NBA preview: Dallas Mavericks v Milwaukee Bucks as Denver Nuggets host Utah Jazz

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Viewers on DStv and GOtv can look forward to thrills and spills from the world’s best basketball league, with ESPN and ESPN 2 the premier venues for coverage of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The 2022-23 season will continue through the week of Friday 9 to Thursday 15 December 2022.

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The first live NBA regular season game of the weekend arrives on the morning of Friday 9 December, with the Portland Trail Blazers hosting the Denver Nuggets (05:00 LIVE on ESPN).

The Blazers have leaned heavily on Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons while Damian Lillard has been injured, though the former pair have enjoyed the added responsibility: “It’s extremely important,” said Grant of the added workload. “We know we got to be aggressive when Dame is out. We got to push the pace. We got to draw fouls and control the game.”

The action continues on the morning of Saturday 10 December with the Dallas Mavericks taking on the Milwaukee Bucks (05:00 LIVE on ESPN 2), while the morning of Sunday 11 December sees the Nuggets play host to the Utah Jazz (04:00 LIVE on ESPN 2).

The Bucks recently gave a demonstration of what they are capable of with an intense 117-102 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers – a game in which Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 38 points.

“We had a little bit of luck on our side and were able to knock down some shots and get downhill and were able to get that momentum and keep it going,” said Antetokounmpo, who also had nine rebounds and six assists. “I think it started from our guards defending the pick-and-roll and Brook [Lopez] just contesting every shot on the defensive end.”

The final NBA game of the weekend takes place on Sunday night, with the Phoenix Suns travelling to New Orleans to face the Pelicans at Smoothie King Center (22:30 LIVE on ESPN).

The Suns will hope they get the best version of Deandre Ayton for this clash: “That young man has been coming to the gym at crazy hours, lifting with [coaches], so that he can be prepared for moments like this,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “It’s just good to see the work pay off. It’s good to see him have monster games against really good teams on a back-to-back. That’s pretty impressive.”

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NBA Regular Season broadcast details

  • All times CAT

Friday 9 December

  • 05:00: Portland Trail Blazers v Denver Nuggets – LIVE on ESPN

Saturday 10 December

  • 05:00: Dallas Mavericks v Milwaukee Bucks – LIVE on ESPN 2

Sunday 11 December

  • 04:00: Denver Nuggets v Utah Jazz  – LIVE on ESPN 2
  • 22:30: New Orleans Pelicans v Phoenix Suns – LIVE on ESPN