NBA AND NFL POWER RANKINGS: WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND
NFL & NBA

NBA AND NFL POWER RANKINGS: WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND

The baseball season may well be over now that the Astros have been crowned World Series champions, but do you think it’s possible to return to that book or DIY project? Think again. NFL and NBA games are all in full swing and, perhaps unsurprisingly, there is a stack of news, drama, and events to discuss. We’ll provide you with a quick wrap-up of what’s happening in both leagues, as well as a look into some upcoming matchups and predictions.

NBA Standings & News to Focus On

  • Curry scorches Hawks with 50 points and 10 assists in a victory
  • Jokic practically body slams Morris to the floor, suspended one game
  • LeBron, Jaylen Brown, and Collin Sexton all to sit out with injuries
  • Embiid tests positive for COVID-19, will miss several games
  • Bucks celebrate 2020-21 championship with a White House visit
  • Pascal Siakam returning to Raptors lineup for the first time this season


Steph Curry continues to reign supreme and propel the Warriors to the top of the Western Conference NBA standings at 9-1. In a lights-out shooting performance against the Hawks, Curry cooked his way to 50 points from 14 of 28 shots from the field (9 of 19 from the three-point line) and a perfect 13 of 13 from the free throw stripe. All that while contributing 10 assists and seven boards in a crushing 127-113 home win versus Atlanta. This success is all without Klay Thompson, who is still rehabbing from injury and likely to return early 2022. If this is the case, then the rest of the NBA should be scared, very scared.

Bringing some WWE moves to NBA games, Nuggets center Nicola Jokic sent the Heat’s Markieff Morris crashing to the floor late in the 4th quarter of a 113-96 Denver victory against Miami. Jokic was dribbling the ball up the court when he took a hard foul by Morris to stop the play. While Morris’ bump to the mid-section of Jokic was hardly light as a feather by any means, Jokic’s reaction was anything but delicate. The giant Serbian took exception to the foul with a massive shove to Morris’ turned back, which sharply snapped back the Heat forward’s neck and sent him spiraling to the hardwood.

Morris would later be okay, but Jokic was promptly ejected and will serve a one-game suspension for the retaliation. Morris will be fined $50,000, while Miami forward Jimmy Butler also received a $30,000 fine for escalating the situation. Why Jokic didn’t finish Morris off with the People’s Elbow is anyone’s guess.

Like every season, injuries and illnesses have sidelined many of the NBA’s best players. Boston’s Jaylen Brown is going to be out 1-2 weeks with a right hamstring strain – a monumental blow to the Celtics after their rough 4-6 start to the season. Brown is currently leading Boston in scoring with a career-high 25.6 PPG. The Cavs’ hot start to the season took a bit of a blow with the news that Collin Sexton is out indefinitely due to a knee meniscus tear he suffered in Sunday night’s win over the Knicks. The good news is that the injury won’t require surgery, but the promising guard was averaging 16 points and 3.3 rebounds per game this season to help the Cavs reach 7-4 in the East NBA standings.

Two Exciting NBA Games Coming Up

Detroit Pistons @ Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday 12th November

Say what? Pistons and Cavs are exciting now? Don’t throw anything at the screen just yet, but hear me out. Okay, so the Pistons at 1-8 aren’t lighting the world on fire, but what’s most interesting about the matchup is the rookie showdown we’re set to see. The number one pick in the 2021 draft, Cade Cunningham, has made 13 of 56 shots from the floor and is looking a little shaky. But the guy is 20-years-old and played only a handful of NBA games for the Pistons, so we expect much better things to come in the following weeks.

Cavs rookie and number three pick in the draft, Evan Mobley, is absolutely crushing it in his first NBA season. Averaging 14.9 points and 8 rebounds per game, Mobley is turning into a real star for Cleveland, which has had little to cheer about since an NBA championship in 2016. Mobley vs. Cunningham is going to be thrilling but Cleveland should easily take care of Detroit in this game.

Golden State Warriors @ Charlotte Hornets on Sunday 14th November

With the best record in the West NBA standings, the Warriors are going to come in with their heads held high against the Hornets in Charlotte. But whoa there, don’t be too cocky. Charlotte is sneakily good this season thanks largely to the breakout performances of forward Miles Bridges and guard LaMelo Ball. The Hornets are in the midst of the five-game losing streak, but look out for them to come out firing against Golden State and snatch a sorely needed victory on Sunday. Plus, the Warriors have to come back down to Earth at some point.

NFL Power Rankings & News

  • Cassius Marsh penalized for taunt and accuses ref of a “hip-check” in Bears loss
  • Injuries to Cardinals running back Edmonds and Broncos CB Surtain II
  • Patriots rookie QB Jones denies dirty play on Panthers’ Burns
  • Cleveland Browns sign offensive guard Teller to a four-year extension, RBs Chubb and Felton test positive for COVID-19


After Chicago’s 29-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bears’ linebacker Cassius Marsh has blamed official Tony Corrente of intentionally “hip-checking” him just mere moments before the referee signaled a taunting violation. The call, which came just after Marsh stopped Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger in the 4th quarter, resulted in a 7-yard loss on third-and-8. Understandably jubilant and wanting to celebrate, Marsh performed his trademark spinning jump kick that wouldn’t look out of place in any Mortal Kombat game.

Marsh was seen taking steps toward the Pittsburgh bench and then bumped into Corrente on his return to the Chicago sideline. The official penalized the Bears 15 yards for the taunting action, which later turned into a Steelers field goal. “On my way to the sideline, I got hip-checked by the ref. It’s pretty clear,” Marsh said after the game. “I think that one was just bad timing. It’s pretty clear to everybody who saw it that I wasn’t taunting.”

Cardinals running back Chase Edmonds is projected to miss several games due to a high ankle sprain he suffered in Arizona’s 31-17 victory over the 49ers. Edmonds joins the injury list for a Cardinals team that is already stretched especially thin in the backfield. The 8-1 Cardinals are easily leading our NFL power rankings and continue to play brilliantly despite still missing Jonathan Ward due to concussion, Kyler Murray because of a sprained left ankle, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring), and cornerback A.J. Green (COVID-19 protocols).

Injury woes continue for the Broncos defense, as rookie cornerback Pat Surtain II will miss multiple weeks as the result of a sprained knee. Still, it’s not all doom and gloom concerning injuries in the NFL’s week 10, as Seattle Seahawks’ QB Russell Wilson returns from finger surgery for Sunday’s game versus the Packers.

The 5-4 New England Patriots are hovering around 10th place on our NFL power rankings, but continue to make headlines for the wrong reasons. Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones is trying to shrug off accusations of being a dirty player for his actions during New England’s win 24-6 win over the Panthers. Near the end of the 1st quarter, Jones was hit and strip-sacked from the blind side, but was then seen to grab Burns’ right ankle. As a result, Burns then fell awkwardly and left the game in pain. Jones claimed the grab was made because he assumed Burns had the ball. No penalty was called live during the game, but the NFL will certainly look into the action made by Jones.

Two Exciting NFL Week 10 Games Coming Up

Atlanta Falcons @ Dallas Cowboys on Sunday 14th November

The 6-2 Cowboys had a small blip on their radar in week 9 after their 16-30 loss to the Broncos, but it would come as a complete shock if they don’t take care of business against the 4-4 Falcons on Sunday. Atlanta has been unpredictable of late, but with Falcons ex-coach Dan Quinn now Dallas’ defensive coordinator, the Cowboys have a major advantage here. If quarterback Dak Prescott is in fine form, as he’s expected to be, then the Cowboys should easily take the win.

New Orleans Saints @ Tennessee Titans on Sunday 14th November

The 7-2 Titans crushed the Rams in week 9 and are bound to be feeling buoyant, despite the gutting loss of star running back Derrick Henry due to injury for the season. The 5-3 Saints won’t make life easy by any means, but the Titans rapidly-improving defense just feels like it will be too much for New Orleans. Make no mistake, this will be a grinding, hard-fought battle for Tennessee in the NFL for week 10, but a win nevertheless.

Author: Joe Garland