Thunder
So the Thunder’s calling card all season has been their suffocating defense, and while they still have that, they’ve also become an offensive juggernaut of late, putting up an absurd 124 points per 100 possessions over their last 10 games. Chet Holmgren hasn’t missed a beat, as the team’s net rating has improved by nearly 15 points per 100 possessions in the two games since his return. — 44-9
2

Cavaliers
Cleveland has won eight of 10 games and is scoring like crazy, with Max Strus starting to round back into form and newcomer De’Andre Hunter going 7 for 13 from 3-point range in his first two games with the team. They continue to keep distance between themselves and the rest of the Eastern Conference. — 44-10
3

Celtics
When the Celtics want to get serious, they’ve proven they still have a gear virtually no other NBA team can reach, evidenced by the spanking they put on the Knicks at MSG. Jayson Tatum has averaged 35 points, nine rebounds, four assists and just one turnover during Boston’s three-game winning streak. 1 39-16
4

Knicks
The loss to the Celtics definitely raised some antennae, but overall the Knicks have won nine of their last 11 games, averaging 123 points per 100 possessions during that stretch. Karl-Anthony Towns followed up a nine-point dud against Boston with 40 and 44, respectively in wins over the Pacers and Hawks. 1 36-18
5

Grizzlies
Ja Morant hasn’t played more than five consecutive games all season, which has to be at least somewhat concerning when thinking about a potential playoff run. Right now the Grizzlies need to be concerned with Denver, however, which is threatening to take the No. 2 seed from them in the near future. 1 36-18
6

Nuggets
With their eight-game winning streak and the Rockets’ stretch of poor play, the Nuggets have officially seized the No. 3 seed out West, with the Grizzlies square in their sights. Right now they look like the conference’s biggest threat to Oklahoma City, especially with Jamal Murray dropping 55 points on 36 shots against the Blazers on Wednesday. 1 36-19
7

Rockets
The Rockets appear to have pulled out of their early-February tailspin, but the six straight losses did some major damage in terms of the standings. Denver has now moved ahead of them, and the Lakers are tied with them in the loss column. A four- or five-seed would mean a potential second-round matchup with OKC, which nobody wants. 4 34-20
8

Lakers
The championship parade scheduled during Luka Doncic’s debut against the Jazz on Monday was quickly put on hold after the Lakers were stomped in Wednesday’s rematch in Utah. Doncic is rusty after a long layoff, going just 4 for 15 from 3-point range in his first two games, and Laker fans would be wise to exercise patience as he and LeBron James figure out how to play alongside one another. 3 32-20
9

Clippers
The Clippers have lost some ground to the streaking Lakers, meaning they’re much closer to dropping into the Play-In than they are to the No. 5 seed. Huge news in Clipper Land, though, as Kawhi Leonard’s minutes limit has been bumped up to the low 30s. He’s still shaking off the rust, but has shown glimpses of the player who could potentially lead L.A. on a postseason run. 1 30-23
10

Timberwolves
Losing to the Bucks at home without Dame and Giannis is borderline unforgivable, but it’s not like the Wolves are playing with a full squad either. On the plus side, Jaden McDaniels put up a career-high 30 points on 12-for-17 shooting in Saturday’s win over the Blazers. 3 30-25
11

Pacers
The Pacers avoided the unthinkable, salvaging an overtime win against the Wizards on Wednesday, but still — this team has not been playing up to its usual high standard of late. Rick Carlisle elected to shake things up by sending Bennedict Mathurin back to the bench in favor of opening night starter Aaron Nesmith, and Mathurin responded with 28 points in 32 minutes in the win in Washington. 1 30-23
12

Bucks
The Bucks pulled off the impossible, beating Minnesota on the road on Wednesday without Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Newcomers Kyle Kuzma and Kevin Porter Jr. were instrumental, combining for 30 points, 21 rebounds and nine assists in the win. 3 29-24
13

Mavericks
Mavs fans were treated to the full Anthony Davis experience in his debut against the Rockets — a fully dominant first-half spoiled by an early exit due to an injury. Turns out it’s a bad one, too, that could keep him out for a month. Through all of that, and the fans’ bitter reaction to Nico Harrison and the decision to trade Luka Doncic, the Mavs have still won three of their last four. 1 29-26
14

Kings
So far so good in terms of impact for Zach LaVine, who has risen the Kings’ offensive rating by nearly eight points per 100 possessions when he’s been on the floor — and that’s with him shooting 21% from 3-point range in his first five games, in which Sacramento has gone 3-2. Surely it can only improve from here. — 28-26
15

Pistons
The Pistons have mopped the floor with their last four opponents (if only they could play the Bulls every night!), averaging 124 points per 100 possessions over that stretch. Ausar Thompson is starting to turn heads just like his brother, averaging 15 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals on 70% shooting over his last six games. 4 29-26
16

Warriors
The Warriors looked like a novel, energized squad in Jimmy Butler’s first two games, blowout wins over the Bulls and Bucks. But things came to a screeching halt with Wednesday’s loss to a severely shorthanded Mavericks team. They’ll hope it’s just a blip on the radar and that the chemistry Butler and Steph Curry have already shown is more the rule than the exception. 1 27-27
17

Magic
The Magic have split their last four games, but offense is still an absolute slog. Franz Wagner has been the key to any sort of moderate scoring success, with Orlando averaging 110 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor, and just 104 when he sits. — 27-29
18

Suns
Kevin Durant refuted reports of a “toxic” Suns locker room, but they’ve still lost six of seven games and fallen completely out of Play-In positioning. Phoenix has a negative net rating with Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal on the floor together this season — so much for the Big Three. 2 26-28
19

Hawks
The Hawks nearly won their fourth straight game on Wednesday, but fell short in overtime after an improbable late comeback at MSG. Caris LeVert is making himself at home already, averaging 16 points and seven rebounds on 40% 3-point shooting in his first three games with Atlanta. 1 26-29
20

Heat
The post-Jimmy era hasn’t exactly gotten off to a rousing start, as Miami has lost its last three games while scoring a paltry 96.5 points per 100 possessions. The good news is Bam Adebayo is turning his season around, averaging 21 points, 12 rebounds and 4.5 assists on 53/39/78 splits over his last 10 games. 2 25-27
21

Spurs
Quick De’Aaron Fox check-in: 22 points and eight assists per game on 50% shooting as the Spurs have gone 2-3 in his five games with the team. So far with Fox and Wembanyama on the court together, the Spurs have a minus-2.4 net rating in 120 minutes while averaging just under 112 points per 100 possessions (not a lot). — 23-29
22

Trail Blazers
The Blazers were seemingly content with their roster amid a hot streak, standing pat at the trade deadline. Then, they promptly lost three straight games by an average of 19 points. Welp. Donovan Clingan will see an uptick in minutes for the foreseeable future with Deandre Ayton out, and the rookie produced immediately with 17 points, 20 rebounds and three blocks (against Nikola Jokic, no less) in his first start since the injury. 2 23-32
23

Bulls
Yeah, this is getting real bad. The Bulls have lost their last four games by a combined 79 points — just a few more than the 71 they allowed to the Pistons in the first half on Tuesday, while scoring just 29(!) points themselves. Hey, maybe Matas Buzelis putting on a show in Saturday night’s Dunk Contest can light a fire. No pressure, rook. 1 22-33
24

Nets
The Nets have won six of seven games, including consecutive victories over the Rockets, and their one loss came to the … Washington Wizards … at home. What a truly bizarre game basketball is. The Brooklyn defense has been absolutely locked in, allowing just 103 points per 100 possessions during the hot stretch. 2 20-34
25

76ers
Absolutely brutal week for the 76ers, who saw Joel Embiid inexplicably pass up a wide-open 3-pointer in the closing seconds of a home loss to the Raptors, then watched Paul George score TWO POINTS in 37 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Nets with Embiid and Tyrese Maxey out of the lineup. This thing might be reaching the point of no return, with the Play-In looking like the ceiling after the break. 2 20-34
26

Raptors
The Raptors pushed in their chips to get Brandon Ingram at the trade deadline and quickly agreed to an extension, creating a core of him, Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett. Not bad at all, even if things take a while to come to fruition. 1 17-38
27

Hornets
The Hornets have won two of the last four games that LaMelo Ball has played in — unfortunately, however, they’ve lost 14 straight without him. Rookie KJ Simpson has taken advantage of some extra run, averaging 11.5 points, four rebounds and four assists over his last four games on 41% 3-point shooting. — 13-39
28

Jazz
Lauri Markkanen has woken up a bit, getting closer to his averages from last season with 23 points per game over his last three on 50/36/100 splits. That behooves the Jazz, who have seen Markkanen average 22 points in wins on 48% shooting, compared to 19 points on 42% shooting in losses. 1 13-40
29

Pelicans
By virtue of the Pelicans not having any back-to-backs, Zion Williamson has played five straight games for the first time since October, and he’s been predictably efficient — averaging 26 points, five rebounds and five assists on 62% shooting. Hey, he even knocked down a 3-pointer! Williamson has expressed his desire to play in back-to-back games, so we’ll see if the Pelicans alter their stance after the break. (By the way, New Orleans has lost 10 straight. Yeesh.) 1 12-42
30

Wizards
The Wizards won three games in a row last week and then were like, “Woah! What are we doing?” They got back to losing, but at least gave the Pacers a run for their money in Wednesday’s overtime loss. Jordan Poole has scored 42 or more points in two of his last four games, and has averaged a whopping 13 3-point attempts during that stretch. — 9-45