NBA on TNT Preview: Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum Go Toe-to-Toe in North Texas

Do you enjoy watching the biggest superstars in basketball duke it out on a national stage? Would you relish the opportunity to get a sneak peek at a potential playoff matchup? Then tune into the NBA on TNT for a pair of doubleheaders featuring four of the best clubs in the league this season.

Kick things off with a must-see contest as Luka Doncic and the streaking Dallas Mavericks square off with Jayson Tatum and the first-place Boston Celtics. And finish your evening with the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers as Nikola Jokic and Kawhi Leonard collide in a primetime tilt.

As always, don’t forget to visit DraftKings for all your sports betting needs.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics (6:30 PM CT)

The Mavericks are the proud owners of the longest active winning streak in the NBA, and their seven consecutive victories have thrust them out of play-in tournament territory and into fourth place in the West. Despite the recent course correction, they have been anything but dominant, with five of their games coming down to clutch time.

Thankfully for Dallas, Luka Doncic has surpassed superstardom, entering an unprecedented echelon of basketball supremacy that has him firmly at the top of the MVP race. The 23-year-old guard has averaged 41.7 points, 11.0 boards, and 9.9 assists while shooting 55.6% over the last two weeks, numbers that shouldn’t be possible for any human being.

Between Robert Williams III, Derrick White, and reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart, Boston owns the type of switchable personnel that could take Doncic out of his comfort zone. After allowing a whopping 150 points to the lottery-bound Thunder in a blowout loss on Tuesday, the Celtics will have all the motivation they need to bounce back.

Although corralling Luka will be a point of emphasis for Joe Mazzulla, the first-year head coach and his first-place offense can afford to engage in a high-scoring contest in North Texas. Jayson Tatum (30.8 PPG) and Jaylen Brown (27.2 PPG) are the highest-scoring tandem in the league, and when they find their rhythm, almost no one can slow them down.

DraftKings Odds

Mavericks: Spread: +3 (-110), O/U: 232 (-110), Moneyline: +125

Celtics: Spread: -3 (-110), O/U: 232 (-110), Moneyline: -145

Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers (9:00 PM CT)

Much like fellow Slavic sensation Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic has ascended to an exceptional stratosphere that even some of the all-time greats have never achieved. The two-time MVP has staked a claim to retain his throne this season with a 13-game stretch in which he has produced 29.8 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 10.6 assists and led Denver to a 10-3 record.

The Nuggets have put together an optimal core of high-feel players, top-flight defenders, and knockdown sharpshooters around their generational playmaker, and their offseason moves have paid dividends. Getting Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. back onto the hardwood has also made a world of difference for a club that weathered injury woes a year ago.

Los Angeles was supposed to be healthy enough to reestablish itself as a title contender this season. But they have been a picture of inconsistency, hovering in a gray area between playoff hopeful and play-in candidate in the Western Conference. Untimely nicks and bruises have been a factor in their struggles, and so has reincorporating Kawhi Leonard.

The oft-sidelined superstar has missed 23 games for the Clippers, but his absences are becoming less frequent as he gets back up to speed. Kawhi has scored at least 24 points in five of his last eight appearances, and he is starting to form a formidable one-two punch with Paul George. Could the visitors pull off an upset? Maybe, but you probably shouldn’t bet on it.

DraftKings Odds

Nuggets: Spread: -5 (-110), O/U: 228.5 (-110), Moneyline: -195

Clippers: Spread: +5 (-110), O/U: 228.5 (-110), Moneyline: +165

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