This weekend in sports is absolutely loaded with action, with basketball taking center stage both at the pro and college levels. With conference championship games going on in college hoops, and marquee matchups in the NBA, there will be no shortage of action for fans and bettors alike to enjoy. Here, we look at the top-three sporting events to look forward to in what should be a thrilling weekend.
Saturday: ACC Tournament Final
On Saturday night, the championship game of the ACC Tournament will determine who the best team is in one of the best conferences in college basketball. Going into Friday night, the four teams left that can win the ACC are Duke, Miami, Clemson, and Virginia. Any of those teams would be a worthy conference champion, but there is more to consider in this game than just crowning a conference champ.
There are major NCAA Tournament seeding considerations at play going into the final of the ACC Tournament. Duke was considered a bubble team for most of this season, but could soar into the top-four seed lines if they can play their best and win the ACC. Miami and Virginia could also solidify themselves as upper-echelon teams from a seeding standpoint if they can finish the job in Greensboro.
Saturday: Big 12 Tournament Final
Another conference championship game worth keeping an eye out for this weekend will be Saturday’s Big 12 title tilt. Heading into the semifinal round of the tournament, Kansas, Iowa State, TCU, and Texas are the four remaining teams left in this event. But only one of them will lift the Big 12 title trophy when this Saturday night game is in the books, and all four of these teams are capable of putting on the type of entertaining game that is worth watching even as a neutral fan.
Kansas has been the gold standard in the Big 12 for quite some time, but there are no guarantees that the Jayhawks will win the semifinal and subsequent final. Texas has proven themselves more than capable of beating elite teams this year, including Gonzaga, among others. One thing is for certain, though, and that is that the winner of the Big 12 Tournament will also receive a great seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Saturday: Sacramento Kings vs. Phoenix Suns
In the professional basketball ranks, the game of the weekend will be in the Western Conference, as the Phoenix Suns host the Sacramento Kings. While the eyes of the NBA world will likely be on the Saturday primetime matchup between the Bucks and Warriors, this game should be much more enjoyable from a viewing perspective. It could also have major implications as the Western Conference playoff picture comes together.
Sacramento and Phoenix are both in the top four in the Western Conference standings. The winner of this game could help themselves maximize their chances of moving up as far as possible in those standings. That could impact which of these teams would host a potential playoff meeting in just a couple of short months.