NBA games today on TV (16th March 2023): Which games will be televised today?

Five games are available for NBA and basketball fans to watch tonight. The schedule starts at 7:00 PM ET between the Denver Nuggets and the Detroit Pistons. 30 minutes later, the battle between the Sacramento Kings and Brooklyn Nets commences at the Barclays Center.

The OKC Thunder versus Toronto Raptors matchup also starts at 7:30 PM ET at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Half an hour after this game starts, the visiting Indiana Pacers will take on the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum.

📈 @okcthunder rookie Jalen Williams is for real! https://t.co/U6ITNdpuiH

The highlight of the night will be the game between the Orlando Magic and the Phoenix Suns. Coverage of the game, which will be shown nationally, starts at 10:00 PM ET via NBA TV. Bally Sports Arizona and Bally Sports Florida will also air the same game live locally.

All these games are available via the NBA League Pass.

The young Orlando Magic will test the mettle of the veteran-laden Phoenix Suns on national TV

Paolo Banchero, the favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award, will lead the Orlando Magic against the Phoenix Suns. Orlando, who holds a 28-41 record, will try to grab a play-in spot despite being four games behind the Washington Wizards (32-37).

Paolo Banchero over his last five games:

24.0 PTS
6.6 REB
4.2 AST
45.2% FG
40.9% 3P https://t.co/7aiSewzm7H

Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr., Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs and Moritz Wagner provide Banchero with a young but competitive supporting cast. The Magic have had some great upsets this season and may just pull off one against the Phoenix Suns.

The Suns’ Devin Booker has been playing All-Star level basketball but hasn’t stopped Phoenix from losing three straight games. Their loss to the Milwaukee Bucks last Tuesday dropped their record to 37-32, which puts them in fourth place in the Western Conference.

The consecutive losses have allowed both the LA Clippers (37-33) and the Golden State Warriors (36-34) to close the gap on them. Getting the fourth seed would mean an outright playoff berth and a first-round home-court advantage.

Phoenix is in danger of even falling out of the top six and into play-in contention unless they snap out of their losing streak. Booker has been sensational since former NBA MVP Kevin Durant injured his ankle last Mar. 8 against the OKC Thunder.

"There are no title aspirations that are reasonable for the Phoenix Suns without Kevin Durant. ... If he ain't there, they don't have a snowball's chance in hell."

—@stephenasmith https://t.co/xD1TO4c5J7

Since Durant went down with an injury, the three-time All-Star has averaged 33.5 points. He just needs a little more help from Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton and Josh Okogie to turn things around.

Playoff implications in other NBA games

The Denver Nuggets versus Detroit Pistons game means more to NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and his team. They’ve lost four straight games, allowing the Sacramento Kings and the Memphis Grizzlies to creep closer in the standings.

Wait, the Denver Nuggets just lost their FOURTH straight game ... and I keep hearing Joker is still MVP over Embiid??? Really??? How???

Nuggets head coach Mike Malone called out his team for their lack of defensive intensity. A loss to the Detroit Pistons (16-54), who own the worst record in the NBA, could set alarm bells ringing in Denver.

Meanwhile, the Kings are steadily climbing the standings. They’re 9-2 in their last 11 games and could still emerge as the top team in the West if the Nuggets continue their free fall. Sacramento will be tested by a Brooklyn Nets team that has shown fire even after Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were traded.

The OKC Thunder versus the Toronto Raptors promises to be an all-out war. Oklahoma (34-35) is 9th in the tightly-contested Western Conference but is just a game ahead of the Utah Jazz (33-36), who are 11th in the standings.

Like the Thunder, the Raptors are also desperately clinging to the 9th spot in the east. Every game for them greatly matters to book at least a play-in ticket.