Schedule strength through Week 14<\/p>\n
Toughest: 1. Sacramento, 2. Utah, 3. New Orleans
\nEasiest: 1. Denver, 2. Detroit, 3. Oklahoma City
\nSchedule strength = cumulative opponent record.<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Movement in the Rankings<\/p>\n
High jumps of the week: Houston (+5), Chicago (+4)
\nFree falls of the week: Memphis (-4), Minnesota (-3)<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Week 15 Team to Watch<\/p>\n
Chicago<\/a> \u2014 The Bulls have won four straight games to climb over .500. They\u2019re now tied in the loss column with the eighth-place Heat, who they\u2019ll play three times this week, once in Chicago and then twice in Miami.<\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n Previously\u2026<\/p>\n OffRtg<\/a>: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank) The league has averaged 114.6 points scored per 100 possessions and 100.4 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes this season.<\/p>\n NBA.com\u2019s Power Rankings, released every Monday during the season, are just one man\u2019s opinion. If you have an issue with the rankings, or have a question or comment for John Schuhmann, contact him via Bluesky<\/a>.<\/p>\n #1<\/p>\n Record: 33-11<\/p>\n OffRtg: 116.1 (11) DefRtg: 108.6 (2) NetRtg: +7.5 (2) Pace: 100.8 (14)<\/p>\n The Pistons lost a rest-advantage game to the Rockets on Friday, but they won their more important game (vs. Boston) last week. They still have the East\u2019s best record<\/a> (8-3) in January and their coaching staff is going to L.A. for the All-Star Game(s).<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n Like most of the league, the Pistons have had some offensive issues of late. Prior to Sunday, they had a six-game stretch where they scored just 106.1 points per 100 possessions<\/a>, with turnovers a recurring issue. Cade Cunningham missed two of those games and shot 18-for-60<\/a> (30%) in the other four.<\/p>\n But the Pistons got to play the Kings on Sunday afternoon, and they had their most efficient offensive performance<\/a> of the season, scoring 139 points on 100 possessions. Cunningham led eight Pistons in double-figures with 29 points on 13-for-22 shooting. He\u2019s shot worse both in the paint and from 3-point range<\/a> than he did last season, but his overall efficiency (true shooting percentage) is down just a tick<\/a>, because his free throw rate (35.9 attempts per 100 shots from the field) is the highest of his career by a wide margin.<\/p>\n Despite the loss to Houston on Friday, the Pistons still have the best record (14-6) in games played between the 17 teams<\/a> that are currently over .500. Of course, their visit to Denver on Tuesday will be their first game against one of the top three teams in the West.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Pistons have spent most of January at home, but they\u2019ll close the month with their final three games in the Mountain or Pacific time zones. They\u2019re an impressive 5-0 in rest-disadvantage games and will be at a disadvantage at Golden State on Friday.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: @ DEN, @ PHX, @ GSW, vs. BKN<\/p>\n #2<\/p>\n Record: 37-10<\/p>\n OffRtg: 118.1 (5) DefRtg: 105.4 (1) NetRtg: +12.6 (1) Pace: 101.2 (13)<\/p>\n The Thunder dropped two close games<\/a> over the weekend and are 13-9 since their 24-1 start to the season. That includes losses at home to the Hornets and Pacers.<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n The possession game continues to be an issue for the Thunder. They\u2019ve had fewer shot opportunities than their opponent in six of their last seven games, averaging 9.6 fewer over that stretch. Rebounding remains a much bigger issue than turnovers and as they lost weekend games to Indiana and Toronto by a total of five points, they were outscored by 16 (27-11<\/a>) on second chances.<\/p>\n The Thunder\u2019s point differential (plus-12.9 per game) is still the best in NBA history, a hair better than their mark from last season. Their win in Milwaukee on Wednesday was their 17th<\/a> by at least 20 points. That\u2019s eight more than any other team has this season and only five fewer than their 22 from last season<\/a>. The record for 20-point wins (held by the 1970-71 Bucks) is 28.<\/p>\n Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot a ridiculous 17-for-22<\/a> (77%) from mid-range over the Thunder\u2019s four games last week. His true shooting percentage of 67.6% would be the highest in NBA history for a player who averaged at least 30 points per game, topping Stephen Curry\u2019s mark of 66.9% in 2015-16.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Thunder won their first seven games against teams that are currently above .500, but since then, they\u2019re 6-7 against that group. After they host the Pelicans on Tuesday, they\u2019ll play seven straight games against winning teams, a stretch that includes games against each of the other six teams in the West\u2019s top seven.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: vs. NOP, @ MIN, @ DEN<\/p>\n #3<\/p>\n Record: 27-16<\/p>\n OffRtg: 118.7 (4) DefRtg: 112.5 (8) NetRtg: +6.2 (4) Pace: 96.8 (27)<\/p>\n The Rockets lost in overtime in Philadelphia on Thursday, but they have wins over the Wolves, Spurs and Pistons in the last 10 days. Only Detroit (14-6) has been better in games played between the 17 teams currently over .500 than Houston (15-7).<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n The Rockets are 1-5 in overtime games<\/a> after the loss in Philly, in which they committed six turnovers<\/a> on 16 clutch possessions. They rank 28th<\/a> in clutch turnover rate (15.5 per 100 possessions) and 20th<\/a> in clutch efficiency (108.7 points scored per 100).<\/p>\n But while they\u2019re just 10-13<\/a> in games that were within five points in the last five minutes, the Rockets are 17-3 in games that weren\u2019t within five in the last five. And they handed Detroit its third non-clutch loss on Friday, even though they were playing less than 24 hours after the OT loss in Philly. The Rockets lost their first three games of the season without rest, but are 2-0 in the second games of back-to-backs in January, with rest-disadvantage wins over the Wolves and Pistons. They played just eight guys on Friday and, while Kevin Durant had eight turnovers in the Philly loss, he shot 24-for-40<\/a> (60%) as he played almost 85 total minutes over the back-to-back.<\/p>\n Ten of the Rockets\u2019 last 12 games<\/a> have been determined by single digits, in part because they rank just 25th<\/a> offensively (110.6 points scored per 100 possessions) over that stretch. They ranked second<\/a> in 3-point percentage (40.0%) through their first 31 games, but are 30th<\/a> (30.5%) over their last 12.<\/p>\n Coming up: Even with the win in Detroit on Friday, the Rockets have the league\u2019s biggest differential between their home record (15-3) and their road record (12-13). They\u2019ve got 10 games before the All-Star break and seven of them are at the Toyota Center, with the Spurs making a return visit on Wednesday. Reed Sheppard had a huge fourth quarter (12 points on 4-for-7 shooting) as the Rockets came back from 16 down to beat San Antonio last week.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: vs. MEM, vs. SAS, @ ATL, vs. DAL<\/p>\n #4<\/p>\n Record: 31-15<\/p>\n OffRtg: 116.5 (9) DefRtg: 111.5 (3) NetRtg: +5.0 (5) Pace: 100.6 (16)<\/p>\n The Spurs are just 8-8 since they beat the Thunder for the third time on Christmas Day, a stretch that includes losses to the Jazz, Grizzlies and Pelicans. But they\u2019re still in second place in the West and one of four teams<\/a> (all in the Western Conference) that rank in the top 10 on both ends of the floor.<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n The Spurs have scored more than 124 points per 100 possessions<\/a> over their last four wins, but they still rank just 24th<\/a> offensively (111.8 scored per 100) since Christmas. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper have combined for an effective field goal percentage of just 40.4% over the 16 games, and Harrison Barnes has gone quiet, averaging just 6.2 points<\/a>, down from 12.9<\/a> through the Christmas win in Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n Keldon Johnson has picked up some of the slack. His 20.2 points per 36 minutes would be the second-highest mark<\/a> of his career, and he\u2019s having his most efficient season (true shooting percentage of 65.2%) since his rookie year<\/a>, when he attempted only 89 shots. He\u2019s been the only Spur<\/a> who\u2019s played in clutch time in all 10 of their games since Christmas that have been within five points in the last five minutes.<\/p>\n The Spurs did get Devin Vassell back from a 13-game absence on Sunday, and they\u2019ve outscored their opponents by 12.9 points per 100 possessions<\/a> with Vassell, De\u2019Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama on the floor together, though that sample size (137 minutes) is still pretty small.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Spurs will have a chance to avenge last week\u2019s loss in Houston when they return to the Toyota Center on Wednesday. They\u2019re 8-7 (5-0 at home or on a neutral court, 3-7 on the road) in games played between the top seven teams in the West.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: @ HOU, @ CHA, vs. ORL<\/p>\n #5<\/p>\n Record: 31-15<\/p>\n OffRtg: 121.0 (2) DefRtg: 116.4 (23) NetRtg: +4.6 (6) Pace: 98.9 (25)<\/p>\n The Nuggets continue to survive without Nikola Joki\u0107. They\u2019ve won eight of their last 11 games, a stretch that includes a 3-1 mark without Jamal Murray. They\u2019re now tied with the Spurs (who hold the head-to-head tie-breaker<\/a> for now) for second place in the West.<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n Just when you thought Peyton Watson\u2019s offensive surge was unsustainable, he scored a career-high 35 points<\/a> (shooting 6-for-8 from 3-point range) in the Nuggets\u2019 win in Washington on Thursday. He\u2019s averaged 23.1 points<\/a> over Joki\u0107\u2019s absence, with a much higher percentage of his shots coming from outside the paint (53%) than prior to the three-time Kia MVP\u2019s injury (38%).<\/p>\n But the Nuggets\u2019 offense has finally seen some slippage. They\u2019ve scored just 108 points per 100 possessions<\/a> over their last four games, easily their worst stretch on that end of the floor this season. Tim Hardaway Jr. has had a couple of big games over the last four weeks, but has gone cold, at one point missing 21 straight attempts from 3-point range. And with the team-wide mini-slump, the Nuggets have ceded the No. 1 spot in offensive efficiency to the Celtics.<\/p>\n The Nuggets\u2019 schedule over these last 3 1\/2 weeks without Joki\u0107 has been relatively soft, as eight of their last nine games have come against teams with losing records. It\u2019s about to get tougher, with their first games against the two best teams in the league coming this week.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Nuggets also just completed playing five games in seven days. And, while they got an extra day off with their Sunday game in Memphis being postponed, another five-in-seven stretch starts Thursday. They\u2019ll be at a rest disadvantage when they host the Clippers on Friday night.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: vs. DET, vs. BKN, vs. LAC, vs. OKC<\/p>\n #6<\/p>\n Record: 27-19<\/p>\n OffRtg: 114.3 (16) DefRtg: 112.1 (5) NetRtg: +2.3 (10) Pace: 99.6 (20)<\/p>\n The Suns are hanging on to a top-six spot in the West, but they\u2019ve lost two straight games and have lost Devin Booker for at least a week<\/a>.<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n The Suns were up seven when Booker sprained his ankle at the end of the third quarter in Atlanta on Friday. But they scored just 12 points (shooting 5-for-21) on 22 fourth-quarter possessions as they blew that seven-point lead to the Hawks. Two nights later and back at home, they fell to 1-4 without Booker, scoring just 102 points on 101 possessions against the Heat. Dillon Brooks has had a breakout offensive season, but the Suns have scored just 101.7 per 100 in his 255 minutes on the floor without Booker.<\/p>\n Jalen Green could help the offense, and he returned from a 33-game absence on Tuesday, scoring 12 points off the bench in the Suns\u2019 win in Philadelphia. But three nights later, Green was back on the shelf, leaving in the first quarter of the loss to Atlanta with hamstring tightness. Green was initially listed as questionable for the Suns\u2019 game against the Heat on Sunday, so he could be back this week, but he\u2019s now missed twice as many games this season (42) as he missed in his previous four seasons combined (21).<\/p>\n Defense can still win the Suns some games. They rank second<\/a> on that end of the floor, having seen a significant drop in opponent field goal percentage in the paint (54.8%) from their first 28 games (59.5%).<\/p>\n Coming up: The Suns have still played the league\u2019s second-most road-heavy schedule, but their loss to Miami on Sunday began a stretch (spanning the All-Star break) where they\u2019re playing 16 of 19 games at home. Thursday brings an opportunity to avenge a three-point loss to the Pistons from two weeks earlier.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: vs. BKN, vs. DET, vs. CLE, vs. LAC<\/p>\n #7<\/p>\n Record: 27-19<\/p>\n OffRtg: 116.6 (7) DefRtg: 112.8 (10) NetRtg: +3.8 (8) Pace: 101.4 (12)<\/p>\n The Wolves won six of their first seven games of 2026, but have since lost five straight<\/a> for the first time since 2022, sliding out of the top six in the West.<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n The first four of those losses came by a total of just 18 points. But they included a rest-advantage loss on Tuesday to the Jazz, who were previously 0-10 without Lauri Markkanen. At one point, the Wolves were 14-1 against the 13 teams<\/a> currently at or below .500, but they\u2019re 3-4 against that group since mid-December. The loss in Utah was also the Wolves\u2019 first (they were previously 17-0) after leading by at least 15 points.<\/p>\n They led for just 38 seconds against the Warriors on Sunday, when they got blown out in the second half. Anthony Edwards scored an efficient 32 points, but it was still the fifth-worst offensive game<\/a> (85 points on 103 possessions) for any team this season. The Wolves continue to have the worst record (4-11) in games played between the top eight teams in the West.<\/p>\n The Wolves have drawn even with their opponents with Edwards on the floor over their last five games. But, they\u2019ve been outscored by 21.6 points per 100 possessions<\/a> in his 92 minutes off the floor. Their bench ranks 12th<\/a> this season, down from fourth<\/a> last season.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Wolves will play two more games within the West\u2019s top eight this week. One of those four wins within the top eight came (at home) against the Thunder, who will be back at Target Center on Thursday, when the Wolves will be at a rest disadvantage, having played in Dallas the night before.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: vs. GSW, @ DAL, vs. OKC, @ MEM<\/p>\n #8<\/p>\n Record: 28-17<\/p>\n OffRtg: 121.2 (1) DefRtg: 114.0 (12) NetRtg: +7.2 (3) Pace: 96.2 (30)<\/p>\n The Celtics are still in second place in the East, but they went 1-3 against the first-place Pistons<\/a>, coming up short down the stretch in Detroit last Monday.<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n All four games between Boston and Detroit were within three points in the last three minutes<\/a>, and the Celtics shot 0-for-6 on clutch 3-pointers over the three losses, also missing three big free throws down the stretch of their one-point loss last week. They have the league\u2019s biggest differential between their record in non-clutch games (18-3) and their record in those that were within five in the last five minutes (10-14<\/a>).<\/p>\n The Celtics had just 13 assists on 33 field goals in Detroit last Monday and are now 2-6<\/a> when they\u2019ve recorded assists on less than half of their buckets, a record that includes all three of their losses to the Pistons. The Celtics rank just 25th in ball movement overall, but the league\u2019s second-ranked defense has suppressed their movement even more. They\u2019ve averaged 307 passes per 24 minutes of possession against everybody else and just 293 per 24 against Detroit.<\/p>\n With the Nuggets\u2019 offense showing some slippage without Nikola Joki\u0107, the Celtics now have the league\u2019s No. 1 offense. They had also been playing better defense before their rest-disadvantage loss in Chicago on Saturday, allowing just 108.2 points per 100 possessions over their previous seven games. They benefitted from some poor 3-point shooting (31.4%), but also limited their opponents\u2019 free throws and offensive rebounds. They\u2019ve still seen the league\u2019s fourth biggest jump in points allowed per 100 possessions from last season.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Celtics are 14-5 against the 13 teams<\/a> currently at or below .500, with four of those five losses having been within five points in the last five minutes. They\u2019ll play their next five games against that group, looking to avenge their Dec. 28 loss in Portland when they begin a four-game homestand on Monday.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: vs. POR, vs. ATL, vs. SAC, vs. MIL<\/p>\n #9<\/p>\n Record: 27-18<\/p>\n OffRtg: 119.0 (3) DefRtg: 114.9 (17) NetRtg: +4.0 (7) Pace: 99.0 (23)<\/p>\n The Knicks may have hit the nadir with their loss to Dallas last Monday, the first game this season in which they never had a lead. But they\u2019ve since beaten the Nets by 54 points (the largest margin of victory in franchise history) and picked up a big win in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n In their three-point win in Philadelphia on Saturday, the Knicks outscored the Sixers by 24 points (27-3<\/a>) from the corners. They continue to be on pace for the most corner 3s per game (5.3<\/a>) in the 30 years of shot-location data, and Mikal Bridges (league-leading 52<\/a>) is on pace to be the third player in that time (joining Bruce Bowen and P.J. Tucker) to make at least 90 corner 3s in two straight seasons.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Knicks trail the third-place Raptors by a half game, and they\u2019ve won the first two meetings<\/a> by a total of 38 points. They\u2019ll meet three more times, and the Knicks will be at a rest disadvantage (playing the second game of a back-to-back) in Toronto on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: vs. SAC, @ TOR, vs. POR, vs. LAL<\/p>\n #10<\/p>\n Record: 27-20<\/p>\n OffRtg: 116.4 (10) DefRtg: 114.0 (13) NetRtg: +2.3 (10) Pace: 102.0 (6)<\/p>\n The Cavs have been without Darius Garland for the last five games, but they\u2019re now seven games over .500 for the first time. They\u2019ve won five of their last six, a stretch that includes three huge road wins over the Sixers (twice) and Magic.<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n The Cavs are 13-6 when they have Donovan Mitchell in the lineup without Garland, but they\u2019ve outscored their opponents by just 11 total points in those 19 games. They include their two worst losses<\/a> of the season, including a 32-point defeat at the hands of the Thunder last Monday. Overall, they\u2019ve scored just 113.8 points per 100 possessions in those 19 games, though they\u2019ve still been very good (plus-8.4 per 100) in Mitchell\u2019s 1,038 total minutes on the floor without Garland.<\/p>\n The offense picked up over the weekend, when the Cavs scored more than 120 points per 100 possessions in two straight games<\/a> for the first time since Christmas. The first of those games was against the Kings, but the second was a rest-disadvantage game against the Magic, with Jalen Suggs back in uniform. Mitchell totaled 69 points over the two games and is having the most efficient scoring season (true shooting percentage of 61.5%<\/a>) of his career.<\/p>\n Evan Mobley has had at least three blocks in five of the last seven games<\/a> and now ranks third<\/a> in rim protection (opponents have shot 51.9% at the basket when he\u2019s been there) among 21 players who\u2019ve defended at least 200 shots at the rim.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Cavs are one of two teams \u2013 the Sixers are the other \u2013 that have yet to play in the Mountain or Pacific time zones. After finishing their home-and-home set with the Magic and hosting the Lakers, they\u2019ll begin their longest road trip of the season (five games over 11 days) in Phoenix.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: vs. ORL, vs. LAL, @ PHX, @ POR<\/p>\n #11<\/p>\n Record: 29-19<\/p>\n OffRtg: 114.0 (18) DefRtg: 112.0 (4) NetRtg: +2.1 (12) Pace: 99.1 (22)<\/p>\n The Raptors won the last four games<\/a> of a five-game trip out West, a streak capped by a fourth-quarter comeback in Oklahoma City on Sunday. They\u2019ve climbed to third place in the East and are one win from matching last season\u2019s total (30-52<\/a>).<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n The Raptors had their best offensive performance of the season (145 points on 104 possessions) at Golden State on Tuesday. But the last three games have been more about the other end of the floor, where they\u2019ve allowed just 104.4 per 100. That includes just 94.6 per 100<\/a> in Scottie Barnes\u2019 99 minutes over the last three games. He\u2019s had 10 blocks over the three games, with the biggest being a pretty incredible block<\/a> of a Chet Holmgren step-back jumper with the Raptors up two and just 30 seconds left on Sunday.<\/p>\n Immanuel Quickley hit the big shots in Oklahoma City<\/a>: two consecutive catch-and-shoot 3-pointers that put the Raptors up four with a little more than a minute left. Quickley has averaged 25.3 points over the winning streak, shooting 17-for-28 (61%) inside the arc, 16-for-26<\/a> (62%) from 3-point range, and 19-for-20 (95%) from the free throw line. Quickley\u2019s true shooting percentage has been remarkably consistent (between 57% and 57.8%<\/a>) over the last four seasons.<\/p>\n One of those two Quickley 3-pointers came off a drive-and-kick feed from Jamal Shead, who\u2019s been on the floor down the stretch of each of the Raptors\u2019 last 11 clutch games<\/a> (going back to mid-December). He\u2019s had nine clutch assists<\/a> and zero clutch turnovers in that stretch, and the two-point-guard look has worked pretty well, with Toronto outscoring opponents by 11.0 points per 100 possessions<\/a> in 297 total minutes with Shead and Quickley on the floor together.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Raptors lead the fourth-place Knicks by a half game, but they\u2019ve scored just 102.1 points per 100 possessions<\/a> as they\u2019ve lost the first two<\/a> (of five) head-to-head meetings. The third is in Toronto on Wednesday, when the Raptors will have a rest advantage, with the Knicks playing at home the night before.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: vs. NYK, @ ORL, vs. UTA<\/p>\n #12<\/p>\n Record: 27-17<\/p>\n OffRtg: 116.5 (8) DefRtg: 117.0 (25) NetRtg: -0.5 (18) Pace: 99.5 (21)<\/p>\n The Lakers still have a negative point differential, but they\u2019re still in the top six in the West because they pulled off a couple of big comebacks last week.<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n The Lakers still rank 25th defensively, but they had some flashes of quality on defense as they got two wins in games they trailed by at least 15 points in the second half. They held the Nuggets to just 27 points on their final 38 possessions on Tuesday and shut down the Mavs (eight points on 17 possessions) over the final seven minutes on Saturday. The Lakers are 10-17 in games they trailed by double-digits, going 7-27 last season.<\/p>\n Their loss to the Clippers in between the two comeback wins was more about offense and rebounding. It was just the third time that the Clippers shot below 50% in the paint and the eighth time<\/a> they committed at least 20 turnovers, but the Lakers didn\u2019t shoot well themselves and didn\u2019t get to the line as much as they usually do. They\u2019re 5-9 (with seven straight losses) when they\u2019ve been outscored from the free-throw line.<\/p>\n The Lakers\u2019 current starting lineup (with Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia) has been outscored by 1.6 points per 100 possessions<\/a> in its 165 minutes, with some brutal numbers<\/a> over their three games last week. They closed the win in Dallas with Rui Hachimura on the floor<\/a> instead of Deandre Ayton and have outscored opponents by 24 points in about 25 total minutes with Luka Don\u010di\u0107, LeBron James and Rui Hachimura on the floor without any other bigs.<\/p>\n Coming up: The last five games of the Lakers\u2019 eight-game \u201ctrip\u201d will come against the Eastern Conference. They\u2019re 7-5<\/a> (4-2 on the road) against the East thus far, having yet to face any of the five teams they\u2019ll visit on this trip.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: @ CHI, @ CLE, @ WAS, @ NYK<\/p>\n #13<\/p>\n Record: 25-22<\/p>\n OffRtg: 113.9 (20) DefRtg: 112.6 (9) NetRtg: +1.3 (13) Pace: 104.8 (1)<\/p>\n The Heat went 3-2<\/a> on a five-games-in-seven-days trip out West, and they\u2019ve climbed ahead of Orlando for seventh place in the East.<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n The trip wasn\u2019t anything close to the Heat\u2019s best basketball on either end of the floor, but they came out ahead, taking advantage of the Kings being the Kings, the Jazz being the Jazz and the Suns playing without Devin Booker. Of the nine Heat players who played in all five games, seven averaged double-figures<\/a> over the trip. They\u2019ve played the most interconference games in the league and are now 13-10 against the West.<\/p>\n With their wins in Sacramento and Phoenix last week, the Heat are 7-3 (tied for third best) in the second games of back-to-backs, including 6-3 in rest-disadvantage games. They\u2019ve scored more efficiently (115.4 points scored per 100 possessions<\/a>) and played at a slightly faster pace (105 possessions per 48 minutes) in the second games of back-to-backs than they have as they\u2019ve gone 18-19 with rest. Their 10 back-to-backs are tied for the most in the league, but more are coming.<\/p>\n The Heat have still been at their best (plus-5.0 points per 100 possessions<\/a>) with Davion Mitchell on the floor. But, after losing their first three games without him, they\u2019ve won three of the last four games he\u2019s missed. Kasparas Jaku\u010dionis started the last three games in Mitchell\u2019s place. While he played just 51 total minutes over those three games, he didn\u2019t have any turnovers<\/a> with his seven assists.<\/p>\n With their wins in Sacramento and Phoenix last week, the Heat are 7-3 (tied for third best) in the second games of back-to-backs, including 6-3 in rest-disadvantage games. They\u2019ve scored more efficiently (115.4 points scored per 100 possessions<\/a>) and played at a slightly faster pace (105.0 possessions per 48 minutes) in the second games of back-to-backs than they have as they\u2019ve gone 18-19 with rest. Their 10 back-to-backs are tied for the most in the league, but more are coming.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Heat just finished playing five games in seven days. And thanks to their rescheduled game in Chicago, they\u2019ll begin another stretch of five games in seven days on Wednesday with a huge game against the Magic. They\u2019re 0-3 against Orlando<\/a> thus far (they\u2019ll play five games total), having scored just 105.7 points per 100 possessions<\/a> over the three losses.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: vs. ORL, @ CHI, vs. CHI, vs. CHI<\/p>\n #14<\/p>\n Record: 24-20<\/p>\n OffRtg: 114.6 (15) DefRtg: 113.3 (11) NetRtg: +1.3 (13) Pace: 99.9 (19)<\/p>\n The Sixers are the first team to match their win total from last season (24-58<\/a>), but they set a low bar with a rough 2024-25 campaign. They\u2019re also just 2-4 on their six-game homestand, with more third-quarter issues in losses to Phoenix and New York.<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n Joel Embiid missed the Sixers\u2019 loss to Phoenix on Tuesday, but he\u2019s averaged 33.3 points<\/a> (on a true shooting percentage of 67%), 10 rebounds and 5.5 assists over his last four games, easily his best stretch of the last two seasons. The Sixers have scored 123.5 points per 100 possessions<\/a> with him on the floor and just 98.1 per 100 with him off the floor over that stretch.<\/p>\n Bench minutes have been an issue. Kelly Oubre Jr. was moved into the starting lineup last week, starting alongside Paul George for the first two times this season on Thursday and Saturday. But the Sixers were outscored by 26 points<\/a> (27 per 100 possessions<\/a>) in Oubre\u2019s 49 minutes off the floor over their four games. Their starters played the entirety of clutch time<\/a> in their overtime win over the Rockets on Thursday, with Embiid logging 45:36 total, the fifth-most minutes he\u2019s played in his career.<\/p>\n There are now nine Eastern Conference teams with winning records, and the Sixers have the second-worst record (8-13) in games played between them, having scored just 113.3 points per 100 possessions over those 21 games. But they\u2019re still holding onto sixth place, thanks in part to the Magic having lost three straight.<\/p>\n Coming up: The six-game homestand is over, but the Sixers are on the road for just one game, and their visit to Charlotte on Monday is the start of five straight against teams with losing records. They have the league\u2019s second-best record (14-3) against the 13 teams<\/a> currently at or below .500.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: @ CHA, vs. MIL, vs. SAC, vs. NOP<\/p>\n #15<\/p>\n Record: 21-24<\/p>\n OffRtg: 115.7 (12) DefRtg: 115.8 (19) NetRtg: -0.2 (16) Pace: 96.8 (28)<\/p>\n The Clippers saw their six-game winning streak end in Chicago on Tuesday, but they still have two fewer losses<\/a> than every other team (they\u2019re 15-3) over the last 37 days.<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t look good when Kawhi Leonard was sent home early from the Clippers\u2019 recent road trip. But he missed just three games with his latest injury, and he led the Clippers in scoring (52 points total<\/a>) in each of their two wins upon returning to L.A. Both over this 15-3 stretch (plus-16.1 points per 100 possessions<\/a>) and over the season as a whole (plus-4.1 per 100<\/a>), the Clippers have been at their best with Leonard on the floor.<\/p>\n The Clippers almost blew all of a 26-point lead against the Lakers on Thursday, but held the other L.A. team off in the last two minutes, with John Collins hitting a dagger 3-pointer<\/a> from the left corner. Collins is having his most efficient scoring season (true shooting percentage of 65.6%) in the last six seasons<\/a> and has already made a career-high 42 corner 3-pointers (tied for eighth-most league-wide<\/a>).<\/p>\n The Clippers have a winning record (20-18, with seven straight wins) when they\u2019ve been rested. But with their loss in Chicago on Tuesday, they\u2019re 1-6 (only the Nets and Wizards have been worse) in the second games of back-to-backs.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Clippers are also 0-3 (one of two winless teams) in rest-advantage games, but haven\u2019t had one since Nov. 12. They\u2019ll be at an advantage in Denver on Friday, now 5-9 against the eight West teams with winning records after their win over the Lakers last week.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: @ UTA, @ DEN, @ PHX<\/p>\n #16<\/p>\n Record: 26-21<\/p>\n OffRtg: 115.4 (13) DefRtg: 112.2 (6) NetRtg: +3.2 (9) Pace: 100.7 (15)<\/p>\n Jimmy Butler suffered a devastating and season-ending ACL tear<\/a> last Monday and, with losses in their next two games, the Warriors fell to 2-6 without the 36-year-old. But they clobbered the Wolves on Sunday to stay two games in the loss column ahead of the ninth-place Blazers.<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n The Warriors outscored their opponents by 6.9 points per 100 possessions<\/a> in 452 minutes with Butler, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green on the floor together, but (even with the blowout win on Sunday) have been outscored by 0.4 per 100 in 329 minutes with Curry and Green on the floor without Butler.<\/p>\n Brandin Podziemski has replaced Butler in the starting lineup but has shot just 1-for-13 from 3-point range over the last three games<\/a>. Jonathan Kuminga also got a chance to play in the wake of Butler\u2019s injury, and he scored 30 points in less than 31 total minutes<\/a> against the Raptors and Mavs. But he suffered his own knee injury (a bone bruise) in the second quarter in Dallas on Thursday and could be out for an extended period<\/a>. The good news is that, because most of the roster has been in the Warriors\u2019 rotation at some point this season, they always have more guys ready to play.<\/p>\n The Warriors have won 13 of their last 19 games, with only the Clippers and Pistons<\/a> having better records over that stretch. Of course, it hasn\u2019t been a particularly tough stretch of schedule. Only eight of the 19 games came against teams currently over .500, and 13 of the 19 have come at home. Their win in Minnesota on Sunday was the start of a stretch where they\u2019re playing six of seven against teams with winning records, with the Warriors now 12-12 against that group.<\/p>\n Coming up: After completing their back-to-back in Minnesota on Monday, the Warriors will have three straight rest-advantage games, with a three-day break after their game against the Pistons on Friday night.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: @ MIN, @ UTA, vs. DET<\/p>\n #17<\/p>\n Record: 23-23<\/p>\n OffRtg: 113.5 (21) DefRtg: 115.1 (18) NetRtg: -1.6 (21) Pace: 101.9 (8)<\/p>\n The Blazers won five straight games to climb above .500 for the first time since they were 6-5. But Deni Avdija continues to have back issues, and the winning streak came to an end when they lost to Toronto without him on Friday.<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n The Blazers have scored a pretty anemic 102.1 points per 100 possessions<\/a> with Avdija off the floor, and they registered their lowest free-throw rate of the season (10 attempts to go along with 98 shots from the field) as they scored just 98 on 97 against Toronto. Nine and a half minutes into the game, they had scored just six points on 19 offensive possessions.<\/p>\n The Blazers are still not as good a defensive team as they were last season, but the last five games (107.7 points allowed per 100 possessions<\/a>) have been their best stretch of the season on that end of the floor. They may have had some luck with how poorly their opponents have shot from 3-point range (31% over the five games), but they also rank fourth<\/a> in opponent free-throw rate this month, up from 28th<\/a> through Dec. 31.<\/p>\n The Blazers are 2 1\/2 games behind the eighth-place Warriors, who are without Jimmy Butler for the rest of the season. Portland has the head-to-head tiebreaker<\/a> and the much easier remaining schedule, with only 16 of its remaining 36 games against teams currently over .500.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Blazers are two games into a stretch of six straight against the Eastern Conference, with Avdija listed as questionable as they begin a three-game trip in Boston on Monday. They\u2019ll be at a rest disadvantage in Washington the following night, now 6-3 in the second games of back-to-backs after the loss to Toronto.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: @ BOS, @ WAS, @ NYK, vs. CLE<\/p>\n #18<\/p>\n Record: 23-21<\/p>\n OffRtg: 113.9 (19) DefRtg: 114.1 (14) NetRtg: -0.2 (16) Pace: 100.6 (16)<\/p>\n Travel can take a lot out of you, and the Magic and Grizzlies are both 0-2 since returning from Europe, with three of those four losses having come against teams with losing records. The Magic have lost three straight<\/a> overall, with all three losses coming by at least 14 points.<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n Franz Wagner played in the two Europe games, but missed the Magic\u2019s two games last week with lingering ankle soreness. The Magic got Jalen Suggs back on Saturday, but have still had just 11 games<\/a> with Suggs, Wagner and Paolo Banchero all in the lineup. They\u2019ve been outscored by 7.3 points per 100 possessions in 729 total minutes with Banchero on the floor without the other two.<\/p>\n Banchero has been a little more efficient over the three-game losing streak (true shooting percentage of 57.9%<\/a>) than he was prior (55.5%), but the Magic have scored just 105.4 points per 100 possessions<\/a> over the three games. They still rank as the league\u2019s second-most-improved offensive team from last season, but they\u2019re not far from falling into the bottom 10 on that end of the floor for what would be the 14th straight season.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Magic\u2019s loss to the Cavs on Saturday was the first of six straight games against teams with winning records, and the next three \u2013 including a second straight against Cleveland \u2013 are all huge regarding the Eastern Conference standings. The Magic are now just a half-game ahead of the ninth-place Bulls and are 9-11 in games played between the top nine teams in the East.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: @ CLE, @ MIA, vs. TOR, @ SAS<\/p>\n #19<\/p>\n Record: 23-22<\/p>\n OffRtg: 114.6 (14) DefRtg: 116.7 (24) NetRtg: -2.1 (22) Pace: 102.2 (5)<\/p>\n The Bulls have won four straight games, with the last three wins coming against the Clippers, Wolves and Celtics. They\u2019re over .500 for the first time since they were 9-8 and they\u2019re only a game and a half behind the sixth-place Sixers.<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n The winning streak has been the Bulls\u2019 best four-game stretch of offense (126.2 points scored per 100 possessions<\/a>) this season, with eight guys<\/a> having averaged double-figures over the streak. Six of those eight have played in all four games and all six<\/a> have shot 40% or better on at least 15 3-point attempts.<\/p>\n The Bulls have still seen a drop in 3-point rate this season, but wins over the Clippers and Celtics last week were the second and third times<\/a> that they\u2019ve taken more than half of their shots from beyond the arc. They\u2019ve outscored their opponents from 3-point range in eight of their last nine games.<\/p>\n The Bulls generated Kevin Huerter\u2019s game-winning corner 3<\/a> against Boston with a Josh Giddey-Coby White pick-and-pop in which the Celtics botched the switch. Giddey (who returned from an 11-game absence on Thursday) and White have played just 318 minutes together<\/a>, and they\u2019ve set just 28 ball-screens for each other. But the Bulls have scored 21 points on 12 possessions (1.75 per) when one of those ball screens has led directly to a shot, turnover or trip to the line.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Bulls\u2019 rescheduled game against the Heat has both teams playing stretches of four games in five days (which are otherwise gone from the league schedule) from Wednesday to Sunday, with three of the four games coming against each other. The first meeting (Nov. 21 in Chicago) was a 36-point win for the visitors, the Bulls\u2019 worst loss<\/a> of the season.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: vs. LAL, @ IND, vs. MIA, @ MIA, @ MIA<\/p>\n #20<\/p>\n Record: 22-25<\/p>\n OffRtg: 113.4 (22) DefRtg: 114.6 (16) NetRtg: -1.2 (19) Pace: 103.1 (2)<\/p>\n After losing to the Bucks last Monday, the Hawks were just a half-game ahead of Milwaukee for the final SoFi Play-In Tournament spot in the East. But they\u2019ve since created some separation, and they got a quality win on Friday, shutting down the Suns (who had lost Devin Booker to an ankle injury) in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n The Hawks rank 27th<\/a> offensively since Jan. 1 (not long after Trae Young played his last game with Atlanta). But they\u2019re also a top-10 defensive team<\/a> this month, and their win on Friday was just the sixth time<\/a> the Suns have been held under 105 points per 100 possessions.<\/p>\n Corey Kispert has started the last three games (Zaccharie Risacher has missed the last eight), but has averaged just 16.4 minutes<\/a> over that stretch. The Hawks have closed all three games with CJ McCollum (who\u2019s been coming off the bench) instead of Kispert, and McCollum hit a huge step-back 3<\/a> in their win in Memphis on Wednesday. Over the seven games that the two former Wizards have played, the Hawks have been at their best<\/a> with McCollum on the floor with the other starters.<\/p>\n The Hawks not only have a winning record (14-12) on the road and a losing record (8-13) at home. They also have a winning record (12-8<\/a>) against the Western Conference and a losing record (10-17) within the East. They\u2019ve also already played 10 of their 12 games against the top six in the West.<\/p>\n Coming up: Houston is the one team in the top 10 in the West that the Hawks haven\u2019t played. They\u2019ll host the Rockets on Thursday, when both teams will be playing the second game of a back-to-back.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: vs. IND, @ BOS, vs. HOU, @ IND<\/p>\n #21<\/p>\n Record: 18-28<\/p>\n OffRtg: 116.7 (6) DefRtg: 116.0 (21) NetRtg: +0.7 (15) Pace: 98.8 (26)<\/p>\n Having clobbered the Magic on Thursday, the 18-28 Hornets now have a positive point differential, that of a team that\u2019s 24-22. It\u2019s a better point differential<\/a> than that of the 27-17 Lakers.<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n With their wins over the Magic and Wizards last week, the Hornets are 14-11<\/a> when LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel have all been available. They\u2019re 14-7 when all three have been in the starting lineup. Ball has come off the bench for one of the two games of the Hornets\u2019 last three back-to-backs, and they\u2019ve lost all three of those games (plus an early-season game when Knueppel came off the bench). They scored just 87 points on 96 possessions in their loss to Cleveland (with Ball as a reserve) on Wednesday, their worst 3-point shooting game<\/a> (8-for-47) of the season.<\/p>\n Before Saturday, the Hornets were the only team without a win (they were 0-14) when they were outscored from 3-point range. But they beat the Wizards by four despite making five fewer 3s, because they were a plus-four inside the arc and a plus-15 (tied for their best differential of the season) at the free throw line. They still rank third in 3-point differential, having outscored their opponents by 5.2 points per game from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n The Hornets\u2019 current starting lineup \u2013 Ball, Miller, Knueppel, Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabat\u00e9 \u2013 has played 138 minutes and outscored opponents by 23.4 points per 100 possessions, the second-best mark<\/a> among 43 lineups that have played at least 100 minutes.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Hornets are one win from matching their win total from last season (19-63<\/a>), and after winning just one of their first eight games against the Western Conference, they\u2019ve won four of their last six<\/a>. After hosting the Sixers on Monday, they\u2019ll play five straight games against the West, facing the Grizzlies, Mavs and Spurs for the first time this week.<\/p>\n Week 15<\/a>: vs. PHI, @ MEM, @ DAL, vs. SAS<\/p>\n #22<\/p>\n Record: 19-27<\/p>\n OffRtg: 110.3 (27) DefRtg: 112.4 (7) NetRtg: -2.1 (22) Pace: 102.5 (4)<\/p>\n The Mavs had won four straight games for the first time this season, beating the Knicks and Warriors last week. And they were seven minutes from making it five straight, but then they blew a 15-point, fourth-quarter lead to the Lakers, scoring just eight points on their final 17 possessions on Saturday.<\/p>\n Three takeaways<\/p>\n The Mavs rank seventh defensively and the last five games (107.8 points allowed per 100 possessions<\/a>) have been their best stretch on that end of the floor since early November. Two of those games came against teams that rank in the top 10 offensively and their win last Monday was the Knicks\u2019 worst offensive game<\/a> of the season (97 points on 105 possessions).<\/p>\n P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford both returned from short absences last week, but Dwight Powell has remained in the starting lineup. He\u2019s played just 478 total minutes thus far, but the Mavs have been at their best (plus-11.6 per 100 possessions<\/a>) with Powell on the floor.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Mavs\u2019 defense will continue to be tested, with seven of their final eight games before the All-Star break coming against teams that rank in the top 10 offensively. They\u2019ve held the Rockets (fourth) to just 108.0 points per 100 possessions (Houston\u2019s second-worst mark vs. any opponent<\/a>) in three meetings thus far, set to complete the season series on Saturday.<\/p>\n
DefRtg<\/a>: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)
NetRtg<\/a>: Point differential per 100 possessions (League Rank)
Pace<\/a>: Possessions per 48 minutes (League Rank)<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612765\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
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