独行侠 | 周日晚 7:30 | NBC | Peacock |
| 火箭 vs 勇士 | 周日晚 10点 | NBC | Peacock |
NBC 为免费无线频道。NBA TV 转播的比赛也可在球队各自的当地网络和 NBA League Pass 上观看。
周五
明尼苏达森林狼 vs 费城 76人
森林狼以西部第六的身份进入周末，但首轮主场优势仍触手可及。安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 正从疾病和膝伤中恢复。这位速度极快的第一得分点需要在季后赛高强度对抗到来前找回节奏。
当全神贯注时，明尼苏达的比赛极具观赏性。截至周四，他们的投篮命中率、三分球命中率和防守效率均排名联盟前七。
费城正徘徊在附加赛的边缘。76人并不希望乔尔·恩比德 (Joel Embiid) 承受额外的消耗，他也因病缺席了上一场比赛。泰雷塞·马克西 (Tyrese Maxey) 在上一次对阵森林狼的比赛中砍下39分。在2月22日那场胜利中，全队手感火热——即使恩比德休战，费城依然投中了21记三分。
周六
圣安东尼奥马刺 vs 丹佛掘金
最精彩的MVP之争往往带有哲学色彩。作为观众，我们可以支持自己看重的特质，或者纠正那些被高估的价值。这场周六下午的重头戏为我们提供了两个极具说服力的案例。
文班亚马凭借防守端的统治力确立了自己的地位，他的场均盖帽数以“文班级”的巨大差距领跑全联盟。他是一个极具视觉冲击力的选择。处于上升期的马刺自诩为“纯粹篮球 (ethical basketball)”的先锋，而文班本人正在重塑这项运动的视觉语言。
约基奇一如既往地稳健。这位三届MVP继续打出令人咋舌的高效率表现。他在篮板和助攻榜上领跑全联盟，场均接近28分的三双。没有人比丹佛的这位内线核心更能梳理和提升球队进攻。
两人还在与现任MVP谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) 竞争。马刺和掘金都在追赶他的俄克拉荷马城雷霆——在被拉下马之前，他们就是卫冕冠军。周六的结果可能有助于推动圣安东尼奥向头号种子迈进，或者让丹佛在混乱的分区排名中拉开差距。
底特律活塞 vs 费城 76人
76人将迎来连续两场主场硬仗。在周五与森林狼共舞后，马克西和队友们将在周六晚迎战来自汽车城的对手。活塞是本赛季最大的惊喜之一。他们目前战绩为56胜21负，表现足以媲美球队2004年和1990年的夺冠赛季。
即使凯德·康宁汉姆 (Cade Cunningham) 因肺部问题将至少再缺阵一周，他们依然保持赢球。杰伦·杜伦 (Jalen Duren) 在对阵季后赛竞争对手时表现神勇——周四对阵森林狼砍下22分14个篮板，周二对阵多伦多猛龙时则是惊人的13投12中。
周日
多伦多猛龙 vs 波士顿 凯尔特人
与费城一样，多伦多也在竭尽全力逃离附加赛区。斯科蒂·巴恩斯 (Scottie Barnes) 领衔的猛龙队打法节奏极快，极具观赏性。截至周四，他们的快攻得分领跑全联盟，并在关键时刻的比赛中取得了21胜14负的战绩。
波士顿在杰森·塔图姆 (Jayson Tatum) 回归阵容后表现出色，但令人意外的是，凯尔特人在这些关键时刻的表现低于平均水平（15胜16负）。现在是稳定核心阵容并调动主场观众情绪的好时机。杰伦·布朗 (Jaylen Brown) 在4月初的迈阿密之战中砍下了43分的佳作。
夏洛特黄蜂 vs 明尼苏达森林狼
进入2026年时，夏洛特的战绩仅为11胜22负，看起来注定要连续第10个赛季无缘季后赛。随后，不可思议的事情发生了——康·克努佩尔 (Kon Knueppel)、拉梅洛·鲍尔 (LaMelo Ball) 和布兰登·米勒 (Brandon Miller) 的组合打出了惊人表现。这支步履轻盈的黄蜂队在1月至3月间取得了29胜14负的战绩。他们在周四以一场大胜菲尼克斯太阳队的比赛开启了4月的征程。
凭借自元旦以来排名联盟第一的净效率和赛季第一的三分命中数，“蜂鸣之城”已成为东部附加赛乱局中不可错过的看点。随着西部格局趋于稳定，森林狼需要拿出同样的紧迫感。
洛杉矶 Laker vs 达拉斯 独行侠
东契奇在周四负于雷霆的比赛中因伤离场，他本赛季正冲击职业生涯第六次最佳阵容和第二个得分王头衔。在东契奇能否出战存疑的情况下，面对老东家，且奥斯汀·里夫斯 (Austin Reaves) 也带伤作战，湖人已无退路。洛杉矶正紧张地守着西部前四的位置，这场比赛也被列入了NBC的“周日晚间篮球”直播计划。
另一方面，库珀·弗拉格 (Cooper Flagg) 可以通过在对阵湖人的比赛中抢戏，来发泄新秀赛季屡战屡败的闷气。他和勒布朗·詹姆斯 (LeBron James) 的对决极具艺术张力：弗拉格刚刚打破了詹姆斯保持的18岁球员单场得分纪录。他虽然还没达到那个高度，但季后赛的考验已在远方等待。
休斯顿 火箭 vs 金州 勇士
斯蒂芬·库里 (Steph Curry) 会在这个周末的收官战中复出吗？据《The Athletic》的萨姆·阿米克 (Sam Amick) 和尼克·弗里德尔 (Nick Friedell) 报道，这位定义时代的超级巨星正准备在周日出战。他自1月30日因膝伤缺阵以来，勇士队的表现一落千丈（吉米·巴特勒 (Jimmy Butler) 的缺阵也是原因之一）。尽管金州勇士看起来只能排在第九或第十位，但库里在赛季末的冲刺表现依然值得称赞。
休斯顿凭借其身高和臂展打出了极具观赏性的内外结合篮球。但他们的进攻在比赛末段往往陷入挣扎，防守在关键时刻的效率也处于联盟垫底水平。凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant) 在重返湾区的比赛中急需一场胜利。他的球队正与湖人、掘金和森林狼争夺第3至第6的席位。截至周四，火箭队主场战绩为27胜10负，而客场仅为20胜19负。排名至关重要。
最重要的是，让我们欣赏这场对决。杜兰特已经37岁了，库里38岁。时光易逝，但伟大可以永恒，在一记记空心入网中铸就。
本文中的流媒体和票务链接由《The Athletic》的合作伙伴提供。可能存在限制条件。《The Athletic》保持完全的编辑独立性。合作伙伴对报道或编辑过程没有控制权或投入，也不会在发布前审核报道。
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：NBA weekend watch guide: Wembanyama vs. Jokić in MVP race, games with playoff stakes
NBA weekend watch guide: Wembanyama vs. Jokić in MVP race, games with playoff stakes
So begins the closing stretch of a long, strange NBA regular season. There’s been so much noise, from the federal indictments during opening week to supreme awkwardness on All-Star Weekend. But beautiful basketball has been here for those with open eyes and minds. Now is the time to tap back in as the playoffs pull into view.
This is the season when Victor Wembanyama leveled up, as his San Antonio Spurs morph into an NBA Finals-worthy vaporizer. It’s been an incredible few months for the Charlotte Hornets, who defied all possible expectations to create symphonic, hyperspeed offense. The Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics are showing resolve in the East. Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić have minted year-long mixtape highlights in the West, though the former is now dealing with a hamstring injury.
Here’s what to watch for the next three days. Both conferences have thin margins in the middle of their standings. A win or two this weekend could rearrange the playoff bracket, flip home court in a forthcoming series, or help settle the MVP debate.
All times ET.
NBA weekend watch guide
Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub.
| Game | Time | TV | Stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timberwolves at 76ers | 7 p.m., Fri. | League Pass (national) FDSN North, NBC10 (local) | Fubo (In-Market, Watch Now) |
| Spurs at Nuggets | 3 p.m., Sat. | Prime Video | Fubo (In-Market, Watch Now) |
| Pistons at 76ers | 7 p.m., Sat. | NBA TV | Fubo (Watch Now) |
| Raptors at Celtics | 3:30 p.m., Sun. | NBA TV | Fubo (Watch Now) |
| Hornets at Timberwolves | 7 p.m., Sun. | League Pass (national) FDSN North, FDSN SE (local) | Fubo (In-Market, Watch Now) |
| Lakers at Mavericks | 7:30 p.m., Sun. | NBC | Peacock |
| Rockets at Warriors | 10 p.m., Sun. | NBC | Peacock |
NBC is free over the air. NBA TV games are also available on the teams’ respective home networks andNBA League Pass.**
Friday
Minnesota Timberwolves at Philadelphia 76ers
The Wolves enter the weekend as the sixth seed, but first-round home-court advantage is still within their grasp. Anthony Edwards is making his way back from illness and a knee injury. The fleet first option needs to build momentum before high-leverage games ratchet up.
When locked in, Minnesota can be a fun watch. Through Thursday, it holds top-seven rankings in field goal percentage, 3-point shooting and defensive rating.
Philadelphia is dangling at the edge of the Play-In Tournament. The Sixers don’t want that extra exertion on Joel Embiid, who also missed his last game due to illness. Tyrese Maxey dropped 39 points in his last matchup with Minnesota. The whole team was cooking in that Feb. 22 win — Philly made 21 treys, even with Embiid on ice.
Saturday
San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets
The best MVP races take on philosophical dimensions. We as a viewership get to advocate for what we care about, or correct for what we think is overvalued. This Saturday matinee banger gives us two polished cases to consider.
Wembanyama makes his claim as a defensive force, leading the league in blocks per game by a Wemby-sized margin. He’s the visceral choice as well. His surging Spurs fashion themselves as vanguards of “ethical basketball,” as he himself rewrites the sport’s visual language.
Jokić makes the same case he always does. The three-time MVP continues to post mind-bending, eye-popping efficiency marks. He paces the NBA in rebounds and assists, averaging close to a 28-point triple-double. No one installs and enhances offense better than Denver’s mountain in the middle.
Both players are also contending with reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Spurs and Nuggets are both chasing his Oklahoma City Thunder, defending champions until dethroned. Saturday’s result could help push San Antonio toward the top seed, or give Denver some separation amid the conference clutter.
Detroit Pistons at Philadelphia 76ers
Back-to-back big home games for the 76ers. After Friday’s dances with Wolves, Maxey and crew welcome Motown to Philly for a Saturday night special. The Pistons are one of the season’s best developments. They arrive at 56-21, in line with the franchise’s championship runs in 2004 and 1990.
They keep winning without Cade Cunningham, who is sidelined at least another week with a lung issue. Jalen Duren has been tearing it up against playoff hopefuls — 22 points and 14 boards against Minnesota on Thursday, and a crisp 12-of-13 versus the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.
Sunday
Toronto Raptors at Boston Celtics
Like Philadelphia, Toronto is doing all it can to escape the Play-In stage. Scottie Barnes’ Raptors bring pace and freneticism to our screens. Through Thursday, they lead the league in fast-break scoring and have a 21-14 record in clutch games.
Boston is grooving with Jayson Tatum recalibrated into its lineup, but the Celtics are surprisingly below average (15-16) in those clutch spots. This would be a good time to stabilize the core and rally the home crowd. Jaylen Brown opened up April with a 43-point gem in South Beach.
Charlotte Hornets at Minnesota Timberwolves
As the calendar turned over to 2026, Charlotte sat at a dispiriting 11-22 and seemed destined to miss the playoffs for its 10th consecutive season. Then came the wondrous and inexplicable — a revelation around Kon Knueppel, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. The hot-stepping Hornets went a combined 29-14 from January through March. They started April with a decisive win over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.
At No. 1 in net rating since New Year’s Day and No. 1 in made 3s for the season, Buzz City has made must-see TV out of the Eastern Conference Play-In shuffle. Minnesota needs to match the urgency as the Western table takes shape.
Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks
Dončić left Thursday’s loss to OKC in pain, in the midst of a season in which he’s going for a sixth All-NBA campaign and his second scoring title. With Dončić’s availability in question against his former team, and with Austin Reaves also banged up, the Lakers can’t afford any slippage. L.A. nervously cracks NBC’s “Sunday Night Basketball” slate safeguarding top-four status in the crowded West.
On the other end, Cooper Flagg can vent out a rookie year full of losses by upstaging the Lake Show. He and LeBron James make for an artful juxtaposition: Flagg broke James’ record for most points scored by an 18-year-old. He’s not there quite yet, but playoff trials wait on the long horizon.
Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors
Could Steph Curry return for this weekend nightcap? The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Nick Friedell report that the era-defining superstar is preparing to play Sunday. He’s been out since Jan. 30 with a knee injury, and the Warriors have summarily slumped in his absence (and Jimmy Butler’s absence, too). Curry should be commended for the late-season push, even though Golden State appears bound for a lowly ninth or 10th seed.
Houston plays watchable inside-out ball with its size and length. But the offense can struggle in late-game sets, and the defense has among the league’s worst ratings in clutch minutes. Kevin Durant needs a win in his return to the Bay Area. His team is jostling with the Lakers, Nuggets and Timberwolves for spots Nos. 3-6. Through Thursday, the Rockets are 27-10 at home and just 20-19 on the road. Seeding matters.
Above all, let’s appreciate the duel. Durant is 37 years old. Curry is 38. Time is impermanent, but timelessness can be built, swish by swish.
Streaming and ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic*. Restrictions may apply.* The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process, and do not review stories before publication.
By Steven Louis Goldstein, via The Athletic