Record: 46-10

OffRtg: 117.8 (5) DefRtg: 104.8 (1) NetRtg: +12.9 (1) Pace: 100.4 (8)

The Thunder are now an amazing 10 games in the loss column ahead of the second-place Grizzlies, who are 10 games in the loss column ahead of the 11th-place Suns.

Three takeaways

• The Celtics are no longer the only team that ranks in the top five on both ends of the floor. The Thunder have joined them for what would be the second straight season, having scored 125.9 points per 100 possessions (best in the league) in February. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to lead the way, but Jalen Williams has been scoring more efficiently, while Aaron Wiggins (18.7 points per game) and Lu Dort have combined for a true shooting percentage of 68.4% this month.

• With their win in Utah last week, the Thunder are 27-1 (with 20 straight wins) against the 15 teams currently at or below .500, with every other team having at least four losses against that group. The one loss was in San Antonio during the November stretch when the Thunder didn’t have Hartenstein or Holmgren.

The Thunder will return to the Frost Bank Center on Sunday for the third of three straight games against teams with losing records. First, they’ll complete their season series with the Wolves.

Week 19: vs. MIN, @ BKN, @ ATL, @ SAS

Record: 41-16

OffRtg: 119.0 (3) DefRtg: 109.6 (5) NetRtg: +9.5 (3) Pace: 97.7 (26)

The Celtics have won nine of their last 10 games, with all five wins on their current winning streak coming by at least 13 points.

Three takeaways

• The Celtics were not messing around last week. They trailed in their two games for a total of just 85 seconds, and they’ve led each of their last five games by at least 24 points.

• One sign that the Celtics’ offense has been more purposeful over this 9-1 stretch is that they’ve recorded assists on 67% of their field goals (the league’s eighth highest rate), up from 61% (23rd) prior. Jayson Tatum had 19 assists over their two wins last week and is registering career-high marks for assists per game (5.7), assist ratio (18.5% of his possessions) and assist/turnover ratio (2.07).

• Their five-game winning streak has been the Celtics’ best five-game stretch of defense this season (104.6 points allowed per 100 possessions), and it includes two wins over the Knicks’ fourth-ranked offense. The Knicks shot well (38%) from 3-point range over the two games, but the attempts (34% of their shots) were limited and they shot just 47% in the paint.

After the Celtics visit Toronto and Detroit, they’ll have their longest homestand of the season (seven games over 13 days), which includes marquee matchups with the Cavs, Nuggets, Lakers and Thunder.

Week 19: @ TOR, @ DET, vs. CLE, vs. DEN

Record: 47-10

OffRtg: 122.0 (1) DefRtg: 111.2 (7) NetRtg: +10.8 (2) Pace: 100.6 (7)

There are a handful of teams playing really well right now, and the Cavs have the league’s longest active winning streak (seven games), with quality victories over the Knicks and Grizzlies over the weekend.

Three takeaways

• The Cavs have seemingly turned it up defensively. Before Sunday, they had allowed 106.4 points per 100 possessions over their last 11 games, up from 112.1. Even with the Grizzlies scoring efficiently (123 on 99) over the weekend, Cleveland has climbed from 12th to seventh on defense over the last four weeks. That stretch has been pretty balanced regarding the strength of the opposing offenses.

• But most of the improvement is about opponent 3-point shooting: 37.3% (26th) through their first 45 games, 32.2% (fifth) over the last 12. There’s also been some improvement in the paint, with the Nets and Knicks having combined to shoot 46-for-96 (48%) in the paint in the Cavs’ first two games out of the break.

• The tie-breaker is unlikely to come into play at the top of the East, but the Cavs would surely like to even the season series when they visit the Celtics on Friday. They’ve been outscored by 36 and 18 points from 3-point range in their two losses, with their 3-point rate against the Celtics (39.4% of their shots) being their lowest vs. any opponent.

After the visit to Boston, the Cavs will play four straight games against teams with losing records. They’re 12-1 since mid-December against the 14 teams currently below .500.

Week 19: @ ORL, @ BOS, vs. POR

Record: 34-21

OffRtg: 114.3 (10) DefRtg: 113.1 (13) NetRtg: +1.2 (12) Pace: 98.7 (22)

The Lakers are 2-2 with Luka Dončić, who, after some early struggles, busted out with a huge performance in a big win in Denver on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• Dončić’s third game as a Laker was pretty brutal. He had six turnovers (including three in the first four possessions) and shot just 5-for-18 as L.A. lost to the Hornets on Wednesday. But, after missing their win in Portland the following night, he returned over the weekend and helped the Lakers beat the team (the Nuggets) to whom they had lost 13 of their previous 14 meetings. Denver typically beats teams in the paint, but Saturday came with the Nuggets’ worst paint differential (52-30) of the season, thanks mostly to the Lakers’ ability to defend and get out in transition.

• Though they dominated inside on Saturday, the Lakers have seen a huge jump in 3-point rate with Dončić on board. They’ve taken more than 45% of their shots from 3-point range in all four games he’s played, having done so in just 11 of their other 51. They’re 0-5 when they’ve taken more than half of their shots from beyond the arc.

• The Lakers have still played just 13 games within the top eight teams in the West, with the other seven teams having all played at least 17. They were 3-8 within the top eight through January, with the three wins (all at home) by a total of just 18 points. But they’re 2-0 this month, with both wins coming on the road and by more than 20.

The Lakers’ win in Denver on Saturday was the start of five straight games within the top eight. Next is Dončić’s first game against the Mavs, and it will be a big week beyond that.

Week 19: vs. DAL, vs. MIN, vs. LAC, vs. LAC

Record: 37-20

OffRtg: 119.4 (2) DefRtg: 113.9 (17) NetRtg: +5.4 (5) Pace: 100.9 (5)

The Nuggets ran off nine straight wins before getting clobbered by the Lakers on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• The nine straight wins all came against teams currently below .500. When the Nuggets finally ran into a good team, they lost by 23. Denver has the league’s third biggest differential between its record vs. the 15 teams currently at or below .500 (27-6, .818, fourth best) and its record vs. the 15 teams currently above .500 (10-14, .417, 11th).

• The bigger difference against the good teams has been on offense: 113.9 points scored per 100 possessions over those 24 games. The loss on Saturday was the Nuggets’ worst offensive performance (100 points on 96 possessions) since mid-November and dropped them to 9-15 when they’ve scored fewer than 115 per 100. They’re 28-5 (with 18 straight wins) when they’ve scored 115 or more.

• After missing the last seven games before the All-Star break, Russell Westbrook was back. But the Nuggets stuck with their initial (non-Westbrook) starting lineup. That lineup has outscored opponents by 9.5 points per 100 possessions in its 297 minutes, while the Nuggets are a plus-10.7 per 100 in 475 total minutes with Westbrook and Nikola Jokić on the floor with three of the other four starters.

The Nuggets are a league-best 10-1 in the second games of back-to-backs, with five back-to-backs left on the schedule. The next is the middle two games of the four-game trip (their last four games in Eastern Conference arenas) that begins in Indiana on Monday.

Week 19: @ IND, @ MIL, @ DET, @ BOS

Record: 37-20

OffRtg: 119.0 (4) DefRtg: 114.3 (20) NetRtg: +4.8 (6) Pace: 98.3 (23)

The Knicks remain winless against the three best teams in the league, now 0-7 after ugly losses in Cleveland and Boston over the weekend.

Three takeaways

• Six of those seven losses have come by double-digits, and the Knicks have trailed each of the last four by at least 27 points. They’ve allowed 127.9 points per 100 possessions over the seven games, including 79 on 54 (1.46 per) over their two first quarters over the weekend.

• The Knicks cut the Celtics’ 27-point lead down to four on Sunday, but they remain one of four teams — the Sixers, Jazz and Wizards are the others — without a win (they’re 0-13) after trailing by at least 15 points. They’re also one of two teams – Denver is the other – without a loss (they’re 26-0) after leading by 15 or more.

• Mitchell Robinson could make his season debut this week and will help on the glass. The Knicks have seen the league’s third-biggest drop in offensive rebounding percentage and its 10th-biggest drop in defensive rebounding percentage from last season.

Even with the losses in Cleveland and Boston, the Knicks are tied (with the Celtics) for the league’s best road record (12-4) since Thanksgiving. The two losses began a stretch where they’re playing 11 of 14 on the road.

Week 19: vs. PHI, @ MEM, @ MIA

Record: 32-23

OffRtg: 114.8 (9) DefRtg: 114.2 (19) NetRtg: +0.7 (15) Pace: 100.7 (6)

The Pacers picked up two quality wins against the Western Conference last week, keeping them in fourth place in the East.

Three takeaways

• Only the Thunder (19-5) have a better record than the Pacers (16-5) since Jan. 1, with the Pacers’ bigger improvement coming on offense. They have the league’s fifth-ranked offense (118.4 points scored per 100 possessions) in 2025, up from 10th (112.7) through Dec. 31. They haven’t shot much more effectively, but have committed just 11.7 turnovers per 100 possessions (fewest in the league) over these last 21 games, down from 14.1 per 100 (ninth) prior. Their win over the Clippers on Sunday was just the third time in that stretch that the Pacers committed more turnovers than their opponent.

• The Indiana offense was really clicking out of the break, scoring 125.5 points per 100 possessions against teams — the Grizzlies and Clippers — that rank in the top eight defensively. Tyrese Haliburton led the way with 51 points and 21 assists (with just two turnovers), but seven other Pacers totaled at least 20 points over the two games.

• Aaron Nesmith has been back in the starting lineup for the last four games, and he scored a season-high 19 points on Sunday. Bennedict Mathurin (back in a reserve roll) still ranks fourth in total minutes over that stretch, though the defense hasn’t been good (121.8 points allowed per 100 possessions) in his 341 minutes over the last six weeks.

The Pacers are 14-7 (second best in the East) against the Western Conference, but they’ve lost eight straight games to the Nuggets, who they’ll meet for the first time (this season) on Monday.

Week 19: vs. DEN, vs. TOR, @ MIA, vs. CHI

Record: 37-20

OffRtg: 117.5 (6) DefRtg: 111.3 (8) NetRtg: +6.3 (4) Pace: 104.4 (1)

The Grizzlies went 1-2 on a four-day road trip through the Eastern Conference, struggling to defend two of the hottest offenses in the league.

Three takeaways

• Memphis now ranks 20th defensively (115.7 points allowed per 100 possessions) since Jan. 1, down from fourth (108.3) through December. They’ve allowed more than 120 points per 100 possessions 11 times in 23 games in 2025, having done so just four times in their first 34. And though they lost to the Cavs and Pacers last week, it hasn’t been a particularly taxing stretch regarding opposing offenses overall.

• Some of the drop-off has been about perimeter shooting, though the Grizzlies have also seen big drops in opponent turnover rate and defensive rebounding percentage. The drop-off has been bigger in Jaren Jackson Jr.’s minutes off the floor than it’s been in his minutes on the floor, with GG Jackson continuing to have the team’s worst on-court mark by a wide margin. Of course, he played just four minutes on Sunday and got the Grizzlies the stops they needed in Cleveland.

• The Grizzlies won an ugly game in Orlando on Friday, rallying from nine points down with less than five minutes left by holding the Magic to just one point on seven clutch possessions. With that, they improved to 8-2 in the second games of back-to-backs, allowing just 107.6 points per 100 possessions over those 10 games.

Having played eight of their last 11 games on the road, the Grizzlies will now have their longest homestand of the season (five games over nine days), which begins with a visit from the Suns on Tuesday.

Week 19: vs. PHX, vs. NYK, vs. SAS

Record: 35-22

OffRtg: 113.7 (13) DefRtg: 109.5 (4) NetRtg: +4.2 (7) Pace: 98.9 (20)

The Rockets came out of the break with a big win over the Wolves … but then went to Utah and blew a seven-point, fourth-quarter lead, sliding back into fifth place in the West.

Three takeaways

• The Rockets have been without Fred VanVleet for the last nine games but got Jabari Smith Jr. back from a 22-game absence last week. Smith came off the bench against the Wolves but played 38 minutes and shot 4-for-6 from 3-point range. He’s attempted 4.1 3s per mid-range shot this season, up from a ratio of 2.6 through his first two seasons.

• Both teams were playing the second game of a back-to-back on Saturday, but the Jazz played both games at home, while the Rockets flew 1,200 miles. They’ve played a league-high 13 back-to-backs and have the league’s second-biggest differential between their record with rest (30-14) and their record in the second games of back-to-backs (5-8). The bigger difference has been on offense, where they’ve scored just 107.4 points per 100 possessions over those 13 games with no rest.

• The Rockets lead the league with 36 clutch games, with 14 of their last 15 games being within five points in the last five minutes. They’ve scored only 86 points on 84 clutch possessions (1.02 per) over that stretch, but have managed to split those 14 games.

The Rockets are still in the middle of a stretch where they’re playing 13 of 17 games at home. They’re 0-2 against the Kings, who have scored 127.3 points per 100 possessions (the best mark for any team against the Rockets) over the two games. The third and final meeting is Saturday in Houston.

Week 19: vs. MIL, vs. SAS, vs. SAC

Record: 31-27

OffRtg: 113.7 (13) DefRtg: 110.7 (6) NetRtg: +3.0 (8) Pace: 97.9 (25)

The Wolves went into the All-Star break tied for the best record (12-6) in games played between the top eight teams in the Western Conference. But they came out of the break with losses to the Rockets and Thunder.

Three takeaways

• Both games were within five points in the last five minutes and the Wolves couldn’t close, shooting 1-for-6 on clutch shots against the Rockets and not getting the stops they needed to give themselves a chance to tie or take the lead against the Thunder. The Wolves have the West’s third-best record (16-6) in games that weren’t within five points in the last five minutes, but are now 15-21 in the clutch, having gone 21-15 last season.

• The loss on Sunday was just the fifth time this season that the Thunder have allowed more than 120 points per 100 possessions. Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid didn’t shoot well from the field, but they were a combined 22-for-23 from the line. Edwards’ big jump in 3-point rate has come with a big drop in free throw rate this season, but he’s now had double-digit attempts from the line in six of his last seven games.

• With the two losses, the Wolves became the third team (joining the Pelicans and Sixers) to surpass its loss total from last season (56-26). They still rank sixth defensively but have seen the league’s second-biggest jump in points allowed per 100 possessions from last season (when they had the league’s No. 1 defense by a wide margin).

The Wolves now head to Oklahoma City for the second half of their two-day, home-and-home set and the start of a four-game trip. Their game in L.A. on Thursday is the start of their second (and final) stretch of five games in seven days.

Week 19: @ OKC, @ LAL, @ UTA, @ PHX

Record: 30-27

OffRtg: 112.7 (16) DefRtg: 111.6 (9) NetRtg: +1.1 (13) Pace: 99.6 (17)

The Warriors are 5-1 with Jimmy Butler, having avenged the one loss (at Dallas) with a blowout win on Sunday afternoon.

Three takeaways

• The Warriors’ first two games after the break (against the two teams directly ahead of them in the standings) may have been the two most important games left on their schedule — and they won them both by 24 points. They’ve won three straight games for the first time since Nov. 15, and a big key has been first-quarter defense. They’ve held the Rockets, Kings and Mavs to just 65 points on 80 possessions (81 per 100) over the three first quarters.

• Quinten Post started two of the first three games with Butler, but the Warriors have started the last three with Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski in the lineup and Draymond Green at the five. That lineup has been solid (outscoring the opponents by 12 points in its 39 minutes over the three games), but over the six total games with Butler, the Warriors have been better with Post on the floor alongside Butler and Green (plus-23.1 points per 100 possessions in 51 minutes) than they’ve been with Butler and Green at the four and five (plus-10.2 in 99 minutes).

• The six games with Butler have, not surprisingly, come with a jump in free throw rate. More important may be that they’ve also come with a big drop in turnover rate: 12.1 per 100 possessions, down from 14 per 100 previously.

Four of the five wins with Butler have come against teams currently at or above .500. The Warriors will now play four straight games against teams with losing records, with two of those four coming against the Hornets.

Week 19: vs. CHA, @ ORL, @ PHI

Record: 32-24

OffRtg: 113.7 (14) DefRtg: 112.2 (10) NetRtg: +1.5 (11) Pace: 100.3 (9)

The Bucks are one of two 3-0 teams (the Cavs are the other) since the All-Star break, rallying from double-digit deficits in all three games.

Three takeaways

• The Bucks had just nine wins (they were 9-29) after trailing by double-digits last season. They’re now 10-18 after facing double-digit deficits this season, even though they’ve still been better (especially offensively) before halftime (plus-4.6 points per 100 possessions) than they’ve been after halftime (minus-2.0).

• Kyle Kuzma still isn’t shooting particularly well (effective field goal percentage of 47.8% in seven games with the Bucks), but he’s been on the floor down the stretch, with all four of the Bucks’ games during their current winning streak having been within five points in the last five minutes. Brook Lopez has nine blocks over the four games, with four of the nine coming on clutch possessions. One of those came against Khris Middleton (with the Bucks up three in the final minute) in his Wizards debut.

• The Bucks have played the league’s easiest schedule to date regarding cumulative opponent winning percentage, with only 20 of their 56 games (three fewer than any other team) having come against the 15 teams that are currently over .500. They’re just 7-13 (only the Pistons have been worse) within that group so far, though they’ve beat the Wolves and Clippers on this four-game winning streak.

Now they’ll play 11 of their next 13 games within the top 15, facing the Nuggets and Mavs for the first time this week.

Week 19: @ HOU, vs. DEN, @ DAL

Record: 31-25

OffRtg: 111.5 (18) DefRtg: 108.8 (3) NetRtg: +2.7 (9) Pace: 99.1 (19)

The Clippers are 0-2 on a four-game trip through the Central Division, and Kawhi Leonard is dealing with another injury (sore left foot) that kept him out of their loss in Indiana on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• Their loss to the Pacers was the Clippers’ second-worst defensive game of the season (129 points allowed on 101 possessions). With a worse-than-average offense, they need to get stops to win and are now 6-20 when they’ve allowed at least 111 points per 100 possessions.

• The Clippers rank in the top 10 in three of the four factors on defense. The exception is opponent free throw rate, and Milwaukee and Indiana combined to shoot 48-for-54 (89%) from the line in their two losses last week. The opponent rate has been ridiculously low (16.9 attempts per 100 shots from the field) in Leonard’s 422 minutes on the floor.

• Norman Powell has also missed the first two post-break games, dealing with a sore left knee. The Clippers have lost the last six games that Powell has missed and have scored just 106 points per 100 possessions in 638 total minutes with James Harden on the floor without him.

After the Clippers finish the Eastern Conference portion of a stretch of eight straight road games, they’ll play their first two games in their old home. They’ve split their first two meetings with the Lakers, who they now trail by four games in the loss column.

Week 19: @ DET, @ CHI, @ LAL, @ LAL

Record: 31-27

OffRtg: 115.0 (8) DefRtg: 113.4 (14) NetRtg: +1.7 (10) Pace: 99.9 (16)

The Mavs were surviving without their bigs, but they lost a big game at Golden State on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• The Mavs have been killed on the glass (ranking in the bottom four in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage) over their five games since Anthony Davis’ injury (in his debut). Second-chance points over that stretch have been 109-48 in favor of their opponents.

• But they’ve outscored their opponents by 69 points from 3-point range over the five games, winning three straight before losing to the Warriors on Sunday. Their win on Friday, in which Kyrie Irving (5-for-12) and Klay Thompson (4-for-7) outscored the Pelicans (8-for-27) from deep by themselves, was the third time this season that the Mavs have taken more than half of their shots from 3-point range.

• The Mavs will now face Luka Dončić for the first time, and it will be fascinating to see who gets the defensive assignment. Without any centers, they’ve been switching more. According to Second Spectrum tracking, the Mavs have switched 43% of ball screens over their last five games, up from 28% before that.

After visiting Dončić and the Lakers on Tuesday, the Mavs will play five of their next six games at home, where they’ve won five of their last six.

Week 19: @ LAL, vs. CHA, vs. MIL

Record: 31-26

OffRtg: 113.6 (15) DefRtg: 112.7 (12) NetRtg: +1.0 (14) Pace: 100.0 (14)

The Pistons have won six straight games, climbing to five games over .500 and solidifying their position as a top-six team in the Eastern Conference.

Three takeaways

• The Pistons have had the league’s third-ranked offense (125.2 points scored per 100 possessions) over the winning streak. Cade Cunningham (26.2 points and 10.0 assists) continues to be the star, but Malik Beasley has also averaged 21.8 points in just 26.5 minutes off the bench over the six games.

• The first five games of the winning streak were also the Pistons’ best five-game stretch of defense (104.2 points allowed per 100 possessions) this season. Then they played a 148-143 thriller in Atlanta on Sunday, the second fastest-paced game in the league this season. Detroit lost two double-digit leads and trailed by one with less than 40 seconds left, but Dennis Schröder came through with a big three-point play to put the Pistons ahead for good. That ended a four-game losing streak in games that were within five points in the last five minutes.

• The Pistons are now 10 points per 100 possessions better than they were last season. Detroit and Memphis (+13.2) would be just the sixth and seventh teams in the last 25 years to see a season-to-season improvement of at least 10 points per 100 possessions. J.B. Bickerstaff was also the coach for one of the other five (the 2021-22 Cavs).

The Pistons’ win in Atlanta on Sunday was the start of a stretch of five games in seven days, but the other four are at home and their game against the Clippers on Monday is the start of six straight against teams that will be playing the second game of a back-to-back.

Week 19: vs. LAC, vs. BOS, vs. DEN, vs. BKN

Record: 29-30

OffRtg: 107.4 (28) DefRtg: 108.3 (2) NetRtg: -0.9 (18) Pace: 96.8 (29)

The Orlando offense has shown some signs of life, and they got an important win in Atlanta coming out of the break.

Three takeaways

• The Magic didn’t shoot particularly effectively last week and Paolo Banchero was just 21-for-58 (36%) from the field over their three games. But they continue to lead the league in free throw rate and outscored each of their three opponents from the line, with Banchero going 29-for-38 over the three games.

• The Magic are out of the break with a new starting lineup, with Cole Anthony still starting at point guard (Jalen Suggs has now missed 22 of the last 23 games) and Wendell Carter Jr. rejoining Banchero and Franz Wagner up front. The new lineup outscored their opponents by 32 points (allowing just 92 on 104 defensive possessions) in its 49 minutes, though it was also on the floor down the stretch against Memphis on Friday when the Magic blew a nine-point lead with less than five minutes to go.

• They were much more clutch the previous night in Atlanta, with Anthony and Banchero draining 3s on the 9-0 run that decided the game with less than three minutes left. The Magic trailed that game by 19 points early in the second quarter and (though they erased that deficit by halftime) continue to be much better in the second halves of games (plus-4.6 points per 100 possessions, seventh best) than they’ve been in first halves (minus-6.1, 26th). That’s the league’s third-biggest half-to-half differential and it’s been bigger on the defensive end of the floor.

The Magic are just two games into their second seven-game homestand of the season. Next up is the second of three meetings with the first-place Cavs, who they haven’t seen since Nov. 1 (their first game after Banchero’s injury).

Week 19: vs. CLE, vs. GSW, vs. TOR

Record: 24-33

OffRtg: 110.4 (24) DefRtg: 114.8 (23) NetRtg: -4.4 (23) Pace: 99.2 (18)

After losing four straight games to good teams, the Blazers beat the Hornets by 53 points, the largest margin of victory in franchise history.

Three takeaways

• It was a good couple of games for the Blazers’ two 24-year-old, two-way forwards. Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara combined for 82 points on 29-for-41 (71%) shooting over the two games, adding nine steals and two blocks. Camara didn’t draw any charges but continues to lead the league (by a wide margin) with 24 for the season.

• Avdija hasn’t shot as effectively as he did with the Wizards last season, but he’s seen a big jump in free throw rate, from 34 to 43.2 attempts per 100 shots from the field. The 43.2 per 100 ranks eighth among 240 players with at least 250 field goal attempts this season.

• As the Blazers have gone 11-5 over the last 36 days, eight of those 11 wins have come against the Eastern Conference. They have also played the fewest games (they’re 10-5) against the East, with none of those 15 games coming against the East’s top four teams.

The Blazers are one of three teams with a seven-game road trip this season. Theirs begins Monday in Utah, after which they’ll play 15 of their next 20 games against the East.

Week 19: @ UTA, @ WAS, @ BKN, @ CLE

Record: 26-29

OffRtg: 111.4 (19) DefRtg: 112.3 (11) NetRtg: -0.9 (17) Pace: 97.3 (28)

The Heat are 1-1 on their three-game trip coming out of the break. They blew double-digit leads in both games but escaped Toronto with an overtime win.

Three takeaways

• Ware has even been on the floor for most of the Heat’s clutch time over those 14 games in which he’s started, though the clutch offense has been almost entirely about Tyler Herro and Adebayo, who’ve combined to attempt 43 of the team’s 67 clutch shots over that stretch. Herro ranks just 31st in clutch usage rate (30.3%), but he leads the league with 19 shots (he’s 5-for-19) to tie or take the lead in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime.

• Nikola Jović has played more minutes (off the bench) than Ware over these last four games but fractured his right hand in the Heat’s loss in Milwaukee on Sunday. Jović had been evolving into a solid, secondary playmaker, ranking second on the team in total assists since Jan. 1.

The eighth-place Heat are tied in the win column with the ninth-place Hawks, who they’ll visit on Monday. That will be the end of a stretch where the Heat will have played 17 of 23 games on the road. They’ll then play 14 of 17 at home (where they’ve lost six of their last eight), starting with another game against the Hawks.

Week 19: @ ATL, vs. ATL, vs. IND, vs. NYK

Record: 28-28

OffRtg: 115.2 (7) DefRtg: 114.6 (22) NetRtg: +0.6 (16) Pace: 100.0 (13)

The Kings were the only team with just one game last week. It was a big one, and they got clobbered by the Warriors, who passed the Kings for ninth place in the West.

Three takeaways

• Their first game after the break was the Kings’ second-worst defensive game of the season, with Golden State scoring 132 points on 97 possessions. Bench minutes were an issue on Friday (the game got away with a 27-8 Warriors run spanning the first and second quarters), but the Kings’ new starting lineup has now allowed 124.1 points per 100 possessions, the worst mark among 69 lineups that have played at least 100 minutes.

• Overall, the Kings rank 25th defensively since their coaching change (they were 16th under Mike Brown). The schedule has been slightly tougher regarding opposing offenses since Doug Christie took over.

• The Kings have committed more turnovers than their opponents in 11 of their last 13 games, with their differential on Friday (24-12) being their worst of the season. Both Domantas Sabonis (from 2.16 before 1.63 over the last eight games) and Malik Monk (from 2.90 to 1.63) have seen big drops in assist/turnover ratio since De’Aaron Fox’s departure.

Their schedule will get much tougher starting Saturday, so the Kings need to take care of business against the Hornets and Jazz in their next two games. They’re 18-10 against the 14 teams currently below .500, 3-0 against Utah and they have yet to play Charlotte.

Week 19: vs. CHA, @ UTA, @ HOU

Record: 24-31

OffRtg: 112.1 (17) DefRtg: 114.1 (18) NetRtg: -2.0 (19) Pace: 100.1 (12)

Victor Wembanyama is out for the rest of the season and the Spurs appear to be Lottery-bound for the sixth straight season.

Three takeaways

• Before the All-Star break, the Spurs had allowed 5.4 fewer points per 100 possessions with Wembanyama on the floor (110.0) than they had with him off the floor (115.4). That’s not quite as big as his on-off differential on defense last season (6.1 per 100), but still big for a full-time starter who’s mostly defending against other starters.

• Even with Wembanyama playing 46 of their 52 games, the Spurs ranked 19th defensively at the break. Without him for the final 30, they may have a bottom-10 defense for a third straight season after ranking in the bottom 10 on either end of the floor just once in the 25 seasons prior.

• They’ve moved up a spot for now, having held the Suns and Pelicans under 110 points per 100 possessions last week. Of course, the defense fell apart (74 points allowed on 53 possessions) in the second half on Sunday, as the Spurs blew a 17-point lead in New Orleans. They continue to have the most losses (they’re 38-32) after leading by double-digits over the last two seasons.

The Spurs will have another game in New Orleans and then face three of the best teams in the West. They have wins over six of the top seven teams in the conference, with the exception being the Grizzlies (who they’ll visit on Saturday).

Week 19: @ NOP, @ HOU, @ MEM, vs. OKC

Record: 27-30

OffRtg: 113.7 (11) DefRtg: 115.8 (26) NetRtg: -2.1 (20) Pace: 98.9 (21)

The Suns don’t appear primed to make a run up the Western Conference standings, having lost two of their first three games out of the break.

Three takeaways

• After the Suns suffered their first wire-to-wire defeat of the season (Thursday in San Antonio), Bradley Beal was back in the starting lineup (replacing Tyus Jones) for their two games over the weekend. Though the Suns were trailing when they made their first sub in both games, the lineup ultimately outscored the Bulls and Raptors by 13 points (allowing just 67 on 74 defensive possessions) in its 33 total minutes.

• But splitting games against the Bulls and Raptors (after losing to the Wembanyama-less Spurs) won’t get it done. The Suns have now slipped to 26th in points allowed per 100 possessions, with Mike Budenholzer never having had a bottom-five defense (only one of his teams has been worse than average on that end of the floor) in his 10 previous seasons as a coach.

• They’re a jump-shooting team (28th in the percentage of their shots that have come in the paint), but the Suns are one of two teams (the Lakers are the other) that rank in the top 10 in both free throw rate (eighth) and free throw percentage (third). They’re 17-10 when they’ve outscored their opponent from the line after going 25-for-28 in their win in Chicago on Saturday.

Two games in New Orleans this week will be the end of the Suns’ final stretch of five games in seven days, but also the end of the easy portion of their post-break schedule. Starting with a visit from the Wolves on Sunday, 17 of their next 20 games will be against teams with winning records.

Week 19: @ MEM, vs. NOP, vs. NOP, vs. MIN

Record: 26-31

OffRtg: 111.4 (20) DefRtg: 113.8 (16) NetRtg: -2.4 (21) Pace: 104.3 (2)

The Hawks have lost three straight games, slipping back to ninth place in the East.

Three takeaways

• This was a different Hawks team for most of the season, better defensively and worse offensively than they’ve been over the last few seasons. But we’ve seen some reversion in the last few weeks, with the losing streak including a 149-148 loss in New York and a 148-143 loss to the Pistons (the second fastest-paced game in the league this season) on Sunday. Over their last 10 games, the Hawks and their opponents have combined to score 118.7 points per 100 possessions, up from 111.3 prior to that.

• One big piece of the offensive improvement has Zaccharie Risacher, who has averaged 15.8 points on an effective field goal percentage of 65% (including 23-for-44 from 3-point range) over the last 10 games. He’s still not creating a lot of offense for himself (50 of his 57 buckets over this stretch have been assisted), but these last few weeks (including an incredible finish against the Pistons on Sunday) have been pretty promising.

• Of course, the rookie has yet to fully earn Quin Snyder’s trust, playing down the stretch in only four of Atlanta’s eight clutch games this month. Trae Young has taken 36 of the Hawks’ 61 clutch shots in February.

The ninth-place Hawks are tied in the win column with the eighth-place Heat. They’ll play a home-and-home set on Monday and Wednesday, with Atlanta having won the first meeting behind big games from Jalen Johnson and De’Andre Hunter.

Week 19: vs. MIA, @ MIA, vs. OKC

Record: 21-35

OffRtg: 108.5 (27) DefRtg: 114.4 (21) NetRtg: -6.0 (26) Pace: 96.2 (30)

The Nets were competitive with the Cavs for 36 minutes and then beat the Sixers to move into 11th place in the East.

Two takeaways

• The Nets ultimately lost by 13 in Cleveland, but it was just the sixth time this season that the Cavs’ No. 1 offense has been held under 110 points per 100 possessions. The Nets now rank second defensively over the last five weeks and have held their opponents to just 94.4 points per 100 possessions in Day’Ron Sharpe’s 222 minutes over that stretch.

• The Nets have outscored their opponents by just 3.9 points per game over their 7-2 stretch, with their last three wins having come by a total of just 14 points. For the season, they’re 21-35 with the point differential of a team that’s 16-40, with that being the biggest differential between a team’s actual wins and its “expected” wins.

Their win in Philadelphia was the start of a stretch where the Nets are playing 10 of 16 games on the road. They’ve lost their one meeting (earlier this month) with the Wizards, who they’ll visit (with a rest advantage) on Monday.

Week 19: @ WAS, vs. OKC, vs. POR, @ DET

Record: 18-39

OffRtg: 110.2 (25) DefRtg: 115.6 (25) NetRtg: -5.5 (25) Pace: 99.9 (15)

The Raptors remain a tough out. They took the Heat to overtime on Friday and then beat the Suns two nights later.

Two takeaways

• The Raptors have been much more of a paint team than a perimeter team all season. Before Sunday, they were 0-13 when they were outscored by more than four points in the paint, though they almost beat the Heat when being outscored by 18 points on the inside. Then they went 7-for-7 from 3-point range on the 22-6 run that put the Suns away on Sunday, winning a game in which they were a minus-20 (58-38) in the paint.

• They’re still tied for the league lead in the number of games (36) in which they’ve been outscored from 3-point range, but the Raptors were a plus from beyond the arc in both of their games last week, with their differential against the Suns (+39) being their biggest of the season. Having Immanuel Quickley (who’s played in nine of the last 10 games) certainly helps their 3-point volume, and the point guard was 10-for-18 from deep over the weekend.

The Raptors have yet to outscore their opponent from 3-point range in three straight games and … well, they play the Celtics next. After they host Boston on Tuesday, they’ll play 15 of their final 24 games on the road. But after they visit the Pacers the following night, 20 of their final 23 will come against teams that currently have losing records.

Week 19: vs. BOS, @ IND, @ CHI, @ ORL

Record: 20-36

OffRtg: 111.1 (23) DefRtg: 115.2 (24) NetRtg: -4.1 (22) Pace: 97.3 (27)

The Sixers have lost seven straight games, becoming the second team to surpass its loss total from last season (47-35) along the way. They got blown out by the Celtics and beat at the buzzer by the Nets last week.

Two takeaways

• The question for the Sixers right now is less about wins and losses (competing for the final SoFi Play-In Tournament spot in the East) and more about whether Joel Embiid should be playing if the goal is to maximize the possibility of him being available and effective next season. For most of his 31 minutes on Saturday, he seemed unable to attack mismatches on offense or protect the rim on defense. Since his return three weeks ago and with him playing in six of their last eight games, the Sixers have been better both offensively and defensively with Embiid off the floor (plus-0.6 points per 100 possessions) than they’ve been with him on the floor (minus-15.9 per 100).

• With or without Embiid, Tyrese Maxey continues to shoulder a huge load offensively. Paul George has averaged just 11.9 points (in 33.3 minutes) over his return from a five-game absence (which coincides with the losing streak) and Sixers not named Maxey have shot just 28% from 3-point range over the seven games.

With the loss on Saturday, the Sixers are now in 12th place, though they’re still just a game and a half behind the Bulls for the final Play-In spot. They have two games (both at home) remaining against Chicago and (currently 2-0 in the season series) would hold the tie-breaker by winning one of them. The first of the two is Monday.

Week 19: vs. CHI, @ NYK, vs. GSW

Record: 14-42

OffRtg: 111.4 (21) DefRtg: 118.4 (30) NetRtg: -7.0 (28) Pace: 100.2 (11)

The Jazz played spoiler on Saturday, coming back from seven points down early in the fourth quarter to beat the Rockets.

Two takeaways

• The All-Star break seems to have helped Keyonte George, who totaled 50 points on 17-for-29 shooting over the Jazz’s two games last week. More important may be that George (who’s been coming off the bench for the last 14 games) had 12 assists with only three turnovers. The Jazz committed nine more turnovers than the Thunder on Friday, but that was an improvement over the first two meetings (21 and 16 more).

• Lauri Markkanen didn’t come out of the break so hot, shooting 2-for-14 against Oklahoma City (with Lu Dort as his primary defender). Markkanen’s effective field goal percentage (52.3%) and true shooting percentage (57.4%) would be his worst marks in the last five seasons. He’s seen the 13th biggest drop in 3-point percentage (from 39.9% to 34.7%) among 110 players with at least 200 attempts in each of the last two seasons.

The Jazz’s seven-game homestand gets a little easier this week, and last place in the West could be on the line against the Pelicans on Sunday. The Jazz were swept in a two-game set in New Orleans last month, playing both games without Markkanen and John Collins.

Week 19: vs. POR, vs. SAC, vs. MIN, vs. NOP

Record: 22-35

OffRtg: 111.4 (22) DefRtg: 116.1 (27) NetRtg: -4.7 (24) Pace: 103.6 (3)

The Bulls were competitive against the Knicks and Suns last week, but they’ve now lost six straight games … and still hold the last SoFi Play-In Tournament spot in the East.

Two takeaways

• The Bulls erased an 11-point deficit against Phoenix on Saturday, only for Julian Phillips to put Kevin Durant on the line twice in a row when Durant wasn’t in scoring position either time. The first foul came when Durant was setting a screen and the second came 90 feet from the basket. The Bulls were outscored by eight points at the line in a four-point loss and rank 26th in free throw differential (minus-1.8 points per game) for the season.

• Rookie Matas Buzelis has been in the starting lineup for the last six games, but the starters have not been great during that stretch. Their two starting groups have been outscored by 57 points (scoring just 93.4 per 100 possessions) in 79 total minutes over the losing streak.

The Bulls have been held under a point possession in both their losses to the 12th-place Sixers, who they lead by a game and a half.

Week 19: @ PHI, vs. LAC, vs. TOR, @ IND

Record: 14-43

OffRtg: 109.7 (26) DefRtg: 118.0 (28) NetRtg: -8.2 (29) Pace: 100.2 (10)

The Pelicans remain in last place in the West, though they picked up a win over the Spurs on Sunday.

Two takeaways

• Zion Williamson has played in 10 of the Pelicans’ last 12 games, averaging 27.1 points (35.6 per 36 minutes) on 62% shooting over that stretch. Williamson’s usage rate (33.4%) is the highest of his career by a wide margin, though his true shooting percentage of 58.9% would be the worst mark in his five seasons.

• The Pelicans’ defense has also been much better with Williamson on the floor (113.5 points allowed per 100 possessions) over these last 12 games than it has been otherwise. Their loss in Dallas on Friday completed a stretch of nine straight games against teams that currently rank in the top 10 offensively, and they have only four games against that group going forward.

The Pels will complete their two-game series with the Spurs on Tuesday and then head to Phoenix for another two-game series. Their first meeting with the Suns was Brandon Ingram’s penultimate game with the Pelicans, and he scored a game-high 29 points in a 126-124 win.

Week 19: vs. SAS, @ PHX, @ PHX, @ UTA

Record: 14-41

OffRtg: 107.3 (29) DefRtg: 113.7 (15) NetRtg: -6.3 (27) Pace: 98.2 (24)

The Hornets came out of the break with a nice road win over the Lakers, but also lost by 53 points in Portland.

Two takeaways

• Mark Williams returned to the Hornets’ lineup in the win over the Lakers, but he and LaMelo Ball sat out the second game of their Thursday-Friday back-to-back (a loss in Denver). The Hornets are the new Blazers, with three playable centers, and we’ve only seen a few minutes of two of them — Williams and Moussa Diabaté — on the floor together. Over the four games that Jusuf Nurkić has played, the Blazers have been at their best with the 30-year-old on the floor.

• The win over the Lakers was just the 13th time this season that a team won a game while scoring less than a point per possession. The Hornets have scored less than a point per possession in four of their last five games, their worst stretch of offense this season. Hornets not named Miles Bridges have shot 37-for-141 (26.2%) from 3-point range over the five games.

The Hornets will complete their six-game trip this week, returning home to host the Wizards on Saturday. They’re 0-3 against Washington, having trailed the last two meetings by more than 20 points.

Week 19: @ SAC, @ GSW, @ DAL, vs. WAS

Record: 9-47

OffRtg: 105.3 (30) DefRtg: 118.3 (29) NetRtg: -13.0 (30) Pace: 102.2 (4)

The Wizards’ latest losing streak is at six games, with their loss in Orlando on Sunday being their 20th by at least 20 points. (The record is 26.)

Two takeaways

• Both Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart made their Washington debuts on Friday. Their minutes were limited, though Middleton was on the floor (and hit a big 3) as the Wizards cut a 15-point, fourth-quarter deficit down to one with a minute left. Alas, with his team back down three, Middleton drove to the hoop and was rejected by Brook Lopez. Only the Thunder (17) have played fewer clutch games than the Wizards (18), who’ve lost eight of their last nine that were within five points in the last five minutes.

• Alex Sarr scored a career-high 22 points (in only 26 minutes) in the loss to Milwaukee, adding seven rebounds, two steals and a block. His lingering ankle issue kept him out of the Wizards’ game in Orland on Sunday, but Sarr is the only rookie who’s started every game he’s played in, and he’s one of six rookies who rank in the top 24 in blocks per 36 minutes.

The Wizards will have a hard time climbing out of the basement in offensive efficiency, but half of their remaining 26 games are against teams that rank in the bottom 10 defensively, while only three are against top-10 defenses.

Week 19: vs. BKN, vs. POR, @ CHA