Record: 37-8

OffRtg: 116.2 (6) DefRtg: 103.9 (1) NetRtg: +12.3 (1) Pace: 100.4 (8)

The Thunder couldn’t find a solution against the Mavs, losing to Dallas (a possible first-round playoff opponent the way things currently stand) for the third time on Thursday.

Three takeaways

• Though Luka Dončić played in only one of the four meetings (the one the Thunder won), only the Cavs have scored more efficiently than the Mavs (114.7 points per 100 possessions) against the Thunder this season. Overall, the Thunder have allowed the sixth-fewest drives per 100 possessions this season. But the Mavs’ 59 points on drives on Thursday were six more than they’ve allowed in any other game.

• While the Mavs were without Dončić in all three of their wins against Oklahoma City, maybe it’s more important that the Thunder were without Isaiah Hartenstein in all three. The big man returned from a five-game absence on Sunday and tallied 14 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in his team’s win in Portland. The Thunder have still allowed less than a point per possession in more than 1,000 minutes with either Hartenstein (99.9 per 100) or Chet Holmgren (96.8 per 100) on the floor.

• The Thunder continue to be careful with Alex Caruso, who’s averaged just 19.3 minutes over his seven games back from a 10-game absence. The Thunder have outscored their opponents by 27.5 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor over that stretch.

The Thunder now have their third of four two-day breaks in two weeks, and they’ll have a rest advantage at Golden State on Wednesday. The road team won the first two meetings, though the Warriors were without Stephen Curry when the Thunder held them under a point per possession just before Thanksgiving.

Week 15: @ GSW, vs. SAC

Record: 30-14

OffRtg: 114.4 (9) DefRtg: 108.4 (4) NetRtg: +6.1 (6) Pace: 99.2 (18)

The Rockets remain in second place in the West, having swept their two games against the best team in the East.

Three takeaways

• The two wins over the Cavs were different, though 3-point shooting (28-for-62, 45%) was critical in both, with Fred VanVleet hitting a pair of triples down the stretch on Wednesday. The Rockets blew double-digit, fourth-quarter leads in both, only to escape with wins with those VanVleet 3-pointers, a big tip-dunk from Amen Thompson on Saturday and Darius Garland missing free throws after an ill-advised foul from Tari Eason. The Rockets are 10-4 in clutch games over the last nine weeks, even though they haven’t shot particularly well from the field with the score within five in the last five minutes.

• Thompson recorded his second career triple-double (23, 14 and 10) on Saturday, also acting as the primary defender on Donovan Mitchell. The Rockets’ starting lineup (with Thompson) has been outscored by 10.3 points per 100 possessions in its 144 minutes over the 11 games since Jabari Smith Jr.’s hand injury. However, it was mostly the starters (and a little bit of Eason) on the floor down the stretch of the two games against Cleveland.

• The win in Cleveland was a rest-advantage game for the Rockets, with the Cavs having played in Philadelphia the night before. The Rockets themselves have the league’s biggest differential between their record with rest (27-9) and their record in the second games of back-to-backs (3-5).

With their postponed game in Atlanta rescheduled for Tuesday, the Rockets have four back-to-backs between now and the All-Star break. The win in Cleveland was the start of a stretch where they’re playing eight of nine on the road, currently one of eight teams with a better record on the road (15-6) than they have at home (15-7).

Week 15: @ BOS, @ ATL, @ MEM, vs. BKN

Record: 36-9

OffRtg: 121.3 (1) DefRtg: 112.1 (12) NetRtg: +9.1 (2) Pace: 100.5 (7)

The Cavs have lost three straight games for the first time, and they’re just two games into their only stretch of five games in seven days.

Three takeaways

• The losing streak hasn’t come with some regression to the mean for the Cavs’ all-time best effective field goal percentage of 58.7%. They shot 42-for-91 (46%) from 3-point range in their weekend back-to-back, tying the franchise record with 25 3-pointers in Philadelphia on Friday. Instead, it’s been their worst three-game stretch of defense by a healthy margin (128.3 points allowed per 100 possessions).

• Opponents shot well (49%) from deep and got to the line a ton and grabbed almost 43% of available offensive rebounds. The Cavs rank 25th in defensive rebounding percentage over the last five weeks.

• Caris LeVert has now missed the last four games, the Cavs were without Evan Mobley for the first two losses, and the Defensive Player of the Year candidate wasn’t sharp as they lost to the Rockets a second time on Saturday. They’ve still been at their best (plus 12.6 points per 100 possessions) with Mobley on the floor.

The Cavs’ stretch of five games in seven days concludes on Thursday with a visit from the other team (Atlanta) that’s beat them twice. They scored just 107.7 points per 100 possessions as they lost both games of a home-and-home set with the Hawks in late November.

Week 15: vs. DET, @ MIA, vs. ATL, vs. DAL

Record: 32-14

OffRtg: 118.6 (3) DefRtg: 109.6 (5) NetRtg: +9.0 (3) Pace: 97.8 (24)

The Celtics suffered their worst loss of the season in L.A. on Thursday but went 3-1 on their trip out West.

Three takeaways

• Anthony Davis said after the Lakers’ win on Thursday (just the ninth time that Boston has been outscored from 3-point range) that the game plan was to make the Celtics shoot more off the dribble than off the catch. According to Second Spectrum tracking, 26 of the 30 teams have shot 3-pointers better off the catch than they have off the dribble, with the Celtics having just the 12th biggest differential: 38.3% (eighth best) off the catch vs. 33.4% (14th) off the dribble. That’s a slightly smaller differential than they had last season (when they shot better on both).

• A bigger issue for the Celtics was that they shot just 18-for-41 (43.9%) in the paint against the Lakers, their worst mark there since October. They were only slightly better in the paint (19-for-43, 44.2%) in Dallas on Saturday, but were better defensively and committed just five turnovers. After committing 10 or fewer in five of their last seven games, the Celtics have the league’s lowest turnover rate (11.9 per 100 possessions).

• The Celtics have seen drop-offs on both ends of the floor (when accounting for the league average), but they’re still the only team that ranks in the top five in offensive and defensive efficiency. If they stay there, they’d be the first team since the league started tracking turnovers in 1977 to rank in the top five on both ends in three straight seasons.

The Celtics are home for just two games before heading out on the road again, set to host the Rockets (who just beat the Cavs twice) on Monday. Their win in Houston early this month was the Rockets’ biggest margin of defeat this season (23 points).

Week 15: vs. HOU, vs. CHI, @ NOP, @ PHI

Record: 31-15

OffRtg: 117.9 (5) DefRtg: 110.0 (6) NetRtg: +7.9 (4) Pace: 104.7 (1)

The Grizzlies have won six straight games against a pretty soft stretch of schedule.

Three takeaways

• The Grizzlies did get a quality win last Monday, coming back from 16 points down to beat the Wolves by two. They have the league’s third-best record (8-11) when trailing by double-digits, but they’re still just 8-11 (tied for seventh worst) in clutch games. They have won three of their last four, holding their opponents – the Wolves (twice) and Spurs — to just 13 points on 23 clutch possessions in the three wins.

• They have the league’s top-ranked offense (126.3 points scored per 100 possessions) over the winning streak, with Luke Kennard, Desmond Bane and Jaylen Wells having combined to shoot 55-for-107 (51.4%) from 3-point range over the six games. Kennard’s 48.7% for the season would be the second-best mark for a player with at least 150 attempts in the last 10 seasons, trailing only his own 49.4% two seasons ago.

• The Grizzlies’ when-healthy starting lineup eclipsed the 100-minute mark on Saturday and has now outscored opponents by an amazing 41.6 points per 100 possessions, which would be the best mark for any lineup that’s played at least 100 minutes in the 18 seasons for which we have play-by-play data, topping the mark (plus-40.2 per 100) of the Warriors’ “Death Lineup” in 2015-16.

The Grizzlies are 0-3 against the Rockets, losing the previous two January meetings by six total points. But the tie-breaker won’t matter if they can climb ahead of Houston in the standings, so the fourth and final meeting (Thursday in Memphis) is the biggest game left on their schedule.

Week 15: @ NYK, vs. HOU, @ MIL

Record: 30-16

OffRtg: 119.3 (2) DefRtg: 113.0 (15) NetRtg: +6.3 (5) Pace: 97.8 (25)

The Knicks struggled to put away the Hawks and Nets early last week, but they’ve followed a 3-6 stretch with three straight wins to stay within two games of the second-place Celtics.

Three takeaways

• The Knicks’ starting lineup has now played 755 minutes, 257 more than any other lineup in the league. It was outscored in two of their three games last week, but bench minutes (limited as they were) were good. The Knicks’ bench ranks seventh this season, though the 59.9 minutes per game that they’ve gotten from reserves continues to be the fewest for any team in the last 19 years.

• The bigger issues during the 3-6 stretch were on defense, but it was nice for the Knicks’ second-ranked offense to bust out (143 points on 104 possessions) against Sacramento on Saturday, with all five starters scoring at least 18 points and Josh Hart recording his sixth triple-double of the season. The Knicks are 6-0 (11-1 over the last two seasons) when Hart has recorded a triple-double.

• The Knicks’ win over the Kings came with 12 corner 3s, the second most for any team in a game this season. Mikal Bridges had four of the 12 and now has 70 corner 3s for the season, 21 more than teammate OG Anunoby, who ranks second at 49. If he plays every game (and he always plays every game), Bridges is on pace to crush P.J. Tucker’s record of 109 corner 3-pointers in 2018-19. He’s shot 45.8% from the corners (including 51.2% from the right corner), but just 28.0% on above-the-break 3s.

Their win over the Kings was the start of five straight games (all at Madison Square Garden) against Western Conference teams with winning records. The Knicks have won four of their last five against the Nuggets, with their most efficient offensive performance of the season (145 points on 100 possessions) happening in Denver just before Thanksgiving.

Week 15: vs. MEM, vs. DEN, vs. LAL

Record: 28-17

OffRtg: 118.1 (4) DefRtg: 113.4 (18) NetRtg: +4.7 (7) Pace: 101.2 (5)

The Nuggets remain in the top four in both the Western Conference and in offensive efficiency. Defense can still be a problem and they suffered their worst defeat of the season in Minnesota on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• The Wolves’ 133 points on 99 possessions was their second most efficient offensive game of the season and came with 72 points in the paint (a category the Nuggets had been dominating of late). For the season, Denver has seen the league’s fourth-biggest jump in points allowed per 100 possessions (+1.1), with its fourth-biggest jump in opponent field goal percentage in the paint.

• The other end of the floor has been OK. The Nuggets’ 144 points on 97 possessions in their win over the Sixers on Tuesday was the most efficient offensive performance for any team this season and the most efficient for the Nuggets in the 29 seasons for which we have play-by-play data. It was also the first game in the 46 seasons of the 3-point line where a team shot at least 60% from the field, 50% on 30 3-point attempts and 90% on at least 25 free throw attempts.

• That wasn’t the game in which Nikola Jokić put up an unprecedented line of 35 points, 22 rebounds and 17 assists (with just one turnover) and nailed a 66-foot shot. He did that against the Kings two nights later and is back to averaging a triple-double (29.9 points, 13.1 rebounds and 10.1 assists) for the season. He’s averaging a career-high 36.3 minutes per game, but with the addition of Russell Westbrook, Jokić has had the ball for just 12.4% of his minutes, his lowest rate in the last five seasons.

The Nuggets’ weekend loss in Minnesota was their worst of the season (29 points) and the start of a five-game trip that now takes them through the Eastern Conference. Their worst loss last season (38 points) was in New York and at the end of a five-game trip in January. They’ll return to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.

Week 15: @ CHI, @ NYK, @ PHI, @ CHA

Record: 25-20

OffRtg: 114.2 (10) DefRtg: 113.7 (20) NetRtg: +0.5 (13) Pace: 100.6 (6)

After losing by 30 on Thursday, the Pacers blew a 17-point lead two days later. But they outscored the Spurs by 39 points (57-18) over the final 16 minutes to earn a split in the Paris games.

Three takeaways

• The loss was one of their worst defensive games of the season, but the win on Saturday was the fourth time in their last seven games that the Pacers held their opponent under a point per possession, having done so just thrice in their first 38. They rank second defensively (107.6 allowed per 100) over the last three weeks.

• Overall, they’ve been the league’s eighth most-improved defensive team, having allowed 3.9 fewer points per 100 possessions than they did last season. They’ve seen the second biggest drop in opponent free throw rate and its second biggest jump in defensive rebounding percentage. Andrew Nembhard (from 6% to 9.7%), Bennedict Mathurin (from 11.3% to 14.0%) and Obi Toppin (from 13.7% to 16.6%) have all seen big individual jumps in the latter.

• A big difference between the two games in Paris was bench minutes, and the Pacers have now won 11 of the last 12 games in which they weren’t outscored with Toppin on the floor, with the only exception being a game in which he left early with an ankle injury. The Indiana bench ranks 14th over that stretch, up from 22nd prior.

The Pacers will have a few days to readjust to the Eastern time zone before playing a pair of big games within the No. 5-9 tier in the Eastern Conference. We’ve played 55% of the season without a Hawks-Pacers matchup, one that produced a 157-152 (regulation) game last season and a 131-130 game in the preseason. They’ll meet for the first time in Indiana on Saturday.

Week 15: vs. DET, vs. ATL

Record: 26-19

OffRtg: 110.7 (22) DefRtg: 107.2 (2) NetRtg: +3.5 (8) Pace: 99.0 (20)

The Clippers dropped a spot in the standings last week, but they took the Celtics to overtime without four of their five starters and are now 6-1 (with five straight wins) with Kawhi Leonard in uniform.

Three takeaways

• The offense remains a bit of a struggle. The Clippers scored just 105.2 points per 100 possessions over their first three games last week, really coming up empty (90.9 per 100) after halftime. But their win over the Bucks on Saturday was just the fifth time that Milwaukee’s top-10 defense has allowed more than 120 points per 100 possessions. James Harden led the way with 40 points and nine assists (with just one turnover), two nights after recording his second triple-double of the season. He had 22 free throws over the two games and has now made his last 42 attempts from the stripe.

• Leonard added 18 points and four assists on Saturday, though his minutes remain limited (less than 25 per game) and he’s yet to play in the fourth quarter. But only one of the seven games he’s played in (and only two of the Clippers’ last 13 overall) have been within five points in the last five minutes.

• The Clippers are tied with the Kings for having the most home-heavy schedule (25/45) thus far. They have a losing record (9-11) on the road, having won just six of their last 17 games away from the Intuit Dome.

They’ll now head out on a four-game trip that begins with a big game in Phoenix on Monday. The Clippers scored just 18 points on 24 clutch possessions (with James Harden and Norman Powell both shooting 1-for-6 on clutch shots) as they lost two close games to the Suns (both in L.A.) in October.

Week 15: @ PHX, @ SAS, @ CHA, @ TOR

Record: 24-21

OffRtg: 112.8 (14) DefRtg: 110.3 (7) NetRtg: +2.4 (11) Pace: 97.6 (27)

The Wolves blew a fourth-quarter lead in Memphis last Monday, but recovered to get good wins over the Mavs (winning the season series) and Nuggets.

Three takeaways

• With the 2-1 mark last week, the Wolves are 13-7 (third best) in games played between the top 10 teams in the Western Conference, allowing just 109.7 points per 100 possessions over those 20 games.

• Overall, the defense has been inconsistent. That explains why the Wolves are 4-4 on a stretch where they rank fourth offensively (121.1 points scored per 100 possessions). Anthony Edwards has averaged 29.4 points over that stretch and Jaden McDaniels provided some unexpected offense in Dallas on Wednesday, scoring a career-high 27 points, even though he was just 1-for-5 from 3-point range.

• Naz Reid is averaging more points (13.6 per game) and scoring more efficiently (true shooting percentage of 60.3%) than he did as the Kia Sixth Man of the Year last season. His 39-for-70 (55.7%) from 3-point range in January is the best mark among 180 players with at least 35 3-point attempts this month.

This is the seventh time that the Wolves have been three games over .500, and they’re 0-6 in opportunities to make it to four games over. Attempt No. 7 will come Monday against the Hawks, who beat the Wolves in December with a 35-19 fourth quarter.

Week 15: vs. ATL, @ PHX, @ UTA, vs. WAS

Record: 25-18

OffRtg: 113.8 (12) DefRtg: 110.8 (8) NetRtg: +3.0 (9) Pace: 100.1 (11)

The Bucks went 4-0 (with all five wins by 14 points or more) on a homestand, flew to New Orleans for a postponed game, and returned to Milwaukee just in time to beat the Heat by 29. So they may have been a little road-weary when they began a four-game trip with a loss to the Clippers on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• Having fallen back to 12th in offensive efficiency, the Bucks are still one of three teams — the Nuggets and Grizzlies are the others — that rank in the top 10 in three of the four factors on that end of the floor. Their issue is that they’re last (by a healthy margin) in offensive rebounding percentage (24.0%). And though they’ve ceded the offensive glass, they’re just 19th in transition points allowed per game.

• Damian Lillard was just 1-for-9 from 3-point range against the Clippers after shooting 35-for-72 (49%) from beyond the arc over the previous nine games, but still had an efficient night by going 16-for-17 from the line. There have been three times in NBA history where a player has shot 92% or better on at least six free throw attempts per game: Lillard (92.8%) in 2020-21, Lillard (92.0%) last season, and Lillard (92.4%) this season.

The Bucks’ loss to the Clippers on Saturday began a stretch where they’re playing seven of eight games on the road. They’ll be at a rest disadvantage in Portland on Tuesday, currently 4-3 (0-2 on the road) in the second game of back-to-backs.

Week 15: @ UTA, @ POR, @ SAS, vs. MEM

Record: 25-18

OffRtg: 113.2 (13) DefRtg: 114.6 (22) NetRtg: -1.4 (19) Pace: 98.2 (23)

The Lakers have won five of their last six games to remain securely in the top six in the West. Their wins against the Wizards and Celtics last week came with their two largest margins of victory (21 and 23 points) this season.

Three takeaways

• The 5-1 stretch has largely been about dominance inside, with the Lakers having outscored their opponents by an average of 17 points per game in the paint or at the free-throw line over the five wins. Anthony Davis averaged 29.7 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks over their three wins last week, doing most of that work inside, but also shooting 8-for-11 from mid-range.

• LeBron James has an effective field goal percentage of 61.4% over the last five weeks, ranking fifth among 61 players with at least 200 field goal attempts over that stretch and is up from 54.5% before that. The Lakers have been better (both offensively and defensively) with James off the floor over that stretch. Dorian Finney-Smith’s minutes off the bench have been terrific, Gabe Vincent is finally giving them some consistent production, and Jarred Vanderbilt made his season debut on Saturday.

• Even with their win at Golden State on Saturday, the Lakers have the league’s biggest home-road differentials regarding winning percentage (16-6 vs. 9-12) and point differential per 100 possessions (plus-3.8 vs. minus-6.8). And that road record breaks down to 4-1 in California and 5-11 elsewhere, with their four road wins since Dec. 2 having all come in Sacramento or San Francisco.

Their weekend win over the Warriors was the start of the Lakers’ longest road “trip” of the season (six games over 11 days), though (with the final game against the Clippers next week) they’ll be able to return home after their game in New York on Saturday.

Week 15: @ CHA, @ PHI, @ WAS, @ NYK

Record: 24-22

OffRtg: 114.7 (8) DefRtg: 111.9 (11) NetRtg: +2.8 (10) Pace: 100.1 (12)

The Mavs continue to beat the Thunder, but overall, they’ve lost 11 of their last 15 games, dropping from fourth to ninth place in the West over that stretch. Luka Dončić and Dereck Lively II remain out, and they’re now down another big, with Maxi Kleber suffering a foot fracture in their loss to the Celtics on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• The team that eliminated the Thunder in last year’s Western Conference semifinals now accounts for three of Oklahoma City’s eight losses (and all three wins came without Dončić). As he was in the playoff series, P.J. Washington (who didn’t play in the Mavs’ one loss to the Thunder this season) was a big factor in the win on Thursday, scoring 22 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. Since May, he’s averaged 19 points and shot 30-for-62 (48%) from 3-point range in his nine games against Oklahoma City.

• Sixteen of those 22 points on Thursday came in the paint or at the free-throw line, with Washington attacking the basket a lot more of late. He’s averaged 9.8 drives per game in January (with seven games of at least 10), twice as many as he averaged through Dec. 31 (4.9). For the season, the Mavs rank ninth in the percentage of their shots (49%) that have come in the paint, up from 29th (43%) last season.

• The Mavs won the first 20 games that they led after the third quarter. But they’ve since lost three of the last five in which they held a lead entering the fourth, scoring just three points on their final nine possessions (shooting 1-for-12 with two turnovers) in Charlotte last Monday. Two nights later, they almost pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback against the Wolves but couldn’t get the final bucket they needed in the closing seconds. They’re in ninth place in the West but have the conference’s sixth-best point differential (that of a 28-18 team).

The Mavs’ longest road trip of the season (five games over nine days) begins Wednesday in New Orleans and includes games in Cleveland and Boston.

Week 15: vs. WAS, @ NOP, @ DET, @ CLE

Record: 23-22

OffRtg: 115.6 (7) DefRtg: 113.2 (16) NetRtg: +2.4 (12) Pace: 100.3 (9)

After winning 10 of 11 games, the Kings began a stretch where they’re playing 10 of their final 12 pre-break games on the road. That stretch began with losses in Denver and New York, taking them from seventh to 10th place in the West.

Three takeaways

• The Kings have been better, statistically, under Doug Christie (plus-4.1 points per 100 possessions) than they were under Mike Brown (plus-1.6). But their recent success has also been about finding ways to win close games. Their win over the Warriors on Wednesday was their sixth straight in games that were within five points in the last five minutes, with the Kings scoring 85 points on 65 clutch possessions (1.35 per) over that stretch.

• Their loss in Denver the following night counted as a clutch loss, though there was only a single (Nuggets) clutch possession after the Kings cut a 25-point deficit down to five late. In total, they’re 6-1 in clutch games under Christie after going 6-13 in clutch games under Brown.

• Bench minutes were rough over the two losses, but the Kings have still been at their best (plus-7.4 points per 100 possessions) with Keon Ellis on the floor. The reserve guard doesn’t shoot a lot (he ranks last among their rotation guys in usage rate) but he’s now 145-for-335 (43.3%) from 3-point range over his three-year career, with that being the second-best mark among 287 players with at least 250 3-point attempts over the last three seasons. His effective field goal percentage of 69.5% in January also ranks sixth among 194 players with at least 75 field goal attempts this month.

The Kings’ six-game trip continues in Brooklyn on Monday, the start of a stretch where they are playing seven of their final 10 pre-break games against teams that rank in the bottom seven offensively.

Week 15: @ BKN, @ PHI, @ OKC

Record: 23-21

OffRtg: 113.9 (11) DefRtg: 114.8 (23) NetRtg: -0.9 (18) Pace: 98.5 (22)

The Suns got clobbered in Cleveland last Monday, but they’re 8-3 since moving Bradley Beal to the bench.

Three takeaways

• The Suns are now 18-5 in games that Ryan Dunn, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker have played together. They’ve outscored their opponents by 11.9 points per 100 possessions in that trio’s 243 minutes on the floor. But Dunn sprained his ankle less than two minutes into their win against the Wizards over the weekend and is out for (at least) their game against the Clippers on Monday.

• The Suns don’t rank in the top 10 on either end of the floor over the 8-3 stretch, but they have won five of their six games that have been within five points in the last five minutes, holding their opponents to just 21 points on 24 clutch possessions. Beal may be coming off the bench, but he’s been on the floor down the stretch of the four close games he was available for.

• It’s not great that the game against the worst team in the league was one of those within five in the last five, but the win over Washington ended a streak of 13 straight games in which the Suns had fewer shooting opportunities than their opponents. They had three more turnovers than the Wizards but held them to just five offensive rebounds — the Suns’ season-low for an opponent. Over his four games with the team, the Suns have grabbed 56.1% of available rebounds with Nick Richards on the floor and just 43.5% with him off the floor.

Having played 11 of their last 12 games against the Eastern Conference, the Suns will now play 11 straight within the West. That includes a pair of huge games against the Clippers and Wolves this week.

Week 15: vs. LAC, vs. MIN, @ GSW, @ POR

Record: 22-22

OffRtg: 111.9 (15) DefRtg: 111.7 (9) NetRtg: +0.3 (14) Pace: 97.6 (26)

Jimmy Butler was suspended for another road trip and the Heat fell below .500 before getting a much-needed win in Brooklyn on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• The Heat have scored just 105.7 points per 100 possessions over the 12 games that Butler has missed since Christmas. Their 29-point loss in Milwaukee on Thursday marked the fourth time they’ve been held under a point per possession over that stretch. They’re 6-6 in those 12 games, but only the Magic, Nets, Wizards and Hornets have been worse offensively since Christmas.

• The offense might be better if the Miami defense could force some turnovers. The loss in Milwaukee was also the fourth time in a five-game stretch in which their opponents committed eight or fewer. The Heat rank 18th in opponent turnover rate (14.4 per 100 possessions), having ranked in the top 10 in each of the last four seasons.

• Rookie Kel’el Ware is now in the starting lineup, though he’s still played just 59 total minutes alongside Bam Adebayo. Ware had two more 20-point games last week (he’s one of five rookies with at least four), but the offense has been ugly on both ends of the floor (94.5 combined points per 100 possessions) in those double-big minutes.

The Heat are 2-5 in games played between the four East teams (6-9 in the standings) that are within a game of .500, needing a win against the Magic on Monday to even the season series. The last meeting came with a Herro game-winner and the least efficient offensive performance (the Heat’s 89 points on 96 possessions) for a winning team this season.

Week 15: vs. ORL, vs. CLE, @ SAS

Record: 24-23

OffRtg: 107.3 (29) DefRtg: 108.0 (3) NetRtg: -0.7 (16) Pace: 96.8 (30)

The Magic got Franz Wagner (from a 20-game absence) and Jalen Suggs (from a 10-game absence) back last week, and they got a huge win over the Pistons on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• The Magic scored an anemic 95.4 points per 100 possessions over the five-game losing streak that preceded the win on Saturday. Their offensive issues are a little about turnovers, but mostly about shooting, as they rank first in free throw rate and ninth in offensive rebounding percentage.

• Shooting 15-for-33 (45%) from beyond the arc in the win over Detroit, the Magic remain the league’s only undefeated team when they’ve shot the league average (36.0%) or better from 3-point range. Of course, they’ve done so in just nine of their 47 games, with every other team having shot 36% or better at least 16 times. They were 5-for-5 from 3-point range through the first nine minutes in Toronto on Tuesday … and they were 4-for-26 thereafter as a 21-point lead became a 16-point loss.

• But because they have the league’s lowest opponent 3-point rate (just 38% of their opponents’ shots) by a wide margin, Saturday was the 21st time the Magic (13-8 in those games) have outscored their opponent from beyond the arc. Wagner and Paolo Banchero were a combined 7-for-14 from deep as they each scored 30-plus points in the same game for just the second time (the first since Nov. of 2022) in 155 total games together.

The Magic will play another huge game within the 6-9 group in the East when they visit Miami on Monday, with Suggs (quad contusion suffered in his return over the weekend) listed as questionable. That’s the start of their longest road trip of the season (six games over 11 days), which will then take them West.

Week 15: @ MIA, @ POR, @ UTA

Record: 23-22

OffRtg: 111.8 (17) DefRtg: 112.6 (13) NetRtg: -0.8 (17) Pace: 99.5 (16)

The Pistons won the first two games of their five-game trip (including one in Houston). But, they lost the most important game of the five as they couldn’t stop the Magic’s 29th-ranked offense on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• Over the first two games of the trip, the Pistons held the Rockets and Hawks to just 96.2 points per 100 possessions. They have the league’s third-ranked defense in January after ranking 28th on defense in December. Seven of their 13 January games have come against teams that rank in the bottom 10 offensively, but Monday’s win was also the least efficient performance for the Rockets’ ninth-ranked offense since early December.

• Alas, in a game that could help determine the final guaranteed playoff spot in the East, the Magic had their best 3-point shooting game since November, spoiling a huge offensive performance (35 points and 11 assists) from Cade Cunningham. With the Pistons protecting the paint much better than in 2023-24, they’ve seen the league’s fourth-biggest jump in the percentage of their opponents’ shots taken from 3-point range.

• The Pistons’ starting lineup (with Ausar Thompson) has outscored opponents by 11.6 points per 100 possessions in its 108 minutes since Jaden Ivey’s injury. But Malik Beasley has played more minutes than two of the five starters over that stretch, and he’s been the best complement for Cunningham regarding how well the Pistons have played with the point guard (likely to get his first All-Star nod this week) on the floor.

Despite the loss in Orlando, the Pistons are the only team with a winning record (13-11) on the road and a losing record (10-11) at home. Their longest road trip of the season concludes with visits to Cleveland and Indiana, and they then begin their longest homestand of the season (six games over 10 days).

Week 15: @ CLE, @ IND, vs. DAL, vs. CHI

Record: 22-23

OffRtg: 111.7 (19) DefRtg: 111.8 (10) NetRtg: -0.1 (15) Pace: 99.4 (17)

The Warriors remain outside the SoFi Play-In Tournament group in the West, losing a couple of games (to the Kings and Lakers) that could have helped them last week.

Three takeaways

• Draymond Green has played just three minutes over the last eight games, and the Warriors have unsurprisingly seen some defensive slippage. They’ve allowed 121.1 points per 100 possessions over the last six, including 129.4 per 100 after halftime. They blew a 19-point lead in Sacramento and saw their game against the Lakers get away early in the third quarter on Saturday.

• The other end of the floor has been the larger issue, with the Warriors having seen the league’s eighth-biggest drop in points per 100 possessions (-5.2) from last season when they ranked ninth offensively. Stephen Curry may be feeling the offensive burden he’s been trying to carry, having shot just 40% (33% from 3-point range) over his last eight games.

• The Warriors have been rebounding pretty well. They’ve outscored their opponents by 50 points (98-48) on second chances over their last five games, with Trayce Jackson-Davis, Gui Santos and Kevon Looney all having grabbed at least 10 offensive boards over that stretch.

The Warriors have four games left on their six-game homestand and they’ll face the Jazz twice in the next 10 days, currently 5-0 against the bottom three teams in the West.

Week 15: vs. UTA, vs. OKC, vs. PHX

Record: 22-23

OffRtg: 110.8 (21) DefRtg: 113.3 (17) NetRtg: -2.6 (21) Pace: 104.3 (2)

The Hawks are back on the downswing, losing four straight games for the first time since Week 2.

Three takeaways

• The Hawks have scored just 101.7 points per 100 possessions over the losing streak, even though the opponents — New York, Detroit and Toronto (x 2) — rank no higher than 13th defensively. The second of their two losses to the Raptors was Atlanta’s worst offensive performance of the season (94 on 109) and De’Andre Hunter now has an effective field goal percentage of 43.5% in January, sixth worst among 136 players with at least 100 field goal attempts this month and down from 60.4% through Dec. 31.

• For the season, the Hawks have seen the league’s sixth-biggest drop in points scored per 100 possessions (-5.6). It’s news that they aren’t in the bottom 10 defensively, but it’s also news that they are in the bottom 10 on offense, having had the league’s sixth-best offense over the previous four seasons.

• Jalen Johnson suffered a left shoulder injury in the first half of the first of the two losses to Toronto. The Hawks have yet to provide a timeline for the fourth-year forward, who could be named an All-Star reserve this week. Johnson’s on-off differential has gone down in the last few weeks, but Atlanta has still been outscored by 8.6 points per 100 possessions in his 891 minutes off the floor.

With the Hawks’ game against the Rockets rescheduled for Tuesday, it’s now the end of a stretch of five games in seven days and in the middle of a tough week where they’re visiting the Wolves, Cavs and Pacers. Among the 13 teams currently at or below .500, the Hawks have the best record (11-14) against the 17 teams currently above .500.

Week 15: @ MIN, vs. HOU, @ CLE, @ IND

Record: 20-23

OffRtg: 111.7 (18) DefRtg: 113.6 (19) NetRtg: -1.8 (20) Pace: 99.6 (14)

Having split their two games in Paris, the Spurs are just 2-7 over the last 23 days and two games out of a SoFi Play-In Tournament spot in the West.

Three takeaways

• The Spurs rank 29th defensively (119.9 points allowed per 100 possessions) over the 2-7 stretch. As usual, they’ve been much better with Victor Wembanyama on the floor (115.3 allowed per 100) than they’ve been with him off the floor (123.5) over the nine games, though that former number is still well above the league average.

• A season-high 24 turnovers (14 of them live balls) didn’t help the defense on Saturday. The Spurs have committed more turnovers than their opponents in five straight games and their season-long differential (1.8 per game more than their opponents) ranks 27th and is exactly what it was last season. They’ve committed just 13.6 turnovers per 100 possessions with Chris Paul on the floor, but 15.9 per 100 with him off the floor.

• Harrison Barnes was a bright spot in Paris, totaling 45 points on 18-for-25 shooting over the two games. Barnes’ usage rate (14.7%) is tied for the lowest of his career, but he’s registering career-best marks in effective field goal percentage (59.6%) and true shooting percentage (63.8%).

Back in the States, the Spurs will have a couple of more days off before starting a stretch of four straight games against teams that rank in the top 10 defensively.

Week 15: vs. LAC, vs. MIL, vs. MIA

Record: 17-27

OffRtg: 110.2 (24) DefRtg: 114.5 (21) NetRtg: -4.4 (23) Pace: 97.2 (28)

The Sixers have followed a seven-game losing streak with two straight wins, and they were both pretty big. The first (vs. Cleveland) was maybe their best win of the season and the second (at Chicago) pulled them into a tie in the loss column with the 10th-place Bulls for the final SoFi Play-In Tournament spot in the East.

Three takeaways

• The win in Chicago (their first win in the second game of a back-to-back) was also, statistically, the Sixers’ best defensive game (97 points allowed on 102 possessions) without Joel Embiid, who’s now missed the last 11 games. They’ve still rank 29th defensively and last in total rebounding percentage over his absence. The Nuggets’ 144 points on 97 possessions on Tuesday was the most efficient performance for any team this season.

• Eric Gordon hit two huge 3-pointers on a 13-0, fourth-quarter run that turned a six-point deficit into a seven-point lead against Cleveland on Friday. The 36-year-old got off to a little bit of a rough start this season but is one of three Sixers who’ve played in each of the last 10 games and has shot 28-for-54 (52%) from beyond the arc over that stretch.

• The Sixers still have the league’s biggest differential between their record against the 13 teams currently at or below .500 (12-4) and their record against the 17 teams currently over .500 (5-23). They got some schedule relief with the win in Chicago, but the relief was brief.

Seven of their next eight games are against teams with winning records, with the one exception being a game against the .500 Heat. That’s the end of the Sixers’ longest homestand of the season (six games over nine days), which begins Tuesday with a visit from the Lakers and includes two back-to-backs.

Week 15: vs. LAL, vs. SAC, vs. DEN, vs. BOS

Record: 17-29

OffRtg: 108.8 (26) DefRtg: 116.1 (25) NetRtg: -7.3 (27) Pace: 99.2 (19)

The Blazers put together their first four-game winning streak since the start of the 2022-23 season before losing a somewhat competitive game against the Thunder on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• The Blazers allowed just 99.2 points per 100 possessions over the winning streak, easily their best stretch of defense this season. They weren’t facing great offenses, but it was the last four games of a stretch of five games in seven days and allowing less than a point per possession over any stretch is a huge accomplishment for this group.

• The Blazers’ three centers — Deandre Ayton, Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III — have all been in and out of the lineup. Roughly 65 of the 192 minutes during the winning streak came with none of the three on the floor and Jerami Grant or Jabari Walker at the five. Grant has shot just 37% over the six games since his return from a nine-game absence, but the Blazers have outscored their opponents by 15.1 points per 100 possessions in his 186 minutes.

• The Blazers are now 8-9 (6-2 with Grant in uniform) since Christmas, though they still rank in the bottom 10 on both ends of the floor (21st offensively, 22nd defensively) over that stretch because five of the nine losses have been by 18 points or more.

The Blazers’ loss to Oklahoma City on Sunday was the start of their first of two seven-game homestands. They’ll have rest advantages against the Bucks and Suns this week.

Week 15: vs. MIL, vs. ORL, vs. PHX

Record: 13-32

OffRtg: 110.3 (23) DefRtg: 116.3 (27) NetRtg: -5.9 (25) Pace: 100.3 (10)

The Raptors have suddenly won five of their last six games, picking up their second and third road wins of the season in Atlanta.

Three takeaways

• The bigger difference between the 5-1 stretch and the preceding five-game losing streak has been on defense, where the Raptors have allowed just 106.4 points per 100 possessions over the six games. The opponents have shot 51.7% in the paint, down from 59.4% through the Raptors’ first 39 games.

• On the other end of the floor, six Raptors have averaged in double-figures over the six games. Scottie Barnes has led the way, averaging 19.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.2 assists, and Toronto has been 33 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor (plus-13.8) than it has been with him off the floor (minus-19.2) over this stretch.

• Before last week, the Raptors were 0-27 in games they trailed by double-digits. But after trailing by 21 in the first quarter on Tuesday, they outscored the Magic by 39 points (98-59) over the final 40 minutes. And after falling into an early, 12-point hole in their second game in Atlanta, they outscored the Hawks by 35 (102-67) over the final 37:30. Those games were also the first two times since Thanksgiving that the Raptors held their opponent to a point per possession or less.

The most recent occasion before that was also the Raptors’ only road win before Thursday, a 26-point victory in New Orleans in late November. They’ll host the Pelicans (last place in the West) on Monday and then pay a visit to the last-place team in the East.

Week 15: vs. NOP, @ WAS, vs. CHI, vs. LAC

Record: 12-34

OffRtg: 109.2 (25) DefRtg: 117.8 (28) NetRtg: -8.6 (29) Pace: 99.6 (15)

The Pelicans began Week 14 by extending their season-best winning streak to four games. They ended it with a 31-point loss to the Hornets.

Three takeaways

• With their loss in Memphis on Friday, the Pels became the first team to match its loss total from last season (49-33), and they surpassed it in Charlotte the following night. The two losses were the Grizzlies’ best offensive performance (139 points on 99 possessions) and the Hornets’ second-best offensive performance (123 on 100) of the season.

• CJ McCollum scored 45 points in the Pelicans’ overtime win over Utah last Monday, shooting 5-for-7 on pull-up 2-pointers. He had a rough night in Charlotte over the weekend, but still has an effective field goal percentage of 57.5% since Christmas, up from just 50.0% prior. He’s registering career-high marks for both field goal percentage in the paint (55.3%) and the percentage of his shots that have come in the paint (41%), though his season-long effective field goal percentage (53.6%) is still down from a career-best mark of 57.2% last season.

• The Pelicans had won seven of 10 before Friday, but with the weekend losses, they’re 11 1/2 games out of a SoFI Play-In Tournament spot, they’re just 4-21 against the 17 teams currently over .500, and they have a tough stretch of schedule coming up.

After their three-game trip wraps in Toronto on Monday, they’ll finish their pre-break schedule with eight games against the Mavs, Celtics, Nuggets (x 2), Kings (x 3) and Thunder.

Week 15: @ TOR, vs. DAL, vs. BOS

Record: 19-27

OffRtg: 111.8 (16) DefRtg: 115.3 (24) NetRtg: -3.5 (22) Pace: 103.8 (3)

The Bulls got a good win in L.A. last Monday (the end of a stretch of five games in seven days), but have lost seven of their last eight games.

Three takeaways

• The Bulls are holding the door to the Eastern Conference Play-In Club wide open for the 11th-place Sixers, to whom they lost (with a rest advantage) on Saturday. They’ve scored 96.1 points per 100 possessions over their two losses to Philly, with two more (both in Philadelphia) coming after the All-Star break. The Bulls are now just 10-12 against the other 12 teams that are currently at or below .500, with a 6-5 mark against the five teams behind them in the Eastern Conference standings.

• The offense has also been the larger issue over this 1-7 stretch, with the Bulls scoring just 106.8 points per 100 possessions over the eight games (including just 90.9 per 100 over the eight fourth quarters). Coby White has missed four of the eight games (including the last three), but five of the eight have also come against teams that rank in the bottom half of the league defensively.

• With White out, Lonzo Ball (who’s taken 85% of his shots from 3-point range) has been in the starting lineup. The Bulls have outscored their opponents by 40 points (19.9 per 100 possessions) in 110 total minutes with Ball on the floor with four of five regular starters and in place of White or Josh Giddey.

The only team behind them in the East that the Bulls haven’t lost to is the Raptors (1-0), who they’ll visit on Friday in the second game of a three-game trip.

Week 15: vs. DEN, @ BOS, @ TOR, @ DET

Record: 12-30

OffRtg: 108.4 (28) DefRtg: 112.9 (14) NetRtg: -4.5 (24) Pace: 98.6 (21)

The Hornets split the first two games of their nine-game homestand (both within the bottom seven of the league), losing to the Blazers without LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges and beating the Pelicans handily with both back in the lineup.

Three takeaways

• The Hornets have quietly risen into the top half of the league defensively. They’ve seen the league’s third biggest drop in points allowed per 100 possessions from last season (-6.3), with a change in scheme (more switching) helping them see a huge drop in opponent drives.

• The Hornets announced on Thursday that Brandon Miller is done for the season after having surgery on his right wrist. So over Miller’s first two seasons in the league, he played just 254 minutes (in 18 games) alongside both Ball and Williams. The Hornets outscored their opponents by 4.0 points per 100 possessions in those 254 minutes.

The Hornets still have seven games left on their nine-game homestand, with another game within the bottom seven in the league on Wednesday, when they’ll host the Nets.

Week 15: vs. LAL, vs. BKN, vs. LAC, vs. DEN

Record: 10-33

OffRtg: 110.8 (20) DefRtg: 117.9 (29) NetRtg: -7.1 (26) Pace: 100.0 (13)

The Jazz were tied in Oklahoma City with a little more than five minutes to go on Wednesday, but couldn’t finish and now have their fourth losing streak of (at least) five games.

Three takeaways

• In their two meetings, the Jazz have committed 37 more turnovers (56-19) than the Thunder. While Oklahoma City has the best turnover differential by a wide margin (6.6 per game fewer than their opponents) in the 48 seasons for which turnovers have been counted, Utah has the worst by a wide margin (5.8 per game more). The good news is that the Jazz have committed fewer or the same number of turnovers as their opponent in four of their last six games.

• John Collins returned from an eight-game absence on Wednesday when the Jazz’s reunited starting lineup outscored the Thunder by nine points in its 16.4 minutes. In 184 total minutes this season, the lineup has outscored opponents by 6.3 points per 100 possessions. After a one-game return, Collins missed the Jazz’s loss in Memphis with an illness over the weekend and is listed as questionable for their game against the Bucks on Monday.

• With the Raptors getting a couple of comeback wins last week, the Jazz are the only team without a win (they’re 0-30) after trailing by double-digits. Only one team in the previous 28 seasons for which we have play-by-play data — the 0-35, 1998-99 Clippers — went winless in games they trailed by double-digits, and that was in a lockout-shortened, 50-game season.

The Jazz have played the league’s most road-heavy schedule to date, with only 18 of their 43 games having come at the Delta Center. They’ve been better on the road (7-18) than they’ve been at home (3-15), but will be home for 13 of 16 beginning with a visit from the Wolves on Thursday.

Week 15: vs. MIL, @ GSW, vs, MIN, vs. ORL

Record: 14-32

OffRtg: 108.6 (27) DefRtg: 116.2 (26) NetRtg: -7.6 (28) Pace: 96.8 (29)

The Nets had a competitive game against the Knicks last week, but have their longest losing streak of the season (six games).

Three takeaways

• Is it more amazing that the Nets ranked eighth offensively through their first 20 games or that they fell to 27th in that category? They’re now one of two teams (the Wizards are the other) that rank in the bottom five in both offensive and defensive efficiency.

• Cam Johnson looked sharp in his Vince Carter North Carolina jersey on Saturday, but his team probably would have been sharper if he were wearing a Nets jersey instead. They’re now 0-11 without him, having scored just 96.9 points per 100 possessions over those 11 games. He’s now missed nine of the last 12.

• Dariq Whitehead is still healing from a leg issue (suffered last season) and has mostly been playing in the NBA G League, but the Nets’ loss to Phoenix on Wednesday was the second time this season that he’s played more than 10 minutes on this level. In those two games (the first was Dec. 2), he’s totaled 30 points, shooting 9-for-15 from 3-point range.

The Nets are 4-3 in games played between the bottom seven teams in the league, with a one-point win (behind 34 points from Johnson) over the Hornets included. The 12th and 14th-place teams in the East will meet twice more before the All-Star break, with the first of those meetings in Charlotte on Wednesday.

Week 15: vs. SAC, @ CHA, @ HOU

Record: 6-38

OffRtg: 104.7 (30) DefRtg: 118.3 (30) NetRtg: -13.7 (30) Pace: 102.9 (4)

The Wizards’ latest losing streak is at 13 games, and they still haven’t won a road game since October.

Three takeaways

• The Wizards’ starting lineup cracked the 200-minute mark last week and has been outscored by an amazing 33.5 points per 100 possessions. With that, they finally made a change, replacing Bub Carrington with fellow rookie Kyshawn George on Saturday. The new group outscored the Suns by two points in a little more than 20 minutes, and Carrington had a relatively good game (11 points on 4-for-9 shooting, two assists and no turnovers) off the bench.

• The new lineup certainly got a boost from Kyle Kuzma finally breaking out offensively. He scored a season-high 30 points (shooting 5-for-9 from 3-point range) in the loss. The Wizards continue to have four of the 17 players (George, Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly and Kuzma) with an effective field goal percentage of 47.0% or worse on at least 200 shots.

• Concerning where they rank shooting-wise, the Wizards have been slightly better in the paint (25th) than from mid-range (28th) or 3-point range (29th). But they’ve now shot 50% or worse in the paint in seven of their last 10 games. Jordan Poole remains the second-best pull-up 3-point shooter in the league, but he’s just 21-for-55 (38%) inside the arc over his last nine.

The Wizards will wrap up their six-game trip with a visit to Dallas on Monday. Then they’ll face the 13th-place Raptors for the first time, and they’ll have a chance to end their 25-game losing streak in the second game of back-to-backs when they host the Lakers on Thursday night.

Week 15: @ DAL, vs. TOR, vs. LAL, @ MIN