Weekend Sports Preview

We always like a good homecoming story. So we’ll be tuning in on Friday night to watch the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs play the Toronto Raptors north of the border.

Last July, the teams traded standout players. The Raptors sent DeMar DeRozan to the Spurs in exchange for Kawhi Leonard. Leonard has already made his return trip to San Antonio and now DeRozan heads to Canada to see his old fans. ESPN shows the game Friday night at 7 p.m. ET.

If this does not sate your NBA appetite, Saturday night brings the Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets at 8:30 p.m. on ABC. This puts a lot of scoring talent (Houston’s James Harden, everyone on the Warriors) on the court. Should be fun.

NASCAR’s second venue of the season is Atlanta Motor Speedway. After the slam-bam fun at Daytona, the boys trade paint Sunday in the Folds of Honor Quik Trip 500 on the 1.5-mile oval on Sunday at 2 p.m. You’ll find this on FOX.

Want something a little more sedate? The PGA Tour is in Mexico City for the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship. Golf Channel shows round three on Saturday from noon to 2:30 p.m., with NBC stepping in from 2:30-6 p.m. The final round on Sunday begins on Golf Channel from noon to 1:30 p.m. and then shifts to NBC from 1:30-6 p.m.

College basketball is heading toward March Madness and there’s plenty to enjoy. Plunk your heiner in the recliner on Saturday at noon and take in No. 5 Tennessee (No. 1 last week) at No. 5 LSU, which comes off a stunning loss to Florida. ESPN shows this. A Big 12 showdown at 8 p.m. pits No. 12 Kansas against No. 14 Texas Tech, also on ESPN.

It’s a sumptuous visual feast. Enjoy.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman