Record: 15-4

OffRtg: 117.1 (9) DefRtg: 107.6 (2) NetRtg: +9.5 (1) Pace: 98.7 (23)

The Celtics let the short-handed Sixers hang around until the final minute on Friday, with Philly’s 119 points on 103 possessions being the most efficient performance that Boston has allowed this season. But the Celtics remain undefeated (9-0) at TD Garden, one of two teams that rank in the top 10 on both ends of the floor, and in first place in the Eastern Conference.

Three takeaways

• Before last week, the Celtics’ lineup with Al Horford in Kristaps Porzingis’ place had been outscored by 32 points and shot 5-for-26 from 3-point range in 25 total minutes. But it was a plus-20 (15-for-27 from 3-point range) in its 29 minutes against the Bulls and Sixers last week.

• Coming back from a two-game absence, Jrue Holiday shot 7-for-10 from 3-point range over the two games last week, having shot 7-for-24 (29%) over his previous five. His effective field goal percentage (50.5%) and true shooting percentage (52.9%) are still his lowest marks in the last eight seasons.

• For the second straight season, the Celtics have been at their best (plus-15.6 points per 100 possessions) with Derrick White on the floor. That’s the best on-court mark among 162 players who’ve averaged at least 25 minutes per game.

The Celtics should be the In-Season Tournament favorite, and they clobbered the Pacers in the teams’ first meeting. But to book their trip to Las Vegas, they’ll have to win on the road, where they’ve scored 14.7 fewer points per 100 possessions than they have at home. Their seven least efficient offensive games have all come on the road and among 181 players with at least 50 field goal attempts both at home on the road, Payton Pritchard (62.7% vs. 35.7%) and Sam Hauser (77.4% vs. 56.9%) have the biggest and third biggest home-road differentials regarding effective field goal percentage.

They’ll also have to win without Porzingis, who’ll miss his fourth straight game.

Week 7: @ IND*, vs. MIL/NYK

Record: 15-4

OffRtg: 113.2 (18) DefRtg: 106.7 (1) NetRtg: +6.5 (4) Pace: 98.9 (19)

The Wolves have been without Anthony Edwards for the last two games, and they’ve won them both, keeping pace with the Celtics for the league’s best record.

Three takeaways

• Edwards was lost to a hip contusion late in the third quarter of the Wolves’ game against the second-place Thunder on Tuesday. And it was his replacement in the lineup (Troy Brown Jr.) who hit the biggest shot of the night, a long, late-clock 3 that put Minnesota up five with 1:39 left. Brown is 10-for-18 from beyond the arc over the team’s four-game winning streak.

• The Wolves trailed by 12 against Oklahoma City and again against Utah on Thursday. They’re the only team with a winning record (5-4) in games they trailed by double-digits. The Utah win also gave them as many games where they held their opponent under a point per possession (seven) as they had all of last season.

• The offense remains a worse-than-average unit, but their win in Charlotte on Saturday was the Wolves’ most efficient performance of the season, with their three centers combined for 77 of their 123 points. The Naz Reid minutes haven’t been good of late, but the Wolves continue to be strong with Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert on the floor together.

While the Celtics are probably the favorite to win the In-Season Tournament, the Wolves are the favorite to come out of the coming week with the league’s best record. They were given the easiest Week 7 schedule, games against the Spurs and Grizzlies, two teams they were previously scheduled to play only three times.

Week 7: vs. SAS, @ MEM

Record: 14-7

OffRtg: 117.0 (10) DefRtg: 112.4 (11) NetRtg: +4.6 (6) Pace: 98.1 (26)

Jamal Murray returned from an 11-game absence on Wednesday and (though he shot just 4-for-14) the Nuggets had the most efficient offensive performance for any team this season, scoring 134 points on just 91 possessions as they beat the Rockets. But 22 minutes that night were all that the Nuggets got from Murray as he turned his ankle and missed both games over the weekend.

Three takeaways

• The Nuggets lost all of a 17-point lead in Phoenix on Friday, but never trailed after the first quarter and remain one of three teams that haven’t lost (they’re 13-0) when leading by double-digits.

• They led by eight points when Nikola Jokic went to the bench late in the first quarter in Sacramento on Saturday, but the lead was long gone (the Nuggets trailed by eight) by the time he returned to the floor midway through the second. It was the fourth of the Nuggets’ seven losses in which the reigning Finals MVP recorded both a triple-double (36, 13 and 14) and a positive plus-minus (plus-11 in 38 minutes). His on-off differential (20.7 points per 100 possessions) isn’t (yet) as big as it was last season (22.9), but the Nuggets have been worse (outscored by 12.2 per 100) in the minutes with Jokic off the floor than they were in 2022-23 (minus-10.4 per 100).

• While the bench minutes were really bad on Saturday, Peyton Watson was given some extra playing time the night before, specifically to guard Kevin Durant with Aaron Gordon not available. And Durant shot 1-for-9 with Watson as the nearest defender.

With this week’s added game, three of the four Nuggets-Clippers game this season will be in L.A. Denver has an eight-game winning streak against the Clips that includes two games this season, one where Jokic shot just 8-for-23 and another (the Reggie Jackson game) in which he didn’t play.

Week 7: @ LAC, vs. HOU

Record: 13-6

OffRtg: 117.9 (5) DefRtg: 109.5 (5) NetRtg: +8.4 (2) Pace: 101.1 (6)

The Thunder came up short in a game between the two top teams in the West on Tuesday, and the loss in Minnesota was their first in a game they led after the third quarter. But they recovered to win their first two rest-advantage games of the season, blowing out the Lakers and surviving an incredible run from the Mavs.

Three takeaways

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot a combined 24-for-40 (including 7-for-12 from mid-range) against the Wolves’ and Lakers’ top-10 defenses. He didn’t have any help in Minnesota, but Jalen Williams came along for the ride against L.A.

• Gilgeous-Alexander had a quieter night in Dallas on Saturday, but came up with the steal to seal the game after managed to recover from blowing a 24-point, fourth-quarter lead. He leads the league with 2.4 steals per game, having seen an increase in each of his last three seasons.

• Gilgeous-Alexander has a turnover rate of just 6.8 per 100 possessions used, seventh lowest among 49 players with a usage rate of 25% or higher and down from 8.5 per 100 last season. For the second straight season, the Thunder rank second in turnover differential, averaging 2.6 per game fewer than their opponents and having committed fewer turnovers than their opponent in 12 of their last 13 games.

The Thunder have already played the Warriors three times, with the road team winning all three games and the Thunder scoring 125.6 points per 100 possessions, the best mark for any Golden State opponent. They’ll complete the season series in Oklahoma City on Friday, two nights after the Thunder visit Houston for their first meeting with the Rockets, who are 8-1 at home.

Week 7: @ HOU, vs. GSW

Record: 12-7

OffRtg: 119.8 (2) DefRtg: 112.7 (15) NetRtg: +7.0 (3) Pace: 99.7 (16)

The reigning Kia MVP remains valuable. After recording his sixth career triple-double (30, 11 and 11) in a blowout win over the Lakers, Joel Embiid missed two games with an illness. The Sixers lost them both, allowing the Pelicans and Celtics to each score more than 120 points per 100 possessions.

Three takeaways

• The Sixers were also without Tyrese Maxey in Boston, and they were up one with 2:15 left before the Celtics went on an 8-0 run to put them away. Philly has outscored its opponents by 3.4 points per 100 possessions in 109 total minutes with neither Maxey nor Embiid on the floor.

• The Sixers were 13-5 without Embiid last season, including 2-0 in the playoffs (Game 4 at Brooklyn, Game 1 at Boston). This season, they’re 0-3, and they were outscored by 14 points at the free throw line in each of their two losses last week, having outscored their opponents at the stripe in each of their previous 10 games.

• Robert Covington, who had five steals and a block in Boston, has averaged 6.3 deflections per 36 minutes, most among 255 players who’ve played at least 250 minutes. Paul Reed (4.8 per 36) and De’Anthony Melton (4.0 per 36) rank fourth and eighth.

The Sixers have lost six of their last 10 games overall, but are one of two teams that haven’t lost to a team that enters Week 7 at or below .500. They’re 6-0 against the bottom 13 in the league and have the Eastern Conference’s easiest December schedule. Six of their next seven games are against teams that are at least six games below .500, with four of those six against the Wizards and Pistons and the only exception being their game against the 9-10 Hawks on Friday.

Week 7: @ WAS, vs. ATL

Record: 14-6

OffRtg: 118.0 (4) DefRtg: 115.1 (21) NetRtg: +2.9 (11) Pace: 102.1 (5)

Before the season began, it wouldn’t have been a huge surprise that the Bucks and Lakers earned the top seeds in the In-Season Tournament. But overall, neither has played as well as expected, with Milwaukee’s progress on defense since an ugly start to the season only incremental.

Three takeaways

• Each of the Bucks’ last six games have been within five points in the last five minutes. They’ve scored 75 points on 56 clutch possessions (1.34 per) over that stretch, but shot 3-for-11 with four turnovers in overtime in Chicago on Thursday, wasting a comeback from seven points down with 1:20 left in regulation

• They recovered pretty well from that one. Their game against the Hawks on Saturday was tied with a little more than five minutes left, and the Bucks then went on an 18-4 run. Overall, they rank second in clutch offense (with Damian Lillard the league’s leading clutch scorer by a wide margin) and third in clutch defense.

• The Bucks rank 12th defensively over a three-week stretch in which they’ve won nine of 11 games. But six of those 11 have come against teams that rank in the bottom 10 on offense.

The Bucks will face a top-10 offense (that of the Celtics or Pacers) this week. For that game to be in Las Vegas (and not Boston or Milwaukee), they’ll need to beat the Knicks on Tuesday night. When the two teams met in their In-Season Tournament opener, the difference was 3-point shooting, with Milwaukee making twice as many 3s (20 vs. 10) on the same number of attempts (39).

Week 7: vs. NYK*, vs. BOS/IND

Record: 14-6

OffRtg: 113.7 (14) DefRtg: 109.3 (4) NetRtg: +4.4 (7) Pace: 100.5 (11)

The Magic’s two worst losses of the season (by 20 points or more) have come in Brooklyn. The second of those (a rest-disadvantage game on Saturday) ended a nine-game winning streak that took Orlando into second place in the Eastern Conference.

Three takeaways

• Aside from the two games in Brooklyn (129.7 points allowed per 100 possessions), the Magic’s fourth-ranked defense has traveled well. But they’ve scored 14.4 fewer points per 100 possessions away from Amway Center (including a “home” game in Mexico City) than they have at home (121.0 per 100) where they’re now 9-1.

• Though Anthony Black has averaged less than 22 minutes as a starter, the Magic’s lineup with Black and Goga Bitadze in place of the injured Markelle Fultz and Wendell Carter Jr. has now played more than twice as many minutes (166) as the when-healthy starting lineup (78). It hasn’t been great (plus-2.5 points per 100 possessions), but has been able to stay afloat, and that’s good enough when you have the league’s third-ranked bench.

• The loss on Saturday also ended a streak of eight straight games in which the Magic outscored their opponent in the paint. They have the league’s third-biggest differential between their field goal percentage in the paint (57.6%, ninth) and their effective field goal percentage on shots from outside the paint (49.0%, 25th).

The loss in Brooklyn began a stretch where the Magic are playing eight of nine games against teams currently over .500. That stretch includes their first two games against the Cavs, who rank fourth in opponent field goal percentage in the paint and who won all four meetings last season.

Week 7: @ CLE, vs. DET

Record: 11-7

OffRtg: 114.2 (13) DefRtg: 114.4 (19) NetRtg: -0.3 (19) Pace: 100.9 (8)

The Kings are hosting an In-Season Tournament quarterfinal, because Malik Monk had one of the most ridiculous game-winners you’ll ever see. Beyond the tourney stakes, the Kings keep picking up quality wins, with their latest being a victory over the Nuggets on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• The Kings are one of three teams – the Cavs and Lakers are the others – with a winning record and a negative point differential. They’re again having success in close games, but this season, it’s been more about the other end of the floor, where their opponents have scored less than a point per possession (82 on 84) with the score within five points in the last five minutes.

• De’Aaron Fox scored 40 points against the Clippers on Wednesday, but that was the Kings’ worst defensive game of the season (131 points allowed on 98 possessions), and it dropped them to 0-2 in the second games of back-to-backs. They’re 3-0 when their opponent is playing the second game of a back-to-back.

• Keegan Murray returned from a four-game absence on Saturday, reuniting a starting lineup that’s outscored its opponents by 12.6 points per 100 possessions, the third best mark among 25 lineups that have played at least 100 minutes.

The rest-advantage win over the Nuggets improved the Kings to 7-2 (second best) in games played between the 17 teams that currently have winning records. The two losses were both in New Orleans, with the Kings losing the two second quarters by a total of 27 points (69-42). The first of three home games against the (healthier) Pelicans is the In-Season Tournament quarterfinals on Monday.

MALIK MONK CALLED GAME.

KINGS WIN THE GAME AND WEST GROUP C 🏆 pic.twitter.com/GdQ0XW9iit

— NBA (@NBA) November 29, 2023

Week 7: vs. NOP*, vs. LAL/PHX

Record: 12-7

OffRtg: 114.8 (12) DefRtg: 109.0 (3) NetRtg: +5.8 (5) Pace: 96.7 (29)

The Knicks continue to take care of business against bad teams. They’re 10-0 against the 13 teams that are currently at or below .500 after holding the Hornets, Pistons and Raptors to just 106.2 points per 100 possessions last week. Their 24-point margin of victory against Charlotte booked them a trip to Milwaukee for the In-Season Tournament quarterfinals.

Three takeaways

• The Knicks won their three first quarters last week by a total score of 94-59. They lost double-digit leads to both Detroit and Toronto, but remain one of three teams that are undefeated (they’re 11-0) in games they led by at least 10 points.

• Jalen Brunson was 7-for-12 from 3-point range on his way to 42 points against the Pistons on Thursday. He’s been better inside the arc of late, but is still one of just three players with at least 50 2-point attempts and 50 3-point attempts (144 players total) who’ve shot better on the 3s (career-best 47.4%) than they have on the 2s (46.3%). His 35-for-80 (43.8%) on pull-up 3s is the best mark among 22 players who’ve attempted at least 50

• According to Second Spectrum tracking, the Knicks have averaged 16 seconds per offensive possession, the longest for any team in the last seven seasons.

Toronto has a losing record, but that win on Friday was on the road, with a rest disadvantage, and with the Knicks having fewer shooting opportunities than their opponent for just the second time this season. Sometimes it’s good to win a game without dominating the glass.

The Knicks beat Toronto by outscoring them by 30 points from 3-point range, tied for their best 3-point differential of the season. Their worst differential (minus-30) came in Milwaukee in Week 2, when the Knicks came back from 14 points down, but came up short in the final minute. They’re back at Fiserv Forum for the In-Season Tournament quarterfinals on Tuesday.

Week 7: @ MIL*, vs. BOS/IND

Record: 12-8

OffRtg: 117.1 (8) DefRtg: 114.0 (18) NetRtg: +3.2 (8) Pace: 97.7 (27)

The Suns are 9-2 with Devein Booker in uniform, with the two losses having (weirdly) come against the Spurs and Raptors. The second of those two losses (Wednesday in Toronto) was doubly damaging, as ankle issues caused Booker to miss Phoenix’s marquee matchup with the Nuggets two nights later.

Three takeaways

• The Suns have been one of the better first-quarter teams in the league, but they lost their first quarters to Toronto and Denver by a total score of 68-50. They erased double-digit deficits in both games, but couldn’t finish either comeback and, at 0-5, remain one of three teams (the Pistons and Wizards are the others) that haven’t won a game they trailed by at least 10 points.

• One worry about the Suns this season was the “two is less than three” match. Not surprisingly, Booker and Kevin Durant are two of the nine players who’ve taken at least 100 shots from outside the paint, with more of those shots coming from mid-range than from 3-point range. But the Suns are still in the middle of the pack in 3-point rate (37.5%), having seen the league’s ninth biggest jump from last season. And 79% of the team’s 3-point attempts, the league’s fourth highest rate, have come off the catch.

• The Suns also have the league’s fourth lowest opponent 3-point rate, with only 35.8% of their opponents shots having come from beyond the arc. With that and top-10 marks in both 3-point percentage and opponent 3-point percentage, they’ve outscored their opponents by 3.2 points per game from 3-point range, the league’s eighth best differential and up from plus-2.3 last season.

Of course, Bradley Beal, who took slightly more 3-point shots (217) than mid-range shots (212) last season, hasn’t been a big part of that math yet. His back strain was scheduled to be re-evaluated this week.

The Suns will be in L.A. for the In-Season Tournament quarterfinals on Tuesday, having lost their first two meetings with the Lakers by a total of just eight points. They were without Booker for both games (Beal played in one), and scored just 17 points on 21 total clutch possessions over the two.

Week 7: @ LAL*, vs. NOP/SAC

Record: 11-8

OffRtg: 117.4 (7) DefRtg: 117.3 (25) NetRtg: +0.1 (18) Pace: 100.6 (9)

The Mavs beat the Rockets on Tuesday, turning a nine-point deficit into a nine-point lead with a 36-18 run spanning the third and fourth quarters. Four nights later, they made a much more amazing comeback.

Three takeaways

• The Mavs were down 24 to the Thunder with less than 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter on Saturday. Then they scored 30 straight points, shooting 12-for-15 (including 6-for-8 from 3-point range) and rebounding two of their three misses. Alas, the Thunder answered by closing the game on a 15-3 run and NBA teams have now lost the last 1,398 games (including postseason) that they’ve trailed by at least 20 points in the fourth quarter. (The last win was Oklahoma City vs. Miami in the bubble in 2020.)

• Dallas surely ran out of gas, playing the second game of a back-to-back. Luka Doncic didn’t play as they lost to Memphis the night before, but that doesn’t mean he was rested (he was celebrating the birth of a child). OKC’s Chet Holmgren tied the game with a tip-in when Doncic didn’t get back in the play after doubling Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jalen Williams put the Thunder back ahead by blowing past Doncic from the perimeter.

• Kyrie Irving missed the OKC game and shot just 11-for-37 (30%) over the previous two. His effective field goal percentage (52.3%) is his lowest mark in the last eight seasons, and the drop from last season (57.2%) is mostly about his shooting inside the arc. He’s shot 56.2% in the paint and 35.8% from mid-range, down from 60.8% and 49.5% last season.

The Mavs have lost five of their last seven games, but remain a top-six team in the West. They’re the only team with 16 games this month, but it’s a relatively easy slate regarding opponent strength (though they did just lose to the Grizzlies). They’re one of eight teams with two Week 7 games against teams with losing records.

Week 7: vs. UTA, @ POR

Record: 12-9

OffRtg: 110.7 (24) DefRtg: 111.7 (9) NetRtg: -1.0 (21) Pace: 100.6 (10)

The Lakers again need to depend on size and defense, so it’s good that Jarred Vanderbilt was available for the first time on Saturday, having missed the first 20 games with a heel issue. The Lakers’ win against the Rockets was the fourth time they’ve held their opponent under a point per possession, something they did just seven times all of last season.

Three takeaways

• For the fourth time in the last five seasons, the Lakers have the league’s biggest differential between their field goal percentage in the paint (61.5%, third) and their effective field goal percentage on shots from outside the paint (47.2%, 30th). They’re the only team that ranks in the bottom five in both mid-range field goal percentage (27th) and 3-point percentage (29th).

• Anthony Davis has the biggest differential (61.5% in the paint, 23.6% outside it) among 152 players with at least 50 field goal attempts both inside and out. He’s attempted just one 3-pointer over his last eight games and has shot just 4-for-15 from mid-range over that stretch. Christian Wood (61.4% vs. 39.7%) and LeBron James (70.5% vs. 52.3%) have the 10th and 13th biggest differentials, respectively, among those 152 players.

• So priority No. 1 for the Suns (and their coach who knows the opponent well) on Tuesday is to get back in transition and keep the Lakers’ stars out of the paint (without getting in foul trouble).

The Lakers won the first two meetings with Phoenix, even though they were outscored by 27 points from outside the paint over the two games. They were a plus-24 in the paint and a plus-11 from the free throw line.

Week 7: vs. PHX*, vs. NOP/SAC

Record: 10-8

OffRtg: 123.8 (1) DefRtg: 120.8 (29) NetRtg: +3.0 (10) Pace: 104.1 (1)

The Miami Heat have scored more efficiently and played a little faster this season, but are generally known for playing slow, with inefficient offense on both ends of the floor. Well, the Pacers went to Miami for a two game series last week and combined with the Heat for an average score of 138-136 as the teams split the two games.

Three takeaways

• The two games in Miami were the fourth and fifth times that the Pacers allowed more than 130 points per 100 possessions. But their win on Saturday was the second most efficient game (144 points on 98 possessions) for any team this season.

• Oh, and they were without Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield made just one 3-pointer and they had just three offensive rebounds. T.J. McConnell, who was DNP’d two nights earlier, came off the bench and shot 10-for-11 while registering an assist/turnover ratio of 11/1. The Pacers’ effective field goal percentage of 75.3% was the second-highest mark in franchise history.

• Last season, the Kings scored 118.6 points per 100 possessions, which was the highest mark in NBA history. But the difference between that and the league average was just 4.6 points per 100 possessions, just the 64th biggest differential in the 27 seasons for which we had play-by-play data. The Pacers are not only blowing that raw number out of the water, the 123.8 per 100 they’ve scored is 10.1 more than the current league average, the biggest differential in the play-by-play era, topping that of the 2003-04 Mavs (+9.0).

The Pacers’ first meeting with the Celtics (in Boston in Week 2) was the worst loss for any team this season (51 points). As of late Sunday night, Both Haliburton and Obi Toppin were listed as questionable for the In-Season Tournament quarterfinals on Monday.

Week 7: vs. BOS*, vs. MIL/NYK

Record: 11-10

OffRtg: 113.6 (16) DefRtg: 112.5 (13) NetRtg: +1.1 (15) Pace: 100.5 (12)

CJ McCollum returned from a 12-game absence on Wednesday and Trey Murphy III made his season debut two nights later. The Pelicans won both of those games (taking advantage of absences on the other side), but lost the second game of their weekend back-to-back, with both McCollum and Murphy sitting out in Chicago.

Three takeaways

• After scoring just 107.7 points per 100 possessions through their first 10 games, the Pels have scored 119.1 per 100 over their last 11. They’ve done it with a reduction in 3-point rate, having taken just 33% of their shots from beyond the arc, down from 37% over those first 10. They’ve shot much better inside the arc and also seen a jump in free throw rate.

• But with that reduction in 3s, they’ve been outscored by an average of 18 points per game from 3-point range over their last seven games. Their losses in Utah and Chicago last week came with their two worst 3-point differentials of the season (minus-30 and minus-27).

• With their win over the Sixers (who were without Joel Embiid) on Wednesday, the Pelicans are 7-4 against the other teams that enter Week 7 with winning records. But with those losses in Utah and Chicago, they’re just 4-6 against teams that are currently at or below .500. The only team with a bigger differential in that regard is their In-Season Tournament quarterfinals opponent, as the Kings are 7-2 against the good teams (both losses were in New Orleans) and just 4-5 against teams currently at or below .500.

Overall, the Pels have the worst record among the eight teams in the In-Season Tournament, but Larry Nance Jr. and Matt Ryan are the only guys on the injury report for Monday’s quarterfinal in Sacramento. When the Pelicans swept a two-game series in New Orleans less than two weeks ago, they outscored the Kings by 50 points in the restricted area (92-42) over the two games.

Week 7: @ SAC*, vs. LAL/PHX

Record: 11-9

OffRtg: 114.8 (11) DefRtg: 113.5 (16) NetRtg: +1.3 (14) Pace: 98.6 (24)

The Heat’s last six games have come against other Eastern Conference teams that have winning records, and they’ve lost four of the six. They now have the worst record (3-7) in games played between the East’s top nine, though they’ve been outscored by a total of just nine points over the 10 games.

Three takeaways

• Absences have been a part of the struggles. Jimmy Butler has missed two of those 10 games, while Bam Adebayo has missed four of the 10. The Heat haven’t been dominant (plus-5.4 points per 100 possessions) when Butler and Adebayo have been on the floor together, but they’re just 2-5 when one or both have been unavailable.

• Adebayo’s absence was certainly felt on Saturday, when the Heat allowed the Pacers to score 144 points on 98 possessions, the second most efficient game for any team this season and the most efficient game the Heat have allowed in the 28 seasons for which we have play-by-play data.

• The defense wasn’t great with Adebayo over the previous couple of games, either. The 74 points in the paint the Pacers scored on Thursday (in a Miami win) were the most for a Heat opponent in the 28 seasons for which points in the paint have been tracked. And then Indy scored 76 points in the paint (without Tyrese Haliburton) two nights later.

Adebayo has already been ruled out for the Heat’s game in Toronto on Wednesday. They’ll be back home for another game within the top nine in the East on Friday, having beat the Cavs by 33 (without Adebayo) less than two weeks ago.

wheewww Jaime is FEELIN IT 😮‍💨

22 points, 12 in the 4th pic.twitter.com/3Zj1JpkxWs

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 1, 2023

Week 7: @ TOR, vs. CLE

Record: 11-9

OffRtg: 110.7 (23) DefRtg: 111.3 (8) NetRtg: -0.5 (20) Pace: 99.5 (17)

The Cavs have won three of their last four games, but that’s a somewhat disappointing result given the competition. All four were against teams with losing records and the Cavs blew a 16-point lead in losing to the Blazers at home on Thursday.

Three takeaways

• Overall, the Portland loss was worse on offense, where the Cavs scored just a point per possession. But there were some clear defensive breakdowns as a 12-point lead became a 12-point deficit with a 37-13 Blazers run spanning the third and fourth quarters.

• The Cavs have still climbed into the top 10 defensively for the first time this season, having held each of these last four opponents under 110 points per 100 possessions. And while all four have losing records, the Hawks (who the Cavs beat on Tuesday) have the league’s third-ranked offense. Atlanta shot just 16-for-41 (39%) in the paint.

• This 3-1 stretch also coincides with the Cavs having their starting lineup healthy for four straight games and playing more minutes (70) than it had through the team’s first 14 games (64). The Cavs have allowed just 104.3 points per 100 possessions with both Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen on the floor together, but 112.6 with one on the floor without the other.

The competition gets tougher over for the next two weeks, as the Cavs’ next five games will be against the Magic (x 2), Heat and Celtics (x 2). They’re currently 4-8 against the other 16 teams that enter Week 7 with winning records, with a 33-point loss to Miami 12 days ago.

Week 7: vs. ORL, @ MIA

Record: 9-10

OffRtg: 113.6 (17) DefRtg: 110.5 (7) NetRtg: +3.1 (9) Pace: 98.8 (21)

The Clippers remain inconsistent from game to game and half to half, but they’ve won six of their last nine games and boast the league’s second-ranked defense over that stretch. Perhaps they made a breakthrough over the weekend.

Three takeaways

• Before Saturday, the Clippers were one of four winless teams (they were 0-9) in games they trailed by double-digits. Then they came back from 22 points down to beat the Warriors, with Paul George giving them their first and only lead with a step-back 3 over Klay Thompson.

• The Clippers just finished a stretch of five games in seven days, but Kawhi Leonard may be finding his legs. He’s 14-for-28 (50%) on pull-up jumpers over the last three games, having shot just 37.2% on pull-ups before that. One difference is that only four (14%) of those 28 pull-ups have come from beyond the arc, down from 33% prior. With Leonard scoring 34 points on 14-for-18 from the floor, the Clippers’ win in Sacramento on Wednesday was their most efficient offensive performance of the season.

• The good news is that George and Leonard have played in all 19 games. The bad news is that the Clippers should have banked more wins with their stars available, especially since they’ve outscored their opponents by 12.9 points per 100 possessions in 519 total minutes with both on the floor. They were 24-14 with both George and Leonard (even though that on-court number was lower) last season.

The Clippers have lost their last four games when they’ve had a chance to get back to .500. One of those was a home rest-advantage game against the Nuggets (who had lost six of their last seven on the road) last Monday when the Clippers led by 11 after the third quarter. They get a rematch on Wednesday, having now lost eight straight (and 14 of their last 16) games against the champs.

Week 7: vs. DEN, @ UTA

Record: 9-11

OffRtg: 113.7 (15) DefRtg: 113.6 (17) NetRtg: +0.1 (17) Pace: 100.3 (13)

The Warriors have led each of their last four games by at least 18 points, and they’ve lost two of them, blowing a 24-point lead in Sacramento on Tuesday and a 22-point lead in LA over the weekend.

Three takeaways

• The Heat, 4-2, are the only other team with multiple losses after leading by 20-plus. The Warriors also lead the league with six losses (they’re 7-6) in games they led after the third quarter. They’ve outscored their opponents by 2.8 points per 100 possessions (allowing 111.2 per 100) through the first three quarters of games, but are a minus-8.1 per 100 (allowing 120.8 per 100) in the fourth quarter and overtime.

• Draymond Green missed the game-winner on Saturday, but was otherwise 8-for-15 from 3-point range, with half of those makes coming in the first quarter in L.A. He has more 3-pointers (17-for-36, 47%) in 12 games this season than he did in 46 games two seasons ago (16-for-54, 30%).

• But the Warriors allowed 119.0 points per 100 possessions in Green’s 94 minutes last week. For the season, they’ve been at their worst defensively (118.4 points allowed per 100 possessions) with him on the floor. Some of that could be 3-point luck and he’s one of just five defenders on the floor, but it’s the highest on-court mark of his career by a huge margin.

While the starters’ minutes continue to be an issue, bench minutes continue to be pretty good, despite the injuries to Chris Paul and Gary Payton II last week. During the Warriors’ home-and-home set with the Clippers last week, only Stephen Curry played more minutes than rookie Brandin Podziemski, who will certainly be a permanent part of the rotation going forward.

Week 7: vs. POR, @ OKC

Record: 10-9

OffRtg: 117.5 (6) DefRtg: 115.0 (20) NetRtg: +2.5 (13) Pace: 98.7 (22)

The Nets have went 4-1 on a five-game homestand, the best five-game stretch of offense (125.2 points scored per 100 possessions) for what is now the league’s sixth-ranked offense. (The two teams directly behind Brooklyn in offensive efficiency are Kyrie Irving’s Mavs and Kevin Durant’s Suns.)

Three takeaways

• Ben Simmons remains on the shelf, but the Nets did get Cam Thomas and Dennis Smith Jr. back from extended absences last week. Thomas totaled 46 points over his two games back and has seen the biggest jump in points per game (from 10.6 to 26.1) among 286 players who played at least 25 games last season and have played at least 10 this season. He also had five assists for just the third time in his career as the Nets got their second win over the second-place Magic on Saturday.

• The Nets have generally taken care of business against bad teams, but they lost to the Hornets on Thursday when Cam Johnson missed a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. It was both the Nets’ worst defensive game and the Hornets’ best offensive game of the season, with Charlotte shooting 21-for-36 from 3-point range. Brooklyn has seen the league’s largest jump in opponent 3-point rate (42% of their opponents’ shots have come from beyond the arc) from last season (36%).

• The Nets are now 10-1 (the only loss was vs. Cleveland on opening night) when they’ve allowed fewer than 120 points per 100 possessions and 0-8 when they’ve allowed more than 120.

The Nets’ last road game was in Atlanta, where they lost by two points (147-145!) in an overtime contest in which the two teams combined for 57 second-chance points. They’re back in the ATL on Wednesday, when rebounding might be a point of emphasis for both coaches.

Week 7: @ ATL, vs. WAS

Record: 8-9

OffRtg: 112.6 (20) DefRtg: 110.0 (6) NetRtg: +2.6 (12) Pace: 97.0 (28)

The Rockets remain winless (0-8) on the road, having gone 0-3 on a tough (but important) trip through Dallas, Denver and L.A. They’d be playing in the In-Season Tournament this week if they could have held on to a nine-point lead late in the third quarter on Tuesday.

Three takeaways

• In the span of six days, the Nuggets accounted for both the most efficient offensive game for any team this season and the fourth least efficient offensive game for any team this season. The ugly one was in Houston, while the offensive onslaught was against the same Rockets in Denver.

• Even with that game in Denver on Wednesday, the Rockets have still seen the league’s biggest drop in points allowed per 100 possessions (-8.6) from last season. Yes, that’s really a ‘6’ where their rank on defense is supposed to be.

• While the Rockets are in the bottom 10 in both ball and player movement, they’re in the top 10 in assist rate, having recorded assists on 64% of their field goals. Fred VanVleet missed a game last week, but his 56 assists to Alperen Sengun are the most from any player to a single teammate.

The Rockets have to play in Denver again this week. That game is the end of a stretch where they’re six straight games against teams that currently have winning records. They’re 6-5 against that group (and just 2-4 against teams currently at or below .500), but location seems to matter more than the strength of the opponent, and they’ll be at home to face the Thunder for the first time on Wednesday.

Week 7: vs. OKC, @ DEN

Record: 9-10

OffRtg: 118.6 (3) DefRtg: 118.4 (26) NetRtg: +0.2 (16) Pace: 103.2 (3)

Trae Young won a game with a defensive play, drawing a charge on San Antonio’s Jeremy Sochan after Saddiq Bey threw away an inbounds pass with the Hawks up two. But beating the Spurs by two is not great, and Atlanta has won just three of its last nine games.

Three takeaways

• The Hawks have allowed 128.1 points per 100 possessions (5.9 more than any other team) in first quarters. The Bucks’ 42 on just 26 possessions (1.62 per) in the opening period on Saturday was only Atlanta’s third-worst defensive first quarter of the season.

• The Hawks traded turnovers with the Spurs in the closing seconds on Thursday, but for the game, committed 11 fewer than San Antonio (10-21), tied for the second biggest differential in any game this season. For the season, the Hawks rank fifth (in the top seven for the third straight season) in turnover differential at minus-1.9 per game, having committed fewer than their opponents in 13 of their 19 games.

• The win against San Antonio also came with Young scoring a season-high 45 points. He a rough night in Cleveland on Tuesday, but still has an effective field goal percentage of 57.4% over his last seven games, up from 41.2% through his first 11.

The Hawks have now lost seven of their last eight games against teams that currently have winning records, with the only exception being their overtime win over the 10-9 Nets 12 days ago. The two teams will meet again on Wednesday.

Charged up pic.twitter.com/Dh8kZ8DcXb

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) December 1, 2023

Week 7: vs. BKN, @ PHI

Record: 9-11

OffRtg: 111.3 (22) DefRtg: 112.6 (14) NetRtg: -1.3 (22) Pace: 98.9 (20)

The Raptors got a good, rest-disadvantage win over the Suns on Wednesday, but continue to struggle offensively. They’ve lost three of their last four, scoring less than 110 points per 100 possessions over that stretch.

Three takeaways

• The Raptors outrebounded the league’s best rebounding team (New York) on Friday, but shot just 6-for-32 (19%) from 3-point range. Only the Grizzlies and Lakers have shot worse from beyond the arc overall, and the Raptors account for three of the 11 times a team has shot 20% or worse from 3-point range this season.

• With that loss to New York, they’re just 1-4 in rest-advantage games. That game also left them as the only team without a win in its division. They’re 0-6 in the Atlantic after giving New York its first win in three division games.

• Scottie Barnes had cooled off a bit, but scored 29 points on 13-for-19 shooting against New York, adding nine rebounds, four assists, five steals and a block. His 38.5 points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per 36 minutes are up from 29.7 last season, and that’s the second-biggest jump among 253 players who played at least 500 minutes last season and have played at least 200 minutes this season. (Brooklyn’s Lonnie Walker IV has seen the biggest.)

Despite Barnes’ improvement, the Raptors are a worse team than they were last season, especially on offense. But they’ll get to face the league’s 30th-ranked defense for the first time when they visit Charlotte on Friday.

Week 7: vs. MIA, @ CHA

Record: 7-14

OffRtg: 109.7 (26) DefRtg: 115.5 (22) NetRtg: -5.9 (23) Pace: 96.6 (30)

Oh boy. The Bulls played without both DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine for just the third time in DeRozan’s three seasons in Chicago. And they ended a five-game losing streak with a win against one of the best teams in the league, beating the Bucks in overtime after blowing a 12-point, fourth-quarter lead.

They also won the other two games that they’ve played without both DeRozan and LaVine, though those were the last game of the season in 2021-22 and their second-to-last game last season.

Three takeaways

• DeRozan was back for the game against the Pelicans on Saturday, but LaVine (sore foot) remained out, and the Bulls beat another team with a winning record. It’s their first winning streak of the season, though the two games were very different. They combined with the Bucks to score just 104 points per 100 possessions, but combined with the Pelicans to score 125 per 100.

• The win over New Orleans was just the fifth time the Bulls have outscored their opponent from 3-point range, with their plus-27 differential being their biggest of the season. The Pelicans’ 3-point rate (25 of their 82 field goal attempts) was the lowest for a Chicago opponent this season, but the Bulls still have what would be the highest opponent rate (46.2%) in the 45 seasons of the 3-point line. Before these two straight wins, their last two opponents combined to make 46 3s.

• With his leaning 3-pointer for the tie at the end of regulation against Milwaukee, Alex Caruso is now 4-for-4 on shots (all of them being 3-pointers) to tie or take the lead in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime. Utah’s Lauri Markkanen (3-for-8) is the only other player with more than two buckets to tie or take the lead in the final minute this season. DeRozan led the league with 10 last season.

For the season, four teams have a lower 3-point rate than the Pels, and the Bulls will play one of them (Charlotte) for the first time on Wednesday. They were given the league’s second-easiest Week 7 schedule, with their two opponents having a combined record of 9-28.

ALEX CARUSO THREE FOR OVERTIME.@NBCSChicago | @ACFresh21 pic.twitter.com/08RvMkwDLj

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 1, 2023

Week 7: vs. CHA, @ SAS

Record: 6-12

OffRtg: 113.0 (19) DefRtg: 121.4 (30) NetRtg: -8.3 (28) Pace: 100.1 (14)

The Hornets have been without LaMelo Ball, but their last two games have been two of their three most efficient scoring games of the season. They scored more than 128 points per 100 possessions as they split close games against Brooklyn and Minnesota.

Three takeaways

• With their comeback victory in Brooklyn on Thursday, the Hornets have a league-leading five wins (they’re 5-11) in games they trailed after the third quarter. They’ve had the league’s third-ranked fourth quarter offense (123.7 points scored per 100 possessions), with Ball and Terry Rozier being two of the six players who’ve averaged at least 7.5 points on 50% shooting or better in the fourth quarter this season.

• Rozier has been available down the stretch of only five of the Hornets’ 11 games that were within five points in the last five minutes. But he’s been the team’s leading clutch scorer (22 total points). He had 15 of the Hornets’ 22 clutch points last week, shooting 3-for-3 on clutch 3s (including two straight to take the lead in Brooklyn).

• The absence of Ball hasn’t exactly sparked defensive improvement. The games against the Nets and Wolves were the eighth and ninth times that the Hornets have allowed more than 125 points per 100 possessions. That’s twice more than any other defense.

Only four of the Hornets’ 18 games have come against teams that currently rank in the bottom 10 offensively. They’ll play two more games against that group this week.

Week 7: @ CHI, vs. TOR

Record: 7-13

OffRtg: 110.5 (25) DefRtg: 116.7 (23) NetRtg: -6.2 (25) Pace: 99.9 (15)

The Jazz have been without Lauri Markkanen for the last five games and without Jordan Clarkson for the last two. But they have Omer Yurtseven, who made big plays on both ends of the floor as they outlasted the Blazers in overtime on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• Yurtseven has started (instead of Walker Kessler) the last five games, and he also was on floor down the stretch on Saturday, when he scored more clutch points (4) than he had in his career to date (2). His tip-dunk gave the Jazz the lead with 1:14 left in OT, and he preserved that lead with a great contest of a Shaedon Sharpe drive a minute later.

• In their two losses before the Portland game, the Jazz scored less than a point per possession for the third and fourth times this season, tying their total from last season. Only the Blazers and Grizzlies have seen bigger drops in offensive efficiency from last season.

• The Jazz are the only team that ranks in the bottom 10 in field goal percentage in the paint (55.1%, 25th), mid-range field goal percentage (28.5%, 30th) and 3-point percentage (35.2%, 23rd).

That 25th-ranked offense is just two games into a stretch where it is playing six of seven against teams that currently rank in the top 10 defensively. The lone exception is the Jazz’s first meeting with the Mavs, just their third game against a team that currently ranks in the bottom 10. (Seven of the bottom 10 defenses are in the Eastern Conference.)

Week 7: @ DAL, vs. LAC

Record: 6-13

OffRtg: 105.4 (30) DefRtg: 112.1 (10) NetRtg: -6.8 (26) Pace: 98.2 (25)

The Blazers might not be that bad. They’re 2-2 on a five-game road trip that ends in San Francisco on Sunday, with the two wins having come in Indiana and Cleveland and with the two losses (on in Milwaukee) having come by a total of 11 points.

Three takeaways

• The team that has ranked in the bottom-five defense in each of the last four seasons, ranks 10th defensively through six weeks. Eleven of the Blazers’ 19 games have come against teams that rank in the bottom 10 on offense, but their win in Indiana on Monday (in which they had a rest disadvantage) was the Pacers’ third worst offensive performance of the season (110 points on 104 possessions) and was sandwiched by five games in which the league’s No. 1 offense scored 135 per 100.

• That was also just the second time that the Pacers had been outscored from 3-point range this season. The Blazers have still seen both the league’s biggest drop in 3-point percentage and its biggest drop in the percentage of their shots that have come from 3-point range, but they had five straight games of 40% or better from beyond the arc before going 13-for-40 in an overtime loss in Utah on Saturday.

• The young guys continue to be intriguing. Shaedon Sharpe totaled 54 points over the Blazers’ two weekend games, Scoot Henderson (still coming off the bench) had a career-high 17 (in just 21 minutes) in Utah on Saturday, and Toumani Camara continues to have his moments, like the block on Collin Sexton that pushed the Utah game in to overtime.

After they visit the Warriors on Wednesday, the Blazers will play nine of their next 11 games at home. That stretch includes two home games against a top-10 offense (that of the Mavs) that they’ve yet to face.

SHAEDON. SHARPE. pic.twitter.com/NDJIMVGuTc

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) December 3, 2023

Week 7: @ GSW, vs. DAL

Record: 5-14

OffRtg: 106.3 (29) DefRtg: 112.4 (12) NetRtg: -6.1 (24) Pace: 99.0 (18)

The Grizzlies certainly don’t need to apologize to other teams missing their best players. And they took advantage last week, beating the Jazz without Lauri Markkanen and the Mavs without Luka Doncic.

Three takeaways

• The Grizzlies allowed just 98.4 points per 100 possessions over the two wins and while they lost in Phoenix on Saturday, the Suns’ eighth-ranked offense (with both Devin Booker and Kevin Durant) scored a little less efficiently than the league average. So Memphis went from 19th (worse than average) to 12th (better than average) in defensive efficiency over the last seven days.

• The three opponents combined to shoot just 58-for-130 (44.6%) in the paint. The Grizzlies now rank second in opponent field goal percentage in the paint (52.5%) for the season, but are 30th in opponent effective field goal percentage on shots from outside the paint (56.4%). No other team has a higher mark on shots from the outside.

• The two wins came with Derrick Rose’s first two starts of the season. Rose has still played just 190 total minutes thus season (he missed the Phoenix game) and the Grizzlies have scored less than a point per possession with him on the floor, but he has a positive plus-minus for a team that’s 5-14.

The win over Utah was the Grizzlies’ first victory at home. They’re spending most of December on the road, but improved defense gives them a chance to stay somewhat afloat. So does a third scheduled game against the Pistons (the other two are in April), who they’ll visit on Wednesday.

Week 7: @ DET, vs. MIN

Record: 3-16

OffRtg: 112.5 (21) DefRtg: 120.3 (28) NetRtg: -7.8 (27) Pace: 103.9 (2)

The Wizards won the Losing Streak Bowl on Monday, pulling away from the Pistons in the second half, but they haven’t beat anybody else since Nov. 8. Additionally, their two losses in Orlando last week were two of the Magic’s four most efficient offensive performances of the season.

Three takeaways

• Kyle Kuzma likes going home. With 32 points (along with 12 rebounds and eight assists) on Monday, his scoring average in Detroit over the last four seasons (25.8 points per game) is his highest for any road arena in that time.

• Kuzma’s 23.6 points and 4.6 assists per game are both career-high marks, even though his minutes (31.3) are down from last season (35.0). The Wizards are the only team that doesn’t have a player who’s averaged at least 32 minutes per game.

• One beneficiary of the minutes spread has been rookie Bilal Coulibaly, who continues to make an impact defensively. There were two occasions in Detroit — a block on James Wiseman and an interception of Isaiah Livers — where he helped on the ball and then recovered back to make a big play. The Wizards have allowed 8.7 fewer points per 100 possessions (with a huge differential in opponent turnover rate) with Coulibaly on the floor (115.5) than they have with him off the floor (124.2).

With games against the Sixers and Nets added to their schedule, the Wizards are just two games into a stretch of nine straight against teams that are currently over. 500. They’re 0-11 against that group thus far, and five of their next six games are against teams that rank in the top eight offensively.

Week 7: vs. PHI, @ BKN

Record: 3-16

OffRtg: 107.3 (28) DefRtg: 119.4 (27) NetRtg: -12.1 (30) Pace: 102.7 (4)

The Spurs have been more competitive (against some good teams) of late, but their losing streak has hit 14 games, and they’ve been a little worse than the Pistons on both ends of the floor over the streak.

Three takeaways

• Jeremy Sochan had the best offensive game of his career on Thursday, scoring 33 points on 12-for-14 shooting, adding eight rebounds and six assists against the Hawks. But his first steal led to his fifth turnover, when he was called for a charge with a chance to tie the game in the final seconds. (The Last Two Minute Report deemed it a correct call.)

• The Spurs had only two games last week, but they were a back-to-back, and Victor Wembanyama sat out the back end, missing a game for the first time. He had four blocks against Atlanta on Thursday, but his overall defensive impact over his last two games (the Nuggets and Hawks shot 18-for-29 against him) wasn’t nearly what it was early in the season (15-for-61 through the Spurs’ first six).

• The Spurs are still sharing the ball. They’re one of two teams — the Kings are the other — that rank in the top five in both ball and player movement, and they’ve recorded assists on 69.8% of their field goals, what would be the highest rate for any team in the last seven seasons.

The Spurs don’t have another back-to-back until Dec. 28 and 29, and that will be two straight games in Portland. They got a little bit of a favor from the league with an inter-conference game against the Bulls (who they’ll now play three times) on Friday.

Week 7: @ MIN, vs. CHI

Record: 2-18

OffRtg: 108.2 (27) DefRtg: 116.9 (24) NetRtg: -8.7 (29) Pace: 100.9 (7)

Bojan Bogdanovic made his season debut on Saturday and scored 22 points in less than 28 minutes off the bench. But he couldn’t stop the Pistons’ losing streak, which is now at an amazing 17 games.

Three takeaways

• The Wizards arrived in Detroit on Monday with the league’s 30th-ranked defense. And in their best chance to end the losing streak, the Pistons scored less than a point per possession for the second time this season. They saw a jump (from their previous three games) in 3-point rate, but shot just 8-for-38 (21%) from beyond the arc.

• Eight of the 17 straight losses have been within five points in the last five minutes. The Pistons erased a 16-point deficit in New York on Thursday and were within three late against the Cavs two nights later, but closing games remains an issue.

• Pistons head coach Monty Williams has been shuffling his starting lineup over the last few games, going with three different mixes of Killian Hayes, Jaden Ivey, Isaiah Livers and Ausar Thompson alongside the trio of Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren. Hayes has had the best on-court numbers alongside the three permanent starters thus far. It’s safe to assume that Bogdanovic will need to be integrated into the lineup soon.

The Pistons were given a third scheduled game against the Grizzlies, who they’ll host in one of two interconference games (not including the In-Season Tournament championship) next week. That’s certainly their best chance at a win in the next 14 days.

Week 7: vs. MEM, @ ORL