\nSomething Just Ain\u2019t Right: Philadelphia (0-2) \u2014 The Sixers (playing without Joel Embiid) lost to the Blazers and Knicks by a total of 66 points<\/a>.<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
East vs. West<\/p>\n
The West is 145-142<\/a> (.505) against the East in interconference games after going 3-3<\/a> last week.<\/p>\n Schedule strength through Week 17<\/p>\n Toughest: 1. Sacramento, 2. New Orleans, 3. Indiana * * *<\/p>\n Movement in the Rankings<\/p>\n High jumps of the week: Cleveland, Indiana, Milwaukee, Utah (+2) * * *<\/p>\n Week 18 Team to Watch<\/p>\n New York<\/a> \u2014 The Knicks are 0-2 against the first-place Pistons having lost the two games (both in Detroit) by a combined 69 points. The final meeting of the season is Thursday at Madison Square Garden, and the Knicks will have another test when they host the Rockets two nights later.<\/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 100.3 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: 40-13<\/p>\n OffRtg: 116.6 (10) DefRtg: 108.3 (2) NetRtg: +8.3 (2) Pace: 100.4 (17)<\/p>\n The Pistons went into the All-Star break with a three-game winning streak, the league\u2019s best record, and the best record (17-6) in games played between the 16 teams that are currently over .500.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Pistons have outscored their opponents by 13.3 points per game in the restricted area. That\u2019s the best differential for any team in the last seven seasons and almost double the differential for any other team this season.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve averaged 4.6 more shot opportunities than their opponents, the league\u2019s biggest differential. They\u2019ve forced 17.2 turnovers per 100 possessions<\/a>, the highest opponent rate for any team in the last six seasons, also ranking fourth<\/a> in offensive rebounding percentage (35.2%).<\/p>\n Opponents have shot 88-for-206<\/a> (42.7%) at the rim when Isaiah Stewart has been there. That would be the best rim protection mark in the 13 seasons of tracking data for a player who\u2019s defended at least 200 shots at the rim.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Pistons\u2019 first game after the break is their only (regular season) visit to Madison Square Garden. They\u2019ve outscored the Knicks by 69 points over the first two meetings<\/a>, but they\u2019ll be without both Stewart (suspended six more games) and Jalen Duren (one more) for the season-series finale on Thursday.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: @ NYK, @ CHI<\/p>\n #2<\/p>\n Record: 38-16<\/p>\n OffRtg: 117.0 (7) DefRtg: 110.9 (3) NetRtg: +6.1 (5) Pace: 100.9 (13)<\/p>\n The Spurs have the league\u2019s longest active winning streak (six games<\/a>) and are just two games in the loss column behind the Thunder, holding the head-to-head tiebreaker.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Spurs have been the league\u2019s most improved team in regard to winning percentage and on defense, where they\u2019ve allowed 5.4 fewer points per 100 possessions<\/a> than they did last season. They\u2019ve seen the league\u2019s biggest drop in opponent field goal percentage in the paint, from 57.8% (19th) last season to 54.6% (fourth) this season.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve been at their best (plus-12.1 points per 100 possessions) in the first quarter but are also one of two teams with a better record when they\u2019ve lost the first quarter (13-3<\/a>) than when they\u2019ve won the first quarter (24-13<\/a>).<\/p>\n Coming up: The rodeo is in town, so the Spurs come out of the break with their two games in Austin. They\u2019re 0-2 against the Suns<\/a> (who they\u2019ll face on Thursday), though they were without De\u2019Aaron Fox in the first meeting and without both Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama in the second.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: vs. PHX, vs. SAC<\/p>\n #3<\/p>\n Record: 42-14<\/p>\n OffRtg: 117.8 (4) DefRtg: 106.3 (1) NetRtg: +11.5 (1) Pace: 100.7 (15)<\/p>\n With their shorthanded loss to the Bucks on Thursday, the Thunder lost their spot at the top of the combined standings<\/a> and became the third team to match its loss total from last season (68-14).<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Thunder are the only team<\/a> that ranks in the top five on both ends of the floor. They\u2019ve outscored their opponents by 11.7 points per game, what would be the fifth best mark in NBA history.<\/p>\n They lead the league in turnover differential for the third straight season and by a huge margin, having committed 4.5 fewer per game than their opponents. Detroit ranks second at 2.1 fewer turnovers than their opponents. Among 318 players who\u2019ve played at least 500 minutes, Alex Caruso (5.9) and Cason Wallace (5.8) rank fourth and fifth<\/a> in deflections per 36.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Thunder have the league\u2019s second toughest post-break schedule in regard to cumulative opponent winning percentage (.541), though it begins with their first of two meetings with the Nets, and they\u2019ll have a rest-advantage against Brooklyn on Friday.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: vs. BKN, vs. CLE<\/p>\n #4<\/p>\n Record: 35-20<\/p>\n OffRtg: 118.9 (3) DefRtg: 112.8 (11) NetRtg: +6.1 (4) Pace: 98.7 (23)<\/p>\n The Knicks had a confounding loss to the Pacers last week but went into the break with a 49-point win over the Sixers. They\u2019re in a tight race with the Celtics and Cavs for the 2-4 seeds in the East, and they\u2019re currently 4-1 against Boston and Cleveland.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Knicks have the league\u2019s biggest home-road differentials in regard to winning percentage (21-7 vs. 13-13) and point differential per 100 possessions (plus-10.1 vs. plus-1.6<\/a>). The latter has been more about defense than offense.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve seen the league\u2019s biggest jump in 3-point rate, from 38.2% of their shots (28th<\/a>) last season to 43.8% (ninth<\/a>) this season. But they rank last in the percentage of their 3-point attempts (41%) that have been wide open, according to tracking data.<\/p>\n Jalen Brunson leads the league<\/a> in time of possession for the third straight season, but his 7.8 minutes per game of possession is his lowest rate in his four seasons with the Knicks. His average seconds per touch (5.18) and dribbles per touch (4.82) are also down from last season (6.06 and 6.04<\/a>).<\/p>\n Coming up: The Knicks are 0-2 vs. the Pistons, having scored just 89.9 points per 100 possessions<\/a> over the two losses, which both came by more than 30 points. The third and final (regular season) meeting is Thursday in New York.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: vs. DET, vs. HOU, @ CHI<\/p>\n #5<\/p>\n Record: 35-20<\/p>\n OffRtg: 121.0 (1) DefRtg: 116.9 (24) NetRtg: +4.1 (9) Pace: 98.4 (25)<\/p>\n The Nuggets remain banged up, going into the break without Aaron Gordon, Spencer Jones and Peyton Watson. They\u2019re just 2-4 in February <\/a>but are holding onto third place in the West.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Nuggets are the only team that ranks in the top 10 on one end of the floor and in the bottom 10 on the other end. They\u2019ve combined with their opponents to score 118.9 points per 100 possessions, the league\u2019s highest combined mark by a wide margin.<\/p>\n They\u2019re the only team that ranks in the top 10 in field goal percentage in the paint (59.2%, seventh), mid-range field goal percentage (44.5%, fifth<\/a>) and 3-point percentage (39.5%, first<\/a>). They lead the league with seven players<\/a> who\u2019ve shot 38% or better on at least 100 3-point attempts.<\/p>\n The Nuggets have been 15.8 points per 100 possessions<\/a> better with Nikola Joki\u0107 on the floor (plus-11.7 per 100) than they\u2019ve been with him off the floor (minus-4.1). That has him leading the league in on-off differential (among players who\u2019ve played at least 750 minutes) for what would be the fifth straight season, though that 15.8 per 100 is his smallest differential in those five years.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Nuggets have the league\u2019s toughest remaining schedule in regard to cumulative opponent winning percentage (.551). After they play a road back-to-back against the Clippers and Blazers, 11 of their next 12 games will come against teams currently over .500.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: @ LAC, @ POR, @ GSW<\/p>\n #6<\/p>\n Record: 35-19<\/p>\n OffRtg: 120.2 (2) DefRtg: 112.6 (9) NetRtg: +7.5 (3) Pace: 95.7 (30)<\/p>\n The Celtics won six of their last seven games<\/a> before the All-Star break, though the one loss came by 22 points to the Knicks, who they lead by a half game for second place in the East.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Celtics are 35-19 with the point differential of a team that\u2019s 40-14. They have the league\u2019s biggest differential between their record in games that weren\u2019t within five points in the last five minutes (23-5) and their record in games that were within five in the last five (12-14<\/a>).<\/p>\n They\u2019ve seen the league\u2019s biggest drop in 3-point rate, from 53.6% (the highest rate in NBA history) last season to 46.5% (fifth in the league<\/a>) this season. They still rank last in the percentage of their shots (40%) that have come in the paint, and they still have the league\u2019s biggest differential between their record when they\u2019ve shot the league average (35.9%) or better from 3-point range (24-2<\/a>, .923) and their record when they\u2019ve shot worse (11-17<\/a>, .393).<\/p>\n They have the league\u2019s second-ranked defense, even though Derrick White (from 58.0% to 48.3%<\/a>) and Payton Pritchard (from 62.0% to 55.4%<\/a>) have seen the biggest and third biggest drops in effective field goal percentage among 76 players with at least 500 field goal attempts in each of the last two seasons.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Celtics come out of the break with a four-game trip where they\u2019re playing four of the top eight teams in the Western Conference. They\u2019re just 2-4 (1-1) against the West\u2019s top eight thus far.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: @ GSW, @ LAL<\/p>\n #7<\/p>\n Record: 34-21<\/p>\n OffRtg: 117.5 (5) DefRtg: 113.3 (12) NetRtg: +4.2 (8) Pace: 101.8 (8)<\/p>\n The Cavs are undefeated (3-0) with James Harden, won 10 of their last 11 games<\/a> before the All-Star break, and have had the league\u2019s best record<\/a> (17-6) since Christmas. They\u2019ve gone from eighth<\/a> to fourth in the East over the last seven weeks and have put themselves in position to climb as high as second.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n They\u2019ve seen the league\u2019s biggest drop in 3-point percentage, from 38.3% (second<\/a>) last season to 35.8% (15th<\/a>) this season. Among 192 players with at least 100 3-point attempts in each of the last two seasons, De\u2019Andre Hunter (traded), Lonzo Ball (traded), Keon Ellis (acquired for Hunter) and Evan Mobley have seen the second, 10th, 13th and 14th biggest drops in 3-point percentage.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve been 8.8 points per 100 possessions better in the second halves of games (plus-8.7, second best<\/a>) than they\u2019ve been in first halves (minus-0.1, 16th<\/a>). That\u2019s been the league\u2019s biggest halftime improvement and only the Lakers (20-1) have fewer losses than the Cavs (23-3<\/a>) when leading at halftime.<\/p>\n Donovan Mitchell has registered his highest usage rate<\/a> (31.6%) in his four seasons with the Cavs, and his true shooting percentage (61.9%) is the highest of his career<\/a>. His 52.3% from mid-range is the best mark of his career and ranks third<\/a> among 37 players with at least 100 mid-range attempts.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Cavs\u2019 first five post-break games are their third (and final) stretch of five games in seven days. The one game that\u2019s not part of a back-to-back is their visit to Oklahoma City on Sunday.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: vs. BKN, @ CHA, @ OKC<\/p>\n #8<\/p>\n Record: 33-20<\/p>\n OffRtg: 117.0 (6) DefRtg: 112.0 (5) NetRtg: +5.0 (6) Pace: 96.6 (28)<\/p>\n The Rockets rank 28th<\/a> offensively over the last six weeks, but they\u2019re still in the top four in the West with the easiest post-break schedule among teams in the top eight.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Rockets have retained 39.9% of available offensive rebounds<\/a>, the highest rate for any team in the 30 seasons of play-by-play data. If you took away every team\u2019s second-chance points, they would rank 22nd offensively (98.3 points scored per 100 possessions). But with second-chance points included, they rank sixth.<\/p>\n They\u2019re one of two teams \u2013 the Clippers are the other \u2013 that rank in the bottom two in both ball movement (299 passes per 24 minutes of possession, 29th) and player movement (9.7 miles traveled per 24 minutes of possession, 30th).<\/p>\n The Rockets rank sixth<\/a> in 3-point percentage (37.0%), with Tari Eason (46.0%) fourth<\/a> among individuals. But Houston is 30th<\/a> in the percentage of its shots (34.0%) that have come from 3-point range and has been outscored by 2.1 points per game from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Rockets lost at home to the Hornets less than two weeks ago and they\u2019ll begin their post-break schedule in Charlotte on Thursday. They\u2019re playing five off their next seven games against the Eastern Conference.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: @ CHA, @ NYK<\/p>\n #9<\/p>\n Record: 34-22<\/p>\n OffRtg: 117.0 (8) DefRtg: 112.4 (7) NetRtg: +4.6 (7) Pace: 101.7 (9)<\/p>\n After a couple of bad losses, the Wolves went into the break with a pair of comfortable wins and they\u2019re just 1.5 games behind the third-place Nuggets.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n This would be the 13th time in the last 16 seasons where the Wolves had fewer actual wins than \u201cexpected\u201d wins, based on their point differential. They\u2019re one of four teams<\/a> that rank in the top eight on both ends of the floor and have the point differential (fourth best in the West<\/a>) of a team that\u2019s 37-19. But they\u2019re just 12-12<\/a> (1-5 since mid-January) in games that were within five points in the last five minutes, even though Anthony Edwards has been the league\u2019s best clutch shooter<\/a>.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve allowed 8.8 fewer points per 100 possessions at home (108.3, third<\/a>) than they have on the road (116.9, 22nd<\/a>). That\u2019s the league\u2019s biggest home-road differential on either end of the floor.<\/p>\n Among 192 players with at least 100 3-point attempts in each of the last two seasons, Jaden McDaniels (from 33.0% to 45.4%<\/a>) and Ayo Dosunmu (from 32.8% to 44.7%<\/a>) have seen the two biggest jumps in 3-point percentage.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Wolves have the league\u2019s third toughest post-break schedule in regard to cumulative opponent winning percentage (.522), though three of their first four games are against teams that currently have losing records. They were 14-1 against that group in mid-December but have since gone 8-8.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: vs. DAL, vs. PHI<\/p>\n #10<\/p>\n Record: 32-23<\/p>\n OffRtg: 114.5 (14) DefRtg: 112.7 (10) NetRtg: +1.8 (13) Pace: 99.0 (22)<\/p>\n The Suns lost three of their last four games before the All-Star break, but they were just getting Devin Booker back from an extended absence and still have a shot at climbing into the top six in the Western Conference.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Suns have allowed 5.0 fewer points per 100 possessions than they did last season (117.7 per 100, 27th<\/a>). That\u2019s the league\u2019s second biggest drop. They\u2019ve seen the league\u2019s biggest jumps in average pick-up distance (according to tracking data) and opponent turnover rate, from 12.3 per 100 possessions (28th<\/a>) last season to 16.9 (second<\/a>) this season.<\/p>\n They have the fourth best record (28-5, .848) in games they led by double-digits. But they\u2019re also just 7-21 (.250, 20th) in games they trailed by double-digits. That\u2019s the league\u2019s biggest such differential.<\/p>\n Dillon Brooks has a usage rate of 28.2%, up from 17.6% last season<\/a>. That\u2019s the biggest jump among 334 players who\u2019ve played at least 250 minutes in each of the last two seasons.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Suns are one of five teams with a league-high seven back-to-backs left on their schedule, and the first is Saturday and Sunday, when they\u2019ll host the Magic and Blazers. That\u2019s the start of a stretch where they\u2019re playing seven of eight games at home.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: @ SAS, vs. ORL, vs. POR<\/p>\n #11<\/p>\n Record: 33-21<\/p>\n OffRtg: 116.3 (11) DefRtg: 116.6 (23) NetRtg: -0.3 (16) Pace: 99.7 (19)<\/p>\n The Lakers are holding onto one of the top six spots in the West, having closed their pre-break schedule with a 3-2 homestand where the losses came to the Thunder and Spurs.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Lakers are tied (with the 44-28, 1953-54 Knicks) for what would be the best record in NBA history for a team with a negative point differential. They\u2019ve been outscored by a single point over their 54 games but are 15-3<\/a> in games that were within five points in the last five minutes. That would be the third best clutch record in the 30 seasons for which we have play-by-play data, though those 18 clutch games are the fewest in the league<\/a>.<\/p>\n They lead the league in free throw differential for what would be the fourth straight season, having outscored their opponents by 3.7 points per game at the line. They also have the league\u2019s biggest differential in their field goal percentage in the paint (63.3%, first) and their effective field goal percentage on shots from outside the paint (50.9%, 16th).<\/p>\n The Lakers have been outscored by 5.2 points per 100 possessions<\/a> in 680 minutes with both Luka Don\u010di\u0107 and LeBron James on the floor. But somehow they are still 19-11 when they\u2019ve both been available. They\u2019ve outscored opponents by 5.3 per 100 (with much better offensive numbers) in 1,332 total minutes with only one of Don\u010di\u0107 or James on the floor.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Lakers\u2019 schedule remains home-heavy for the next month. They come out of the break with a rest-advantage game against the Clippers. But they\u2019re one of three teams \u2013 the Pistons and Thunder are the others \u2013 with a league-high 18 remaining games against teams that have winning records. They\u2019re 11-13 (6-7 at home) within that group thus far.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: vs. LAC, vs. BOS<\/p>\n #12<\/p>\n Record: 32-23<\/p>\n OffRtg: 113.8 (16) DefRtg: 112.2 (6) NetRtg: +1.5 (14) Pace: 99.3 (21)<\/p>\n The Raptors got Jakob Poeltl back from a 24-game absence on Wednesday, but they got clobbered by the Pistons, falling to 0-7 against the top three teams in the East. They remain in fifth place, but have some work to do to secure a spot in the top six.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Raptors are one of three teams \u2013 the Sixers and Spurs are the others \u2013 that (when you take the league-average efficiency increase into account) have been at least two points per 100 possessions better than they were last season on both ends of the floor. They\u2019ve seen the league\u2019s third biggest jump in points scored per 100 possessions and the sixth biggest drop in points allowed per 100.<\/p>\n They lead the league in both the percentage of their 3-point attempts that have been off the catch (84%) and the percentage that have been wide open (64%), according to tracking data. But they\u2019re one of six teams that rank in the bottom 10 in both 3-point percentage (34.4%, 25th<\/a>) and the percentage of their shots that have come from 3-point range (37.5%, 25th<\/a>).<\/p>\n The Raptors have outscored their opponents by 9.3 points per game in transition, the league\u2019s biggest transition differential by a healthy margin. They rank in the top three in both the percentage of their own possessions that have been in transition (22.6%, third<\/a>) and the (lowest) percentage of their opponents\u2019 possessions that have been in transition (15.6%, first<\/a>).<\/p>\n Coming up: The Raptors are one of six teams with a better record on the road (16-10) than they have at home (16-13), and they\u2019ll play 15 of their 27 remaining games on the road. Their post-break schedule begins with games in Chicago and Milwaukee, with the Raptors currently 16-5 (7-3 on the road) against the seven East teams with losing records.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: @ CHI, @ MIL<\/p>\n #13<\/p>\n Record: 30-24<\/p>\n OffRtg: 114.8 (11) DefRtg: 114.5 (15) NetRtg: +0.3 (15) Pace: 99.6 (20)<\/p>\n The Sixers lost three of their last four games before the break, getting clobbered (without Joel Embiid) by the Knicks on Wednesday. But they remain in the top six in the East and have a relatively easy remaining schedule.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Sixers have been the league\u2019s second most improved team in regard to winning percentage and have already won six more games than they did last season. They\u2019ve seen the league\u2019s fourth biggest jump in points scored per 100 possessions (+3.8<\/a>) and its fourth biggest drop in points allowed per 100 possessions (-2.8).<\/p>\n The Sixers are the only team that ranks in the bottom five in shot quality on both offense (30th) and defense (26th), according to tracking data. But they\u2019re one of four teams in the top 10 in three of the four factors related to the possession game, ranking seventh<\/a> in turnover rate, ninth<\/a> in offensive rebounding percentage and seventh<\/a> in opponent turnover rate.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve outscored their opponents by 6.0 points per 100 possessions over the first, second and fourth quarters, but have been outscored by 18.0 per 100<\/a> in the third. That would be the worst mark for any team in any quarter in the last 10 seasons.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Sixers have lost two wild games to Atlanta this season, and they\u2019ll open their post-break schedule with a visit from the Hawks on Thursday. They\u2019ll then hit the road for a back-to-back, with their rest-disadvantage game in Minnesota on Sunday night being the first of 12 remaining games (tied for most in the league) against teams<\/a> that currently rank in the top 10 offensively.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: vs. ATL, @ NOP, @ MIN<\/p>\n #14<\/p>\n Record: 26-28<\/p>\n OffRtg: 115.3 (12) DefRtg: 115.6 (20) NetRtg: -0.4 (17) Pace: 96.6 (29)<\/p>\n The Clippers have remained competitive in the wake of the trades that sent James Harden and Ivica Zubac East. They went 3-1 on their four-game trip leading into the All-Star break, beating the Wolves and splitting two games in Houston.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Clippers have seen the league\u2019s biggest drop-off on defense, having allowed 6.2 more points per 100 possessions<\/a> than they did last season (109.4 per 100, third). They\u2019ve seen the third largest drop in opponent turnover rate and its second largest drop in defensive rebounding percentage.<\/p>\n They\u2019re 21-4<\/a> (with 16 straight wins) when their opponent has shot worse than the league average (35.9%) from 3-point range and 5-24<\/a> when their opponent has shot league average or better from beyond the arc. That\u2019s the league\u2019s biggest such differential by a healthy margin.<\/p>\n Kawhi Leonard has averaged 2.06 steals + blocks per personal foul, the highest rate (by a wide margin) among 323 players who\u2019ve played at least 500 minutes. His 34 more steals (86<\/a>) than fouls (52) is by far the biggest such differential among that same group. (Only four others have more steals than fouls.).<\/p>\n Coming up: The Clippers have the league\u2019s third easiest remaining schedule in regard to cumulative opponent winning percentage (.473), but it starts with four straight games against teams with winning records. They\u2019re 10-6 against that group since Dec. 20, a stretch that includes two wins over the Lakers<\/a>, who they\u2019ll visit (with a rest disadvantage) on Friday.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: vs. DEN, @ LAL, vs. ORL<\/p>\n #15<\/p>\n Record: 26-29<\/p>\n OffRtg: 116.8 (9) DefRtg: 114.8 (16) NetRtg: +2.0 (11) Pace: 98.5 (24)<\/p>\n The Hornets\u2019 nine-game winning streak came to an end in Detroit last Monday, but they went into a break with a win over the Hawks that has them in ninth place in the East.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Hornets have been the league\u2019s most improved team statistically, 11.1 points per 100 possessions<\/a> better than they were last season. They\u2019ve been the most improved team on offense by a huge margin, scoring 10.1 per 100 more than they did in 2024-25. No other team has seen a jump of more than 4.7 points scored per 100 possessions.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve outscored their opponents by 1.9 points per game, the point differential of a team that should be 31-24. It would be the fifth best point differential for a team with a losing record in NBA history. At one point, they were 4-13 in games that were within five points in the last five minutes. (They\u2019ve won five of their last six since.)<\/p>\n The Hornets are the only team<\/a> that ranks in the top five in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Hornets\u2019 winning streak included an impressive win<\/a> in Houston in which they won the rebounding battle against the only team<\/a> that has a higher rebounding percentage than they do. The rematch is Thursday in Charlotte.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: vs. HOU, vs. CLE, @ WAS<\/p>\n #16<\/p>\n Record: 29-26<\/p>\n OffRtg: 114.3 (15) DefRtg: 112.5 (8) NetRtg: +1.8 (12) Pace: 100.7 (14)<\/p>\n The Warriors were able to stay afloat with Stephen Curry missing the last five games before the All-Star break, winning two of those five games<\/a>. They\u2019re three games behind the seventh-place Suns and three games in the loss column ahead of the ninth-place Blazers.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Warriors lead the league in 3-point rate<\/a> (50.8% of their shots) and 3-point differential, having outscored their opponents by 11.3 points per game from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n Stephen Curry leads the league<\/a> in gravity score (how much a player pulls defenders toward them above expected). He ranks fifth<\/a> in on-ball gravity but is first<\/a> in off-ball gravity by a huge margin.<\/p>\n The Warriors have outscored their opponents by 16.8 points per 100 possessions in De\u2019Anthony Melton\u2019s 609 minutes on the floor. That\u2019s the best on-court mark<\/a> among 228 players who\u2019ve averaged at least 20 minutes in 25 games or more.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Warriors are one of two teams with a league-high 12 games remaining against teams that currently rank in the top 10 offensively, and they\u2019ll come out of the break with home games against the league\u2019s top two offenses.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: vs. BOS, vs. DEN<\/p>\n #17<\/p>\n Record: 28-25<\/p>\n OffRtg: 113.6 (19) DefRtg: 114.0 (14) NetRtg: -0.4 (18) Pace: 100.6 (16)<\/p>\n The Magic got Franz Wagner back last week, but after winning three straight games, they went into the break with a loss to the Bucks and remain in seventh place in the East.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Magic have seen the league\u2019s second biggest jump in points scored per 100 possessions (+4.7<\/a>) and are in position to (barely) rank outside the bottom 10 in offensive efficiency for the first time in the last 14 seasons. They\u2019ve seen the league\u2019s second biggest jump in the percentage of their shots that have come in the paint and its second biggest jump in 3-point percentage.<\/p>\n On the other end of the floor, the Magic have seen the league\u2019s second biggest jump in points allowed per 100 possessions (+4.9). They\u2019ve seen its biggest drop in opponent turnover rate, from 16.8 (second<\/a>) last season to 15.2 (ninth<\/a>) this season<\/p>\n They\u2019re tied for the league lead with 14 wins (they\u2019re 14-20) in games they trailed by double-digits and lead the league with six wins (they\u2019re 6-17) in games they trailed by 15 points or more.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Magic still have 14 games remaining against the Western Conference and they\u2019ll begin their post-break schedule with a four-game trip through the Pacific Division. They\u2019re one of two teams with a league-high six rest-disadvantage games remaining, and the first will be their visit to the Clippers on Sunday.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: @ SAC, @ PHX, @ LAC<\/p>\n #18<\/p>\n Record: 29-27<\/p>\n OffRtg: 113.7 (17) DefRtg: 111.6 (4) NetRtg: +2.1 (10) Pace: 104.9 (1)<\/p>\n The Heat continue to have a hard time stringing multiple wins together, somehow losing to the Jazz (at home) last Monday when Utah rested its best players for the final 15 minutes.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Heat have averaged 7.8 more possessions per 48 minutes than they did last season (97.1, 27th<\/a>). That would be the third biggest season-to-season pace jump for any team in the last 25 years. They\u2019ve also seen the league\u2019s biggest jumps from last season in both ball movement and player movement.<\/p>\n They rank in the top 10 defensively for what would be the sixth straight season and the 23rd time in the last 30. They\u2019re the only team<\/a> that ranks in the top 10 in each of the four factors on defense.<\/p>\n They have the league\u2019s biggest differential between their record when they\u2019ve won the first quarter (24-11<\/a>, 686) and their record when they\u2019ve lost the first quarter (4-16<\/a>, .200).<\/p>\n Coming up: The Heat are 10-3 against the seven teams behind them in the Eastern Conference standings, though that includes a loss to the Hawks earlier this month. They\u2019ll begin their post-break schedule with a rest-advantage game in Atlanta on Friday.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: @ ATL, vs. MEM<\/p>\n #19<\/p>\n Record: 27-29<\/p>\n OffRtg: 113.5 (21) DefRtg: 115.5 (18) NetRtg: -2.0 (20) Pace: 102.1 (6)<\/p>\n After a six-game losing streak, the Blazers won four of their last five games<\/a> before the break. They appear safely within the Play-In group in the West and probably have the opportunity to climb into the top eight.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Blazers rank second in shot quality, having seen the biggest jump from last season (when they ranked 25th), according to tracking data. But they\u2019re 22nd<\/a> in effective field goal percentage (53.2%).<\/p>\n According to tracking data, the Blazers lead the league in average pick up distance (52.1 feet from the basket) on defense. But they still rank 28th in turnover differential (2.1 per game more than their opponents) because they\u2019ve committed a league-high<\/a> 16.9 turnovers per 100 possessions.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Blazers have the league\u2019s easiest remaining schedule in regard to cumulative opponent winning percentage (.452), with only nine of their 26 games coming against teams that currently have winning records. Three of those nine are their first three games out of the break, but they\u2019ll have rest advantages against the Nuggets on Friday and in Phoenix two nights later.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: vs. DEN, @ PHX<\/p>\n #20<\/p>\n Record: 26-30<\/p>\n OffRtg: 113.6 (20) DefRtg: 114.9 (17) NetRtg: -1.3 (19) Pace: 102.9 (3)<\/p>\n The Hawks lost their last three games<\/a> before the All-Star break, with two of those losses coming to the ninth-place Hornets, who they now trail by a half game.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n This would be the first time in the last six seasons that the Hawks had a worse-than-average offense. They\u2019ve actually seen a jump in effective field goal percentage<\/a> from last season, but they have the league\u2019s second biggest drop in free throw rate and its biggest drop in offensive rebounding percentage.<\/p>\n They would be the sixth team in NBA history with a winning record (16-15) on the road and a losing record (10-15) at home. Four of the previous five have come in the last five seasons (2020-21 through last season).<\/p>\n Jalen Johnson (from 34.2 to 42.5) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (from 21.9 to 29.7) have seen the eighth and ninth biggest jumps in points + rebounds + assists per 36 minutes among 263 players who\u2019ve played at least 500 minutes in each of the last two seasons. Johnson\u2019s 98 assists<\/a> to Alexander-Walker are the second most from any player to a single teammate.<\/p>\n Coming up: The Hawks have the league\u2019s most home-heavy remaining schedule, though it starts in Philadelphia on Thursday. They\u2019ll then play 10 of their next 11 games at State Farm Arena, a stretch that includes two games each against the Nets, Wizards and Bucks.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: @ PHI, vs. MIA, vs. BKN<\/p>\n #21<\/p>\n Record: 23-30<\/p>\n OffRtg: 113.1 (24) DefRtg: 116.4 (22) NetRtg: -3.3 (23) Pace: 98.4 (26)<\/p>\n The Bucks won five of their last six games<\/a> before the All-Star break, winning in Orlando and Oklahoma City last week. They\u2019re now 8-15 without Giannis Antetokounmpo and 1.5 games out of a Play-In spot in the East.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Bucks have averaged 4.2 fewer shot opportunities than their opponents, the league\u2019s biggest discrepancy. They rank last in the percentage of their points that have come on fast breaks (11.1%, 28th<\/a>) or second chances (10.4%, 30th).<\/p>\n They rank second<\/a> in 3-point percentage (39.2%) after ranking first<\/a> (38.7%) last season. Bobby Portis (51.2%) and AJ Green (50.9%) are two of the three players<\/a> who\u2019ve shot better than 50% on at least 75 attempts from the corners.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve gotten just 26 total minutes from rookies or second-year players, all of them<\/a> from rookie Mark Sears, who is no longer on the roster. Every other team has gotten at least 970 minutes from first or second-year guys.<\/p>\n Coming up: After a visit to New Orleans on Friday, the Bucks will play nine of their next 10 games at home. Their 8-15 record without Antetokounmpo includes a 5-5 mark at Fiserv Forum.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: @ NOP, vs. TOR<\/p>\n #22<\/p>\n Record: 24-31<\/p>\n OffRtg: 113.5 (22) DefRtg: 117.6 (25) NetRtg: -4.1 (24) Pace: 102.3 (5)<\/p>\n The Bulls climbed above .500 (23-22) and then lost nine of their last 10 games before the All-Star break, breaking up their team along the way.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Bulls lead the league in ball movement (393 passes per 24 minutes of possession) and they rank third in player movement (11.6 miles traveled per 24 minutes of possession). They rank second in the percentage of their 3-point attempts (83%) that have come off the catch and third in the percentage (62%) that have been wide open.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve taken just 4.7% of their shots from mid-range (between the paint and the 3-point line), what would be the lowest rate for any team in the 30 seasons of shot-location data. They\u2019re the only team this season that ranks in the top 10 in the percentage of their shots that have come in the paint (51.0%, seventh) and the percentage that have come from 3-point range (44.2%, eighth<\/a>).<\/p>\n They rank 29th<\/a> in opponent turnover rate (12.3 per 100 possessions) for the second straight season. They\u2019re last<\/a> in deflections per game (14.1).<\/p>\n Coming up: The Bulls come out of the break with their longest homestand of the season (seven games over 13 days), with four of the seven games coming against teams with winning records. They\u2019re currently 7-2 at home against the top eight teams in the East, set to host the Raptors, Pistons and Knicks this week.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: vs. TOR, vs. DET, vs. NYK<\/p>\n #23<\/p>\n Record: 19-35<\/p>\n OffRtg: 110.2 (27) DefRtg: 113.5 (13) NetRtg: -3.3 (22) Pace: 102.5 (4)<\/p>\n The Mavs went into the All-Star break with a nine-game losing streak<\/a>, with eight of the nine games coming against teams with winning records and the other coming against the red-hot Hornets.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Mavs and their opponents have combined to score just 111.8 points per 100 possessions, the league\u2019s lowest combined mark. They\u2019ve seen the league\u2019s fourth biggest drop in points scored per 100 from last season, but also its fifth biggest drop in points allowed per 100.<\/p>\n They lead the league<\/a> with 34 games that were within five points in the last five minutes. They\u2019re 13-21 (fifth worst<\/a>) in those games, ranking 26th<\/a> in clutch offense (102.0 points scored per 100 possessions).<\/p>\n Cooper Flagg would be just the eighth rookie in NBA history to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and four assists per game. The last three to do it were Larry Bird (1979-80), Michael Jordan (1984-85) and Luka Don\u010di\u0107 (2018-19).<\/p>\n Coming up: The Mavs have scored just 94.4 points per 100 possessions (their worst mark vs. any opponent<\/a>) as they\u2019ve lost their first two meetings<\/a> with the Wolves. They come out of the break with a three-game trip that begins in Minnesota on Friday.<\/p>\n Week 18<\/a>: @ MIN, @ IND<\/p>\n #24<\/p>\n Record: 15-41<\/p>\n OffRtg: 112.4 (25) DefRtg: 118.0 (27) NetRtg: -5.6 (25) Pace: 101.1 (12)<\/p>\n The Pelicans had a relatively good three-game stretch (especially offensively) before losing to the Heat in their last game before the break. They\u2019re still in 14th place in the West, but will have the opportunity to move up with three games remaining against the 13th-place Jazz.<\/p>\n Three numbers to know<\/p>\n The Pelicans have been the league\u2019s seventh most improved team, 3.8 points per 100 possessions<\/a> than they were last season. But they\u2019re still one of seven teams<\/a> that rank in the bottom 10 on both ends of the floor and also have the second worst record<\/a> (10-21) in games that were within five points in the last five minutes.<\/p>\n They lead the league in the percentage of their shots (57%) that have come in the paint. But they rank 29th in field goal percentage in the paint (55.0%) and also rank last in 3-point differential, having been outscored by 10.2 points per game from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n
\nEasiest: 1. Denver, 2. Detroit, 3. Minnesota
\nSchedule strength = cumulative opponent record.<\/p>\n
\nFree falls of the week: Brooklyn, Phoenix, Washington (-2)<\/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}
Detroit Pistons<\/a>Last Week:1<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612759\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
San Antonio Spurs<\/a>Last Week:2<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612760\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a>Last Week:3<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612752\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
New York Knicks<\/a>Last Week:4<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612743\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
Denver Nuggets<\/a>Last Week:5<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612738\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
Boston Celtics<\/a>Last Week:6<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612739\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a>Last Week:9\u2191<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612745\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
Houston Rockets<\/a>Last Week:7\u2193<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612750\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a>Last Week:10\u2191<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612756\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
Phoenix Suns<\/a>Last Week:8\u2193<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612747\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
Los Angeles Lakers<\/a>Last Week:11<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612761\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
Toronto Raptors<\/a>Last Week:13\u2191<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612755\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
Philadelphia 76ers<\/a>Last Week:12\u2193<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612746\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
LA Clippers<\/a>Last Week:14<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612766\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
Charlotte Hornets<\/a>Last Week:15<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612744\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
Golden State Warriors<\/a>Last Week:16<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612753\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
Orlando Magic<\/a>Last Week:18\u2191<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612748\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
Miami Heat<\/a>Last Week:17\u2193<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612757\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
Portland Trail Blazers<\/a>Last Week:20\u2191<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612737\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
Atlanta Hawks<\/a>Last Week:19\u2193<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612749\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
Milwaukee Bucks<\/a>Last Week:23\u2191<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612741\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
Chicago Bulls<\/a>Last Week:21\u2193<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612742\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
Dallas Mavericks<\/a>Last Week:22\u2193<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/logos\/nba\/1610612740\/primary\/L\/logo.svg\" "\\""){kind=logo}
New Orleans Pelicans<\/a>Last Week:24<\/p>\n