Record: 33-5

OffRtg: 121.2 (1) DefRtg: 110.6 (9) NetRtg: +10.6 (2) Pace: 100.7 (6)

The Cavs won the first matchup between the two best teams in the league, scoring an efficient 129 points on 101 possessions against what remains the best defense in the 29 seasons of play-by-play data. Then, they had their worst offensive performance of 2024-25 against the Pacers.

Three takeaways

• The Cavs shot well (15-for-36) from 3-point range on Wednesday, but were also able to dominate inside, with their 46 points in the restricted area being tied for the most that the Thunder have allowed this season. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley had 30 (on 15-for-18 shooting) of those 46, and that doesn’t include the biggest bucket of the night when Mobley took Isaiah Hartenstein into the paint to put the Cavs up five with a little more than a minute left.

• According to Synergy tracking, the 17 possessions of zone (on which the Thunder scored only 13 points) that the Cavs played on Wednesday was the second most zone they’ve played this season. They rank third with 5.7 possessions of zone per game and sixth in points allowed per zone possession (0.94) among the 14 teams that have played at least 75 possessions of zone this season.

• The Cavs’ 12-game winning streak ended Sunday against the Pacers, when they blew a 15-point, third-quarter lead, scoring just 33 points on their final 47 possessions. Caris LeVert’s shooting (8-for-26 from 3-point range in January) may finally be regressing toward the mean.

The second half of the Cavs’ home-and-home series with Indiana is Tuesday and the start of a stretch where they’re playing five of six on the road. The other rematch is Thursday in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder have won nine straight.

Week 13: @ IND, @ OKC, @ MIN

Record: 32-6

OffRtg: 115.6 (6) DefRtg: 102.9 (1) NetRtg: +12.7 (1) Pace: 100.5 (7)

The Thunder’s 15-game winning streak (in games that count toward the regular-season standings) came to an end in Cleveland on Wednesday, but they still have a huge lead at the top of the Western Conference.

Three takeaways

• For the second straight season, the Thunder defense is yielding the most corner 3-point attempts in the league (11.0 per game), and the Cavs were 8-for-14 from the corners as they handed the Thunder their second-worst defensive performance of the season (129 points allowed on 101 possessions) on Wednesday.

• Yielding corner 3s is the flip side of having an aggressive defense with the league’s highest opponent turnover rate by a wide margin. And most of the time, the Thunder force 3-point attempts that are rushed and/or from sub-par shooters. “We choose aggression,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said before his team responded with a thrashing of the Knicks on Friday. “And we really try to put teams in positions where they’re on our terms. I thought [vs.] Cleveland the other night, we played the game on their terms, and that’s why they were able to create so much rhythm. And that’s a credit to them.”

• The Cavs also built a five-point lead with a minute to go with a 56-second possession in which the Thunder couldn’t get a rebound. Oklahoma City has a defensive rebounding percentage of 69.7% in wins and just 63.7% in losses, with that being the league’s second-biggest win-loss differential on the defensive glass.

The Thunder will try to defend on their terms when they face the Cavs again on Thursday. That’s the front end of a home-road back-to-back in which the opponents — Cleveland are Dallas — are two of the six teams Oklahoma City has lost to this season. The Thunder were much better on the glass when they beat the Mavs in the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals with Isaiah Hartenstein than they were when they lost without him (and Chet Holmgren) back in November.

Week 13: @ PHI, vs. CLE, @ DAL, vs. BKN

Record: 28-11

OffRtg: 119.2 (2) DefRtg: 109.8 (7) NetRtg: +9.5 (3) Pace: 98.2 (24)

The Celtics continue to tread water and were fortunate to escape with a win over the Pelicans on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• Through their first 35 games, the Celtics were outscored from 3-point range just four times. In their last four games, they’ve been outscored from 3-point range … four times. Three of those games have come against teams — Denver (30th), Sacramento (24th) and New Orleans (26th) — that rank in the bottom seven in 3-point rate.

• The bigger difference has been on their end of the floor, with the last three games being just the eighth, ninth and 10th times, respectively, they’ve taken less than half of their shots from beyond the arc. They’ve also shot just 27% from deep over the four-game stretch, with Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard a combined 9-for-59 (15%). According to tracking data, 47% of their 3-point attempts have been wide open over the four games, a rate above their season-long mark of 44% (fourth lowest). But they’ve shot 15-for-62 (24%) on those wide-open 3s.

• Their weekend games against the Kings and Pelicans were just the third and fourth times the Celtics had the top eight players in their rotation all available. Their when-healthy starting lineup (with Kristaps Porziņģis) has now been outscored by 8.9 points per 100 possessions (scoring just 107.9 per 100) in its 138 minutes.

The Celtics are 11-5 within the top nine in the East, with narrow losses to both the Magic and Hawks. They’ll host them both this coming weekend and will be at a rest disadvantage on Saturday against Atlanta, currently 5-1 in the second game of back-to-backs.

Week 13: @ TOR, vs. ORL, vs. ATL

Record: 25-12

OffRtg: 113.2 (11) DefRtg: 107.0 (3) NetRtg: +6.2 (6) Pace: 99.1 (18)

The Rockets have won three straight games, winning a big game in Memphis on Thursday to remain in second place in the West.

Three takeaways

• The Rockets continue to dominate the possession battle. They had seven fewer turnovers and six more offensive rebounds than the Grizzlies on Thursday and have averaged 9.9 more shooting opportunities than their opponents over their last 10 games. Their season-long differential (6.5 more per game) would be the third biggest for any team in the last 26 seasons, trailing only the last two Toronto teams that Rockets guard Fred VanVleet played for.

• While the offense has improved, the Rockets’ four games without Jabari Smith Jr. (fractured hand) have been their worst four-game stretch of defense this season (117.8 allowed per 100 possessions). Their opponents have shot much better in the paint and they’ve also seen a big drop in defensive rebounding percentage.

With the defense having seen some slippage, the Rockets will play seven of their next nine games against teams that rank in the top eight offensively. That includes another huge game against the Grizzlies on Monday.

Week 13: vs. MEM, @ DEN, @ SAC, @ POR

Record: 25-14

OffRtg: 116.6 (5) DefRtg: 109.5 (5) NetRtg: +7.1 (4) Pace: 105.3 (1)

The Grizzlies went 2-1 in a trio of big games within the top eight in the Western Conference, getting Ja Morant back from a five-game absence along the way.

Three takeaways

• On Thursday, the Grizzlies shot 0-for-6 on clutch shots vs. Houston, with Morant (in his first game back) going 0-for-3 down the stretch. Two nights later, they were 4-for-6 in the clutch, with Morant coming up with two buckets in the final minute to turn a two-point deficit into a two-point win over Minnesota. Overall, the Grizzlies have the league’s biggest differential between their record in non-clutch games (19-4, third best) and their record in games within five in the last five (6-10, sixth worst).

• Jaren Jackson Jr.’s offense picked up in Morant’s absence and hasn’t slowed down with the point guard’s return. Jackson has averaged 29.7 points on 52% shooting over the last six games. The league’s fifth-ranked defense continues to be much stronger with him on the floor, and Jackson’s on pace to be the first player in the last five seasons to average at least 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks.

• Morant’s return has brought with it the return of a starting lineup that outscored opponents by 57 points in its first 40 minutes. It was even (64-64) in a little less than 20 total minutes against the Rockets and Wolves last week and has now scored 201 points on 136 offensive possessions (148 per 100). The Grizzlies remain one of four teams without a lineup that’s played at least 100 total minutes.

With their two wins last week, the Grizzlies are 4-8 vs. the top eight in the West. That includes an 0-2 mark against the Rockets, who’ve outscored Memphis by 43 points on fast breaks (41-15) and second chances (45-28) over the two meetings. The third is Monday in Houston.

Week 13: @ HOU, @ SAS, @ SAS

Record: 26-14

OffRtg: 119.2 (3) DefRtg: 112.4 (15) NetRtg: +6.8 (5) Pace: 98.0 (25)

The Knicks lost four out of five games for the first time, getting clobbered by the Thunder on Friday. But they responded with one of their best (and most important) wins of the season, eviscerating the Bucks’ defense on Sunday afternoon.

Three takeaways

• The five games before their win over Milwaukee were, by far, the Knicks’ worst offensive stretch of this season (109.1 points scored per 100 possessions), with their three perimeter starters combining to shoot 15-for-76 (20%) from 3-point range. But three of those five games came against the league’s top two defenses and their 140 points on 100 possessions on Sunday was the most efficient game for any team against the Bucks’ defense (which ranked ninth) by a wide margin.

• The one good thing from the loss to the Thunder was that the Knicks only committed 12 turnovers against the team that leads the league in opponent turnover rate by a wide margin. The Knicks have started to turn teams over themselves a little bit (not a lot) and have committed 27 fewer turnovers than their opponents over their last 11 games, having had a differential of plus-4 over their first 29. Improved shooting is the biggest factor in their offensive jump, but they’ve also seen the league’s fourth-biggest drop in turnover rate from last season.

• The Knicks’ starters don’t just play a lot of minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns missed their loss to the Magic last Monday, but all five starters have been available for 35 of the team’s 40 games, with the Wolves being the only other team with a lineup that’s played in at least 30. Jalen Brunson went to the locker room with a right shoulder injury early in the third quarter on Sunday but returned to score 12 of his 44 points in eight minutes spanning the third and fourth.

The Knicks are just four games into a stretch where they’re playing 12 of 14 at home, with the only road games being short trips to Philadelphia and Brooklyn. They’ll be at a rest disadvantage against the Pistons on Monday when a win would give the franchise its best record through 41 games in the last 28 seasons (since they were 29-12 in 1996-97).

Week 13: vs. DET, @ PHI, vs. MIN

Record: 23-15

OffRtg: 117.3 (4) DefRtg: 113.1 (18) NetRtg: +4.2 (7) Pace: 101.5 (5)

The Nuggets have won seven of their last nine games and kept their spot in the top four in the West with a comeback win in Dallas on Sunday afternoon.

Three takeaways

• The Nuggets erased a 17-point, first-quarter deficit on Sunday, only to fall into a 19-point hole in the third quarter. But they came back from that one too, outscoring the Mavs (who were without both Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving) by 29 points (43-14) over the last 15 minutes. That gave the Nuggets 11 wins (they’re 11-15) in games they trailed by double-digits, a total that leads the league (no other team has more than nine) and is only two short of their total last season (13-20).

• They’ve now been 14.1 points per 100 possessions in the second halves of games (plus-10.9, second best) than they’ve been in first halves (minus-3.2, 19th). The bigger difference has been on defense, but Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook have also scored much more efficiently in the second half (combined true shooting percentage of 59.6%) than they have in the first half (49.8%).

• Aaron Gordon returned from a nine-game absence and came off the bench on Sunday (when bench minutes were a huge part of the two comebacks). It was the Nuggets’ second win in a game where they were outscored with Nikola Jokić on the floor. It’s possible that, when Gordon returns to the starting lineup, he replaces Christian Braun instead of Westbrook, because Westbrook’s minutes with Jokić have been terrific and the bench has also been improved with Westbrook in the starting group.

This is a weird week that’s taking the Nuggets from Texas back home to play a single, rest-disadvantage game against a team from Texas before they then fly to Florida for the weekend. The rest-disadvantage game is their first of three meetings with the second-place Rockets.

Week 13: @ DAL, vs. HOU, @ MIA, @ ORL

Record: 22-18

OffRtg: 113.9 (9) DefRtg: 114.0 (20) NetRtg: -0.0 (16) Pace: 100.5 (8)

The Pacers are one of two undefeated teams in 2025, and their six-game winning streak was legitimized by a double-digit win in Cleveland on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• The Pacers’ starting lineup has continued to dominate. Its outscored opponents by 18.1 points per 100 possessions, the best mark (by a wide margin) among the seven lineups that have played at least 250 minutes. But they also beat the Bulls on Wednesday without Myles Turner and didn’t have Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring tightness) in the second half in Cleveland. The Indiana bench has not been good this season (it still ranks 24th), but it had some great minutes against the best team in the league.

• At one point the Pacers were 2-11 on the road. But they’ve since won nine of their 10 games away from Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Pacers have a two-game lead in the win column for one of the final guaranteed playoff spots in the East. But they will play the Cavs again on Tuesday and have a huge game in Detroit two nights later. The road team has won the first two meetings between the Pacers and the eighth-place Pistons, with Indiana having been without Andrew Nembhard when they lost on the day after Thanksgiving.

Week 13: vs. CLE, @ DET, vs. PHI

Record: 20-18

OffRtg: 111.3 (18) DefRtg: 109.7 (6) NetRtg: +1.5 (12) Pace: 97.7 (26)

Since mid-December, the Wolves have been alternating three-game losing streaks and three-game winning streaks. The latest streak came to an end with a tough, two-point loss to the Grizzlies on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• Donte DiVincenzo replaced Mike Conley in the starting lineup last week when the new group outscored the Wolves’ opponents by 15 points (16.5 per 100 possessions) in 52 total minutes. DiVincenzo had nine or 10 assists in two of the four games while also continuing to shoot well from beyond the arc. He’s 43-for-96 (44.8%) from 3-point range over the last 13 games, up from 31.9% before that.

• There have been two games in the last three seasons (including playoffs) in which neither team led by more than six points, and the Wolves have been involved in both, winning Game 4 of the first round in Phoenix last April and losing to the Grizzlies on Saturday. They lead the league with 25 clutch games this season and are 12-13 in those games, ranking 29th in clutch offense (95.9 points scored per 100 possessions).

• Conley is 0-for-9 on clutch shots, but he was on the floor down the stretch of the Wolves’ two clutch wins last week. And he replaced Jaden McDaniels for offense in the final seconds on Saturday, when Anthony Edwards came up short on a step-back 3 for the win. Edwards is 3-for-7 on shots to tie or take the lead in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime, though that doesn’t include the huge two step-backs he hit down the stretch against the Clippers last Monday.

It seems likely that the Wolves’ streak of three-game streaks will come to an end this week because for it to continue, they’d have to lose to the Wizards and beat the Cavs. They’re just 7-4 (3-0 since Thanksgiving) against the 10 teams that are currently below .500.

Week 13: @ WAS, vs. GSW, @ NYK, vs. CLE

Record: 20-17

OffRtg: 109.9 (23) DefRtg: 108.9 (4) NetRtg: +0.9 (14) Pace: 99.1 (20)

The Clippers have lost four of five for the first time this season, slipping to seventh place in the West.

Three takeaways

• The Clippers have shot 31.9% from 3-point range over the five-game stretch. They only rank 21st in 3-point rate (40.1% of their shots), but have the league’s third biggest differential between their record when they’ve shot the league average (35.9%) or better from beyond the arc (14-3, with nine straight wins) and their record when they have not (6-14).

• When it comes to shooting well from 3-point range, it doesn’t help that the Clippers rank last in the percentage of their 3-point attempts that have come off the catch (60%) and 28th in the percentage that are wide open (43%).

The Clippers are scheduled to play six of their next seven games at home. They have two back-to-backs over that stretch, with Wednesday and Thursday (at Portland) being their first back-to-back since Kawhi Leonard’s return.

Week 13: vs. MIA, vs. BKN, @ POR, vs. LAL

Record: 22-17

OffRtg: 115.4 (7) DefRtg: 111.4 (12) NetRtg: +4.0 (8) Pace: 100.2 (10)

The Mavs got their first two wins (after losing their first four games) without both Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, beating the Lakers and Blazers at home. But their most important game last week was Sunday when they blew two big leads in a loss to the Nuggets.

Three takeaways

• Bench minutes were big in the Mavs’ two wins last week. Over this five-game stretch without both of the star guards, Jaden Hardy has averaged 15.4 points (shooting 14-for-27 from 3-point range) in only 22.6 minutes, and the Mavs have been at their best with him on the floor.

• Klay Thompson has shot better from 3-point range (16-for-41, 39%) than he has from 2-point range (8-for-23, 35%) over the last five games. His 3s are a lot more frequent and more important (especially when the stars are healthy), but his 33-for-75 (44%) shooting in the paint this season would be the worst mark of his career by a wide margin.

• The Mavs came back from 10 points down with less than five minutes left against the Blazers on Thursday, going on a 16-0 run to pull out the win. They’ve also lost four of the last five games (all without Dončić) that they’ve led by double-digits, though they’ve still been at their best (plus-7.7 points per 100 possessions) in the fourth quarter, with Thompson and Irving being two of the eight players who’ve shot better than 40% on at least 50 fourth-quarter 3-point attempts.

The Mavs will host the Nuggets again on Tuesday, and they’ll also play the Thunder twice in the next 11 days. They’ve split their first two meetings with Oklahoma City, with the loss in the NBA Cup quarterfinals being the Mavs’ worst offensive performance (104 points on 100 possessions) in the 20 games for which they’ve had both Dončić and Irving.

Week 13: vs. DEN, @ NOP, vs. OKC

Record: 20-16

OffRtg: 112.9 (13) DefRtg: 115.3 (23) NetRtg: -2.4 (20) Pace: 98.7 (21)

The Lakers went 0-2 on a trip to Texas before having two home games postponed by the wildfires in Southern California.

Three takeaways

• The Lakers had a rest advantage on Tuesday against the Mavs, but they couldn’t get stops, getting outscored inside and getting torched from the perimeter. Their two games in Texas were two of their three worst defensive games of the season (128 points allowed per 100 possessions or more), with one of them coming against what was the league’s 14th-ranked offense and the other coming against the Mavs without both Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving.

• Overall, the Lakers are one of only eight teams that have allowed more points per 100 possessions than they did last season (114.8, 17th). They’ve seen the league’s second-biggest drop in defensive rebounding percentage and the third-biggest jump in the percentage of their opponents’ shots that have come in the paint.

• Over his five games with the Lakers, the team has been 28.6 points per 100 possessions better with Dorian Finney-Smith on the floor (plus 10.6) than it’s been with him on the bench (minus 18). After a rough start to the third quarter in Dallas on Tuesday, their starting lineup with Max Christie as the fifth guy is now a plus-3 in 123 total minutes.

The Lakers remain in L.A. for the next 11 days, with their only road game in that stretch against the Clippers on Sunday. It’s the first of four meetings between the two L.A. teams, with the Lakers having won three of the four (all by five points or fewer) last season.

Week 13: vs. SAS, vs. MIA, vs, BKN, @ LAC

Record: 20-17

OffRtg: 112.3 (15) DefRtg: 111.3 (11) NetRtg: +1.0 (13) Pace: 100.0 (12)

The Bucks saw a three-game winning streak come to an end in resounding fashion, losing by 34 points at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon.

Three takeaways

• After seven straight starts, Khris Middleton returned to the bench last week. When the decision was made, Middleton had played just 96 total minutes with Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Through Sunday, their current starting lineup — with Andre Jackson Jr. and Taurean Prince on the wings — has been outscored by 4.6 points per 100 possessions, the second-worst mark among 14 lineups that have played at least 200 minutes.

• The Bucks had climbed into the top 10 on defense by allowing just 105.9 points per 100 possessions over a 12-game stretch leading into Sunday. Their loss to the Knicks was, by a wide margin, their worst defensive game of the season (140 points allowed on 100 possessions) as they’ve seen the league’s 10th-biggest drop in points allowed per 100 from last season.

• The loss on Sunday also dropped the Bucks to 0-8 against the top three teams in the East. They’re 8-1 against other teams that currently have winning records, though they’ve still yet to play seven of them.

One of the teams they’ve yet to face is the Kings, who’ve won seven straight games and will be in Milwaukee on Tuesday. The Bucks are 2-0 against the fourth-place Magic, who have more losses (18) than the Bucks. They can clinch the head-to-head tie-breaker on Wednesday, one of five rest-disadvantage games the Bucks have between now and the All-Star break.

Week 13: vs. SAC, vs. ORL, vs. TOR, vs. PHI

Record: 23-18

OffRtg: 108.5 (27) DefRtg: 106.7 (2) NetRtg: +1.8 (10) Pace: 96.7 (30)

Paolo Banchero made his return on Friday and scored 34 points in less than 27 minutes in his first game in more than 10 weeks. But the Magic lost an important game to the Bucks and continued to suffer more injuries.

Three takeaways

• With Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs still out, Banchero didn’t ease his way back into the Orlando offense on Friday. He registered a usage rate of 46.8%, the highest rate of his career (166 games, including playoffs).

• He had a more normal usage rate in the Magic’s win Sunday over the Sixers when he put his team up three with a pull-up jumper in the final minute. Eighteen of his 29 shots over the two games came from outside the paint, but he also had 21 free throw attempts and the Magic’s 27th-ranked offense scored relatively efficiently (116.7 points per 100 possessions) in his 54 minutes on the floor.

• Wendell Carter Jr. has been coming off the bench for the last six games and has played less than 20 minutes in three of the six. Even with Goga Bitadze suffering a hip injury late in the second quarter on Sunday, Jonathan Isaac was on the floor instead of Carter down the stretch. Carter’s effective field goal percentage of 48.9% is the lowest mark of his career and down from 60% last season.

The Magic are now 7-9 in games played between the eight Eastern Conference teams that currently have winning records, set to visit Milwaukee and Boston this week. Their win over the Celtics just before Christmas was Boston’s worst offensive performance of the season (104 points on 104 possessions) until eight days ago.

Week 13: @ MIL, @ BOS, vs. DEN

Record: 20-19

OffRtg: 115.3 (8) DefRtg: 112.2 (14) NetRtg: +3.0 (9) Pace: 99.6 (14)

The Kings’ winning streak is at seven games and they’re over .500 for the first time since they were 8-7 in mid-November.

Three takeaways

• The difference between the winning streak and the six-game losing streak that preceded it has been about even on both ends of the floor, but slightly bigger on defense. The Kings’ win in Boston on Friday (certainly their best win of the season) was just the second time the Celtics’ second-ranked offense has been held under a point per possession.

• The Celtics had a rough shooting night from beyond the arc, but four of the seven opponents have shot better than the league average from 3-point range. The Kings have seen improvement in their paint defense, have forced more turnovers and lead the league in defensive rebounding percentage over these last two weeks.

• De’Aaron Fox missed three of the seven games, returning for the Kings’ win in Chicago on Sunday. Keon Ellis replaced Fox in the starting lineup, but while the Kings have been at their best (plus 9.9 points per 100 possessions) with Ellis on the floor this season, he’s not a point guard, recording assists on less than 16% of his possessions. The playmaking was handled by Malik Monk, Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan, who all averaged at least 4.7 assists over Fox’s absence.

The Kings complete their three-game trip in Milwaukee on Tuesday. Then they’ll have rest advantages against both the Rockets and Wizards at home. Their first meeting with Houston (a nine-point win) was the Rockets’ worst defensive game of the season (120 points on 94 possessions).

Week 13: @ MIL, vs. HOU, vs. WAS

Record: 20-17

OffRtg: 112.3 (14) DefRtg: 110.6 (10) NetRtg: +1.7 (11) Pace: 97.5 (27)

The Heat suffered a brutal loss in Sacramento last Monday, but are 3-1 on the six-game trip that’s scheduled to conclude in L.A. this week.

Three takeaways

• The Heat led the Kings by 17 with eight minutes left in regulation, only to lose in double-overtime, with the collapse including an eight-second violation, a crucial miss on a wide-open corner 3, missed free throws and a bad foul at the end of the first OT. They lead the league with four losses (they’re 12-4) in games they led by at least 15 points.

• The three games since the loss in Sacramento have been the Heat’s best three-game stretch of defense this season (99.3 points allowed per 100 possessions). They didn’t score much more efficiently in their five-point win in Utah on Thursday (97 points on 96 possessions) than they did when they lost by 36 to the Jazz five days earlier (100 on 103).

• Nikola Jović has been handling the ball a lot more of late. He’s averaged 2.7 minutes of possession (9.9% of his minutes on the floor) in January, up from 1.2 minutes (6.0%) before that. Of course, he’s not looking to shoot off the dribble, as he’s just 2-for-13 on pull-up jumpers this season.

The Heat have not been more than three games over .500 this season, and getting there will be tough, as their trip continues with a game against the Clippers on Monday. The last two games of the trip are also the last two games of Jimmy Butler’s team suspension.

Week 13: @ LAC, @ LAL, vs. DEN, vs. SAS

Record: 19-19

OffRtg: 111.0 (20) DefRtg: 110.5 (8) NetRtg: +0.6 (15) Pace: 100.0 (11)

The Warriors got a good win in Detroit on Thursday but had to play without their cornerstones the following night in Indiana and have slipped into 11th place in the West.

Three takeaways

• The Warriors won in Detroit despite Stephen Curry shooting 5-for-21 (2-for-14 from 3-point range) and registering a minus-14 in his 36 minutes. That’s his second worst plus-minus in a game the Warriors won in his career (731 total wins, including playoffs) and the worst since he was a minus-16 in less than 11 minutes on Dec. 28, 2009 (his rookie season). Over his 16 seasons, the Warriors are 55-307 (.152) when they are outscored with Curry on the floor.

• The Warriors were without six rotation players (including Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga) in Indiana on Friday and still went 10 deep in their rotation. They’re one of three teams — the Hornets and Sixers are the others — that don’t have a lineup that’s played at least 80 minutes this season.

• Their current, when-everybody’s-healthy lineup — Curry, Dennis Schröder, Wiggins, Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis — has been outscored by 16 points in its 71 minutes, having scored just 98.7 points per 100 possessions. Schröder now has an effective field goal percentage of just 38.8% (what would be the lowest mark of his career) on 139 shots with the Warriors, down from 54.2% (what would be the highest mark of his career) on 325 shots with Brooklyn this season.

The Warriors’ four-game trip will conclude with a critical game in Minnesota on Wednesday when a win would give them the head-to-head tie-breaker over the eighth-place Wolves. Over the first three meetings, the Warriors have been 45.4 points per 100 possessions better with Curry on the floor (plus 13.2) than they’ve been with him off the floor (minus 32.2).

Week 13: @ TOR, @ MIN, vs. WAS

Record: 20-19

OffRtg: 112.0 (16) DefRtg: 113.0 (17) NetRtg: -1.0 (18) Pace: 99.1 (19)

The Detroit Pistons are a winning team. A 9-2 stretch has them over .500 and in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

Three takeaways

• The last 11 games have been a relatively soft stretch of schedule, with the Pistons’ three wins last week coming against Portland, Brooklyn and Toronto. But they’ve also won six of their last eight games against other teams currently over .500.

• The bigger difference between the Pistons’ last 11 games and their first 28 has been on offense, where they’ve shot 39% from 3-point range over the 9-2 stretch. That includes 9-for-15 on clutch 3s, with seven of the nine wins being within five points in the last five minutes. They lost a double-digit lead against Toronto on Saturday but finished on a 14-5 run to improve to 13-9 in clutch games. (They were just 8-27 in the clutch last season.)

• Over their six games since Jaden Ivey was lost to a broken fibula, the Pistons’ two most-used lineups (with either Malik Beasley or Ausar Thompson in Ivey’s place) have outscored their opponents by 18.8 points per 100 possessions in 81 total minutes. But bench minutes weren’t great on Thursday when the Warriors outscored Detroit by 25 points (43-18) over 13 minutes spanning the first and second quarters. Cade Cunningham has a huge on-off differential over the six games.

The Pistons’ schedule will start to get tougher this week, with their next nine games all against teams currently at or above .500.

Week 13: @ NYK, vs. IND, vs. PHX

Record: 19-19

OffRtg: 113.7 (10) DefRtg: 115.1 (22) NetRtg: -1.4 (19) Pace: 98.3 (23)

The Suns went 4-1 in their second stretch of five games in seven days, climbing back to .500 and into 10th place in the West.

Three takeaways

• Week 12 was a week for lineup changes (see Milwaukee and Minnesota), and the Suns made a pair of them, replacing Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkić with Ryan Dunn and Mason Plumlee. The new lineup wasn’t great in its first game (last Monday in Philadelphia), but still outscored the Suns’ opponents by 19.9 points per 100 possessions over 45 total minutes last week.

• Of course, that success was mostly about the defensive end of the floor, where the opponents shot just 8-for-40 (20%) from 3-point range and 8-for-a15 (53%) from the free-throw line. Four of those opponents rank in the bottom 10 offensively and the fifth was the Hawks without Jalen Johnson. So the jury is still out.

• Beal responded well to coming off the bench for the first time in almost nine years (since March of 2016), scoring 25 points on 10-for-15 shooting in Philly last Monday. He still ranked third on the team in total minutes (160, 40 more than Dunn) over the five games and was on the floor for all of the Suns’ clutch minutes last week. Nurkić’s move to the bench didn’t go so well. After he registered a minus-22 in a brutal loss in Charlotte on Tuesday, he was DNP’d (in favor of rookie Oso Ighodaro) the next two games before missing the Suns’ win over the Hornets on Sunday with an illness.

The Suns go from a stretch of five games in seven days to their longest road trip of the season (five games over nine days). It begins Tuesday in Atlanta and includes a visit to Washington for Beal, who scored 43 points (on 16-for-21 shooting) in his initial return to D.C. last February.

Week 13: @ ATL, @ WAS, @ DET

Record: 18-19

OffRtg: 111.2 (19) DefRtg: 112.1 (13) NetRtg: -0.9 (17) Pace: 99.3 (16)

The Spurs have lost three straight games to fall back below .500 and into 12th place in the West.

Three takeaways

• From Dec. 29 through Feb. 3, the Spurs are playing 16 of 17 games against teams currently with winning records. The one exception was their game in Chicago last Monday when they blew a 15-point, fourth-quarter lead. They were 14-0 when leading by double-digits in the fourth period through December, but are now 0-2 in January. Over their four January games, the Spurs have scored 116.2 points per 100 possessions through the first three quarters, but just 79.8 per 100 in the fourth and overtime.

• Overall, the Spurs have taken 44% of their shots in the paint, the league’s sixth-lowest rate and down from 49% (13th lowest) last season. Victor Wembanyama has taken just 36% of his shots in the paint, down from 51% last season. The difference between how effectively he’s shot in the paint (69.4%) and how effectively he’s shot from the outside (49.6%) is the fourth biggest differential among 146 players with at least 100 field goal attempts both in and outside the paint.

Their Saturday game in L.A. was postponed, but the Spurs are set to play at Crypto.com Arena on Monday. Their two losses at home to the Lakers were two of their three worst defensive games (combined 123.8 points allowed per 100 possessions) in which Wembanyama has been in uniform.

Week 13: @ LAL, vs. MEM, vs. MEM, @ MIA

Record: 19-19

OffRtg: 111.7 (17) DefRtg: 114.3 (21) NetRtg: -2.6 (22) Pace: 104.4 (3)

The Hawks went 2-4 on their longest road trip of the season, and they remained at .500 over the weekend with their game against the Rockets on Saturday being postponed.

Three takeaways

• The Hawks are also 2-4 without Jalen Johnson, who has missed four of the last five games and wasn’t going to play against Houston. The first win came in Sacramento (in November), with Dyson Daniels stripping De’Aaron Fox with two seconds left. The second came in Utah on Tuesday, with Trae Young draining a 49-footer at the buzzer. Atlanta has the point differential of a team that’s 16-22 but is 9-4 (only two teams have more wins) in games that were within three points in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime.

• Their regular starting lineup hasn’t been great, getting outscored by a point (0.2 per 100 possessions) in its 282 minutes. But the Hawks have been outscored by 48 points (16.4 per 100) in 127 minutes with the other four starters on the floor without Johnson. The bigger difference has been on offense, where they’ve scored just 98.2 per 100 in those no-Johnson minutes.

• But their first five games of 2025 have been the Hawks’ worst stretch of defense this season (122.7 points allowed per 100 possessions). Losses to the Nuggets, Clippers and Suns on the road trip were three of the seven times they’ve allowed their opponent to shoot better than 68% in the paint.

The Hawks will face the Suns again on Tuesday, then beginning a three-game trip in Chicago. They lead the 10th-place Bulls by a game and a half but will need to win on Wednesday (when both teams will be playing the second game of a back-to-back) to avoid losing the head-to-head tie-breaker, having allowed Chicago to score 124.3 points per 100 possessions over the first three meetings.

Week 13: vs. PHX, @ CHI, @ BOS

Record: 18-21

OffRtg: 112.9 (12) DefRtg: 115.4 (24) NetRtg: -2.5 (21) Pace: 104.4 (2)

The Bulls have beaten some good teams in the last few weeks, but they’re still hovering below .500 and in 10th place in the East.

Three takeaways

• With the Bulls down one in the final minute last Monday, Coby White had two incredible scores against Victor Wembanyama, a reverse scoop on an iso against the big man and then a thunderous dunk as Wembanyama came with weak-side help. After seeing a big jump in drives last season (13.6 per 36 minutes), White hasn’t driven quite as much (12.3 per 36) this year, but he’s been finishing better and getting to the line more.

• The Bulls registered their highest offensive rebounding percentage of the season and had eight more shooting opportunities than the Spurs, easily their best differential of the season. Two nights later in Indiana, they had 16 fewer shooting opportunities than the Pacers, not their worst discrepancy. Their season-long discrepancy of 4.5 per game ranks 28th, slightly ahead of those of the Jazz and Wizards.

• With White missing their game against the Kings on Sunday, Lonzo Ball got his first start in almost exactly three years (since Jan. 14, 2022). He’s totaled 27 points (shooting 9-for-15 from 3-point range) over the last two games and the Bulls have outscored their opponents by more than 20 points per 100 possessions in 143 minutes with Ball and Josh Giddey on the floor together.

The Bulls have a winning record (15-13) within the Eastern Conference, but with their loss to the Kings on Sunday, they’re 3-8 against the West. They lost in New Orleans on opening night and will face the Pelicans again (likely with Zion Williamson this time) on Tuesday. That’s the middle of a five-game homestand that includes a big game against the ninth-place Hawks the following night.

Week 13: vs. NOP, vs. ATL, vs. CHA, @ POR

Record: 15-22

OffRtg: 109.4 (25) DefRtg: 112.8 (16) NetRtg: -3.4 (23) Pace: 97.3 (28)

Joel Embiid has missed the last four games, and the Sixers remain outside the SoFi Play-In Tournament group in the East.

Three takeaways

• The Sixers are 2-5 in January, and their loss to the Pelicans on Friday (in which bench minutes were pretty brutal) was probably their worst of the season. They’ve lost the last five games where they’ve had Tyrese Maxey and Paul George, but not Embiid, allowing almost 120 points per 100 possessions over the five.

• Maxey’s most efficient scoring season (true shooting percentage of 60.5%) was the one (2022-23) when he played more than half of his minutes alongside James Harden. He’s seen big drops in efficiency in each of the two seasons since then, and his mark this season (55.0%) ranks 39th among the 43 players who’ve averaged at least 20 points per game.

• Even with their losses to the Suns and Pelicans last week, the Sixers have the league’s biggest differential between their record vs. the 13 teams currently at or below .500 (11-5) and their record vs. the 17 teams currently over .500 (4-17, fourth worst). Statistically, the bigger difference has been on offense.

Their loss in Orlando on Sunday was the start of a stretch where the Sixers are playing 15 of 16 against the group currently above .500. They also have four back-to-backs in the next 17 days, so, even if Embiid is feeling well, his availability will likely be limited. The first of those back-to-backs is Tuesday and Wednesday against the Thunder and Knicks.

Week 13: vs. OKC, vs. NYK, @ IND, @ MIL

Record: 13-25

OffRtg: 109.0 (26) DefRtg: 117.1 (26) NetRtg: -8.2 (28) Pace: 99.4 (15)

After a competitive, 2-3 road trip, the Blazers suffered their 12th loss by at least 20 points when they returned home to face the Heat on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• Jerami Grant has missed the last seven games, with Deni Avdija replacing him in the starting lineup. The two lineups have played almost the same number of minutes (125 vs. 122), with the Avdija lineup having been much better. It outscored the Blazers’ opponents by 8.3 points per 100 possessions over 74 minutes on the five-game trip before Deandre Ayton missed their loss to the Heat over the weekend.

• The Blazers have shot 36% from 3-point range over their last eight games, an improvement from 33% before that. But the improvement is largely about one guy. While everybody else on the team has combined to shoot 60-for-194 (31%) from beyond the arc over these last eight games, Anfernee Simons is 39-for-82 (48%). Simons’ usage rate has fluctuated over the last five seasons, but his efficiency (true shooting percentage) has been pretty consistent.

• Those 12 losses by at least 20 points are just two shy of both the Blazers’ total last season (14) and the Wizards’ league-leading 14. No other team has lost more than seven games by 20-plus.

The Blazers played 21 of their first 37 games on the road. Their loss to the Heat on Saturday was the start of a five-game homestand, but their weekend back-to-back against Houston and Chicago is the start of their third (and final) stretch of five games in seven days.

Week 13: vs. BKN, vs. LAC, vs. HOU, vs. CHI

Record: 10-28

OffRtg: 111.0 (21) DefRtg: 117.8 (29) NetRtg: -6.8 (26) Pace: 99.7 (13)

The Jazz have been missing some players, but they put an end to a nine-game home losing streak with an overtime win over the similarly shorthanded Nets on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• With Keyonte George out, rookie Isaiah Collier has started the last five games, and he certainly seems to be more of a point guard than George, averaging 7.8 assists over that stretch. The scoring wasn’t there until Sunday when Collier had 23 points (more than the previous four games combined), capped by the game-winning bucket (where he forced his way to the rim) with 2.4 seconds left in overtime.

• The Jazz blew a 13-point, fourth-quarter lead against the Nets, but still won, improving to 9-9 in games they led by double-digits. Those nine losses are tied (with the 6-9 Pelicans) for the league lead and more than the Jazz had last season (26-7). Their 29th-ranked defense has been much worse in the second halves of games (120.9 points allowed per 100 possessions) than it has been before halftime (114.8).

• Over the previous six seasons (2018-19 through last season), the Jazz had the league’s biggest home-road differential regarding winning percentage (.664 vs. .451). This season, they’re 7-14 on the road and 3-14 at home, what would be the third biggest road-home differential in NBA history. (They had the biggest before their weekend, road-home back-to-back.)

The win over Brooklyn starts a stretch of four straight games against other teams with losing records. The Jazz will have a long stay in New Orleans as they play their first two games against the last-place Pelicans, having a two-game break after the first meeting on Friday.

Week 13: vs. CHA, @ NOP

Record: 13-26

OffRtg: 110.0 (22) DefRtg: 116.2 (25) NetRtg: -6.2 (25) Pace: 96.9 (29)

The Nets have been without some of their best (remaining) players and are losing their grip on competitiveness.

Three takeaways

• Cam Thomas (zero), Cam Johnson (zero) and D’Angelo Russell (14) have combined to play 14 total minutes over the last five games, and the Nets have lost all five. It’s been their worst five-game stretch of offense this season (101.0 points scored per 100 possessions), and they couldn’t come close to the league average on Sunday when they had a rest advantage against the league’s 29th-ranked defense.

• One of the bright spots on Sunday was Ben Simmons, who’s totaled 24 points (on 12-for-18 shooting) and 16 assists over the last two games and has now played almost twice as many minutes (706) as he did all of last season (359). He still hasn’t made a shot from outside the paint since Feb. of 2023, but Simmons has been looking more confident in the paint of late.

• Day’Ron Sharpe missed the Nets’ loss to Detroit on Wednesday but has otherwise been getting 15-20 minutes per game off the bench. The Nets are 45-76 over the last two seasons but have somehow outscored their opponents by 79 points (3.6 per 100 possessions) in Sharpe’s 1,208 total minutes since the start of last season.

The Nets will play two more bottom-10 defenses – those of the Blazers and Lakers – as they complete their six-game trip this week. After that, they will have played 26 of their 43 games on the road.

Week 13: @ POR, @ LAC, @ LAL, @ OKC

Record: 8-32

OffRtg: 108.3 (28) DefRtg: 117.7 (27) NetRtg: -9.4 (29) Pace: 99.3 (17)

Zion Williamson is back and the Pelicans are showing some signs of life.

Three takeaways

• Williamson’s two games last week were narrow losses to good teams (Minnesota and Boston), and the Pelicans got a win in Philadelphia (with Williamson serving a team suspension) in between. Steals certainly aren’t a full measure of a player’s defensive impact, but his eight steals last week show that he was active and engaged on that end of the floor, where the Pelicans allowed only 92 points per 100 possessions in his 56 minutes.

• Alas, the Pelicans lost their best defender for an extended period last week, with Herb Jones suffering a labrum tear in his right shoulder. Though he was starting (and defending other starters), the Pelicans have allowed 6.6 fewer points per 100 possessions with Jones on the floor (112.5) than they have with him off the floor (119.1).

• The Pelicans are one loss being the first team to match its total from last season (49-33). They’ve seen the league’s biggest drops in efficiency on both ends of the floor, and their overall drop (14 points per 100 possessions worse than they were last season) now ranks as the third biggest since the Last Dance. The only bigger ones came from the 2010-11 Cavs (LeBron James’ first departure) and the 2019-20 Warriors (Kevin Durant’s departure, injuries to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson).

The last-place Pelicans will get their first two shots at the 14th-place Jazz with a two-game series that starts Friday. First, they’ll complete their three-game trip in Chicago, having beat the Bulls on opening night.

Week 13: @ CHI, vs. DAL, vs. UTA

Record: 8-31

OffRtg: 109.9 (24) DefRtg: 117.8 (28) NetRtg: -7.9 (27) Pace: 100.4 (9)

The Raptors are healthy, but they’ve still lost 16 of their last 17 games.

Three takeaways

• The Raptors’ four games last week were their first four games with Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes all available. Each of the three had big games and the starting lineup outscored the Knicks in its 17 minutes on Wednesday, but Toronto was outscored by almost 30 points per 100 possessions (allowing almost 130 per 100) in 88 total minutes with Quickley, Barrett and Barnes all on the floor.

• The Raptors were competitive in Cleveland and Detroit last week, but have now lost their last seven games that were within five points in the last five minutes, having scored just 30 points on 39 clutch possessions over that stretch.

The Raptors are now 1-18 on the road, set to play in Milwaukee on Friday. Their next four games are against teams that rank in the top 11 defensively.

Week 13: vs. GSW, vs. BOS, @ MIL

Record: 8-28

OffRtg: 107.2 (29) DefRtg: 113.3 (19) NetRtg: -6.1 (24) Pace: 98.3 (22)

The Hornets put an end to their 10-game losing streak by beating the Suns on Tuesday, and they were competitive in Phoenix over the weekend.

Three takeaways

• With their two games in L.A. being postponed, the Hornets have still had just five games with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Mark Williams all in the lineup. But their loss in Phoenix on Sunday was, easily, the best outing for their when-healthy starting lineup (with Josh Green and Miles Bridges), which outscored the Suns by 14 points in less than 14 minutes. Of course, it was the starters mostly on the floor as the Hornets blew a nine-point lead with less than seven minutes left.

• Charlotte dominated the glass over the two games, grabbing 56.3% of available rebounds, the best mark for any team against the Suns this season. Williams had 16 boards in less than 30 minutes on Sunday and, even though he’s played in just 14 of their 36 games, the Hornets have been the league’s second-most-improved rebounding team this season.

• The biggest reason for that improvement is Moussa Diabate, who has yet to play in January because he’s on a two-way contract and has already played in 30 games. The Hornets might not have any vets that contenders would be interested in before the deadline, but it would be good if they could free up a roster spot and give a standard contract to the 6-9 rookie who ranks third in offensive rebounding percentage among 295 players who’ve averaged at least 15 minutes. The Hornets have outscored their opponents by 5.4 points per 100 possessions in Diabate’s 537 minutes on the floor.

The Hornets still have two games left on what was supposed to be a five-game trip, but those are their only two games scheduled for this week. They’ve scored just 92.7 points per 100 possessions (their second-worst mark vs. any opponent) as they’ve lost their first two meetings (both without Ball) against the Bulls, who they’ll visit on Friday.

Week 13: @ UTA, @ CHI

Record: 6-31

OffRtg: 105.1 (30) DefRtg: 118.6 (30) NetRtg: -13.6 (30) Pace: 103.0 (4)

After winning their first game of 2025, the Wizards have lost six straight, and they’re back to ranking last on both ends of the floor.

Three takeaways

• The Wizards’ starting lineup (featuring two rookies) cracked the 100-minute mark last week and has been outscored by 32.2 points per 100 possessions, what would be the worst mark for a lineup that played at least 100 minutes in the 18 seasons for which we have lineup data.

• The Wizards’ loss to the Thunder on Sunday was the first time this season (30 games) that Jordan Poole didn’t make a 3-pointer. He shot 0-for-6 from deep as the Wizards suffered their worst loss of the season (41 points), but has still seen the eighth biggest jump in 3-point percentage (from 32.6% to 40.5%) among 160 players with at least 100 attempts in each of the last two seasons.

• It was a tie game in the final minute in Philadelphia on Wednesday, with the Wizards (who lost at home the night before) having erased a 15-point, fourth-quarter deficit. But they missed on two chances to take the lead and lost by six. That was their 23rd straight loss in the second games of back-to-backs, a streak that goes back to February of 2023. They’ve allowed 122 points per 100 possessions in their five games without rest this season, with the two of the five opponents having top-10 offenses and two of the five having bottom-10 offenses.

The Wizards’ will try again to end that no-rest losing streak when they host the Wolves (with a rest disadvantage) on Monday. They’ll have another back to back when they begin their longest road trip of the season (six games over 10 days) in San Francisco over the weekend.

Week 13: vs. MIN, vs. PHX, @ GSW, @ SAC