Trent Reinsmith
Entering Week 9 of the 2021-22 NBA season, the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors are the top two teams in the league. The Suns have the best record in the NBA at 21-4 and have only lost one game since October 30. The Warriors, who opened the season with an 18-2 record, are currently the No. 2 team at 21-5. Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz have gained some ground in the standings. Now the No. 3 team in the NBA, the Jazz have a 19-7 record and are riding a seven-game winning streak. The best team in the Eastern Conference is the Brooklyn Nets, who are No. 4 overall with a record of 19-8.
Before we break down the best matchups of Week 9 of the NBA schedule, check out the best NBA betting sites and our betting guide for the 2022 NBA Finals.
Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Clippers
- Date & Location: Monday, December 13 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA
- Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal, Bally Sports AZ, NBA League Pass
The Los Angeles Clippers had a solid winning streak of seven games between November 1 and November 13, but since then the team has struggled with consistency, going 4-8 until they put together three straight wins in their past three outings. Those wins, against Portland, Boston and Orlando will be good for the Clippers confidence, but those teams — all of which having losing records — do not compare in the slightest with the Phoenix Suns, who are the No. 1 team in the NBA.
Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets
- Date & Location: Tuesday, December 14 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: YES, SN, NBA League Pass
Kevin Durant, who is leading the Brooklyn Nets and the NBA in scoring, went off on Sunday. Durant put up the most points for a single player this season with 51 in the Nets’ 116-104 win over the Detroit Pistons. Durant is a large reason the Nets are the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference. He’s also one of the reasons to pick Brooklyn to beat the Toronto Raptors, who are 12-14, on Tuesday night.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks
- Date & Location: Wednesday, December 15 at American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: ESPN, BSSW-DAL, SPECSN
The Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks have both struggled this season. Los Angeles has a winning record at 14-13. Dallas is 12-13. Dallas has struggled greatly as Luka Doncic tries to get over an injured ankle. The Mavericks could be without their best player on Wednesday when they face the Los Angeles Lakers. Even if Doncic plays, the pick is the Lakers in this matchup.
Washington Wizards vs. Phoenix Suns
- Date & Location: Thursday, December 16 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ
- Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: BSAZ, NBCSWA, NBA League Pass
The Washington Wizards were one of the hottest teams at the start of the 2021-22 NBA season. The club opened the season with a 10-3 record, but Washington has cooled considerably since then. The team is now on a 5-9 run entering Week 9 of the season. The Wizards are going to be tested in a big way when they face the high-flying Suns. The pick in this one is Phoenix, even if Devin Booker, who has a hamstring injury, remain on the sidelines. Booker has not plated for the Suns since the team defeated Golden State on November 30.
Golden State Warriors vs. Boston Celtics
- Date & Location: Friday, December 17 at TD Garden in Boston, MA
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: ESPN, NBCSB, NBCSBA
Heading into Week 9 of the NBA season, the Golden State Warriors are on the worst run of their 2021-22 season with a 3-3 record in their past six games. The good thing for the team is that they started the year with an 18-2 run, so they have some wiggle room. Boston does not have room for error. The team is 13-14 and 2-4 for the month of December. A win over Steph Curry and Golden State would be huge for Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics, but the pick is the Warriors.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Milwaukee Bucks
- Date & Location: Saturday, December 18 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI
- Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: BSWI, BSOH, NBA League Pass
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks had a rough start to the 2021-22 NBA season. The team opened the campaign with a 6-8 run, but since November 17, Milwaukee has put things together in a big way with a 12-2 run. Giannis has been strong for the team since the start of the season and his 27.6 points per game has paced the team and is good enough for second in the league in scoring. Cleveland had a rough patch in mid-November where they lost five straight, but the team has rebounded since then and is on a 7-2 run entering Week 9.
These clubs faced off in early December with the Bucks getting the 112-104 win in that matchup. I’m going with the Bucks in this second meeting, in what should be a competitive matchup.
Miami Heat vs. Detroit Pistons
- Date & Location: Sunday, December 19 at Little Cesars Arena in Detroit, MI
- Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: BSDET, BSSUN, NBA League Pass
The Miami Heat lost Jimmy Butler to a tailbone injury on December 6, but the team rallied around the loss of leading scorer and won back-to-back games. There’s no word on when Butler will return to the roster, but with or without Butler, Miami should be able to handle the Detroit Pistons, who have not earned a win since November 17. Detroit is on a 12-game losing skid heading into Week 9.
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