Photo by Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

Weekend Back-To-Backs: Northwest Division

Our survey of weekend back-to-backs has moved through the Eastern Conference. Today, we begin the Western Conference with a look at the not-so-accurately-named Northwest Division. It’s not “Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers in the old NFC West” bad, but it’s still bad, with Minnesota and Oklahoma City — those two noted Northwestern locales — accompanying Portland, Utah and Denver.

Here we go:

*

WEEKEND BACK-TO-BACKS: NORTHWEST DIVISION

DENVER NUGGETS

Saturday, Dec. 26: at SAS, 8:30 Eastern

Sunday, Dec. 27: at OKC, 7

Verdict: poorly handled

Saturday, Jan. 2 at GSW, 10:30 Eastern

Sunday, Jan. 3 vs. POR, 9

Verdict: poorly handled

Sunday, Feb. 7: at NY, 1 Eastern

Monday, Feb. 8: at BKN

Verdict: properly handled

Sunday, March 27: at LAC, 3:30 Eastern

Monday, March 28: vs. DAL, 9

Verdict: properly handled

*

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

Sunday, Dec. 20: at BKN, 1 Eastern

Monday, Dec. 21: at BOS

Verdict: properly handled

Saturday, Feb. 27: at NOP, 7 Eastern

Sunday, Feb. 28: at DAL, 7

Verdict: poorly handled

*

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

Sunday, Nov. 1: vs. DEN, 7 Eastern

Monday, Nov. 2: at HOU

Verdict: poorly handled

Sunday, Nov. 15: vs. BOS, 7 Eastern

Monday, Nov. 16: at MEM

Verdict: poorly handled

Sunday, Nov. 22: vs. DAL, 7 Eastern

Monday, Nov. 23: at UTAH

Verdict: poorly handled

*

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

Sunday, Nov. 8: vs. DET, 9 Eastern

Monday, Nov. 9: at DEN

Verdict: poorly handled

Sunday, Nov. 15: at CHA, 5 Eastern

Monday, Nov. 16: at SAS

Verdict: properly handled

Sunday, Dec. 20: at MIA, 1 Eastern

Monday, Dec. 21: at ATL

Verdict: properly handled

Saturday, Dec. 26: vs. CLE, 10 Eastern

Sunday, Dec. 27: at SAC, 9

Verdict: poorly handled

Sunday, Jan. 3: at DEN, 9 Eastern

Sunday, Jan. 4: vs. MEM

Verdict: poorly handled

Saturday, Feb. 27: vs. HOU, 10 Eastern

Sunday, Feb. 28: at IND, 6

Verdict: poorly handled

Saturday, April 2: vs. MIA, 10 Eastern

Sunday, April 3: at GSW, 8

Verdict: poorly handled

*

UTAH JAZZ

Sunday, Dec. 13: at OKC, 7 Eastern

Monday, Dec. 14: at SAS

Verdict: poorly handled

Saturday, Jan. 9: vs. MIA, 9 Eastern

Sunday, Jan. 10: at LAL, 9:30

Verdict: poorly handled

*

Sunday, March 13: at SAC, 6 Eastern

Monday, March 14: vs. CLE

Verdict: properly handled

SPECIAL NOTE: This is the one instance in which a tip time that is technically a “late” Sunday start, for purposes of this study, is actually more than acceptable. We have used the parameter of “6 p.m. Eastern or later” to distinguish a night game from a day game, since it is a relatively common practice for many NBA teams to schedule Sunday home games at 6 p.m. local time. 

In the process of surveying the whole of the NBA schedule, we found that the 6 p.m. Eastern start in Sacramento — 3 p.m. local time — was the one start time which crossed boundaries. In terms of Eastern time, it’s not early, but in terms of Pacific (and local) time in Sacramento, it’s more than reasonable. 

Now, back to Utah’s weekend back-to-backs:

*

Saturday, March 19: at CHI, 8 Eastern

Sunday, March 20: at MIL, 7

Verdict: poorly handled

Sunday, April 10: at DEN, 5 Eastern

Monday, April 11: vs. DAL

Verdict: properly handled

About Matt Zemek

Editor, @TrojansWire | CFB writer since 2001 |

Quantcast