Record: 44-20

OffRtg: 117.6 (7) DefRtg: 113.1 (10) NetRtg: +4.5 (5) Pace: 97.5 (27)

The champs are 2-0 against the team with the league’s best record, having held the most efficient offense in NBA history to 7.7 fewer points per 100 possessions below its season-long mark.

Three takeaways

• There have been only 14 instances this season where a team has made fewer than five 3-pointers, with teams 6-8 in those games. The Nuggets are the only team with two wins in which they made fewer than five 3s, with the two wins having come against the Bucks (4-for-18) and Celtics (4-for-21).

• They outscored Boston by 12 points (66-54) in the paint and by another five (21-16) at the free throw line on Thursday. Nikola Jokic scored 30 and assisted on another 12 of those 87 points, with the Nuggets going to him in the post multiple times down the stretch. The MVP favorite ranks 21st in overall usage rate (28.8%), but fourth in clutch usage rate (38.2%).

• Though they allowed 15 points on the Suns’ first seven possessions of overtime on Tuesday, the Nuggets are still tied (with Orlando) for the league’s No. 1 clutch defense. And eight of the nine Nuggets who’ve attempted at least one clutch shot (all except Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) have shot 50% or better with the score within five in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime.

The Nuggets have the easiest remaining schedule (cumulative opponent winning percentage of .470) among the top four teams in the West. It includes six games remaining against the bottom three teams in the conference, with the first of those being a visit to San Antonio on Friday, Game 3 of a four-game trip.

AARON GORDON ON THE PUTBACK 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/xhQuClLyju

— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 8, 2024

Week 21: vs. TOR, @ MIA, @ SAS, @ DAL

Record: 49-14

OffRtg: 121.3 (1) DefRtg: 110.3 (2) NetRtg: +11.0 (1) Pace: 98.7 (18)

The Celtics took their 11-game winning streak on the road and dropped the first two games of their five-game trip, losing to the Cavs without Donovan Mitchell and then coming up short in another playoff-like game against the Nuggets.

Three takeaways

• After scoring an amazing 128.7 points per 100 possessions over the winning streak, the Celtics scored just 109.8 over the two losses. Jayson Tatum was 13-for-34 (38%) over the two games, missing all three of his clutch shots, including a wide-open corner 3 for the lead with 44 seconds left in Denver.

• Tatum still has the smallest effective field goal percentage differential in wins (56.9%) vs. losses (50.2%) among the Celtics’ top six players. The biggest belong to Al Horford (65.4% vs. 42.8%) and Jrue Holiday (62.7% vs. 44.9%).

• Horford was just 4-for-12 (including 1-for-7 from 3-point range) in Phoenix on Saturday, but the one made 3 gave the Celtics an eight-point lead with a little less than two minutes left. With Kristaps Porzingis out, the Celtics’ starting lineup (with Horford) was outscored by seven points in its 20 minutes, but bench minutes were great once again. The Celtics’ aggregate point differential per 100 possessions with reserves on the floor (plus-5.3) would be the best mark for any team in the last eight seasons.

The Celtics don’t have a lot of interesting games left on the schedule, but they do have two games each against the Blazers, Wizards, Pistons and Hornets. The first of those eight games is in Portland on Monday.

Week 21: @ POR, @ UTA, vs. PHX, @ WAS

Record: 45-19

OffRtg: 119.1 (3) DefRtg: 111.3 (4) NetRtg: +7.9 (2) Pace: 100.8 (10)

The Thunder had a rough offensive night in L.A. last Monday, but remain in sole possession of first place in the Western Conference, a game ahead of the Nuggets and holding the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Three takeaways

• The Thunder’s starting lineup hasn’t been one of the best lineups in the league, outscoring opponents by 8 points per 100 possessions, a mark which ranks 11th among 30 lineups that have played at least 200 minutes. But it was a plus-48 (plus-45.8 per 100) in 51 minutes over their four games last week, with the loss to the Lakers due largely to some rare bench struggles. The Thunder have been outscored by 6.9 per 100 in Gordon Hayward’s 156 minutes, though he registered a positive plus-minus in both of their wins over the weekend.

• The Thunder have been nearly twice as good (plus 14.5 per 100) in 177 total minutes with the other four starters on the floor without Josh Giddey. They’ve played just four minutes with Hayward as the fifth guy in Giddey’s place.

• We may now see Hayward play some minutes in place of Jalen Williams, who suffered an ankle injury in the first half of the Thunder’s win over the Grizzlies on Sunday. Cason Wallace started the third quarter in Williams’ place with the Thunder already up 21. They’ve outscored their opponents by 9.9 points per 100 possessions with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the floor without Williams, but will now need somebody else to run the offense when Gilgeous-Alexander sits.

With their win over the Heat on Friday, the Thunder are 7-1 in rest-advantage games. Their final one is Thursday against the Mavs, with the last meeting (Feb. 10 in Dallas) having been Oklahoma City’s worst loss of the season (35 points).

Week 21: vs. IND, vs. DAL, @ MEM

Record: 42-23

OffRtg: 118.7 (5) DefRtg: 115.0 (15) NetRtg: +3.7 (9) Pace: 101.3 (5)

After winning their first six games out of the All-Star break, the Bucks dropped the first two games of a four-game trip. But they picked up their second rest-advantage win over the Clippers in seven days, surviving a close game in which LA was without both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.

Three takeaways

• After allowing just 102.6 points per 100 possessions over the six-game winning streak, the Bucks allowed the Warriors and Lakers to score more than 125 per 100 to start the trip. But while they rank as the league’s fourth most-improved offensive team and have seen a big drop-off defensively, the bigger difference between wins and losses has been on offense.

• It was a little curious that Damian Lillard was on the floor for the final defensive possession against the Lakers on Friday, and he got beat by D’Angelo Russell for the game-winning bucket. Opponents have shot just 44.5% against Lillard this season, down from 50.9% last season, and the Bucks’ two starting lineups (with Khris Middleton or Jae Crowder) have allowed just 105.6 points per 100 possessions in 793 total minutes.

• The Bucks are also the only team that ranks in the top five in both clutch offense (third) and clutch defense (fifth). They scored 24 points on just 11 clutch possessions, shooting a perfect 8-for-8 from the field, in their two wins over the Clippers last week.

The Bucks are one loss from matching their total from last season (58-24). They’ll complete their trip in Sacramento on Tuesday, having won their last 15 games against the Kings, with Lillard draining a 32-foot, buzzer-beating game-winner back in January.

Week 21: @ SAC, vs. PHI, vs. PHX

Record: 41-22

OffRtg: 119.0 (4) DefRtg: 114.5 (14) NetRtg: +4.5 (6) Pace: 98.3 (21)

The Clippers are 5-5 since the All-Star break, 4-0 against teams with losing records and 1-5 against teams over .500.

Three takeaways

• Their loss on Sunday (the second of their two losses to the Bucks last week) was the first time this season that the Clippers were without both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, who have each missed six of 63 games. They had 12 games (and were 3-9) when they were without both of their All-Stars last season and the 1,353 minutes they’ve played together this season is already 325 more than they had played in any of their previous four seasons in L.A.

• One of the replacement starters on Sunday was P.J. Tucker, who hadn’t scored a single point since Nov. 14. Tucker took nine shots (!) in 25 1/2 minutes against his former team, registering his highest usage rate (16.4%) in almost exactly two years (since March 12, 2022), but he missed six of the nine and the starting lineup was outscored by eight points in less than 10 minutes of a game that the Clippers lost by only seven.

• Bench minutes kept the Clippers in the game, even though Norman Powell shot just 3-for-14 from 3-point range. He’s 18-for-54 (33%) over the last seven games but is still registering career-high marks for both 3-point percentage (43.5%, eighth among qualified players) and 3-point rate, with 50.6% of his shots having come from beyond the arc.

The Clippers’ weekend back-to-back was the start of a stretch of five games in seven days, with the middle game being the most important. The Clippers are 1-2 against the third-place Wolves, who they trail by one game in the loss column. They won an ugly game in Minnesota eight days ago and the final meeting is Tuesday in L.A., where the Clips are just 3-5 since Feb. 1.

Week 21: vs. MIN, @ CHI, @ NOP, vs. ATL

Record: 44-21

OffRtg: 114.2 (18) DefRtg: 108.3 (1) NetRtg: +6.0 (3) Pace: 98.1 (23)

Karl-Anthony Towns is (likely) out for the rest of the regular season and the Wolves are just 1-2 on the six-game trip that continues for another eight days.

Three takeaways

• The Wolves have outscored their opponents by 2.4 points per 100 possessions in 182 total minutes with the other four starters on the floor without Towns. The offense has been pretty brutal on both ends of the floor in those minutes, with the Wolves scoring 100.8 and allowing 98.4 points per 100 possessions. Kyle Anderson (88) and Naz Reid (73) have been the fifth guy for 88% of the 182 total minutes, with the Wolves scoring less than a point per possession with both of those lineups.

• With their win in Indiana on Thursday (sealed by an incredible block by Anthony Edwards), the Wolves are 12-6 against the league’s top seven offensive teams, having allowed just 108.1 points per 100 possessions over the 18 games, with those teams having combined to score 119.6 per 100 against everybody else.

• But they followed that clutch win with another clutch loss. Rudy Gobert picked up a technical foul that allowed the Cavs to tie the game with less than 30 seconds left in regulation, and then Cleveland scored 14 points on its first six possessions of overtime. Their clutch offensive issues have been well chronicled, but the Wolves also have the league’s third-biggest differential between how many points per 100 possessions they’ve allowed with the score within five in the last five (115.4, 18th) and how many they’ve allowed overall.

That includes a 2-1 mark against the fourth-ranked Clippers, with their loss at home eight days ago being one of their three games in which both teams scored less than a point per possession. The fourth and final meeting is in L.A. on Tuesday, after which the Wolves will have a three-day break.

THIS GAME-SEALING BLOCK BY ANT 🤯 pic.twitter.com/2sOK3gwSsT

— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 8, 2024

Week 21: @ LAC, @ UTA

Record: 39-25

OffRtg: 117.2 (8) DefRtg: 111.7 (6) NetRtg: +5.5 (4) Pace: 99.2 (16)

The Pelicans are the only unbeaten team this month, having won their four March games by an average of 22.3 points.

Three takeaways

• The Pelicans have had the league’s No. 1 defense (105.3 points allowed per 100 possessions) since the All-Star break, with four of their last five games having come against teams that rank in the top 10 offensively. Of course, the 10th-ranked Sixers were without both Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid on Friday, and the ninth-ranked Hawks were without Trae Young on Sunday.

• Having scored 123.3 points per 100 possessions over the four-game winning streak, the Pelicans have climbed to eighth in offensive efficiency and are now one of four teams that rank in the top 10 on both ends of the floor. They’re 39-25 with the point differential (plus-5.3 per game, third in the West) of a team that’s 44-20.

• The leading scorer over the four games (25.0 points per game) is Trey Murphy III, who’s shot 24-for-46 (52%) from 3-point range over the streak. That includes 4-for-5 from the left corner in Toronto on Tuesday, when the Pelicans totaled 14 corner 3s, tied for the third most for a team in any game in the 28 seasons for which we have shot-location data. Herb Jones (4-for-6 on Tuesday) is now sixth in the league with 56 corner 3s for the season, four fewer than he made through his first two seasons combined (60).

The Pelicans are 6-6 (2-3 at home, 4-3 on the road) against the top four teams in the West. They have two games remaining (both at home) against the group, with the first of those against the Clippers on Friday, when the Pelicans will have a rest advantage.

Week 21: vs. CLE, vs. LAC, vs. POR

Record: 41-23

OffRtg: 115.2 (16) DefRtg: 110.8 (3) NetRtg: +4.3 (7) Pace: 98.0 (24)

The Cavs are dealing with more injuries, playing without Donovan Mitchell for the last six games and down to just two starters (Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen) for the last three. They managed to beat the Celtics and Wolves last week … and also managed to lose to the Hawks and Nets.

Three takeaways

• Evan Mobley has missed the last three games with an ankle injury that will be reevaluated this week. The Cavs have outscored their opponents by 9.0 points per 100 possessions in 1,312 minutes with Allen on the floor without Mobley, and that mark is even better (plus-12.7 per 100) in 692 minutes with Dean Wade on the floor.

• Max Strus has missed the last four games, but Wade did a pretty good Strus impersonation against the Celtics on Tuesday, shooting 6-for-9 from 3-point range and getting the game-winning tip-dunk with less than 20 seconds to go. That was one of only 14 field goals in the paint for Wade, who has the second-highest 3-point rate (87.1%) among 276 players with at least 200 field goal attempts. It’s topped by only that of teammate Sam Merrill (88.3%).

• With the wins over Boston and Minnesota last week, the Cavs are 6-6 (5-1 since Jan. 1) against the six teams that have better records than they do. They’ve allowed just 111.2 points per 100 possessions and have a positive point differential (plus-3.4 per 100) over those 12 games. They’re done playing the Celtics (1-2), Bucks (2-2) and Thunder (0-2), and their last three games against that top-six group are on the road against the other three teams in the top four in the West.

The Cavs’ game against the Suns on Monday is the end of their second post-break stretch of five games in seven days. They’ll have just one day off after that before they begin a stretch where they’re playing 11 of 14 on the road.

Week 21: vs. PHX, @ NOP, @ HOU

Record: 37-27

OffRtg: 117.0 (11) DefRtg: 114.2 (13) NetRtg: +2.8 (11) Pace: 99.4 (15)

The Suns are playing 17 of their final 22 games against teams with winning records. They’re 2-2 (1-2 against the winning teams) on that stretch so far, getting an overtime win in Denver on Tuesday.

Three takeaways

• The Suns didn’t play any small ball against the Nuggets, with Jusuf Nurkic (who fouled out in regulation) or Drew Eubanks on the floor for all 53 minutes. For the season, they’ve been 14.8 points per 100 possessions better with Nurkic on the floor (plus-9.7) than they’ve been with him off the floor (minus-15.9), and that differential has been bigger (23.7 per 100) over two games against Denver. The Suns were outscored with Nikola Jokic off the floor in both games.

• Turnovers remain an issue, but Kevin Durant averaged 38.3 points over the Suns’ three games last week. He shot just 70-for-177 (39.5%) from mid-range before Christmas, but he’s 123-for-209 (58.9%) from mid-range since Christmas, taking him to 50% for what would be the fifth straight season.

• With Devin Booker (ankle) having missed the last four games, the Suns have had all three of their stars for just one of their last 10. They’re still 14-9 (.609) when they’ve had all three, now 19-13 (.594) when they’ve had two of the three, and 4-5 (.444) when they’ve had just one available. Booker was listed as questionable for their loss to the Celtics on Saturday, so he could be ready to go this week.

The Suns are playing nine of their next 11 games on the road, facing the top three teams in the Eastern Conference on the four-game trip that begins Monday in Cleveland. They’ll have a rest advantage against the Cavs, who are the one East team they’ve yet to face.

Week 21: @ CLE, @ BOS, @ CHA, @ MIL

Record: 36-28

OffRtg: 117.9 (6) DefRtg: 117.2 (22) NetRtg: +0.7 (15) Pace: 100.9 (7)

After a 1-5 stretch, the Mavs have won two straight games to remain in the top eight in the West.

Three takeaways

• The two-game winning streak coincides with a change to the Mavs’ starting lineup, with Derrick Jones Jr. and Daniel Gafford replacing Josh Green and Dereck Lively II, respectively. But the new lineup played less than 20 minutes total over the two games and was outscored by the Heat on Thursday when three reserves (including Lively) were on the floor with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving down the stretch. Dante Exum hit a huge 3-pointer and Maxi Kleber kept an offensive rebound alive, leading to an Irving 3-pointer for a five-point lead.

• Kleber has started only seven of his 27 games this season, but he’s one of two players (Doncic is the other) that have been on the floor in clutch time in each of the last six Mavs games that have been within five points in the last five minutes. The Mavs have outscored their opponents by 14.4 points per 100 possessions in 233 total minutes with Kleber on the floor alongside Doncic and Irving.

• Doncic has had 30-point triple-doubles in six straight games (an NBA record), averaging 36.3, 11.0 and 11.5 over that stretch. Last season, he became the second player in NBA history (joining Michael Jordan in 1988-89) to average at least 32 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. This season, he’s in position to become the first to average at least 32, nine and nine.

The Mavs’ stretch of nine straight games against the Eastern Conference will come to an end in Chicago on Monday. They’ll then play 10 straight within the West, currently just 10-14 in games played between the top 10 in the West and set to face the Warriors, Thunder and Nuggets this week.

Week 21: @ CHI, vs. GSW, @ OKC, vs. DEN

Record: 35-29

OffRtg: 113.4 (22) DefRtg: 112.7 (9) NetRtg: +0.6 (16) Pace: 97.3 (28)

After a stretch where they won 11 of 14, the Heat have lost three straight games, sliding back to eighth place in the East.

Three takeaways

• The Heat led all three games by double-digits but were outscored by 31 points over the three third quarters. They’re now 31-14 in games they led by double-digits, with only the Spurs (10-15) and Wizards (9-14) having as many losses and with the 14 being three more losses in games they led by double-digits than the Heat have had in any of the last three seasons.

• All three games were also within five points in the last five minutes, a good thing when you’re playing in Dallas and Oklahoma City, but not when you’re playing the Wizards at home. They allowed their opponents to score 34 points on 21 clutch possessions (1.62 per), with a not-so-smart foul in Dallas when they were down three with a 10-second differential between the clocks. Plus, they scored just 11 points on 16 clutch possessions on their end of the floor (dropping to 28th in clutch offense for the season), with Duncan Robinson and Jimmy Butler both missing 3s for the win against Washington.

• The good news is that Terry Rozier has an effective field goal percentage of 56.8% in five March games, up from 42.6% over his first seven games with the Heat.

Going back to Games 3-5 of the 2023 NBA Finals, the Heat have scored just 98.9 points per 100 possessions over their last four games against the Nuggets. They never held a lead in Denver 11 days ago and will face the champs again on Wednesday.

Week 21: vs. DEN, @ DET, @ DET

Record: 36-27

OffRtg: 116.8 (13) DefRtg: 116.5 (20) NetRtg: +0.4 (17) Pace: 100.2 (12)

Over the last month, the Kings have road wins over the Nuggets, Clippers, Wolves and Lakers. But they also lost home games to the Bulls and Rockets last week, with the latter one dropping them back into seventh place in the West.

Three takeaways

• The Kings’ starting lineup has been outscored by 22 points (shooting just 4-for-27 from 3-point range) in 36 total minutes over the last three games, with minutes from the league’s 11th-ranked bench critical in their wins over the Lakers and Spurs. The starting lineup has still been better (plus 5.8 per 100 possessions) in 654 total minutes this season than it was in 900 minutes last season (plus 2.2 per 100).

• It was fair to think that the Kings couldn’t be as healthy as they were last season, but their top six players (the starters plus Malik Monk) have missed a lower percentage of their games (4.7% in aggregate) than they did last season (6.3%).

• Before last Monday, the Kings had shot better than 83% from the free-throw line in just five of their 59 games. But they did it in all four of their games last week, with Monk (10-for-10) and Keegan Murray (11-for-11) both having a perfect week from the line. Murray has made his last 28 free throws (going back to Jan. 27), though the Kings still rank last in free throw percentage by a healthy margin.

The Kings have lost their last 15 games (including a heart-breaker in January) against the Bucks, who will be in town on Tuesday. Then it’s an opportunity to complete what would be just the second season sweep of the Lakers in the franchise’s 76-year history.

SABONIS STEAL + SCORE FOR THE WIN 😱 pic.twitter.com/wVKDMCUi1A

— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 8, 2024

Week 21: vs. MIL, vs. LAL, vs. NYK

Record: 36-30

OffRtg: 115.0 (17) DefRtg: 115.3 (17) NetRtg: -0.3 (19) Pace: 101.2 (6)

The Lakers went 4-2 on their six-game homestand and remain in ninth place in the West, but they have wins over the Clippers, Thunder, Bucks and Wolves over the last two weeks.

Three takeaways

• With those wins, the Lakers are 9-8 (7-3 since Jan. 1) against the top six teams in the league, with the Kings (8-7) being the only other team outside the top six with a winning record against that group.

• They do have a negative point differential (outscored by 23 points) over those 17 games, and they remain the only team with a winning record and a negative point differential (that of a 32-34 team) for the season. The Lakers have the league’s best record (19-8) in games that were within five points in the last five minutes, but its 19th best record (17-22) in games that weren’t within five in the last five. They scored 11 points on their final four possessions of their one-point win over the Bucks on Friday.

• But neither their win over Thunder nor their win over the Wolves last week was close, in part because the Lakers dominated inside, outscoring the opponents by 60 points in the restricted area (94-48) or at the free throw line (40-26). Anthony Davis didn’t attempt a shot outside the paint but put up an unprecedented line — 27 points, 25 rebounds, five assists, seven steals and three blocks — against Minnesota on Sunday.

The lone road game in a stretch where the Lakers are playing 10 of 11 at home is Wednesday in Sacramento, and they’ll have a rest advantage, with the Kings playing Milwaukee the night before. The Lakers are 3-2 (1-2 on the road) in rest-advantage games thus far, but they’re 0-3 against the Kings.

Austin Reaves hops in his bag for the bucket! 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/CjtN1c4G8T

— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 11, 2024

Week 21: @ SAC, vs. GSW

Record: 36-29

OffRtg: 120.1 (2) DefRtg: 118.5 (25) NetRtg: +1.5 (12) Pace: 102.5 (2)

The Pacers have been pretty inconsistent over the last month, with losses to the Hornets, Raptors and Spurs. But they picked up a couple of good road wins last week to become the fifth team to surpass its win total from last season (35-47).

Three takeaways

• After scoring just 102.5 points per 100 possessions over their first two games of March, the Pacers broke out (137 on 101) in Dallas, with nine players scoring in double-figures. Five of those nine were reserves and the Pacers have the league’s fourth-ranked bench since the All-Star break, somehow 32.3 points per 100 possessions better with Pascal Siakam off the floor (plus-24.2) than they’ve been with him on the floor (minus-8.1) over those nine games.

• Bennedict Mathurin is done for the season, needing surgery to repair a right shoulder injury. While the Pacers have had the league’s most-improved offense with big jumps in effective field goal percentage from Aaron Nesmith and Jalen Smith (along with newcomer Obi Toppin), Mathurin hadn’t seen much improvement in his numbers from his First Team All-Rookie campaign. He’d seen a big drop in free throw rate (from 47.7 to 33.8 attempts per 100 shots from the field) and his effective field goal percentage of 50.7% ranks just 112th among 133 players with at least 500 field goal attempts. He also had the worst on-court mark in the rotation, with Indiana being outscored by 2.9 points per 100 possessions in his 1,538 minutes.

• There are five Eastern Conference teams with between 27 and 29 losses and fighting for two guaranteed playoff spots. With their win in Orlando on Sunday, the seventh-place Pacers are 6-5 (second best) in games played between those two teams, with only one (vs. Miami in April) remaining. They have the toughest remaining schedule of the five regarding cumulative opponent winning percentage (.508), but eight of their 17 remaining games are against teams with losing records.

The Pacers are one of five teams with two opponents they’ve yet to face, and those two opponents are the Thunder and the Nets. The Pacers will be in Oklahoma City on Tuesday and then host Brooklyn over the weekend in Game 2 of a three-game homestand.

Week 21: @ OKC, vs. CHI, vs. BKN

Record: 36-28

OffRtg: 117.1 (10) DefRtg: 114.0 (12) NetRtg: +3.1 (10) Pace: 98.7 (17)

Joel Embiid remains out and Tyrese Maxey has now missed the last four games. The Sixers were winless 0-7 without both of their All-Stars … until they won the ugliest game of the season on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• Before Sunday, teams had lost the last 234 regular season games in which they scored less than 90 points per 100 possessions, with the last win (an 83-73 victory for the Hornets in Chicago) having come more than four years ago (Dec. 13, 2019). But the Sixers scored 79 points on 88 possessions (89.8 per 100) at Madison Square Garden and beat the Knicks by six.

• The 79 on 88 was the Sixers’ least efficient offensive performance of the season, and Tobias Harris has now averaged just 14.6 points on an effective field goal percentage of 42.6% over the seven games he’s played without Maxey or Embiid. But the Sixers’ overall offensive numbers (109.5 scored per 100) over the eight games without the two All-Stars could probably be worse.

• And it’s rather amazing that the Sixers still rank in the top 10 offensively, given that they’ve now been without Embiid for the last 18 games. It’s a reminder of how good they’ve been (26-7) when they’ve had both All-Stars, with the 121.5 points per 100 possessions that the Sixers have scored in those 33 games being a tick better than the Celtics’ 121.3 per 100, the most efficient mark for any team in NBA history.

Their weekend split against the Pelicans and Knicks was the start of a stretch where the Sixers are playing 11 of 12 against teams with winning records. The one exception is a rest-advantage game against the Hornets on Saturday, with the previous meeting (a home win 10 days ago) coming with the most efficient offensive performance (121 points on just 88 possessions) the Sixers have had without Embiid.

Week 21: @ NYK, @ MIL, vs. CHA

Record: 37-27

OffRtg: 116.6 (14) DefRtg: 112.7 (8) NetRtg: +3.9 (8) Pace: 96.4 (30)

While the rest of us were springing forward, the Knicks and Sixers turned back the clock on Sunday, putting on the lowest-scoring game in the last seven seasons. New York has allowed less than 90 points per 100 possessions in two straight games, but somehow only won one of the two.

Three takeaways

• In addition to being inefficient, the Knicks’ 79-73 loss to the Sixers was low-scoring because it was played at a slow pace. The Knicks did get a slow-paced win over the Magic two nights earlier, but the league’s slowest-paced team is now 1-5 when it’s totaled fewer than 90 possessions.

• The additions of Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks were meant to help the Knicks’ bench, both when they have their starters healthy and in the meantime. But the Knicks have the league’s 23rd-ranked bench since the trade deadline and they’ve been outscored by 18.5 points per 100 possessions (scoring an anemic 104.5 per 100) in 300 total minutes with Bogdanovic and/or Burks on the floor. It will be fascinating to see if either is in the rotation when the Knicks are healthy and playing important games against good teams.

• We’re getting closer to the “when the Knicks are healthy” scenario. Julius Randle is still a couple of steps away, but OG Anunoby has been a full-go in practice, so he could make his return this week. The Knicks are 8-10, ranking 20th offensively and 14th defensively, over the six weeks that they’ve been without their two starting forwards.

After they host the Sixers for the second time in three days, the Knicks will play 11 of their next 15 games on the road. They have the league’s third best road record (7-3) since Jan. 1, having allowed just 108.6 points per 100 possessions over those 10 games, though 10 is the fewest road games any team has played in 2024.

Week 21: vs. PHI, @ POR, @ SAC

Record: 37-28

OffRtg: 112.6 (23) DefRtg: 111.3 (5) NetRtg: +1.3 (14) Pace: 97.6 (26)

After a stretch where they won 13 of 16, the Magic have lost two straight games for the first time since late January.

Three takeaways

• The Magic are looking good for a 12th straight season in the bottom 10 in offensive efficiency. They had the league’s sixth-ranked offense (117.6 points scored per 100 possessions) over a nine-game stretch through their win in Washington on Wednesday, but then scored less than a point per possession in weekend losses to the Knicks and Pacers. Earlier in the week, they had scored just six points through the first seven minutes in Charlotte.

• Franz Wagner had seemingly broken out of his 3-point slump, making two of his first three attempts in Washington. But he’s 1-for-12 from beyond the arc since, now 8-for-48 (17%) over his last 12 games and below 30% for the season.

• These last two losses have come without Jalen Suggs, who’s dealing with a thigh contusion. The Magic had won four of their previous five games that Suggs had missed, but have been 26.6 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor (plus-18.6) than they’ve been with him off the floor (minus-8.0) since the All-Star break.

The Magic still have an easy and home-heavy remaining schedule, with their next four games against bottom-five teams in the East. They’re 12-2 (with eight straight wins) against that group, though both losses were to the Nets, who will be in Orlando on Wednesday.

Week 21: vs. BKN, @ TOR, vs. TOR

Record: 33-30

OffRtg: 116.9 (12) DefRtg: 115.5 (18) NetRtg: +1.4 (13) Pace: 100.5 (11)

The Warriors had a lead over the Bulls when Stephen Curry turned his ankle in the fourth quarter on Thursday. But they couldn’t finish without their star and then dropped to 0-4 in games he’s missed, losing to the Spurs on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• The Warriors had the fourth-ranked post-break defense through Wednesday, but over the two losses, they allowed two bottom-10 offensive teams to score 123 points per 100 possessions. The Warriors have the league’s fifth-highest opponent 3-point rate (40.7%), and the Bulls and Spurs combined to shoot 33-for-69 (48%) from beyond the arc.

• The Warriors still rank fourth in 3-point differential (plus-5.2 points per game), but they’ve been outscored by at least 15 points from beyond the arc in three of their last four games (minus-54 in their 52-point loss in Boston). They were outscored by 15-plus from 3-point range in only five of their first 59 games.

• They were a plus-24 from deep as they got a big win over Milwaukee on Wednesday. Their starting lineup was outscored by seven points in its 10 minutes, but the Warriors got a big game (15 points, six rebounds and four blocks) from Trayce Jackson-Davis off the bench. They’ve still been outscored by 23 points per 100 possessions in 76 minutes with Jackson-Davis and Chris Paul on the floor together since Paul’s return from a seven-week absence.

Curry will miss the rematch with the Spurs on Monday, but his status beyond that is unknown. The Warriors’ game in Dallas on Wednesday night is the start of a stretch where they’re playing seven of eight against teams with winning records, with five of those seven games on the road.

Week 21: @ SAS, @ DAL, @ LAL

Record: 31-33

OffRtg: 113.5 (21) DefRtg: 115.1 (16) NetRtg: -1.6 (20) Pace: 96.9 (29)

The Bulls won three straight games and had a chance to get back to .500 for the first time since they were 2-2. They had a double-digit lead in the second half in L.A. on Saturday afternoon, but couldn’t hold on against the Clippers.

Three takeaways

• Each of the Bulls’ last eight wins have been within five points in the last five minutes. They lead the league with 22 clutch wins total and rank third in clutch defense (97.6 points allowed per 100 possessions).

• They still need somebody to get buckets late, and that guy is DeMar DeRozan, who ranks third with seven buckets (on 17 attempts) to tie or take the lead in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime. He had two buckets for the lead in the final minute at Golden State on Thursday, two nights after getting the go-ahead and-one with 1:01 left in Utah. DeRozan was also 12-for-12 on clutch free throws last week and is now one of six players who’ve shot 50% or better on at least 50 clutch field goal attempts.

• The Bulls have outscored their opponent from 3-point range in three straight games, though they still rank last with 16 games of outscoring their opponent from beyond the arc. They’ve seen the league’s fifth biggest jump in 3-point rate, but still rank 25th (36.6%) after ranking 29th (33.3%) last season.

The Bulls are the best of the 12 teams with losing records but are still one of eight teams that have been worse than the league average on both ends of the floor, having slid a bit defensively since the All-Star break. And their loss to the Clippers on Saturday was the first of four straight games against teams that rank in the top six on offense.

Week 21: vs. DAL, @ IND, vs. LAC, vs. WAS

Record: 29-35

OffRtg: 112.5 (24) DefRtg: 112.4 (7) NetRtg: +0.1 (18) Pace: 99.6 (14)

The Rockets are 2-0 on the three-game trip that ends on Tuesday, so it’s already their most successful road trip (the only one with multiple wins) of the season. But it may also be the most damaging, with Alperen Sengun going down with a bad-looking right leg injury in the final minute of their comeback win in Sacramento on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• The two wins have again given the Rockets a positive point differential (plus-19 over 64 games) for the season. They have a winning record (16-15) in games that weren’t within five points in the last five minutes, but are just 13-20 in the clutch, even though their win in Sacramento counted as a clutch win with the Kings getting back to within five down the stretch. The Rockets were down three with a little more than a minute left against the Clippers on Wednesday, but Sengun then missed two free throws, Fred VanVleet picked up an untimely technical foul, and Jalen Green committed a pretty brutal turnover.

• The much bigger difference between the non-clutch-time Rockets (112.1 points allowed per 100 possessions) and the clutch-time Rockets (119 allowed per 100, 23rd) has been on defense. The Clippers scored 15 points on seven clutch possessions on Wednesday.

• The Rockets’ starting lineup has played 754 total minutes this season, second most among all five-man units and the most for any Houston lineup in the last 13 seasons. But the other four starters have played just 51 total minutes without Sengun, who’s played in 63 of 64 games. Their backup center has been 6-foot-8 and 37-year-old Jeff Green, who has the worst on-court point-differential mark in the rotation, with the Rockets having been outscored by 4.1 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor.

Sengun will reportedly have his leg evaluated on Monday. If he were healthy (and with Stephen Curry out), there might be a small opportunity for the Rockets to make a push for the last Play-In Tournament spot in the West. Six of their next seven games are against other teams with losing records, though they’re just 13-8 (9-2 at home, 4-6 on the road) within that group thus far.

Week 21: @ SAS, vs. WAS, vs. CLE

Record: 29-35

OffRtg: 117.1 (9) DefRtg: 118.8 (26) NetRtg: -1.7 (21) Pace: 101.6 (4)

The Hawks are 5-3 since losing Trae Young to a finger injury and (again) comfortable in the last Play-In Tournament spot in the Eastern Conference.

Three takeaways

• The Hawks rank fifth defensively (109.1 points allowed per 100 possessions) over this eight-game stretch without Young and rank as the most improved defensive team since the All-Star break. It hasn’t been the toughest schedule regarding opposing offenses, especially with Jalen Brunson and Donovan Mitchell missing games against the Hawks last week. But the success has come even though the opponents have shot 37% from 3-point range over the eight games.

• De’Andre Hunter has been coming off the bench since returning from an extended absence in late January. But over these eight games without Young, the Hawks have outscored their opponents by 35.3 points per 100 possessions in 84 minutes with Hunter on the floor alongside starting guards Dejounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovic.

• With Jalen Johnson also out, Vit Krejci started the last two games and played 44 minutes, having played just six total minutes before Friday. He shot just 2-for-8, but he dropped a dime (see below) to Clint Capela and the starting lineup was a plus-1 over the two games.

The Hawks now begin a five-game trip out West, currently 12-9 (fourth best among East teams) against the opposite conference. One of those losses was to the Clippers (who they’ll visit on Sunday), with the Hawks scoring 144 points on 103 possessions, the second most efficient offensive performance for a losing team this season. (The Hawks also have the most efficient performance in a loss.)

VIT'S GOT IT LIKE THAT 🍿 pic.twitter.com/4idBLheqaz

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) March 10, 2024

Week 21: @ POR, @ UTA, @ LAC

Record: 26-39

OffRtg: 113.7 (19) DefRtg: 115.7 (19) NetRtg: -2.0 (22) Pace: 98.0 (25)

After two encouraging (and important) wins over the Hawks, it didn’t take long for the Nets to seemingly let go of the rope, suffering losses to the Grizzlies, Pistons and Hornets last week. But they also beat the Pistons and Cavs in what was their only stretch of five games in seven days.

Three takeaways

• The Nets still rank as the most improved team (from last season) in both offensive rebounding percentage and defensive rebounding percentage, but they got destroyed on the glass in those three losses last week. They grabbed just 41.9% of available rebounds over the three games, allowing 37 offensive boards and 59 second-chance points.

• Cam Thomas returned from a six-game absence over the weekend and totaled 60 points (shooting 10-for-17 from 3-point range) against the Hornets and Cavs. The Nets outscored those opponents by 31 points in his 61 minutes on the floor and were outscored by 23 points in his 35 minutes on the bench, though his on-off differential for the season is still the second worst among their rotation players.

• With those three losses last week, the Nets are just 7-7 (worst among the other 24 teams) against the bottom six teams in the league, with at least one loss to five of the six. They’ve outscored the opponents by 72 points over those 14 games, but six of the seven losses have been within five points in the last five minutes and they’ve allowed 88 points on 67 clutch defensive possessions (1.31 per). Overall, they’re 10-17 (fourth worst) in games that were within five points in the last five minutes, having seen the biggest drop in clutch winning percentage from last season (24-16, fourth best).

The one team in the bottom six that the Nets haven’t lost to is the Spurs, having won the only meeting by 20 just before the All-Star break. They’ll finish a six-game trip in San Antonio on Sunday.

Week 21: @ ORL, @ IND, @ SAS

Record: 23-41

OffRtg: 113.6 (20) DefRtg: 117.5 (24) NetRtg: -3.9 (24) Pace: 99.7 (13)

After winning their first game without Scottie Barnes, the Raptors have dropped three straight, including a rest-advantage game (their final rest-advantage game of the season) in Portland on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• With their overtime loss to the Blazers, the Raptors became the fifth team to match its loss total from last season (41-41). They’ve seen the league’s fourth biggest drop in winning percentage, its third biggest drop in point differential per 100 possessions, its fifth biggest drop in points scored per 100 possessions and its second biggest jump in points allowed per 100 possessions.

• Some of that drop-off has been self-inflicted, of course. The Raptors’ record isn’t much worse since the OG Anunoby trade (11-22) than it was prior (12-19), but they’ve been outscored by 6.4 points per 100 possessions over the last 33 games, down from minus-1.1 per 100 through the first 31. The bigger drop-off has been on defense, with Toronto ranking last (119.9 allowed per 100) since the trade.

• That defense doesn’t allow as many corner 3-pointers as it did under Nick Nurse, but the 14 corner 3s that the Pelicans made on Tuesday are tied for the third most for a team in any game in the 28 seasons for which we have shot-location data.

After the loss in Portland, the Raptors are 8-6 against the bottom six teams in the league. Their first game after the Anunoby trade was a loss in Detroit, and they’ll complete their four-game trip there on Wednesday.

Week 21: @ DEN, @ DET, vs. ORL, @ ORL

Record: 28-36

OffRtg: 115.6 (15) DefRtg: 118.9 (27) NetRtg: -3.3 (23) Pace: 100.8 (9)

The Jazz have won just two of their last 12 games, with the two wins having come against the Spurs and Wizards.

Three takeaways

• Lauri Markkanen has missed the last three games with a quad contusion. The Jazz are 6-7 without him, though Markkanen is one of two rotation players with a positive plus-minus for the season. Utah has outscored its opponents by 6.3 points per 100 possessions in 630 minutes with both Markkanen and Kris Dunn on the floor, but has been outscored by 2.3 per 100 in 1,446 minutes with one on the floor without the other and by a brutal 11 per 100 in 1,021 minutes with neither on the floor.

• The Utah offense has been fine (120.9 points scored per 100 possessions) over these last three games without Markkanen, with Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton and John Collins all averaging more than 20 points over the three games. Keyonte George also returned from a one-game absence and scored 29 points in Denver on Saturday. It was his sixth game (his second in March) with five or more 3-pointers, tied with Brandon Miller for the lead among rookies.

• But the Jazz have now fallen into the bottom five in the league defensively. In that same game, the Nuggets registered an effective field goal percentage of 77.7%, the fourth-highest single-game mark in NBA history.

The Jazz are 14-13 against the Eastern Conference, with two of their three remaining interconference games coming at the start of a four-game homestand that begins Tuesday.

Keyonte George goes off the glass to Collin Sexton for the TOUGH lob 😳 pic.twitter.com/3psjxwLkO2

— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 5, 2024

Week 21: vs. BOS, vs. ATL, vs. MIN

Record: 14-50

OffRtg: 109.9 (27) DefRtg: 117.3 (23) NetRtg: -7.5 (26) Pace: 102.2 (3)

The Spurs have been eliminated from playoff contention, but they did get their first win (they were previously 0-7) without Victor Wembanyama, keeping the Warriors winless without Stephen Curry.

Two takeaways

• The last two games without Wembanyama have been two of the Spurs’ seven most efficient offensive performances of the season (125 points scored per 100 possessions total), and the win over the Warriors also came without Devin Vassell. Keldon Johnson is the Spurs’ rotation player who has seen the biggest drop in usage rate (from 27.3% to 21.8%) with the addition of Wembanyama this season but totaled a team-high 44 points (off the bench) over the two games. He has an effective field goal percentage of 59.3% since the All-Star break, up from 51.3% before the break.

• Wembanyama blocked seven shots in the game (a loss in Houston) in which he sprained his ankle. He has 70 more blocks than personal fouls (193-123), which would be the biggest differential for any player in the last 20 seasons (since Ben Wallace – +84 – in 2003-04). Only five other players (among the 322 who’ve played at least 500 minutes) have more blocks than fouls this season.

The Spurs will now begin the longest homestand for any team this season: eight games over 15 days. They’re 2-0 at home since the All-Star break, with both wins having come against teams — the Thunder and Pacers — with winning records.

Week 21: vs. GSW, vs. HOU, vs. DEN, vs. BKN

Record: 18-45

OffRtg: 108.8 (28) DefRtg: 116.7 (21) NetRtg: -7.8 (27) Pace: 98.1 (22)

We’re well beyond the All-Star break, but the Blazers have still been somewhat competitive. They lost to both the Wolves and Thunder by single digits last week, and they got a win over Toronto on Saturday.

Two takeaways

• In each of the previous two seasons, the Blazers have suffered huge (and self-inflicted) drop-offs after the All-Star break. In 2021-22, they were an amazing 17.1 points per 100 possessions worse after the break (minus-21.3) than they were before it (minus-4.2). Last season’s drop-off (12.4 per 100) wasn’t nearly as big but was still the biggest in the league by more than double (the next biggest was 5.0 per 100). This season, the Blazers are one of six teams that have been better on both ends of the floor since the break than they were before it.

• With their overtime win over the Raptors, the Blazers are now 8-3 (with four straight wins) in the second games of back-to-backs, with only the Celtics (8-2) having a better record with no rest. They’ve scored 115.0 points per 100 possessions over those 11 games, compared to 107.5 per 100 as they’ve gone 10-42 with rest. Jerami Grant averaged 22.6 points on 53/44/92 shooting splits over the first 10 of those games, but wasn’t available on Saturday when Deandre Ayton returned from a five-game absence and scored a season-high 30 points.

The Blazers have three games left on their six-game homestand, though they’re also the last three games of a stretch of five in seven days. So the Knicks (the opponent in the second game of the second back-to-back) are in trouble.

Week 21: vs. BOS, vs. ATL, vs. NYK, @ NOP

Record: 22-43

OffRtg: 106.9 (30) DefRtg: 113.5 (11) NetRtg: -6.6 (25) Pace: 98.6 (19)

The Grizzlies won the Brooklyn-Memphis-Philly round robin that took place last Monday-Wednesday, registering their two best offensive performances since the All-Star break to win both road games.

Two takeaways

• The win in Brooklyn last Monday improved the Grizzlies to 3-5 without Jaren Jackson Jr. Then he returned and their next two opponents (the Sixers and Hawks) combined to shoot just 38-for-97 (39%) in the paint.

• Luke Kennard was 1-for-6 from 3-point range as the Grizzlies lost by 31 in Oklahoma City on Sunday, but is still at 45.2% from beyond the arc (second among qualified players) for the season, which is kind of amazing given the lack of experienced talent around him and that he’s been asked to handle the ball more with all the injuries that the Grizzlies have had. Though he’s handling more, he’s just 11-for-40 (27.5%) on pull-up 3s, with about 80% of his attempts having come off the catch (77-for-151, 51%). He was the only player who shot 44% or better on at least 200 3-point attempts in each of the last three seasons (no other player did it in more than one of those three) and is now three attempts from doing it a fourth straight time.

The Grizzlies are 4-5 (with three straight losses) in games played between the bottom six teams in the league. They have six remaining, with two this week against the Wizards and Hornets, having lost to both on the road.

Week 21: vs. WAS, vs. CHA, vs. OKC

Record: 16-48

OffRtg: 108.6 (29) DefRtg: 118.9 (28) NetRtg: -10.4 (30) Pace: 98.4 (20)

The Hornets put an end to a couple of losing streaks over the weekend, losing to the Wizards (who had lost 16 straight) and beating the Nets to end their own six-game losing streak.

Two takeaways

• The Hornets were outscored by 34 points (84-50) in the restricted area over the last two games of the losing streak, but they were a plus-18 in the restricted area (with Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges a combined 10-for-11) against Brooklyn on Saturday. For the season, they rank 28th in restricted-area differential (minus-5.6 points per game) after ranking 14th (plus-1.4) last season.

• With Tre Mann out, Grant Williams was in the starting lineup for the last two games. (LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams have now missed the last 21 and 44 games, respectively.) The new lineup was outscored in both games, but Davis Bertans registered a plus-25 in 28 minutes off the bench on Saturday. Bertans has made 10 more 3s in 11 games with the Hornets (32-for-74, 43%) than Gordon Hayward made in 25 (22-for-61, 36%), and Charlotte has outscored opponents by 1.4 points per 100 possessions in his 175 total minutes.

With their loss in Washington last week, the Hornets are 5-5 in games played between the bottom six teams in the league, set to complete their season series with the Pistons (0-2) and Grizzlies (1-0) this week.

Week 21: @ DET, @ MEM, vs. PHX, @ PHI

Record: 11-53

OffRtg: 110.7 (26) DefRtg: 119.5 (30) NetRtg: -8.8 (29) Pace: 103.4 (1)

With the Hawks’ win in Memphis on Friday, the Wizards were the first team officially eliminated from playoff contention. But they did end their 16-game losing streak the same night, and then they got their second win over one of the 18 teams currently over .500.

Two takeaways

• Starting center Marvin Bagley III has missed the last three games, a stretch that the Wizards began with Kyle Kuzma starting at the five. That didn’t work too well, and they were much better with Richaun Holmes on the floor against Orlando and Charlotte. But Holmes was also unavailable in Miami on Sunday, so Kuzma started at the five again and the starting lineup outscored the Heat by 21 points (scoring 68 points on 50 offensive possessions) in a little less than 24 minutes.

• Kuzma is one of six players averaging at least 25 points and seven rebounds since the All-Star break, with the other five all being MVP candidates. His season-long true shooting percentage (54.8%) is his best mark since his rookie season, though that still ranks just 42nd among 48 players with a usage rate of 25% or higher.

The Wizards will now play eight of their next 10 games against teams with losing records, 9-13 against that group after the win over the Hornets last week.

Week 21: @ MEM, @ HOU, @ CHI, vs. BOS

Record: 10-53

OffRtg: 110.8 (25) DefRtg: 119.4 (29) NetRtg: -8.6 (28) Pace: 100.9 (8)

The Pistons got win No. 10 on Thursday, getting 66 combined points from Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey against Brooklyn.

Two takeaways

• Turnovers remain an issue, but Cunningham has averaged 25.8 points and 7.9 assists since the All-Star break, up from 21.9 and 7.5 before the break, also shooting 30-for-63 (48%) from 3-point range over the Pistons’ nine post-break games. The only other players averaging at least 25 and seven since the break are Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic and Damian Lillard.

• And though they’re just 2-7, the Pistons have outscored their opponents by 23 points in Cunningham’s 298 minutes since the break. They’ve been 34.7 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor (plus-3.9) than they’ve been with him off the floor (minus-30.8 per 100) over the nine games.

The Pistons won their first two games against the Hornets, though their two leading scorers against Charlotte – Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic – are no longer with the team. The third and final meeting is Monday in Detroit.

Week 21: vs. CHA, vs. TOR, vs. MIA, vs. MIA