What You're Watching Saturday Night

Saturday, February 23rd

Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors

8:30 pm on ABC

In ABC’s primetime matchup, the Houston Rockets take on the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors come into the game atop the Western Conference, while the Rockets are moving up the standings and currently sit in 5th. The Warriors, prior to the All-Star break, won eight out of their last ten games and seem to be getting into a shape, even though Kevin Durant stated that he believed the Warriors haven’t played their best… yet.

The last time these two teams played was on Thursday, January 3rd. The Rockets won in overtime, 135-134, on a step-back three from (who else) James Harden. During the game, the Warriors had a 20-point lead in the first half, only to watch the reigning MVP take over and bring his team back. The Warriors were still up 2 with 5.5 seconds left in overtime, when Harden took the inbounds pass, used a PJ Tucker screen, and hoisted up a deep three over Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. SPLASH. Game over. Blouses. Harden ended up with a triple-double, 44 points (in 44 minutes), 10 rebounds, and 15 assists. It was probably the best NBA game thus far this season.

This game Saturday night should be just as exciting. Both teams will be fresh after the long All-Star break, with the Warriors only playing the surprising Kings on Thursday and the Rockets playing the Lakers. As the calendar starts to turn to March, and the number of games remaining on the schedule starts to dwindle, the NBA season really seems to kick it up a notch. When you really think about it, what do teams like the Warriors have to really play for during November, December, and January? The goal is to try and remain as relatively healthy as you can, and be full strength when it comes to March, April, and May. Both teams should have their full roster at their dispense, with Clint Capela supposedly coming back to the Rockets on Thursday. The big man for the Rockets missed 15 games due to ligament damage in his right thumb, but he has been cleared for takeoff and expects to be ready to go. This game will be a true testament to see if the Rockets are a potential speed bump for the World Champs.

Will Harden still resort to “hero ball” even though his full cast of characters are back? Can the Rockets win if the Warriors can keep Harden under 30 points? Will the streak continue? Will Kevin Durant be able to ignore his potential free agency and all the questions that come with that to continue his domination displayed as the All-Star Game MVP? Is a free-flowing offense where everyone touches the ball, like the Warriors, prevail over a ball-dominant, pick and roll/ pop type of offense the Rockets play? “Get your popcorn ready!”

Vanderbilt at Alabama

6pm ESPNU

Again going with my theory that only Bubble teams are the things to watch on Saturday Night, I give you two options...and really a nice back-to-back.  

As of the last update of Bracketology Alabama is one of the last teams into the field.  This is a must win for them to stay there. They are on a three game losing streak and need to put that to an end.  This should be an easy win for Alabama but it is a must win.

Alabama 68 Vanderbilt 52

Fresno State at #6 Nevada

8 pm CBSSN

Looking at Fresno State’s record at 19=6 and 10-3 conference record you would thing they would be talked about as a Bubble team.  This is not the case though as they are not even on the radar of the committee. But a win at #6 Nevada will get people to notice.  Nevada wants to keep the pressure on the committee to bump them up to a 2nd seed in the tournament and a lost will definitely hurt that.  

Nevada 75 Fresno State 61

Memphis Express at Orlando Apollos

8 pm NFL Network 

So Coach Dubs went rogue in providing you two games to watch with March Madness implications, so I am going to do the same...

Usually I provide for you a movie for your entertainment on Saturday Night. But HBO is featuring a Gabrielle Union thriller called 'Break In', in which I am guessing people take over her house and children, she is somehow on the outside and she uses some, I don't know, 'ninja' skills to get her kids back. So I am going to pass on 'Reverse Taken'.

TNT is showing American Sniper, which is a spectacular movie (Lone Survivor is better), but that is a little heavy for a Saturday Night. And if I wanted drama, I could just tune into Life Time Movie network and watch 'Whitney' the true story of Whitney Houston's rise and fall. But as much of a Whitney Houston fan I am, if I am interested in rise and fall, I might as well just watch, what I want all of you to watch this week...

The Alliance of American Football. 

Fans alike have been begging for a 'minor' league football league for years. I even wrote about it a few years ago, and finally we are presented one that has some legitamte potential. After the first week, ratings were through the roof. There are good players, great head coaches like Steve Spurrier  and there were big plays...

It seemed after the first week, that Football would truly become a year around sport, finally satisfying football craved fans for 365 days a year. 

But then reports came out that the league is struggling financially, an NHL owner, Tom Dundon of the Carolina Hurricanes, has bailed out the league by giving them over $250 million dollars to keep the league going. 

How could this happen? Big names, big markets, big plays at a time of year when the sports pallet in this country is in desperate need for big stakes, and big action. How could this not work? 

Well tonight we should all tune in to see if the product on the field is savalagable or not. If Memphis/Orlando can once again win the ratings battle Saturday night, perhaps the league will get new investors and other big names like Tim Tebow or Colin Kapernick (who were offered contracts to played but denied) will join the league and continue to keep it afloat. 

If not, this league and others like it (The XFL, the Vince McMahon second go around at football) will not survive the a year, and once again we will be teased with the greatness of having football all year long, but taken away far too soon...

...just like the story of Whitney Houston.