Record: 47-21

OffRtg: 117.6 (7) DefRtg: 112.9 (10) NetRtg: +4.7 (5) Pace: 97.4 (27)

The Nuggets still have the league’s best record (11-2) since the All-Star break, but they couldn’t hold onto first place in the West, slipping back to second with their loss at the buzzer in Dallas on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• The Denver bench had some good minutes in the first two games of their four-game trip. Michael Malone played four reserves with Jamal Murray for nearly the entire fourth quarter (not subbing anybody out until there were just 42 seconds left) in San Antonio on Friday. But bench minutes were disastrous in Dallas, with the Nuggets being outscored by 12 points in Nikola Jokic’s 9:29 on the bench.

• The biggest issue was rebounding. In those 9 1/2 minutes, the Nuggets grabbed just 19% of available defensive rebounds, with the Mavs scoring eight of their 23 second-chance points. Jokic’s overall on-off differential remains huge (19.4 points per 100 possessions) and defensive rebounding is a big part of it. For the season, the Nuggets have grabbed 74.5% of available defensive boards when he’s been on the floor and just 65.7% when he’s been off the floor.

• Zeke Nnaji was on the floor for all of that 9:29 with Jokic on the bench on Sunday, and maybe he won’t be in the rotation in the most important games, with the Nuggets going to Aaron Gordon at the five alongside Murray when Jokic sits. But the Nuggets have been outscored by 34 points (by 15.7 per 100 possessions and scoring just 100.5 per 100) in 104 total minutes with Murray and Gordon on the floor without the MVP favorite, crossing that 100-minute threshold when Malone went that way in Miami on Wednesday.

The Nuggets’ chase for the top seed isn’t over, but they also could slip to the No. 3 spot, with three games remaining against the third-place Wolves, who they lead by just a half-game. The last two of those are at home, and they’ll have a rest advantage in Minnesota on Tuesday, but they’re currently just 3-3 (1-2 on the road) in rest-advantage games.

Week 22: @ MIN, vs. NYK, @ POR

Record: 53-14

OffRtg: 122.0 (1) DefRtg: 110.3 (2) NetRtg: +11.7 (1) Pace: 98.5 (18)

The Celtics are the first team to have clinched a playoff berth for a 10th straight season, with that being the league’s longest active streak. Since their second loss to Denver, they’ve won five straight games by at least 10 points, giving them as many double-digit victories (33) as any team had all of last season.

Three takeaways

• The Celtics have scored more than 130 points per 100 possessions over the five-game winning streak, even though Kristaps Porzingis has been out the entire time and four of their next five guys have each missed at least one of the five games. They’ve shot 43.4% from 3-point range over the streak, with 20 or more makes in each of the last three games. (More than half of the league — 16 teams — doesn’t have three games with 20-plus 3s all season.) The Celtics also have the only two games this season (including their win in Portland last Monday) in which a team has committed fewer than four turnovers.

• Three of these last five wins have come against the Blazers, Jazz and Wizards, with the Celtics now 25-1 (with 19 straight wins) against the 12 teams currently below .500. But the other two came against the Suns, with those two games being the only ones during the streak in which the rest of the top six guys all played. The lineup with Al Horford in Porzingis’ place hasn’t been nearly as good as the regular starting group and it was outscored in Phoenix nine days ago, but it registered a plus-16 (shooting 13-for-21 from 3-point range) in less than 22 minutes against the Suns on Thursday.

• The Celtics haven’t had a home game vs. an Eastern Conference opponent since Feb. 27, so they remain undefeated (21-0) against East teams at TD Garden. The last team to go undefeated at home within the conference was the 1994-95 Magic (28-0), who reached the NBA Finals but lost two home playoff games (including Game 2 of the first round vs. Boston) along the way.

Three of the Celtics’ five remaining in-conference games at TD Garden are against the Pistons (Monday), Hornets and Wizards. The toughest of the five is against the Bucks on Wednesday, with the top two teams in the East having split their first two meetings.

Week 22: vs. DET, vs. MIL, @ DET, @ CHI

OffRtg: 119.0 (3) DefRtg: 111.5 (5) NetRtg: +7.6 (2) Pace: 100.8 (8)

The Thunder struggled offensively without Jalen Williams against the Pacers on Tuesday, but have still won 12 of their last 15 games and remain in the top five on both ends of the floor.

Three takeaways

• Williams’ one-game absence was a reminder that the Thunder have been remarkably healthy this season, with their top eight guys regarding minutes per game (not including Gordon Hayward) having missed an average of 2.3 games. That’s one of the benefits of being young, with the Thunder still ranking third (they’ve dropped one spot over the last couple of months) in the percentage of their minutes (42%) that have come from rookies or second-year players.

• Hayward’s minutes were pretty bad through his first eight games with the Thunder, but he’s had a positive plus-minus in each of the last five, with the Thunder scoring an amazing 129 points per 100 possessions in his 101 minutes over that stretch. They’ve still played just six total minutes with him in Josh Giddey’s place and alongside the other four starters.

• After splitting games against the Pacers and Mavs (who were without Luka Doncic) last week, the Thunder have the second-best record (25-14) and the third-best point differential (plus-3.6 per game) in games played between the 18 teams that have winning records.

And after they face the 12th-place team in each conference this week, the Thunder will play 10 of their final 13 games against that over-.500 group. That includes two games against the Bucks, who they’ll visit on Sunday.

Week 22: vs. UTA, @ TOR, @ MIL

Record: 44-24

OffRtg: 118.8 (4) DefRtg: 115.4 (17) NetRtg: +3.3 (9) Pace: 101.2 (5)

The Bucks went 1-3 on a trip through California and became the sixth team to match its loss total from last season (58-24). But they returned home and picked up a pair of wins over the Sixers and Suns, the latter without Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Three takeaways

• The Bucks are 4-3 on a stretch of eight straight games against teams with winning records, though they’ve been outscored by 6.2 points per 100 possessions over the seven games, because two of the three losses (both in Northern California) came by 35 points. They have the fourth-best record (23-16) this season in games played between the 18 teams currently over .500.

• The Milwaukee defense has been on a roller-coaster ride since Doc Rivers took over as head coach: 119.8 points allowed per 100 possessions over his first six games, 103.3 allowed per 100 over the next 10, and 124.0 allowed per 100 over the last six. Fortunately, the offense has had some ridiculously efficient nights over the last eight days, with the win over Phoenix on Sunday (in which they shot 18-for-27 from 3-point range in the first half) being their best offensive game in more than two months.

• The Bucks were without Antetokounmpo on Sunday, but they did get Khris Middleton back from a 16-game absence. He had 22 points and seven assists in less than 26 minutes, shooting 4-for-7 from mid-range, where he’s now at 57.4%, the best mark among 90 players with at least 75 mid-range attempts. Robin Lopez was the starting center the last time Middleton had played and the Bucks’ regular starting lineup (the best lineup among 17 that have played at least 300 total minutes) still hasn’t played together since January.

The Bucks have two games remaining against the Celtics, who they beat by 33 in their last meeting (the seventh game in five nights for Boston). Game 3 of the season series (Wednesday in Boston) is the end of this stretch of eight straight against good teams, but the Thunder will be in Milwaukee on Sunday night.

Andre Jackson Jr. took FLIGHT 😱 pic.twitter.com/gmwMYddMD9

— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 13, 2024

Week 22: @ BOS, vs. BKN, vs. OKC

Record: 46-21

OffRtg: 114.5 (18) DefRtg: 108.2 (1) NetRtg: +6.3 (3) Pace: 98.0 (22)

The Wolves are 3-2 since Karl-Anthony Towns’ injury (and on their six-game road trip that concludes on Monday), winning the most important game in that stretch.

Three takeaways

• It was written in this space last week that the Wolves have generally been terrible offensively (and great defensively) without Towns. They were down 22 after scoring just 35 points on their first 36 possessions against the Clippers on Tuesday. But they then scored 83 on their final 57 possessions of the game (1.46 per) to come back and then some, winning by 18 and improving to 6-3 in games played between the top four teams in the West.

• Anthony Edwards led the way with 37 points, taking 29 shots from the field with a usage rate of 37.4%. The Wolves are 9-1 this season (16-2 in his career) when he’s registered a usage rate at least that high. His season-long usage rate (31.7%) is unsurprisingly a career-high mark, but so are his true shooting percentage (58.0%) and assist/turnover ratio (1.61).

• The Wolves also realized on Tuesday that they’re allowed to run, registering 27 fast break points (their second-highest total of the season) against the Clips, and then following that up with 19 in their win (without Rudy Gobert) in Utah over the weekend. They remain in the top seven in transition points per possession (1.19), but just 28th in the percentage of their possessions that have been in transition (14.9%).

After the Wolves’ trip ends with a second straight game in Utah on Monday, 10 of their final 14 games will be at home. But they’ll be at a rest disadvantage when they host the Nuggets on Tuesday night, just the second of their four meetings with the champs.

Week 22: @ UTA, vs. DEN, vs. CLE, vs. GSW

Record: 41-26

OffRtg: 117.1 (9) DefRtg: 111.7 (6) NetRtg: +5.3 (4) Pace: 99.1 (16)

The Pelicans had an ugly outing against the Cavs on Wednesday, but rebounded with a big win over the Clippers and are 6-1 in March.

Three takeaways

• The win over the Clippers improved the Pelicans to 7-6 (with one game remaining) against the top four teams in the West and put them in position to become one of those top four teams if they keep winning. They’ve been outscored by 29 points over those 13 games, but have won four of the five that have been within five points in the last five minutes, with the opponents shooting 7-for-29 (including 3-for-19 from 3-point range) on clutch shots.

• Zion Williamson had 34 points on 14-for-21 shooting against the Clippers on Friday, with the highlight being his coast-to-coast drive (in 3.5 seconds) to beat the third-quarter buzzer, sparking the 12-3 run that gave the Pels the lead for good. Williamson has averaged 25.8 points in 10 games against the top four teams in the West, compared to 21.9 against the rest of the league.

• While they’re 4-1 in clutch games against the top four teams in the West, the Pelicans are 7-12 in clutch games against the rest of the league. Their 24 total clutch games are the fewest for any team, and they rank 29th in clutch 3-point percentage (8-for-34, 24%) and 30th in clutch free throw percentage (40-for-61, 66%).

They’re just a game behind the Clippers for fourth place and hold the head-to-head tie-breaker, but the Pelicans have the more difficult remaining schedule, with 11 of their final 15 games against teams with winning records. Three of the four exceptions are on the road, with the Pelicans (who’ve won nine of their last 11 on the road) visiting Brooklyn and Detroit on the four-game trip that begins Tuesday.

Week 22: @ BKN, @ ORL, @ MIA, @ DET

Record: 42-25

OffRtg: 118.7 (5) DefRtg: 114.8 (14) NetRtg: +3.9 (8) Pace: 97.9 (24)

The Clippers continue to slide. They’re just 6-8 since the All-Star break and are now in danger of losing their spot in the top four in the West.

Three takeaways

• The Clips now have more losses in the four weeks since the break (6-8) than they had in the 11 weeks prior to the break (28-7). Though they rank 10th offensively since the break, that’s the end of the floor where they’ve seen the bigger drop-off. Terance Mann and Paul George have actually shot more effectively since the break than they did over the 28-7 stretch, but everybody else in the rotation has seen a significant drop-off, with Amir Coffey and Kawhi Leonard both going from high-40s to low-30s in 3-point percentage.

• The Clippers suffered a huge collapse against the Wolves on Tuesday after Leonard left the game with back spasms. That dropped them to 3-7 in games played between the top four teams in the West and greatly reduced their chances of finishing in the top three. Even with that collapse, the Clippers have good numbers (plus-10.5 points per 100 possessions) in 372 total minutes with George and James Harden on the floor without Leonard. But they’ve been outscored by 4.8 per 100 in 777 total minutes with only one of the three stars on the floor since Harden joined the team.

• More important than the loss to the Wolves is that Leonard was back in the lineup two nights later and played in both games of their Thursday-Friday back-to-back. He’s got a good chance of eclipsing his career high for minutes played in a season, now just 381 short of the 2,474 he played in 2016-17.

Four of the Clippers’ next five games will be against the Blazers and Sixers. They’re 2-0 against Portland, though the last meeting (Dec. 11) was a little too close for comfort with the league’s 28th-ranked offense scoring 127 points on 97 possessions, its third most efficient performance of the season.

Week 22: @ POR, @ POR, vs. PHI

Record: 39-29

OffRtg: 117.9 (6) DefRtg: 116.7 (21) NetRtg: +1.2 (15) Pace: 100.7 (9)

The Mavs have been on a roller coaster since Kyrie Irving returned from a six-game absence six weeks ago. They won their first seven games with Irving back, then lost five of six, and now they’ve won five of six, with the only loss having come in Oklahoma City without Luka Doncic. And they rebounded from that one by beating the champs on a ridiculous game-winner from Irving himself.

Three takeaways

• If you don’t like the drop in offensive efficiency since the All-Star break, watch more Mavs games. They’re the only team that ranks in the top five offensively and in the bottom five defensively since the break, combining with their opponents to score 119.2 points per 100 possessions over their 13 post-break games.

• When the Mavs defend, they win. They shot less than 32% from 3-point range in all three of their wins last week, but with those three wins, they’re 19-0 (the only undefeated team) when they’ve allowed fewer than 112 points per 100 possessions.

• Daniel Gafford’s streak of 33 straight made field goals came to an end with a missed put-back in the first minute of the loss in Oklahoma City, but he and Dereck Lively II have still combined to shoot 77.6% since Gafford joined the Mavs at the trade deadline. Just as important as the percentage is that they’re getting those shots, with the Mavs ranking 28th in the percentage of their shots (25%) that have come in the restricted area and those two bigs accounting for 35% of the team’s restricted area attempts.

The Mavs’ last seven games against the bottom five teams in the West (four wins and three losses) have all been decided by at least 17 points. They’ll play their next three games against the Spurs and Jazz (x 2), with their first two games against Utah (one win and one loss) having been decided by 50 and 37 points.

KYRIE CALLED GAME 😱 pic.twitter.com/32tWEeGkei

— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 17, 2024

Week 22: @ SAS, vs. UTA

Record: 39-29

OffRtg: 117.1 (8) DefRtg: 114.6 (13) NetRtg: +2.5 (11) Pace: 99.3 (15)

The Suns went 2-2 on a four-game trip in which they played the top three teams in the Eastern Conference, picking up a win in Cleveland, but having their defense torched in Boston and Milwaukee.

Three takeaways

• The Suns had all three of their stars for all four games on the trip, but outscored their opponents by just three total points in their 99 minutes on the floor together. For the season, they haven’t been much better in the 27 games that all three have played (16-11, plus-2.7 points per 100 possessions) than they’ve been otherwise (23-18, plus-2.4 per 100). The defense has been worse (117.4 allowed per 100) in those 27 games with all three.

• They didn’t shoot poorly from 3-point range (35.8%, with Grayson Allen going 17-for-30) over the road trip, but the Suns were outscored by 66 points from beyond the arc over the four games, with their opponents attempting 40 more 3-pointers than they did. They were a minus-42 from deep in Boston and a minus-30 in Milwaukee.

• After averaging 38 points over his previous four games, Kevin Durant totaled just 44 over the last three games of the trip, shooting 9-for-17 from mid-range, but just 9-for-27 otherwise. So he’s still eight points shy of tying Suns legend Shaquille O’Neal for eighth place on the league’s all-time scoring list. This would be Durant’s ninth season of averaging at least 25 points in at least 45 games with a true shooting percentage of 62% or better, with Adrian Dantley (5) and Stephen Curry (6) being the only other players who’ve done it half as many times.

The Suns are back home for a back-to-back before heading back out for a five-game trip that includes visits to three of the top five teams in the West. They’re 0-2 against the 15th-place Spurs, who they’ll visit for a two-game series starting Saturday.

Week 22: vs. PHI, vs. ATL, @ SAS

Record: 42-25

OffRtg: 115.0 (17) DefRtg: 110.8 (3) NetRtg: +4.2 (7) Pace: 98.0 (21)

The Cavs were one of the league’s hottest teams going into the All-Star break, but are just 6-8 since the break and certainly haven’t sewn up a top-four spot in the East.

Three takeaways

• The Cavs have seen the league’s sixth-biggest drop in points scored per 100 possessions and its fourth-biggest jump in points allowed per 100 possessions since the break. Four of the eight losses (including a blowout in Houston on Saturday) have come against teams with losing records, but it’s been a difficult stretch in that the 14 games have included two different stretches of five in seven days. They’ve also had their starting lineup together for just 44 total minutes over three of the 14.

• Sam Merrill had a cold stretch from beyond the arc, but the Cavs have shot better from 3-point range since the break (38.3%, seventh) than they did before it (36.1%, 18th). But they’ve seen a big drop in 2-point percentage (from 57% to 53.2%), with significant drops from Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell.

• Tristan Thompson returned from his 25-game suspension on Saturday and promptly knocked Mitchell out of the Cavs’ loss in Houston with an elbow to the nose. Afterward, Mitchell said that his knee (which kept him out of seven straight games before Wednesday) still isn’t right (his 8-for-29 on 2-point shots since the break would confirm as such) and that he’ll likely miss the Cavs’ game in Indiana on Monday. The Cavs are 9-9 without Mitchell, scoring just 112.2 points per 100 possessions over those 18 games.

That 9-9 record includes a 5-7 mark (2-4 since the All-Star break) against other teams with winning records. The Cavs’ next four games are against that group, with three on the road. They do have their best road record (20-12) in the last 14 seasons (since 2009-10) and one of those two post-break wins came against the Wolves, who they’ll visit on Friday.

Week 22: @ IND, vs. MIA, @ MIN, @ MIA

Record: 40-27

OffRtg: 116.4 (14) DefRtg: 111.9 (7) NetRtg: +4.5 (6) Pace: 96.3 (30)

If more physical play is being allowed these days, the Knicks seem to be benefitting. They’ve won three straight games to remain in the top four in the Eastern Conference.

Three takeaways

• The Knicks have held their opponent under a point per possession in each of their last five games, climbing from 11th to seventh defensive efficiency for the season. Their 17 total instances of allowing less than a point per possession are nine more than their total from last season (8) and are tied with the Wolves for the league lead, with no other team having done it more than 11 times.

• It helps that the opponents have shot a league-low 27.7% from 3-point range over this five-game stretch, but the Knicks’ opponent field goal percentage in the paint (43.7%) over the five games is also the league’s lowest opponent mark, and by a much wider margin, with the next lowest (that of the Magic) being 53.3%.

• The three-game winning streak coincides with the return of OG Anunoby from an 18-game absence. The Knicks are now 14-1 when Anunoby and Jalen Brunson have both been available, and they’ve outscored their opponents by an amazing 27.1 points per 100 possessions in 451 total minutes with both on the floor. That includes a plus-38.5 per 100 in 200 minutes with the duo on the floor with Josh Hart, who has now averaged an incredible 42.4 minutes over the Knicks’ 12 games since the All-Star break.

The Knicks have four games remaining against teams that rank in the top 10 offensively. The first of those is in Denver on Thursday, the end of their four-game road trip. The first meeting was the end of a Nuggets road trip, a 38-point win for the Knicks, and the champs’ third-worst offensive game of the season.

Week 22: @ GSW, @ DEN, vs. BKN

Record: 37-30

OffRtg: 113.1 (21) DefRtg: 112.4 (9) NetRtg: +0.6 (17) Pace: 97.2 (28)

After losing four straight games, the Heat got to play two games in Detroit. The Sunday game was too close for comfort, but they got two wins to remain tied in the loss column with the sixth-place Pacers.

Three takeaways

• Last season, the Heat were 10-11 against the top seven teams in the league before knocking two of them out in the playoffs. This season, they’re 2-14 against the top seven, having finished 0-8 against the top four teams in the West with their loss to the Nuggets on Wednesday. The only other winless teams against the West’s top four are the Blazers (0-13) and the Wizards (0-7).

• The Heat have only been outscored by 5.6 points per 100 possessions over those 16 games against the top seven. But they’ve lost all eight that were within five points in the last five minutes, allowing an amazing 86 points on 50 clutch defensive possessions. For the season, the Heat have the fifth biggest differential between how well they’ve played overall (plus-0.6 points per 100 possessions, 17th) and how well they’ve played in the clutch (minus-16.0, 28th).

• Tyler Herro remains out (he’s missed the last 11 games) and the Heat remain in the bottom 10 offensively, having scored just 107.9 points per 100 possessions over their last six. Bam Adebayo is still registering his worst effective field goal percentage since his rookie season, but was 19-for-27 (70%) in the two games in Detroit, draining the game-winner from 31 feet on Sunday.

The seventh-place Heat have six games remaining within the top eight in the Eastern Conference, with three of those this week. They have the same record as the eighth-place Sixers and would clinch the tiebreaker with a win in Philadelphia on Monday (when they’ll be at a rest disadvantage). They won the first two meetings by 11 total points, with the Sixers scoring just five points on 12 clutch possessions.

BAM WINS IT FOR MIAMI FROM DEEP 🚨 pic.twitter.com/jR0zbRPRmR

— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 17, 2024

Week 22: @ PHI, @ CLE, vs. NOP, vs. CLE

Record: 38-28

OffRtg: 116.8 (12) DefRtg: 115.8 (20) NetRtg: +1.0 (16) Pace: 100.1 (12)

The Kings are 3-2 on their second of two six-game homestands, which has included a pair of impressive wins and a pair of ugly offensive performances.

Three takeaways

• The last four games have been the Kings’ best stretch of defense this season (103.5 points allowed per 100 possessions). Their 35-point win over the Bucks on Tuesday came with the second least efficient performance (94 points on 101 possessions) for the league’s fourth-ranked offense, and they followed that up with a comfortable win (with a rest disadvantage) over a team (the Lakers) that trailed them by just three games in the loss column.

• In sweeping the Lakers (for just the second time in the franchise’s 76-year history), the Kings allowed just 108.9 points per 100 possessions, the second-best mark against the Lakers’ Western Conference opponents. L.A. needs to run, but it registered just six fast break points (tied for its second-lowest total of the season) on Wednesday. Over their last six games, the Kings have outscored their opponents by 40 points (101-61) on the break and by 39 (80-41) on second chances.

• While the defense has been improved, the offense has had a couple of rough nights on the homestand, with their loss to the Knicks on Saturday their worst offensive performance (91 points on 96 possessions) since Thanksgiving. Harrison Barnes has shot 13-for-28 (46%) from 3-point range over the homestand, but the other five guys with more than 15 attempts have combined to go 35-for-126 (28%).

The Kings are one of two teams – the Warriors are the other – with 16 games remaining. After their homestand concludes with a game against the Grizzlies on Monday, they’ll begin their only stretch of five games in seven days, which will take them from Toronto to Orlando and then back home.

Week 22: vs. MEM, @ TOR, @ WAS, @ ORL

Record: 38-30

OffRtg: 119.9 (2) DefRtg: 118.1 (25) NetRtg: +1.8 (12) Pace: 102.5 (2)

The Pacers still aren’t the offensive team they were before Tyrese Haliburton’s injury, but they’ve won three of their last four games to climb back into the top six in the Eastern Conference.

Three takeaways

• Before last Sunday, the Pacers were the only team that hadn’t held an opponent under a point per possession. But they’ve done it twice in the last eight days and rank as the league’s fifth-most-improved defensive team since the All-Star break.

• They didn’t hold the Thunder under a point per possession, but they held them to just 26-for-55 (47%) shooting in the paint as the Pacers ended OKC’s nine-game home winning streak and got their first win (they were previously 0-5) against the top four teams in the Western Conference.

• Indiana’s starting lineup has allowed just 107.3 points per 100 possessions since the break which ranks fifth among the 14 lineups that have played at least 100 post-break minutes. But it has scored just 102.2 per 100 since the break, the worst mark among those 14 lineups. Haliburton has averaged just 15.7 points (on an effective field goal percentage of 51.8%) and 9.0 assists over his 21 games back from injury, down from 24.2 (on 59.7%) and 12.7 over his 32 games before getting hurt.

The Pacers have the second-best record (14-9) in games played between the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference. They have three games remaining within the top eight, with two of those against Cleveland. They’re 2-0 against the Cavs with both meetings having come in the first two weeks of the season and third in Indiana on Monday. The Pacers will then head out on a five-game trip that includes a back-to-back in L.A.

Week 22: vs. CLE, @ DET, @ GSW, @ LAL

Record: 40-28

OffRtg: 112.8 (23) DefRtg: 111.1 (4) NetRtg: +1.8 (13) Pace: 97.6 (26)

The Magic had the league’s easiest post-All-Star schedule and, with three straight wins, they’re currently tied for the league’s third best record (10-3) since the break.

Three takeaways

• With how good their defense is, the Magic don’t have to be super efficient offensively to win games. They’re 28-5 (including 13-0 since Feb. 1) when they’ve scored at least 114 points per 100 possessions, which they’ve done in each of these last three games.

• Of course, it would help if they could make some shots from beyond the arc. Their first two wins last week (vs. Brooklyn, at Toronto) were just the seventh and eighth times that the Magic have shot 40% or better on at least 30 3-point attempts. The Rockets (10 times) are the only other team that’s done that fewer than 13 times this season.

• One guy shooting well is Jalen Suggs, who’s seen the league’s biggest post-break jump in effective field goal percentage (from 55.0% to 70.2%) among 176 players with at least 200 field goal attempts before the break and at least 75 since. After missing two games, he returned last week and shot 9-for-16 from 3-point range, now over 40% for the season with 20 more 3-point makes (128) than he had in his first two seasons combined.

Their win over Toronto on Sunday was the start of the Magic’s longest homestand of the season, eight games over 16 days. Their toughest remaining stretch in regard to opponents – four straight games against teams with winning records – begins Thursday with their first meeting with the Pelicans. Though they’re 10-3 since All-Star weekend, their last win over a team with a winning record was their first game after the break (in Cleveland).

Week 22: vs. CHA, vs. NOP, vs. SAC

Record: 35-31

OffRtg: 116.8 (11) DefRtg: 115.4 (15) NetRtg: +1.4 (14) Pace: 100.3 (11)

Climbing out of the 9-10 Play-In Tournament game remains a challenge, but the Warriors got one of their biggest wins on Saturday, beating the Lakers (and moving ahead of them for ninth place) with one of their best offensive performances of the season.

Three takeaways

• The Warriors went 1-3 over Stephen Curry’s absence, getting a win in San Antonio last Monday with another big third quarter. With that 1-3 stretch and their win in L.A. on Saturday (though they won his minutes on the bench), they’ve now been slightly better with Curry on the floor (plus-1.2 points per 100 possessions) than they’ve been with him off (plus-1.1). Brandin Podziemski continues to be the rotation player with the best on-off differential.

• The win over the Lakers was their fourth most efficient offensive game (128 points on just 95 possessions), not only because Curry, Jonathan Kuminga (who’s made multiple 3s in three straight games) and Klay Thompson each scored 23 points or more. The Warriors also committed just seven turnovers, their second-lowest total of the season. They rank lower offensively than they did last season (10th) and have seen a significant drop in effective field goal percentage, but have seen the league’s 10th biggest jump in points scored per 100 possessions, because they’ve seen improvement in each of the other factors on offense.

• After a 2-1 trip, the Warriors remain one of five teams with a better record on the road (18-14) than they do at home (17-17), with those 17 home losses already the second most they’ve suffered in the last 12 years (behind the 26 they had in the season Curry played only five games).

They’ll try to get that home record above .500 with a three-game homestand that begins Monday. After that, nine of their next 11 games will be on the road, a stretch that begins with a tough game in Minnesota. The Warriors lost two close games to the Wolves in November, with Curry scoring 38 points in the first one and missing the second.

TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS POSTER 🔥 pic.twitter.com/VR1apQBOy5

— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 12, 2024

Week 22: vs. NYK, vs. MEM, vs. IND, @ MIN

Record: 36-32

OffRtg: 115.1 (16) DefRtg: 115.7 (18) NetRtg: -0.6 (19) Pace: 101.1 (6)

After impressive wins against the Bucks and Wolves, the Lakers have lost two straight games for the first time since January, falling back to 10th place in the Western Conference.

Three takeaways

• League-wide offensive efficiency has been down since the All-Star break, but the Lakers have allowed 5.7 more points per 100 possessions since the break than they did before it, with that being the league’s biggest jump by a huge margin. And their last five games have been their second-worst five-game stretch of defense this season (122.5 allowed per 100).

• Their opponents have shot more effectively, both in the paint and outside it, since the break. They’ve also seen drops in both opponent turnover rate and defensive rebounding percentage, along with a jump in opponent free throw rate. They allowed the Kings to make 19 3s and forced just seven turnovers out of the Warriors as they lost both their games last week.

• The defense hasn’t been great with Anthony Davis on the floor since the break, and the first half on Saturday (in which Davis played) was actually worse defensively (67 points allowed on 48 possessions) than the second (which he missed). But over the 164 minutes that Davis has been off the floor since the break, the defense has been generally terrible (127 points allowed per 100).

If the Lakers want to move back up the standings in their own conference, they’ll have to do it with wins against the other one. Nine of their next 10 are inter-conference games, with five of those nine against East teams with winning records. They’re 12-9 against the East thus far but have been outscored by 1.9 points per 100 possessions over those 21 games.

Week 22: vs. ATL, vs. PHI, vs. IND

Record: 37-30

OffRtg: 116.7 (13) DefRtg: 114.1 (12) NetRtg: +2.6 (10) Pace: 98.4 (19)

The Sixers were able to get a win over the Hornets on Saturday, but they’re still just 11-22 without Joel Embiid, with no real timeline for his return.

Three takeaways

• The Sixers got Tyrese Maxey back for the second of two straight games in New York. And they scored the same number of points (79) on the same number of possessions (88) as they did two nights earlier without him. The offense bounced back later in the week, with the Sixers scoring 117 per 100 as they split slow-paced games against the Bucks and Hornets. Buddy Hield and Cameron Payne combined to shoot 10-for-18 from 3-point range over the two games, and Hield is now shooting better from deep as a Sixer (41.1%) than he did with the Pacers this season (38.4%).

• Mo Bamba has started eight of the Sixers’ last nine games, though Paul Reed has played more minutes over that stretch. And the Sixers have been much better with Reed on the floor (plus-7.2 points per 100 possessions) than they’ve been with Bamba on the floor (minus-7.9 per 100) over those nine games.

• With their losses in New York and Milwaukee last week, the Sixers are 5-11 against teams currently over .500 when they’ve had Maxey but not Embiid. Their next seven games are against that group.

That 5-11 mark includes two losses to the Heat, with whom the Sixers are tied in the standings with two head-to-head meetings remaining. The first of those is in Philadelphia on Monday, when the Sixers will have a rest advantage (though the Heat played Sunday afternoon in Detroit). After that, nine of their next 11 games will be on the road.

Week 22: vs. MIA, @ PHX, @ LAL, @ LAC

Record: 32-35

OffRtg: 112.7 (24) DefRtg: 112.1 (8) NetRtg: +0.6 (18) Pace: 99.6 (14)

The Rockets are still alive for a Play-In Tournament spot, because (after a 3-9 February) they’re 7-1 in March, including 3-0 since Alperen Sengun’s injury.

Three takeaways

• Improvement has come on both ends of the floor. The Rockets rank fourth defensively (109.0 points allowed per 100 possessions) this month, but the bigger differential from February has been on offense. Their last six games — a narrow loss to the Clippers and a five-game winning streak — have been their best stretch of offense (118.3 scored per 100) in more than six weeks.

• Jalen Green has averaged a team-high 24.6 points on an effective field goal percentage of 57.2% this month, up from just 15.8 on 46.0% in February. Over the eight games, the Rockets have scored 27.5 more points per 100 possessions with him on the floor (122.0) than they have with him off the floor (94.5).

• Amen Thompson has been in the starting lineup in the three games without Sengun, moving Jabari Smith Jr. to the five. In 57 total minutes over the three games with their four perimeter starters on the floor alongside Smith or Jock Landale, the Rockets have outscored their opponents by 30 points, scoring 136.4 per 100 possessions.

The Rockets are just three games in the loss column behind the 10th-place Lakers and their next four games are against teams with losing records. They were only 11-8 within that group before the All-Star break, but are 4-0 (including 2-0 on the road) since.

Week 22: @ WAS, vs. CHI, vs. UTA

Record: 33-35

OffRtg: 113.6 (19) DefRtg: 115.4 (16) NetRtg: -1.8 (21) Pace: 96.9 (29)

The Bulls remain fairly entrenched in ninth place in the East, 4 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Sixers and 2 1/2 ahead of the 10th-place Hawks.

Three takeaways

• The Bulls went 6-6 as they played 10 of their first 12 post-break games against teams with winning records, with all six of the wins (and only one of the losses) having been within five points in the last five minutes. They improved to 7-3 (two wins shy of tying the all-time record) in overtime games after DeMar DeRozan tied their game in Indiana in the final second of regulation. That was also the Bulls’ league-leading 15th win (they’re 15-33) in games they trailed by double-digits.

• DeRozan also passed Bulls legend Dwyane Wade on the all-time scoring list on Wednesday. He was the only player who had played the qualifying number of games and averaged at least 20 points per game in each of the previous 10 seasons, and he’s at 23.2 ppg this season. He’s also registering a true shooting percentage above 58% for the fifth straight season after never hitting 56% in his first 11 seasons in the league.

• The Bulls got clobbered by the Mavs and Clippers last week, with the two losses being two of their four worst defensive performances of the season. But (without Coby White for a second straight game) they did get their first non-clutch win since the All-Star break on Saturday, taking care of business against the Wizards. They’re 16-2 since Dec. 1 against the 12 teams that currently have losing records.

With their next two games against that group, the Bulls can get back to .500 this week. But they’ll have to win in Houston (where the Rockets are 23-11) to do it. They’ve lost their two games against the Celtics by a total of 44 points but will have a rest advantage when they host the top team in the East on Saturday.

DEMAR DEROZAN FORCES OT IN INDY 🪣 pic.twitter.com/QUp7zghwY8

— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 14, 2024

Week 22: vs. POR, @ HOU, vs. BOS

Record: 30-37

OffRtg: 117.0 (10) DefRtg: 118.5 (28) NetRtg: -1.5 (20) Pace: 101.3 (4)

The Hawks had a rough start to their five-game road trip, shooting 3-for-13 on clutch shots and losing close games in Portland and Utah. But they left nothing to chance in L.A. on Sunday, clobbering the Clippers to get back to .500 (8-8) in games they’ve played without Trae Young.

Three takeaways

• The Hawks’ defense wasn’t good (121.3 points allowed per 100 possessions) in five games without Young before the All-Star break. But it ranks eighth (109.8 allowed per 100) over this 11-game absence. They’ve seen a bigger drop in opponent effective field goal percentage in the paint (from 60.6% previously to 54.3% over the 11 games) than they have on shots from outside the paint (from 55.0% to 50.7%). And while they weren’t facing many great offenses before the weekend, the fifth-ranked Clippers had all three of their stars on Sunday.

• Dejounte Murray has expectedly taken on a bigger load in Young’s absence. But with it, he’s seen a slight uptick in efficiency. He has a usage rate of 29.3% and a true shooting percentage of 57.2% over these last 11 games without Young, up from 24.4% and 56.1% prior.

• Murray has shot 35-for-63 (56%) on pull-up 2-pointers over these last 11 games and is now at 51.1% for the season, the sixth-best mark among 82 players with at least 100 pull-up 2-point attempts.

With 10 of their 15 games against teams with winning records, the Hawks have a much tougher remaining schedule than the ninth-place Bulls, who they trail by two games in the loss column. They do have two home games remaining against the Hornets, with the first of those (Saturday) the start of a five-game homestand.

Week 22: @ LAL, @ PHX, vs. CHA

Record: 29-38

OffRtg: 115.5 (15) DefRtg: 119.1 (29) NetRtg: -3.6 (23) Pace: 100.7 (10)

The Jazz got their first post-break win against a non-Lottery team, beating the Hawks (the non-Lottery team with the worst record) on Tuesday. They’re still just 3-12 over the last 5 1/2 weeks.

Two takeaways

• Lauri Markkanen has now missed the last six games, with Jordan Clarkson also out for the last two. The Utah offense was pretty good over the first five games of the sans-Markkanen stretch, scoring more than 120 points per 100 possessions. Six guys (including Johnny Juzang and Micah Potter) scored in double-figures in the win over the Hawks and John Collins has an effective field goal percentage of 65% over his last seven games.

• But defense remains a problem. The Jazz continue to rank last defensively since the All-Star break and the last five games have been their worst stretch of defense this season (128.9 points allowed per 100 possessions). Three of the five have been against top-10 offenses, but the Celtics were without Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis, while the Hawks were without Trae Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic.

With their losses to the Celtics and Wolves last week, the Jazz have lost their last nine games against teams that currently have winning records. And starting with the Minnesota loss, they’re playing 12 of their final 16 games against that group, with three of the four exceptions being games against the Rockets, who are currently 7-1 in March. The first of those three meetings is in Houston on Saturday.

Week 22: vs. MIN, @ OKC, @ DAL, @ HOU

Record: 26-42

OffRtg: 113.3 (20) DefRtg: 115.7 (19) NetRtg: -2.4 (22) Pace: 98.0 (23)

If the Nets hoped to make the Play-In Tournament, those hopes are probably gone after a 1-5 road trip in which they lost to the Pistons, Hornets and Spurs. And with their overtime loss in San Antonio on Sunday, they’re the only team that’s lost to each of the five teams with fewer than 20 wins, currently 6-7 against that group with games remaining against the Wizards and Pistons.

Two takeaways

• The Nets are 5-9 under interim head coach Kevin Ollie, who took over for Jacque Vaughn after the All-Star break. They rank 13th defensively since the break and there have been some good moments on that end of the floor, but that comes with the context that eight of their 14 post-break games have come against teams that rank in the bottom 10 on offense.

• Though they’ve also played more post-break games against bottom 10 defenses (7) than against top-10 defenses (4), the Nets rank 25th offensively since the break. Mikal Bridges (13-for-41 on 2-point shots on the road trip), Dennis Smith Jr. and Lonnie Walker IV are three of the 18 players with an effective field goal percentage below 47% on at least 75 shots since the break.

The last time the Nets played the Knicks, the Barclays Center sounded like Madison Square Garden as the home team blew a nine-point, fourth-quarter lead. They’ve got two games remaining at the Garden, with the first of those on Saturday afternoon and with the Knicks having won the last four meetings.

Week 22: vs. NOP, @ MIL, @ NYK

Record: 23-45

OffRtg: 113.0 (22) DefRtg: 117.3 (24) NetRtg: -4.3 (24) Pace: 99.8 (13)

With a seven-game losing streak, the Raptors are now 7 1/2 games out of the Play-In Tournament and hold the franchise’s worst record in the last 13 seasons.

Two takeaways

• For most of the season, there have been a clear “bottom six” teams in the league with three in each conference. But with the seven-game losing streak, the Raptors have tied the Grizzlies for the league’s sixth-worst record. Their first-round Draft pick is owed to San Antonio … unless it lands in the top six.

• The Raptors had big leads (22 and 16 points) in Denver and Detroit last week, also taking a lead late in the third quarter in the first of two losses to the Magic. But they were outscored by 27.7 points per 100 possessions over their four second halves last week and now have six losses (on shy of the league high) in games they led by at least 15 points. The Pistons were 1-32 in games they trailed by 15-plus before Wednesday.

With their two losses to the Magic this past weekend, the Raptors are 9-30 (1-13 since mid-January) against the 18 teams with winning records and will host the Kings and Thunder this week. Their losses in Sacramento and Oklahoma City were both by single digits.

Week 22: vs. SAC, vs. OKC, @ WAS

Record: 15-53

OffRtg: 109.7 (27) DefRtg: 117.0 (23) NetRtg: -7.3 (26) Pace: 101.9 (3)

The Spurs went 1-3 on the first half of the eight-game homestand that included two games in Austin last week, getting a (rare) comeback win over Brooklyn on Sunday.

Two takeaways

• The Spurs had two more losses (dropping to 10-17) in games that they led by double-digits last week. They were 4-46 (with 14 straight losses) in games they trailed by double-digits before Sunday, when they came back from a 10-point deficit with less than six minutes left to force overtime. In that game, Victor Wembanyama had the go-ahead, alley-oop dunk with 38 seconds left. The rookie had shot just 19-for-49 (39%) over his previous four games, but had 33 points (on 14-for-26 shooting), 15 rebounds, seven assists and seven blocks against the Nets, rejecting Dennis Schroder’s attempt to get the lead back on the possession after his dunk.

• Keldon Johnson hit a big 3 in regulation, scored 24 points off the bench on Sunday and has seen the seventh biggest post-break jump in effective field goal percentage (from 51.3% to 61.2%) among 176 players with at least 200 field goal attempts before the break and at least 75 since. Tre Jones, who scored 24 points against the Rockets earlier in the week, has seen the fifth biggest jump (from 53.7% to 64.6%) among that group. As a team, the Spurs have seen the second-biggest jump in points scored per 100 possessions (plus-4.0), ranking 15th offensively since the break.

The Spurs won just four of their first 37 games against the 18 teams that currently have winning records, but they’ve got three wins against good teams (the Thunder, Pacers and Warriors) in the last few weeks, and 10 of their final 14 games will be against that group. Two of those first four wins came against the Suns, who will be in San Antonio for a two-game series starting Saturday.

Week 22: vs. DAL, vs. MEM, vs. PHX

Record: 19-48

OffRtg: 108.7 (28) DefRtg: 116.8 (22) NetRtg: -8.1 (28) Pace: 97.9 (25)

The Blazers were officially eliminated from playoff contention with their loss in New Orleans on Saturday. That makes it three straight seasons with no postseason (not even a Play-In appearance), with the league’s fourth-worst record over that stretch.

Two takeaways

• Eleven of the Kings’ 19 wins have come against the Eastern Conference, with the latest being a comeback victory against the Hawks on Wednesday. Deandre Ayton led the way with 33 points and 19 rebounds and is averaging 24.5 ppg (on 64% shooting) and 14.3 rpg since the All-Star break (up from 13.8 (on 56%) and 10.4 before the break).

• Scoot Henderson has been back for the last five games, but the No. 3 pick in last year’s Draft hasn’t exactly been handed the keys to the Blazers’ offense, as he’s come off the bench behind Dalano Banton in three of the five. With Malcolm Brogdon (still) out, Henderson is probably the Blazers’ best passer, but he’s shot just 3-for-19 from 3-point range and the Blazers have been outscored by 23.1 points per 100 possessions in his 127 minutes over the five games. His season-long effective field goal percentage of 42.5% ranks last among 285 players with at least 200 field goal attempts.

The Blazers are the only Western Conference team that doesn’t have a win (they’re 0-13) against the top four teams in the conference. Their last three chances are a three-game homestand this week where they’re hosting the Clippers (x 2) and Nuggets.

Week 22: @ CHI, vs. LAC, vs. LAC, vs. DEN

Record: 23-45

OffRtg: 106.9 (30) DefRtg: 113.4 (11) NetRtg: -6.4 (25) Pace: 98.6 (17)

The Grizzlies split two games without Jaren Jackson Jr. last week, holding the Wizards under a point per possession. But Jackson wasn’t the only guy making a return over the weekend.

Two takeaways

• Desmond Bane returned from a 29-game, two-month absence on Saturday when the Grizzlies were competitive (within five with less than two minutes left) against the Thunder. Bane played 32 minutes, scoring a team-high 22 points and dishing out seven assists. The offense has still been at a league-worst level (107.0 points scored per 100 possessions) in 860 total minutes with Bane and Jackson on the floor together.

• With both Bane and the other Jackson back on Saturday, GG Jackson remained in the starting lineup and scored 19 points against the Thunder. He’s averaged 23.3 in four games as a starter, scoring slightly more efficiently (true shooting percentage of 56.2%) than he has off the bench (55.5%). Though he’s taken more than half of his shots from 3-point range, he has the fourth-highest free throw rate (30.9 attempts per 100 shots from the field) among 26 rookies with at least 200 field goal attempts.

The Grizzlies have multiple wins over three teams (all in their division), with one of them being the Spurs (2-0). They have two more meetings left on the schedule, with the first in San Antonio on Friday.

Week 22: @ SAC, @ GSW, @ SAS

Record: 17-51

OffRtg: 108.3 (29) DefRtg: 118.5 (27) NetRtg: -10.2 (30) Pace: 98.3 (20)

The Hornets split their two games within the bottom six of the league last week, losing in Detroit and winning in Memphis. They’re 6-6 within the group with one game remaining.

Two takeaways

• The Hornets are just 4-10 and rank last offensively since the All-Star break. But they’ve been the league’s most improved defensive team, from 120.3 points allowed per 100 possessions (30th) before the break to 110.9 allowed per 100 (12th) since. The improvement started (three games before the break) with Grant Williams’ first game with the Hornets, though the defense has now been a tick better with Williams off the floor since his arrival.

• The defense has been at its worst (114.8 points allowed per 100) with Vasa Micic on the floor, but the 30-year-old rookie scored a career-high 25 points (on 9-for-10 shooting) in the Hornets’ win in Memphis on Wednesday, following that up with 21 against the Suns two nights later. He seemed more like a caretaker point guard in Oklahoma City, but has seen a big jump in usage rate with the Hornets while also seeing a jump in true shooting percentage.

Starting with their weekend losses to Phoenix and Philly, the Hornets are playing 13 of their final 16 games against teams with winning records. Two of the three exceptions are games in Atlanta, with the Hornets having allowed just 103.5 points per 100 possessions (the league’s best mark against the Hawks’ 10th-ranked offense) as they’ve won the first two meetings.

Week 22: @ ORL, @ ATL

Record: 12-55

OffRtg: 110.5 (25) DefRtg: 118.4 (26) NetRtg: -7.9 (27) Pace: 100.9 (7)

The Pistons held off the inevitable for a few days, picking up wins over the Hornets and Raptors last week. But they became the third team officially eliminated from playoff contention with their loss to the Heat on Friday. They’re tied with the Spurs (who were already eliminated) for the second longest active playoff drought (five straight years), with the Hornets set to take their streak to eight straight in the near future. Of course, it’s now been 16 years since the Pistons won a playoff game.

Two takeaways

• With Ausar Thompson out the last four games, Simone Fontecchio has been back in the starting lineup and the new group has had some success, outscoring opponents by 12.3 points per 100 possessions in 81 total minutes last week. It’s helped that the opponents have shot less than 30% from 3-point range in those minutes.

• The starting backcourt – Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey – had an effective field goal percentage of just 40.5% over the four games, but the starting frontcourt – Fontecchio, Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Durant – has a mark of 66.9%. Among 176 players with at least 200 field goal attempts before the All-Star break and at least 75 since, Stewart has seen the sixth biggest jump in effective field goal percentage (from 51.3% to 65.6%), while Ivey has seen the ninth biggest drop (from 51.9% to 42.1%).

The Pistons’ two losses to the Heat this weekend began a stretch of eight straight games against teams with winning records, and they’ll play the Celtics twice this week. The last time they were in Boston, the Pistons blew a 21-point lead and fell in overtime, the last loss in their 28-game losing streak.

Week 22: @ BOS, vs. IND, vs. BOS, vs. NOP

Record: 11-57

OffRtg: 110.2 (26) DefRtg: 119.7 (30) NetRtg: -9.5 (29) Pace: 103.3 (1)

Eight days ago, the Wizards got their second win (improving to 2-40) against the 18 teams that currently have winning records. They’ve dropped four straight games (including three to teams with losing records) since then, trailing all four by at least 24 points.

Two takeaways

• The Wizards have lost their last four first halves by an average 23.5 points, allowing an amazing 142.2 points per 100 possessions before halftime over that stretch. There have been some big comebacks across the league over the last few weeks, but four straight halftime deficits of 19 points or more is not good when (for the season) you’ve been outscored by 18.3 points per 100 possessions in the third quarter, the worst mark for any team in any quarter.

• Their loss to the Celtics on Sunday began a stretch where the Wizards are playing 10 of 11 games at home. Their four wins at Capital One Arena would be the lowest total home wins for any team in an 82-game season, with the previous low (1993-94 Mavs) being six.

The Wizards certainly have an opportunity to get to six (or more) home wins, with six of their 10 remaining home games against teams with losing records. That includes games against the Rockets (9-24 on the road) and Raptors (five straight road losses) this week.

Week 22: vs. HOU, vs. SAC, vs. TOR