NBA Preview: Milwaukee Bucks host New York Knicks as Los Angeles Lakers travel to Atlanta Hawks

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 2021-22 season will continue through the week of Friday 28 January to Thursday 3 February 2022.

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The first pair of NBA Regular Season matches arrives on the morning of Saturday 29 January, with a Teams TBC match at 02:45 (LIVE on ESPN 2), followed by the Milwaukee Bucks at home to the New York Knicks at 05:05 (LIVE on ESPN 2).

The Bucks will be looking to Giannis Antetokounmpo for inspiration, with the Greek-Nigerian renowned for raising his game just when Milwaukee needs him. "He comes with the killer knockout blow," assistant coach Darvin Ham said. "Once he sees us in position, he knows what spots he wants to get to."

The Knicks, meanwhile, will look to Julius Randle to continue his trend of coming up big in adversity: "Resilience. It was special for our team," Randle said after a recent victory. "We kept battling. We obviously didn't want to get in a hole, but we found a way to win the game."

The evening of Sunday 30 January brings back-to-back games, as the Atlanta Hawks host the Los Angeles Lakers at 20:00 (LIVE on ESPN), before the Portland Trail Blazers head to Illinois for a clash with the Chicago Bulls at 22:30 (LIVE on ESPN).

The Lakers have recently experimented with playing LeBron James at centre, with the legendary player filling in for Anthony Davis, though he is looking forward to being part of a team which has recovered its full roster from injuries and Covid-19 absences.

"We're getting our guys back," said James. "It's literally that simple. We're starting to see what we have because guys are in the lineup. Soon we're getting [Kendrick] Nunn as well, and not too long after that, AD [Davis] returns. When you're building a team with depth and chemistry on the floor, and when too many guys are out, it's too early to gauge it."

Chicago has been one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference this season, though coach Billy Donovan had identified an element of their game that needs improving: "We've got to be better defensively," Donovan said.

"I thought we did some really good things offensively tonight with our unselfishness and the way we moved and shared the basketball. I think if you spoke to those guys, they would say that we've got to keep getting better defensively. We have the capability."

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NBA match broadcast details