Record: 33-10

OffRtg: 120.1 (3) DefRtg: 110.3 (2) NetRtg: +9.8 (1) Pace: 99.0 (17)

The Celtics’ perfect home record is no more, but they still have two fewer losses than every other team and remain the only team in the top five on both ends of the floor.

Three takeaways

• The Celtics scored just four points on nine clutch possessions in their loss to the Nuggets on Friday, shooting 2-for-6 on clutch 2-pointers, 0-for-4 on clutch 3s, and 0-for-2 on clutch free throws. That could elicit some flashbacks to bad clutch offense of the past, but they still rank fifth in clutch offense (124 points scored per 100 possessions) this season, and (even with the loss to Denver) they’ve been super efficient — 135 points on 102 possessions (132 per 100) — with the score within five in the last five against teams that currently have winning records.

• Overall, the loss to the Nuggets wasn’t as much of a defensive battle as it may have seemed. It was the slowest-paced game in the league this season and both teams scored more efficiently than the league average. But the Celtics have still allowed just 103.4 points per 100 possessions over their last five games, statistically their best stretch of defense this season.

• That note comes with the context that three of the five games have come against teams (the Rockets and Spurs) that rank in the bottom 10 offensively, and that the opponents have shot just 22% from 3-point range over the five. But the Celtics are one of 10 teams that have allowed fewer points per 100 possessions than they did last season (when they also ranked second defensively) and they’re the only team that ranks in the top five in three of the four factors on defense.

The Celtics will now play four of their next five games against teams that rank in the top 10 offensively, a stretch that begins with a rest-disadvantage game in Dallas.

Week 14: @ DAL, @ MIA, vs. LAC

Record: 27-14

OffRtg: 119.6 (5) DefRtg: 113.9 (14) NetRtg: +5.6 (4) Pace: 98.2 (27)

The Clippers have the league’s best record (24-7) since that 0-5 start with James Harden, and they got another big win last week, closing their game against the Thunder with a 14-2 run. Then they had an even more impressive finish on Sunday afternoon.

Three takeaways

• Despite the league-best record since mid-November (and though the Thunder were playing the fifth game in seven nights), the win over Oklahoma City was a needed one, as the Clippers were previously 1-4 against the three teams ahead of them in the Western Conference standings. They had scored just 112.0 points per 100 possessions over those previous five games, but had 128 on 93 (the most efficient performance against the Thunder this season) on Tuesday.

• Paul George led the way with 38 points on 15-for-24 shooting, while also being the guy who spent the most time defending Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Though he had a rough afternoon (5-for-17) against Brooklyn on Sunday, George is registering career-high marks in effective field goal percentage (56.5%), true shooting percentage (60.5%) and assist/turnover ratio (1.75).

• Their previous win over a team in the West’s top three came against Denver on Dec. 6, when the Clippers came back from a 15-point deficit at the start of the second quarter. They topped that on Sunday, coming back from 18 down early in the fourth against the Nets. They were still down 11 with 5 1/2 minutes left and then closed the game on an amazing, 22-0 run. Their lineup for most of that was James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Norman Powell, George and Kawhi Leonard, a group that had played just 12 total minutes together prior to Sunday.

The Clippers are 0-2 against the Lakers, having scored just 108.6 points per 100 possessions (their second-worst mark against any opponent) over the two games. They’ll be the home team for the third meeting on Tuesday, and then begin a seven-game trip that includes a rest-disadvantage game in Boston this weekend.

Week 14: vs. LAL, @ TOR, @ BOS

Record: 28-13

OffRtg: 119.5 (6) DefRtg: 111.1 (4) NetRtg: +8.3 (2) Pace: 99.5 (14)

Joel Embiid is back and the Sixers are 15-2 since Thanksgiving when they’ve had the reigning Kia MVP in uniform. That includes a rest-disadvantage win over the reigning champs on Tuesday.

Three takeaways

• Embiid has scored 30 or more points in 20 straight games, averaging 36.8 in just 34.2 minutes over that stretch. His 36.9 points per 36 minutes for the season would be the second-highest mark in NBA history, behind only Wilt Chamberlain’s 37.4 per 36 in 1961-62. His true shooting percentage (scoring efficiency) is down a bit from last season, but his usage rate (38.1%) would be the third-highest for any player in the 28 seasons for which we have play-by-play data.

• The Sixers rank eighth in 3-point differential, having outscored their opponents by 2.9 points per game from beyond the arc. They’re one of two teams (the Bucks are the other) that rank in the top six in both opponent 3-point percentage (33.7% first) and opponent 3-point rate (37.1%, sixth lowest). Their opponents attempted fewer than 30 3s in their first three games last week.

• But (thanks largely to free throws) they also have the league’s best record (11-6) in games when their opponent has made more 3s than they have. The Sixers were just 5-for-25 from deep in Charlotte on Saturday, but were a plus-10 in the paint and a plus-10 at the line.

Embiid has missed the Sixers’ last three games in Denver and hasn’t played there since Nov. 2019. That’s stop No. 2 on a five-game trip that begins in Indiana on Thursday.

Week 14: vs. SAS, @ IND, @ DEN

Record: 30-14

OffRtg: 118.7 (7) DefRtg: 113.4 (11) NetRtg: +5.3 (6) Pace: 97.7 (28)

The Nuggets split their games in Philadelphia and Boston, becoming the first team to beat the Celtics at TD Garden.

Three takeaways

• The Nuggets’ defensive performance on Friday wasn’t as good as the final score (102-100) would have you think, because it was the slowest-paced game in the league this season (86 possessions each). Boston scored less efficiently in a win in Houston two nights later. But they did hold a top-three offense to just 39 points on 41 possessions in the second half, with a terrific defensive possession to preserve the win in the closing seconds.

• Though that final score was a little deceiving and though they allowed 126 points on just 94 possessions in Philly on Tuesday, the Nuggets are still one of just 10 teams that have allowed fewer points per 100 possessions than they did last season (113.5, 15th). They’ve seen the league’s second biggest drop in opponent field goal percentage in the paint, from 59.2% (22nd) last season to 55.6% (eighth) this season.

• Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray (69 combined points and 14 combined assists) carried the offense in the Boston win, with Murray actually the more efficient scorer on the night. He shot 15-for-21, including 7-for-8 from mid-range, with a pretty incredible spin-back fadeaway as part of his 11-point fourth quarter. His 44.5% on pull-up 2-pointers ranks just 25th among 49 players with at least 100 attempts, but is up from 40.7% last season.

The Nuggets have four games left on a stretch of eight straight against the East, where seven of those eight games are against the top six teams in the conference. After they complete their five-game trip ends in Indiana and New York, they’ll return home to face the Sixers and Bucks.

Week 14: @ IND, @ NYK, vs. PHI

Record: 29-13

OffRtg: 119.8 (4) DefRtg: 111.7 (6) NetRtg: +8.1 (3) Pace: 101.2 (7)

The Thunder had a rough stay in L.A. last week, losing to the Lakers and Clippers, with the latter game being their worst defensive performance (128 points allowed on just 93 possessions) of the season. But they finished their four-game trip with impressive wins over the red-hot Jazz and first-place Wolves.

Three takeaways

• The two victories were very different, with the Minnesota win being a lot uglier than the Utah win. But both games were within five points in the last five minutes, and the Thunder scored 28 points on just 18 clutch possessions to close them out. They lead the league in clutch offense for the season, having scored 132.4 points per 100 possessions with the score within five in the last five.

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had made just one of his previous 15 3-point attempts when he brought the ball down the floor with the Thunder down one and a little more than a minute left on Saturday. But he got Jaden McDaniels on his heels and didn’t hesitate to shoot a step-back 3 that put the Thunder ahead for good. He’s now 2-for-8 on clutch 3s, and a little better (22-for-31, 71%) on clutch 2-pointers.

• For the season, Gilgeous-Alexander has taken 17% of his shots from beyond the arc, up from a career-low 12% last season. His 3-point percentage (32.6%) is down, but he’s still registering career-high marks in both effective field goal percentage (57.7%) and true shooting percentage (64.8%). Plus, his 2-point percentage (59.5%) is the best mark of his career by a wide margin.

The Thunder are home for just one game before heading out on another trip. The big game is Friday in New Orleans, with the Thunder currently 7-6 (5-4 on the road) in games played between the top eight teams in the West.

Week 14: vs. POR, @ SAS, @ NOP, @ DET

Record: 30-12

OffRtg: 114.0 (19) DefRtg: 108.5 (1) NetRtg: +5.5 (5) Pace: 98.6 (24)

The Timberwolves remain at the top of the Western Conference, but their lead is back down to a single game after a loss (at home) on Saturday to the Thunder, who they’ll face again next Monday.

Three takeaways

• The Wolves are one of four teams that rank in the top 10 in both effective field goal percentage and free throw rate. The other three – the Bucks, Clippers and Pelicans — rank second, fifth and 10th in offensive efficiency, but the Wolves rank 19th, mostly because of turnovers. They’re 29th in turnover rate after committing 21 (13 more than the Thunder) in a five-point loss on Saturday. Their three games against Oklahoma City have produced three of their seven highest turnover rates of the season, and Saturday was the first time since their opening-night loss in Toronto that the Wolves scored less than a point per possession.

• With 12 of those 21 turnovers being live balls, the Thunder had 35 transition points, according to Synergy tracking. That’s tied (with that opening-night loss in Toronto) for the most the Wolves have allowed this season. Despite the turnovers, Minnesota ranks 10th in the (lowest) percentage of their opponents’ possessions that have been in transition (16.5%). If they can force their opponents to play in the half-court, the Wolves are obviously in great shape. Despite the 35 transition points, Oklahoma City scored just 102 points on 96 possessions overall.

• The Wolves didn’t exactly take care of business against the Pistons and Grizzlies earlier in the week. They were down three late in the third quarter in Detroit, and they were down four early in the fourth against Memphis. The latter game did give them their league-leading ninth win (they’re 9-11) after trailing by double-digits.

This week gives the Wolves four more opportunities to take care of business, with the 17-25 Nets the best team they’ll face by a wide margin. But three of the four games are on the road (where the Wolves are 3-4 since Christmas) and they’ll be at a rest disadvantage in Brooklyn on Thursday.

ANTHONY EDWARDS MY GOODNESS 😱 pic.twitter.com/AK6ReJ6JzV

— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 18, 2024

Week 14: vs. CHA, @ WAS, @ BKN, @ SAS

Record: 29-13

OffRtg: 120.7 (2) DefRtg: 116.9 (22) NetRtg: +3.7 (10) Pace: 102.5 (4)

The Bucks have won four of their last five games to stay ahead of the Sixers for second place in the East, though the one loss (in Cleveland, without Giannis Antetokounmpo) was by 40 points.

Three takeaways

• The Bucks’ defense isn’t getting better. In fact, it ranks 28th in January, having allowed 122.1 points per 100 possessions over 10 games this month. Milwaukee shot 55% from the field and attempted 49 free throws on Saturday afternoon … and beat the Pistons by just six points.

• The good news regarding defense is that the best on-court numbers on that end of the floor belong to their starters. The Bucks have outscored their opponents by 13.7 points per 100 possessions in 428 total minutes with all five on the floor, with those 428 minutes being almost 200 more than any Milwaukee lineup played last season. But, that is clearly a group that relies on offense more than ever before: the 110.6 points per 100 possessions the starting lineup has allowed is well below the league average, but ranks just 11th among the 18 lineups that have played 200 minutes. And that’s with the Bucks having played a relatively easy schedule in regard to opposing offenses.

• The other end of the floor is just fine, with the Bucks now just 0.5 points per 100 possessions behind the Pacers’ top-ranked offense. Milwaukee has seen the league’s fourth-biggest jump in effective field goal percentage, its second-biggest jump in free throw rate, and its third-biggest drop in turnover rate from last season.

The Bucks will play the Pistons and Cavs three more times this week. They’ve had the league’s easiest schedule regarding cumulative opponent winning percentage thus far and the next four weeks could be when we find out just how good this team is. Their two-game series against Cleveland is the start of a stretch where they’re playing nine of 12 against teams that are currently at least five games over .500.

Week 14: @ DET, vs. CLE, vs. CLE, vs. NOP

Record: 25-18

OffRtg: 117.2 (10) DefRtg: 112.6 (9) NetRtg: +4.6 (8) Pace: 99.4 (16)

The Pelicans continue to play a lot of games of consequence: seven of their last nine have been within the top eight in the West. They’re 3-4 in those seven, but still have a winning record (11-8) within the top eight and remain at the top of the second tier of teams (5-8) in the conference.

Three takeaways

• The Pelicans set a franchise record with 25 3-pointers (the previous record, set in December, was 22) in an easy win over the Hornets on Wednesday. But they were just 17-for-65 (26%) from beyond the arc over their losses to the Mavs and Suns last week. Overall, they’ve climbed to fifth in 3-point percentage (38.2%), but remain in the bottom five in the percentage of their shots that have come from 3-point range (36.2%).

• Their loss in Dallas last Monday was the only one of their last 11 games that was within five points in the last five minutes. Zion Williamson had a chance to tie it with less than 20 seconds left, but went 1-for-2 at the line and the Pels have now lost seven of their last nine clutch games. For the season, they’re a league-worst 29-for-49 (59%) on clutch free throws, with Williamson (4-for-10) and CJ McCollum (2-for-6) both having shot below 50%.

• The Pels still rank higher on defense, but are now one of five teams that rank in the top 10 on both ends of the floor. They’ve had the league’s second-ranked offense in January, even though their leading scorer this month (Williamson) has averaged just 20.6 points (and missed two of their 10 games). Their effective field goal percentage and offensive rebounding percentage have each gone up, while their turnover rate has gone down, with each ensuing month (from October to January).

The Pels will have another big game within the top eight in the West, completing a four-game homestand with a visit from the Thunder (the other West team in the top 10 on both ends) on Friday. They came back from 22 points down to win the first meeting (Nov. 1) in Oklahoma City.

Week 14: vs. UTA, vs. OKC, @ MIL

Record: 24-18

OffRtg: 117.1 (11) DefRtg: 115.2 (16) NetRtg: +1.9 (11) Pace: 98.4 (25)

Uh oh. It may be time for other teams to start (if they weren’t already) worrying about the Suns, who’ve had their three stars together for seven straight games and won the last five.

Three takeaways

• Before last week, the Suns were 1-7 within the top eight in the Western Conference, having lost to the Clippers by 27 points in the first (and only one) of those games in which Phoenix had all three of its stars. But the Suns came back from 22 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Kings on Tuesday, with Kevin Durant winning the game at the free throw line with less than two seconds left. Three nights later, they won in New Orleans behind 52 points from Devin Booker. So 1-7 has become 3-7 within the top eight in the West, with the 10 games still being the fewest that any of the eight teams have played within the group.

• Even with the five-game winning streak, the Suns are just 7-4 with Booker, Durant and Bradley Beal in uniform. They’ve outscored their opponents by 17 points per 100 possessions in 214 minutes with all three on the floor, but are just a plus-1.6 per 100 over the 11 games total.

• While they haven’t been dominant, five straight wins is the longest active winning streak in the West, and it’s been a relatively strong stretch defensively (112.0 points allowed per 100 possessions). Over the weekend, the Suns held two top-10 offenses (those of the Pelicans and Pacers) well below the league average for efficiency.

The Suns will face another top-10 offense (and another top-eight team in the West) when they begin their longest road trip of the season (seven games over 12 days) in Dallas on Wednesday.

Week 14: vs. CHI, @ DAL, @ IND, @ ORL

Record: 24-18

OffRtg: 117.5 (8) DefRtg: 116.5 (18) NetRtg: +1.0 (14) Pace: 100.8 (9)

After a 5-2 homestand, Luka Doncic returned from a three-game absence and had the 39th 30-point triple-double of his career in L.A. But he didn’t get enough help and the Mavs (11-for-40 from beyond the arc) were outscored from 3-point range by the team that ranks last in 3-point differential.

Three takeaways

• The Mavs have the same record when they’ve had both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving (12-9) as they have otherwise, even though the schedule has been a little easier (in regard to the opponents and rest) in those Doncic-plus-Irving games. Their offense has actually been more efficient as they’ve gone 12-7 with one or the other (120.5 points scored per 100 possessions) than its been in those 21 games with both (116.7).

• Two nights after losing to the shorthanded Pelicans, the Mavs beat the full-strength Pelicans, getting 40-point games from both Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr. The latter made nine 3-pointers, including two on the 11-0, fourth-quarter run that turned a seven-point deficit into a four-point lead. Overall, the Mavs have been much better in first halves (plus-4.1 points per 100 possessions) than they’ve been in second halves (minus-2.1 per 100), but they now have seven wins (they’re 7-16) in games they trailed after the third quarter, with only the Grizzlies (8-25) having more.

• The Mavs got both Doncic and Dereck Lively II (five-game absence) back last week, but Dante Exum has missed the last eight games. What would seemingly be their when-everybody’s-healthy starting lineup (Doncic, Irving, Exum, Derrick Jones Jr. and Lively) has played just 26 total minutes together, in part because they didn’t discover Exum’s value until December.

The Mavs have played the league’s eighth easiest schedule regarding cumulative opponent winning percentage (.491) to date, but the next three weeks will be a bit of a gauntlet. Nine of their next 11 games are against teams that currently have winning records, with six of those against the Celtics, Suns, Wolves, Bucks and Sixers. They’ll have a rest advantage against Boston on Monday.

Week 14: vs. BOS, vs. PHX, @ ATL, vs. SAC

Record: 25-15

OffRtg: 114.7 (18) DefRtg: 110.8 (3) NetRtg: +3.9 (9) Pace: 98.7 (22)

The Cavs have won seven straight games (with five of those wins coming by at least 18 points) and, as the No. 4 seed in the East (one spot ahead of the Knicks) with the league’s third-ranked defense, they’re almost exactly where they were last season. They’ve just taken a much different path to get there.

Three takeaways

• The Cavs have allowed just 99.6 points per 100 possessions throughout the winning streak, having held four of the seven opponents under a point per possession. It’s taken them from 11th to third in defensive efficiency for the season.

• It helps that the last four opponents have all shot below 30% from 3-point range. But the Cavs don’t just lead the league in opponent effective field goal percentage throughout the streak. They also lead the league in opponent free throw rate and defensive rebounding percentage over these last 19 days.

• In addition to averaging 16.4 points and 13.9 rebounds over the winning streak, Jarrett Allen has a ratio of 1.8 steals + blocks per personal foul (23/13) over the seven games. That’s up from 0.7 (48/72) prior. He had three steals and three blocks (with just two fouls) as the Cavs held the Hawks to their worst offensive game (95 points on 101 possessions) of the season on Saturday.

The schedule gets tougher this week, with the next four games against teams with winning records. That includes two (on the road) against the Bucks, who were without Giannis Antetokounmpo when the Cavs beat them by 40 on Wednesday.

Week 14: @ ORL, @ MIL, @ MIL

Record: 26-17

OffRtg: 117.3 (9) DefRtg: 112.5 (7) NetRtg: +4.8 (7) Pace: 98.3 (26)

The Knicks no longer have the No. 1 defense in 2024, but they’re 9-2 with OG Anunoby, including 8-1 with Jalen Brunson also in the lineup.

Three takeaways

• The Knicks have outscored their opponents by a pretty amazing 27.2 points per 100 possessions in 288 total minutes with both Brunson and Anunoby on the floor. That’s the best mark among 1,059 combinations that have played at least 200 minutes this season, and its followed by two other Anunoby combos.

• The Knicks have made 13 more corner 3-pointers (62) than any other team in January, with Anunoby and Donte DiVincenzo (16 each) accounting for more than half of that total. Julius Randle is also 9-for-11 from the corners this month after making just 10 corner 3s (on 26 attempts) through Dec. 31.

• Playing without Brunson last Monday, the Knicks blew an 11-point, second-half lead to the Magic and fell to 2-4 in games played within the second tier of the Eastern Conference. It was just their first loss (they were previously 19-0) when leading after the third quarter and their second loss (they were 22-1) when leading by double-digits.

The Knicks are four games into a stretch where they’re playing 12 of 14 at home, and their next game within that second tier is Saturday against Miami. They came back from a 21-point, second-half deficit to win the first meeting in late November.

Week 14: @ BKN, vs. DEN, vs. MIA

Record: 24-19

OffRtg: 121.2 (1) DefRtg: 119.5 (27) NetRtg: +1.7 (12) Pace: 103.1 (2)

The Pacers know they have a star, and they know they need more talent around him. So they traded for Pascal Siakam last week, and they retained the young players that could eventually develop into starter-level talent (or be used in future trades).

Three takeaways

• Unfortunately, Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton played just one game together last week, with the latter missing the Pacers’ loss in Phoenix on Sunday. Indiana outscored the Blazers by 27 points in the pair’s 25.8 minutes on the floor together … and lost, because bench minutes were brutal. Haliburton had 17 assists (five to Siakam) and zero turnovers, but the Pacers somehow scored just 17 points on 27 offensive possessions with him off the floor.

• The Pacers outscored the Blazers by 48 points from 3-point range, but were outscored by 40 points in the paint and by another 13 at the free throw line. The plus-48 is tied (with a Heat-Knicks game in 2012) for the biggest 3-point differential for a losing team in the 45 seasons for which the league has had the 3-point line, while Portland’s 12 3-point attempts were the fewest for any team in the last three seasons.

• Though their offense was anemic with him on the bench on Friday, the Pacers have been a little better than average offensively (115.1 points scored per 100 possessions) in the nine games that Haliburton has missed. They’re 4-5 in those games, with the last win having come Thursday in Sacramento, when rookie Jarace Walker (15 points in less than 20 minutes) was among the seven Pacers in double-figures.

With their longest road trip of the season in the books, the Pacers are back in Indiana for a four-game homestand. But the first three games area against the Nuggets, Sixers and Suns. They’re currently 12-11 against the other 15 teams that have winning records.

Week 14: vs. DEN, vs. PHI, vs. PHX, vs. MEM

Record: 23-20

OffRtg: 112.3 (24) DefRtg: 111.2 (5) NetRtg: +1.1 (13) Pace: 98.9 (19)

The Magic are just 7-13 (10th in the East) since mid-December, but some of their issues have been injury-related. They’re now healthy again and they got two big wins over the Knicks and Heat last week.

Three takeaways

• The Magic haven’t been much of a comeback team. Before last week, they were just 3-18 (fifth worst) in games they trailed by double-digits. But they erased two double-digit deficits in New York last Monday and handed the Knicks their first loss in a game they led after the third quarter. Critical in the comeback was the Magic bench, which ranks fifth in the league and (on that day) included Wendell Carter Jr., who had missed the previous five games.

• Their game in Atlanta on Wednesday was decided by Dejounte Murray’s buzzer-beating jumper over Markelle Fultz, but just as important were two perimeter (non-shooting) fouls the Magic committed against Trae Young in the final two minutes. The Orlando defense ranks fifth and it could be higher if it didn’t rank 26th in opponent free throw rate (28 attempts per 100 shots from the field). The Magic have five guys (two more than any other team) who’ve played at least 750 minutes and averaged at least 3.5 fouls per 36.

• A couple of those guys will have their minutes reduced now that others are healthy. Franz Wagner returned from an eight-game absence on Sunday and the Magic went back to their original starting lineup: Fultz, Jalen Suggs, Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Carter. It outscored the Heat by 17 points (holding Miami to just 30 points on 35 possessions) in less than 19 minutes.

With those wins over New York and Miami last week, the eighth-place Magic have the best record (6-3) in games played between the five teams currently seeded 4-8 in the East. That includes a 1-1 mark against the fourth-place Cavs, who’ve won seven straight and who they now trail by five games in the loss column. The home team has won both games, and the third of four meetings are in Orlando on Monday, when Cleveland will have a rest advantage.

Week 14: vs. CLE, @ MEM, vs. PHX

Record: 24-19

OffRtg: 113.4 (20) DefRtg: 113.0 (10) NetRtg: +0.4 (15) Pace: 97.6 (29)

Jimmy Butler has been available for the last four games, but the Heat have lost the last three, and they needed a late run to beat the Nets in overtime in the first one.

Three takeaways

• While Butler is back, rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. has missed the last four games with a groin injury. The Heat have had Butler, Jaquez and Bam Adebayo on the floor together for just 81 total minutes (over 14 games) this season.

• Without the rookie (who started his last seven games), the Heat have had some bench issues, getting outscored by 34 points (30.9 per 100 possessions) in 60 minutes with Tyler Herro off the floor last week. Part of that is some brutal shooting from Kyle Lowry, who’s 5-for-30 (including 0-for-18 from 3-point range) over five games since returning from a left hand injury. Lowry had started his first 35 games this season but has come off the bench (like he did in the Heat’s 2023 playoff run) for the last two.

• Lowry isn’t the only guy who hasn’t shot well, and the Heat have scored an anemic 101.3 points per 100 possessions over these last four games, their worst stretch of offense this season.

Their loss to the Magic (who have the league’s fifth-ranked defense) on Sunday was the fifth time the Heat have scored less than a point per possession. Their three games this week are against defenses that currently rank 11th, second and seventh, and they’ll be at a rest disadvantage when they host the Celtics on Thursday.

Week 14: vs. MEM, vs. BOS, @ NYK

Record: 22-22

OffRtg: 114.9 (16) DefRtg: 116.7 (21) NetRtg: -1.7 (23) Pace: 100.7 (10)

The Jazz’s six-game winning streak came to an end on Thursday, and they’ve now lost two straight games for the first time in six weeks.

Three takeaways

• Prior to Thursday, the Jazz were an amazing 26-for-49 (53%) on clutch 3-pointers, and they had won eight of their previous nine games that were within five points in the last five minutes. But they went 2-for-8 on clutch 3s as they lost close games to the Thunder and Rockets, with Jordan Clarkson, Lauri Markkanen and Collin Sexton all missing big shots from deep in the final two minutes of regulation in Houston. Clarkson then missed a wide-open 12-footer for the win in overtime.

• In general, the Utah offense has been terrific, but transition defense remains an issue. The Thunder lead the league with 27.8 transition points per game, and they’ve totaled 95 (47.5 per game) in their two wins over Utah, according to Synergy tracking. The loss on Thursday was just the Jazz’s second defeat (their first in two months) in a game in which they scored at least 120 points per 100 possessions.

• The Jazz lead the league in offensive rebounding percentage, but they’re in the middle of the pack in defensive rebounding percentage and they allowed the Rockets to turn 23 offensive boards into 25 second-chance points on Saturday, with two of those tying the game in the final seconds of the fourth quarter.

The loss in Houston began a six-game, 11-day road trip in which the last four games will be in Eastern Conference arenas. The Jazz are currently 10-5 (10-2 since Dec. 1) against the East.

Week 14: @ NOP, @ WAS, @ CHA

Record: 23-18

OffRtg: 116.5 (14) DefRtg: 116.1 (17) NetRtg: +0.3 (16) Pace: 100.3 (11)

The Kings have a four-game losing streak for the first time since the first four games of last season, and it’s dropped them from fifth to seventh in the Western Conference.

Three takeaways

• Prior to the last three games, the Kings were 10-1 when they shot 40% or better from 3-point range. Now they’re 10-4. Each of the three were within five points in the last five minutes and, while the Kings shot 49-for-111 (44%) on non-clutch 3s, they were 1-for-7 on the clutch ones. And that doesn’t count a De’Aaron Fox airball with his toe on the line and the Kings down three in the closing seconds of their loss to Indiana on Thursday.

• Fox, last season’s Kia Clutch Player of the Year, is 0-for-13 (worst among 54 players with at least 10 attempts) on clutch 3s and 12-for-20 (worst among 33 players with at least 15 attempts) on clutch free throws.

• Kevin Huerter was struggling earlier this month, but has 26-and 31-point performances in the last three games, shooting 15-for-27 (56%) from 3-point range over that stretch. The Kings’ starting lineup has outscored its opponents by 13.1 points per 100 possessions over the three games, but bench minutes (especially those with Fox off the floor) have not been good.

The Kings just got back from a five-game trip, but a seven-game trip (their longest of the season) begins Thursday in San Francisco. They’ll have rest advantages in four of the seven games (including each of the first three), though they’ve lost their last three rest-advantage games.

Week 14: vs. ATL, @ GSW, @ DAL

Record: 22-22

OffRtg: 113.0 (21) DefRtg: 113.9 (13) NetRtg: -0.9 (18) Pace: 101.1 (8)

The Lakers lost to the struggling Nets on Friday, allowing Brooklyn to register its most efficient offensive performance (130 points on 100 possessions) since November. But L.A. has still won three of four for the first time in almost six weeks, and the first two of those wins came against teams ahead of them in the Western Conference standings.

Three takeaways

• The Lakers shot well (12-for-28, 43%) from 3-point range against Dallas on Wednesday, but they basically beat the Thunder and Mavs with their formula of size, defense and transition. They held the two top-10 defenses to just 106.4 points per 100 possessions, they were a plus-36 in the paint and a plus-35 on fast breaks over the two games.

• At the age of 39, LeBron James is leading the league in fast break points per game (5.6) for the third straight season and the eighth time in his career.

• The Lakers still rank as the league’s second worst first-quarter team (minus-9.9 points per 100 possessions) and the games against the Mavs and Thunder were (essentially) won with big runs (27-12 and 27-8) in the third period. But they’ve won the first period in each of their last five games, having never won more than two straight first quarters prior to that. Four of their five starters have pretty remarkable shooting numbers over those last five first quarters.

The Lakers have lost the last three games they’ve played with a chance to climb back above .500, and their next chance is a game (Tuesday) against the team with the league’s best record over the last nine weeks. But they’re 2-0 against the Clips this season and that game is the lone exception in a stretch (that began with their weekend games against the Nets and Blazers) where they’re playing six of seven against teams that currently have losing records.

Week 14: @ LAC, vs. CHI, @ GSW

Record: 21-23

OffRtg: 112.5 (23) DefRtg: 114.2 (15) NetRtg: -1.7 (22) Pace: 96.8 (30)

The Bulls keep hanging around, and they’ve won six of their last eight games to climb within two games of .500 for the first time since they were 4-6.

Three takeaways

• It’s been a relatively easy stretch of schedule. The Bulls have a post-Christmas win over the Sixers, but that was without Joel Embiid, and their last six victories have all come against teams that currently have losing records. Taking care of business against bad teams is certainly better than the alternative, and they’re 11-1 since Dec. 1 (14-5 overall) against the other 14 teams that are currently at or below .500.

• The Bulls lost to the Cavs last Monday, but they turned a 21-point deficit into a one-point lead with a 25-3 run spanning the third and fourth quarters, with Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond on the floor together for a large chunk of that run. The two centers registered a plus-14 in a little more than 11 minutes together in what turned into an 18-point loss. (The Cavs answered that run pretty emphatically.)

• Though the loss in Cleveland was their worst offensive game of the season (91 points on 99 possessions), the last five games have been a relatively strong stretch (118.9 points scored per 100 possessions) on that end of the floor. The Bulls had an assist/turnover ratio of 2.6 and shot 22-for-34 (65%) on non-restricted-area shots in the paint as they followed the Cleveland loss with wins over the Raptors and Grizzlies.

The Bulls are the only Eastern Conference team that isn’t playing two straight games in L.A. this season. Their first visit (Thursday against the Lakers) is the middle game of a three-game trip this week. With their win over the Grizzlies on Saturday, they’re 8-7 against the West.

Week 14: @ PHX, @ LAL, @ POR

Record: 20-22

OffRtg: 112.8 (22) DefRtg: 112.5 (8) NetRtg: +0.3 (17) Pace: 98.7 (21)

The Rockets have lost six of their last eight games to fall to two games below .500 and out of the Play-In Tournament club in the Western Conference.

Three takeaways

• Three teams in the bottom seven in the Western Conference — the Jazz, Warriors and Blazers — have winning records against the East. But the Rockets are just 5-12 (only the Spurs have been worse) against the opposite conference, having lost to three of the East’s top five last week.

• The Rockets got their first January win (in just their second January game) within the Western Conference on Saturday, surviving against the Jazz when Jordan Clarkson missed a short jumper for the win. Amen Thompson had a huge block on the previous possession and he wasn’t the only Rockets rookie on the floor down the stretch.

• Cam Whitmore scored 17 points (shooting 4-for-6 from 3-point range) and had two blocks of his own in the win over Utah. The following night (with Fred VanVleet and Jabari Smith Jr. out), both Thompson and Whitmore were in the starting lineup against the Celtics, with the former posting a line of 15 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. The Rockets have been outscored by 12.8 points per 100 possessions in 200 minutes with both rookies on the floor together, but are a plus-6.1 per 100 in 273 total minutes with one on the floor without the other.

The Rockets will play two more games against the Eastern Conference this week, and they’re against teams – the Hornets and Nets – that account for two of their five wins against the East thus far. They’ll host the Blazers before that Charlotte-Brooklyn back-to-back, giving them a great opportunity to match (or surpass) their win total from last season (22-60) in the next six days.

Week 14: vs. POR, @ CHA, @ BKN

Record: 18-24

OffRtg: 116.7 (12) DefRtg: 119.0 (26) NetRtg: -2.4 (24) Pace: 102.1 (5)

Some players don’t have two game-winners in their entire careers. Dejounte Murray had two in the span of three days, beating the buzzer with a contested two to beat the Magic and then draining a go-ahead 3 with two seconds left in Miami. The two shots gave the Hawks their first three-game winning streak since early November.

Three takeaways

• Murray also had a last-minute, game-winning 3 (off a great feed from Trae Young) against the Magic in Mexico City. His four buckets (he’s 4-for-5) to tie or take the lead in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime are tied for third most, with Young 3-for-6 in those situations.

• The Hawks have now played three tight games (decided in the final seconds or overtime) against the Magic in three different arenas. Atlanta has played 26 clutch games total, tied for second-most and, despite the Murray heroics, ranks 28th in clutch effective field goal percentage (41.8%), with Murray having the third worst mark (36.8%) among 48 players with at least 25 clutch field goal attempts.

• Overall, the Hawks have seen a bigger jump in points scored per 100 possessions (+1.1) than the league average (+1.0), but they’ve gone from ranking seventh offensively last season to 12th this season. They’ve seen the fourth biggest jump in turnover rate, though they had just 11 against the Cavs on Saturday, when the winning streak came to an end and they had their least efficient performance (95 points on 101 possessions) of the season.

With the Hawks flying across the country for a two-game trip in Northern California, Young is in the concussion protocol, having been elbowed in the face on Saturday. The Hawks remain one of five teams with a better record on the road (10-12) than they have at home, and they’ll have a six-game homestand when they get back from Cali.

DEJOUNTE MURRAY CALLED GAME 🚨 pic.twitter.com/pvkWx1H5wl

— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 18, 2024

Week 14: @ SAC, @ GSW, vs. DAL, vs. TOR

Record: 16-27

OffRtg: 114.9 (17) DefRtg: 116.5 (20) NetRtg: -1.6 (21) Pace: 99.4 (15)

Chris Boucher is still here, but with the departure of Pascal Siakam, the entire 2019 championship rotation is gone. And with that question answered, we move on to wondering if the Raptors will flip Bruce Brown for more assets in the next 2 1/2 weeks.

Three takeaways

• So the core is now Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, and the Raptors will have to figure out how best to complement that perimeter trio. The defense hasn’t been good (124.4 points allowed per 100 possessions) in the limited minutes (97 total) that those three have played without Siakam, but Jakob Poeltl has missed the last seven games.

• Barrett continues to look extra aggressive. His drives per 36 minutes with the Raptors (11.8) are down a bit from his time with the Knicks (12.5), but he’s taken 68% of his Toronto shots in the paint, up from 57% with New York. And he’s also shot much better both in and outside the paint.

• Brown was available less than 24 hours after the trade was made official, he registered a plus-11 in 25 minutes, and he was on the floor down the stretch of the Raptors’ game against the Bulls on Thursday night. Toronto led by four with a little more than four minutes left, but Chicago then closed the game on a 13-3 run. The Raptors have lost their last five games that were within five points in the last five minutes, having allowed 59 points on just 39 clutch defensive possessions (1.51 per) in that stretch.

Because there are only nine decent teams in the East, the Raptors are just 2 1/2 games behind the Hawks for the final Play-In spot. They’ll begin a five-game trip in Atlanta on Sunday.

Week 14: vs. MEM, vs. LAC, @ ATL

Record: 18-22

OffRtg: 116.5 (13) DefRtg: 117.7 (24) NetRtg: -1.2 (19) Pace: 99.7 (12)

The Warriors had two games postponed following the death of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic. They’re next scheduled to play Wednesday.

Three takeaways

• Draymond Green returned from a 16-game absence last Monday and helped the Warriors hold the Grizzlies to just 10-for-29 (34%) shooting in the paint, the third-worst paint shooting performance for any team this season. But that couldn’t make up for Memphis attempting 30 more free throws than Golden State (40-10), the biggest differential in a game in ’23-24. Green himself committed four fouls in less than 24 minutes as the Warriors lost for the first time to one of the three teams below them in the Western Conference standings.
• For the season, the Warriors have been outscored by 1.3 points per game at the free throw line, not nearly as bad as their discrepancy last season (a league-worst 3.4 per game), but still the league’s 13th biggest.
• Before Christmas, the Warriors had an eight-game winning streak at home. But they’ve since lost five of their last seven at the Chase Center, where they’ll play their next four, starting with a visit from the Hawks.

Week 14: vs. ATL, vs. SAC, vs. LAL

Record: 17-25

OffRtg: 115.0 (15) DefRtg: 116.5 (19) NetRtg: -1.5 (20) Pace: 98.6 (23)

In the last couple of weeks, the Nets have had four long flights (to and from Paris, to and from the West Coast) after four pretty rough defeats. They did get a pretty good win over the Lakers on Friday, but that was sandwiched by a loss in Portland and a brutal collapse against the Clippers.

Three takeaways

• The Nets have led six of their last seven games by double-digits, but they’ve lost four of those six. Over that seven-game, 2-5 stretch, they’ve outscored their opponents by 9.8 points per 100 possessions through the third quarter and have been outscored by 25.8 per 100 in the fourth.

• Mikal Bridges has shot 14-for-24 (58%) over those seven fourth quarters, but a lot of his teammates haven’t been nearly as accurate. Spencer Dinwiddie, Cam Johnson and Cam Thomas are a combined 15-for-61 (25%), and the defense has suffered an even bigger drop-off. They went scoreless over the last 5 1/2 minutes on Sunday as an 11-point lead turned into an 11-point defeat, but also allowed the Clippers to score 22 points on just 10 possessions.

• Lonnie Walker IV continues to be a bright spot in limited minutes. He had 36 points (on an effective field goal percentage of 86%) in just 42 minutes on the road trip, and the Nets have been pretty good (plus-5.4 points per 100 possessions) in his 450 total minutes for the season.

The Nets will play 10 of their next 11 games at home, a stretch that begins with a visit from the Knicks on Tuesday. Brooklyn had won nine straight meetings through last January, but New York has won all three (by an average of 20.3 points) since last year’s trade deadline.

Week 14: vs. NYK, vs. MIN, vs. HOU

Record: 15-27

OffRtg: 107.7 (29) DefRtg: 113.6 (12) NetRtg: -5.9 (25) Pace: 99.6 (13)

The shorthanded Grizzlies still have some fight in them, and they got a nice win over the Warriors last Monday, with Vince Williams Jr. (24 points) and GG Jackson (23) each getting their career highs on national TV.

Three takeaways

• Some of us are old enough to remember when the Grizzlies dominated the paint. They’ve ranked first in points in the paint differential in each of the last three seasons, but are 20th (minus-1.9 per game) this season. Their discrepancy in the restricted area (minus-3.6 per game, 25th) is even bigger, and they’ve been outscored by an amazing 86 points (21.5 per game) in the restricted area over their last four games.

• The Grizzlies also rank last in the percentage of their shots (7%) that have come from mid-range. With that, they’ve outscored their opponents on 2-point shots in just one of their last 14 games. They were a season-worst minus-44 inside the arc on Monday … and won, outscoring the Warriors by 30 points from 3-point range and by 23 at the free throw line.

• The Grizzlies are 15-27, but they’ve been outscored by just two points in 754 total minutes with Vince Williams Jr. on the floor. He’s been in the starting lineup for the last six games and has shot 18-for-43 (42%) from 3-point range in January, up from 33% through Dec. 31.

The Grizzlies have a winnable game in Toronto on Monday, but after that, seven of their next eight games will be against teams that currently have winning records.

Week 14: @ TOR, @ MIA, vs. ORL, @ IND

Record: 12-30

OffRtg: 107.6 (30) DefRtg: 117.2 (23) NetRtg: -9.6 (28) Pace: 99.0 (18)

After a four-game losing streak in which their average margin of defeat was 31 points and despite Deandre Ayton being iced in when he was supposed to return from an 11-game absence, the Blazers won two straight, getting 67 total points from Jerami Grant as they edged the Nets and Pacers.

Three takeaways

• The two wins completed season sweeps of Brooklyn and Indiana. The Blazers are 12-30 overall, but they’re 7-6 against the Eastern Conference. Though they’re one of only two Western Conference teams to have faced the league’s No. 1 offense twice, they’ve had the West’s second best defense (109.9 points allowed per 100 possessions) against the East.

• The Blazers have been outscored by 18.3 points per 100 possessions in the first quarter, the worst mark for any team in any quarter and 8.4 per 100 worse than any other team is in the first. The second worst first-quarter mark (minus-9.9 per 100) belongs to the Lakers, who had a 12-point lead less than five minutes into their game with the Blazers on Sunday.

• That was the 10th game this season in which Portland never held a lead, with those 10 being three more wire-to-wire losses than any other team has and more than the Blazers have had in any of the previous 17 seasons (they had nine in each of the last two). The record for wire-to-wire losses in the 28 seasons for which we have play-by-play data is 17, held by the 2014-15 Knicks.

Their visit to Oklahoma City on Tuesday is the start of the Blazers’ first stretch of five games in seven days, and they’ll be at a rest disadvantage the following night in Houston. The Blazers are actually one of eight teams with winning records (they’re 4-3) in the second games of back-to-backs, with two of those wins having come on the road.

ANFERNEE SIMONS FOR THE WIN 🔥 pic.twitter.com/WejExQspO8

— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 18, 2024

Week 14: @ OKC, @ HOU, @ SAS, vs. CHI

Record: 9-31

OffRtg: 109.1 (27) DefRtg: 120.7 (28) NetRtg: -11.6 (30) Pace: 98.8 (20)

LaMelo Ball has averaged 26.5 points in his four games back from an extended absence, but the Hornets didn’t get a win until three other guys scored 20-plus against the Spurs on Friday.

Three takeaways

• The Hornets scored less than a point per possession in their first two games with Ball back and again without him against the Sixers on Saturday. But in between, they had two games over which they shot 47% from 3-point range. Though Ball has attempted 9.2 3s per game, the team has taken a lower percentage of its shots from 3-point range in the games he’s played (35.4%) than in the games he’s missed (38.0%).

• The Hornets were one of three teams – the Warriors and Pacers are the others – that hadn’t held an opponent under a point per possession … until Saturday, when they lost an ugly game (the teams combined to shoot 14-for-62 from 3-point range) to the Sixers. Their defensive numbers have been nearly identical in games Ball has missed (120.4 allowed per 100) as they’ve been in games he’s played (120.9 allowed per 100).

• The Hornets have been without Mark Williams for the last 20 games and without Nick Richards for the last two. So 6-foot-7 P.J. Washington has been starting at center, with 6-foot-9, undrafted rookie Nathan Mensah backing him up. Both guys fouled out against Joel Embiid and the Sixers on Saturday, but the Hornets have rebounded relatively well in these last two games.

The Wolves’ huge frontline will be another challenge as the Hornets begin a two-game trip in Minnesota on Monday. They’re 2-12 (1-8 on the road) against the Western Conference.

Week 14: @ MIN, @ DET, vs. HOU, vs. UTA

Record: 8-34

OffRtg: 109.0 (28) DefRtg: 117.8 (25) NetRtg: -8.8 (26) Pace: 102.7 (3)

The Spurs still have a positive point differential in the month of January, and they got their third win of 2024 on Saturday, coming back to beat the Wizards, with Jeremy Sochan hitting the biggest shot of the night.

Three takeaways

• The Spurs came back from deficits of 10 and 20 points in October. Then they lost 29 straight games in which they trailed by double-digits before coming back from 12 down (with less than five minutes left) in Washington on Sunday. Victor Wembanyama blocked six shots, went past his minutes limit and drained a pick-and-pop 3-pointer to tie the game with a little more than two minutes left. The Jones brothers also traded late buckets as Spurs’ Tre got his first NBA win (in 10 games in which they both played) over Wizards’ Tyus.

• The Spurs being a much more competent team in 2024 may have something to do with the younger Jones moving into the starting lineup on Jan. 4. He ranks third in total minutes this month, up from seventh through Dec. 31. The Spurs’ two most-used lineups since his first start — their regular starters and a lineup with Keldon Johnson in Julian Champagnie’s place — have outscored their opponents by 17.3 points per 100 possessions in 96 total minutes in that stretch.

• Those two groups have allowed just 99.5 points per 100 possessions on defense, though that comes with the context that five of the Spurs’ last seven games have come against teams that rank in the bottom eight offensively. Their next two are against teams that rank fifth and fourth on that end of the floor.

The Spurs wrap their five-game trip in Philadelphia on Monday and then begin a seven-game homestand with the Thunder two nights later. Their third of four straight Friday-Saturday back-to-backs is games against the Blazers and Wolves, and it will be interesting to see in which of those two Wembanyama plays (if he’s still limited to just one).

Week 14: @ PHI, vs. OKC, vs. POR, vs. MIN

Record: 7-35

OffRtg: 111.8 (25) DefRtg: 120.7 (29) NetRtg: -8.9 (27) Pace: 103.4 (1)

The Wizards had a great opportunity to put together their first two-game winning streak of the season, but they lost to the Pistons (who were without both Cade Cunningham and Bojan Bogdanovic) at home on Monday.

Three takeaways

• The road team has won both games played between the teams with the league’s two worst records, with the bigger difference being on the Pistons’ end of the floor. Detroit scored just 107 points on 108 possessions in the Wizards’ win in November but had 129 on 98 last Monday. The Wizards outscored the Pistons by 21 points from 3-point range, but allowed Detroit to register 25 second-chance points, its second-highest total of the season.

• Through Sunday, the Wizards have grabbed just 66.3% of available defensive rebounds, the worst mark for any team in the last 12 seasons. The 17.3 second-chance points per game that they’ve allowed would be the most in the last 19 seasons.

• The Wizards have four guys (nine teams have fewer) who’ve shot the league average or better on at least 75 3-point attempts, but it would help if their two leading scorers were shooting better. Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole are a combined 28-for-101 (28%) over the last nine games, dropping to a combined 32.6% for the season.

The Wizards should have another good opportunity for their first winning streak of the season. It’s a two-game trip (that begins Saturday) through Detroit and Washington. The road team has won seven of the 10 total games played between the four teams that have fewer than 10 wins.

Week 14: vs. MIN, vs. UTA, @ DET

Record: 4-38

OffRtg: 110.4 (26) DefRtg: 120.8 (30) NetRtg: -10.4 (29) Pace: 101.3 (6)

The Pistons just had a relatively great week, getting win No. 4 (their first road win since October) by beating the Wizards and then playing competitively against the Wolves and Bucks.

Three takeaways

• Alec Burks is here to, in part, be a veteran leader in the locker room. But he certainly doesn’t defer to the young guys when he’s on the floor. His usage rate (23.1%) is his highest mark in the last eight seasons and he had two 30-point games last week, scoring 34 (in less than 29 minutes) in the Pistons’ win in Washington and 33 (in less than 30) against Milwaukee on Saturday afternoon.

• Their three games last week were the Pistons’ best stretch of offense (124.1 points scored per 100 possessions) this season. Burks had the two big games off the bench and Jaden Ivey (who’s started the last 16 games) is providing more consistent production. Cade Cunningham has missed the last six games and Ivey has had at least 18 points and five assists in each of the six.

• Ivey is still shaky from beyond the arc. His 31.8% from deep ranks 170th among 189 players with a least 100 3-point attempts. But he’s shot 55.2% in the paint, a big improvement from his 46.3% as a rookie.

The Pistons still have the worst record in NBA history and will need to win five of their final 40 games to avoid that distinction. But they have more games remaining against the other five teams that are at least 12 games under .500 (8) than they’ve had thus far (6).

Two of those eight remaining games are this week as the Pistons wrap up their seven-game homestand. Cunningham may return Wednesday, when Detroit faces Charlotte for the first time since it beat the Hornets in Charlotte in their second game of the season.

Week 14: vs. MIL, vs. CHA, vs. WAS, vs. OKC