1
|
Thunder
|
Recently OKC has struggled to generate offense outside of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — and he’s nearly been able to win games by himself with his increasingly absurd point totals — but there’s certainly no cause for panic. They’re still first in defense, sixth in offense and first in net rating by a country mile.
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—
|
37-9
|
2
|
Cavaliers
|
The fact that the Cavs lost three games in a row recently and they still only have NINE losses all season shows just how magical this run has been for them. Still, the defense has been a real cause for concern, as they’re now 26th in the league in January with a 9-5 record during the month.
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—
|
38-9
|
3
|
Rockets
|
The Rockets have now picked up nine combined wins against the Cavs, Thunder, Celtics, Grizzlies and Nuggets — how’s that for big-game pedigree? Amen Thompson is the talk of the league with his performance since moving into the starting lineup in place of the injured Jabari Smith Jr. in early January. Thompson is averaging 18.5 points, 10.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.2 blocks as the Rockets have gone 9-2 in that stretch.
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—
|
32-14
|
4
|
Celtics
|
The roller coaster season continues for the Celtics, who can still — at times — look like the hands-down favorite to win the title. But at other times they put up 96 points in a blowout loss to the Lakers *shrug emoji*. Kristaps Porzingis is in the midst of a scorching-hot stretch, averaging 20.5 points and eight rebounds over his last 12 games on absurd 51/51/87 shooting splits.
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—
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33-15
|
5
|
Knicks
|
The Knicks scored 99 points in a win over the Nets last week and then were like, screw that. All they did was put up 408 points over their next three games — all wins — to set a franchise record for a three-game span. They’ve now won five in a row, and the last three have come against the then-red-hot Kings, the Grizzlies and the Nuggets — just the type of quality wins they’ve been lacking even in such a tremendous season.
|
1
|
32-16
|
6
|
Grizzlies
|
The Memphis defense hasn’t exactly been locking up lately, allowing 120, 126 and 143 points in three of their last four games. Fortunately their offense is so good that they still won two of those, which makes six of seven overall. Jaren Jackson Jr. has been the engine, averaging 23 points on 50/39/82 splits during that stretch.
|
1
|
31-16
|
7
|
Nuggets
|
Denver has allowed 126 points per 100 possessions during its three-game losing streak, and it’s nearly impossible to win on the road with defense that porous. After a historic 35-22-17 line in a win over the Kings, Nikola Jokic has been somewhat human — not good enough if the Nuggets defense is going to be this bad.
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—
|
28-19
|
8
|
Clippers
|
Oh hey, check out Kawhi Leonard’s line from Wednesday’s win over the Spurs: 27 points, seven assists and six rebounds on 11-of-19 shooting in 28 minutes. Uh oh. Leonard, James Harden, Norm Powell and Ivica Zubac all scored over 20 points in the win, a blueprint for how effective this offense can be moving forward.
|
1
|
27-20
|
9
|
Bucks
|
Damian Lillard has been on a tear his last seven games, averaging 28 points, six rebounds and seven assists during that span, including back-to-back triple-doubles — nearly doubling his career total — against the Heat and Clippers. Milwaukee has won seven if its last 10 games, but just can’t make up any ground on the streaking Knicks.
|
1
|
26-19
|
10
|
Pacers
|
Did you know that the Pacers’ starting lineup of Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner has the second-best net rating of any five-man unit in the NBA with at least 200 minutes under its belt? Yep, that’s better than the Thunder, Rockets, Nuggets and Knicks. Indiana has won 11 of 14 games and moved into a virtual tie with the Bucks for the No. 4 seed in the East.
|
1
|
26-20
|
11
|
Lakers
|
The momentum of the Lakers’ four-game win streak (including a home thumping of the rival Celtics) came to a screeching halt on Tuesday, when they not only lost to the injury-ravaged 76ers, but also saw Anthony Davis go down with an injured abdominal muscle which will keep him out at least a week. Jaxson Hayes and Christian Koloko have filled in at center when Davis has been out, but JJ Redick has also seen success with small-ball lineups.
|
1
|
26-19
|
12
|
Mavericks
|
Dallas has put together a nice stretch as it awaits the eventual return of Luka Doncic, winning three of four games, including one in OKC. P.J. Washington has been a kind of bellwether for the Mavs, as he’s shooting 45% from 3-point range in wins, compared to just 25% in losses.
|
1
|
26-22
|
13
|
Timberwolves
|
Four straight wins for the Wolves, who have been getting it done on both ends of the floor. Jaden McDaniels is one of the key components, as he’s starting to turn around his disappointing season with averages of 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals on 55/41/82 splits over his last 10 games.
|
1
|
26-21
|
14
|
Kings
|
Well you can’t rattle off that many wins without expecting to eventually hit a few bumps in the road. In the Kings’ case, those bumps have literally happened ON the road, as they’ve fallen to the Nuggets, Knicks and 76ers during their current trip. The defense, which had been the key to their recent success, has fallen off of late.
|
2
|
24-23
|
15
|
Warriors
|
The Warriors are back above .500 after their biggest win of the season on Wednesday against the league-best Thunder — their third victory in the last four games. Steve Kerr has been playing every card he has, even starting rookie stretch-big Quinten Post against OKC, but the good news is they’re starting to get healthy. However, it still seems like Golden State has to do something, even if it’s a fringe move, in advance of next week’s deadline.
|
5
|
24-23
|
16
|
Suns
|
The Suns have won seven of their last 10 games as Devin Booker has caught fire, averaging 29 points on 49/38/91 splits during that stretch. Nick Richards has fit right in as the team’s new starting center, putting up 11 points and 10 rebounds per night. Now, will Jimmy Butler be their next acquisition? And if so, how much does that raise their ceiling?
|
1
|
24-22
|
17
|
Magic
|
The return of Paolo Banchero hasn’t exactly been the boon Magic fans were hoping for, as they’ve gone 2-7 since he came back from an oblique injury. The offense has been putrid with him on the floor during that stretch, averaging a meager 99 points per 100 possessions.
|
2
|
24-24
|
18
|
Heat
|
Miami appears to be out of the Jimmy Butler business — at least for the foreseeable future — and now the question is whether any offer will be enticing enough for Pat Riley and Co. to pull the trigger. In the meantime the Heat are staying right on the fringe of the coveted No. 6 seed, which would avoid the Play-In round.
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—
|
23-23
|
19
|
Pistons
|
The Pistons had a rough end to their road trip with three straight losses, but overall they’re still in good shape in terms of their postseason positioning. Of all Detroit’s accomplishments this season, going from 25th to 16th in defense has to be one of the most impressive.
|
3
|
23-24
|
20
|
Hawks
|
Man, what a bummer. Jalen Johnson is one of the most exciting players in the league, and now that he’s out for the rest of the season, the Hawks’ “puncher’s chance” status has all but evaporated. Johnson is one of just five players this season averaging at least 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists per game. The others are Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Alperen Sengun.
|
1
|
22-25
|
21
|
Spurs
|
Wemby showed just how special he is in the Paris games, but unfortunately the Spurs have continued to drop farther out of Play-In contention. San Antonio has now lost eight of its last 10, allowing a league-worst 121 points per 100 possessions during that stretch.
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—
|
20-24
|
22
|
Bulls
|
Just a classic Bulls week, getting blown out by the struggling Warriors and 76ers before somehow beating the Nuggets. Chicago is at risk of losing its No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference as the streaking 76ers are hot on their tail. This is going to be a very interesting trade deadline.
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—
|
20-28
|
23
|
76ers
|
Here … come … the … Sixers? Four straight wins — all without Joel Embiid and two and a half without Paul George — have provided a brief glimmer of hope that this season might not end up as a total wash. Tyrese Maxey has taken matters into his own hands offensively, averaging 33 points and 6.5 assists during the winning streak on 53% shooting. Philadelphia is now one game behind the Bulls in the loss column for the final East Play-In spot, and who would have thought that would be a positive development at this stage in the season?
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—
|
19-27
|
24
|
Trail Blazers
|
Five wins in six games for the Blazers, who have come back from the dead to make a push toward the 20-win mark. Defense has been the key, as they’ve allowed just 106 points per 100 possessions during that stretch. Deandre Ayton has been a monster of late, averaging 19 points and 14 rebounds in his last three games.
|
—
|
18-29
|
25
|
Raptors
|
Would you look at that? Five straight wins for the Raptors, who have absolutely locked up defensively to the tune of 97 points per 100 possessions. No, the competition hasn’t been great, but these certainly weren’t games that Toronto was winning earlier this season.
|
3
|
15-32
|
26
|
Nets
|
The Nets finally found a team they could beat, but unfortunately it was a bad win for their tanking efforts as they distanced themselves further from the Hornets and Pelicans. Brooklyn is 3-12 in its last 15 games with a minus-12 net rating — only the Wizards have been worse.
|
1
|
15-33
|
27
|
Hornets
|
Whenever it seems the Hornets are starting to build a little momentum, LaMelo Ball gets hurt. Charlotte is 1-12 this season without him, so, yeah, the outlook is bleak until he can come back.
|
—
|
12-32
|
28
|
Pelicans
|
New Orleans has most of its players back — outside of Brandon Ingram who has essentially been replaced by Trey Murphy — and yet it’s still lost four straight after a brief winning stretch. The good news is Zion Williamson looks healthy and dynamic, averaging nearly 30 points over his last three games on 63% field goals.
|
2
|
12-36
|
29
|
Jazz
|
Lauri Markkanen’s weird season continues, as he’s gone 3 for 20 from 3-point range over his last two games. Rookie Isaiah Collier stayed on his upward trajectory, however, averaging 11 points, eight assists and four rebounds in the previous three games on 52% shooting.
|
—
|
10-35
|
30
|
Wizards
|
The league’s first 40-loss team has shown no signs of improvement, dropping six straight games by double-digits, and 15 straight overall. The good news is that Jordan Poole thinks he’s “definitely” an All-Star … we won’t hold our breath on that one.
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—
|
6-40
|
