Record: 35-7

OffRtg: 116.0 (6) DefRtg: 103.2 (1) NetRtg: +12.8 (1) Pace: 100.4 (8)

The Thunder got revenge on the Cavs and then some, leading by as many as 42 points on Thursday.

Three takeaways

• The Thunder were without Isaiah Hartenstein on Thursday (and over the weekend), but they didn’t have to worry much about rebounding, because they forced 21 turnovers, including 13 on 52 possessions in the first half. They continue to have the best turnover differential (-6.5 per game) in the 48 seasons for which turnovers have been counted, having committed fewer than their opponent in 37 of their 42 games.

• In addition to scoring 22 points on Thursday, Lu Dort helped keep Donovan Mitchell under wraps for the second time. Mitchell’s 6-for-31 (19%) shooting against the Thunder is the third-worst mark for any player with at least 25 field goal attempts vs. a single opponent this season, and he had just six free throw attempts over the two games as well. Opponents have shot just 40.9% on shots Dort has defended, by far his best mark in the last five seasons.

• The night after clobbering the Cavs, the Thunder lost in Dallas without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It was the first game he’s missed and their worst offensive game (98 points on 96 possessions) since early November. They’ve now scored 15.9 more points per 100 possessions with Gilgeous-Alexander on the floor (120.1) than they have with him off the floor (104.2).

With the Thunder a little banged up, it’s good news that they’ll play only four games over the next 12 days, with two of those four against the Jazz and Blazers. With their win over Brooklyn on Sunday, the Thunder are 12-0 (with an average point differential of 21.4 points per game) against the bottom nine teams in the league.

Week 14: vs. UTA, vs. DAL, @ POR

Record: 35-6

OffRtg: 121.1 (1) DefRtg: 111.4 (11) NetRtg: +9.6 (2) Pace: 100.7 (6)

The Cavs got clobbered in their rematch with the Thunder but beat two other good teams on their three-game trip.

Three takeaways

• The Cavs are the 15th team in NBA history (first since the 2019-20 Bucks) to win at least 35 of their first 41 games. Nine of the previous 14 (but only three of the last seven) reached the NBA Finals, with eight of those nine winning the championship.

• The Cavs’ issues in Oklahoma City began with their 21 turnovers, which affected the other side of the floor. But there’s been some defensive slippage beyond that over the last couple of weeks, as they’ve allowed 120.9 points per 100 possessions over their last six games. The defense has been OK in 74 minutes with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen playing together (113.3 allowed per 100), but they’ve allowed 125.2 per 100 in 171 minutes over that stretch with only one of the two bigs on the floor.

• They still improved to 3-0 without Mobley with their win in Minnesota on Saturday, when bench minutes were huge. They took control with a 26-5 run spanning the third and fourth quarters, improving to 8-6 in games they’ve trailed by double-digits and handing the Wolves their second-worst defensive performance of the season.

Having split their two games against the first-place team in the West, the Cavs will now play two against the second-place team. Their second game against the Rockets (Saturday in Cleveland) is also the second game of the Cavs’ only stretch of five games in seven days.

Week 14: vs. PHX, @ HOU, @ PHI, vs. HOU

Record: 28-13

OffRtg: 114.3 (9) DefRtg: 107.8 (4) NetRtg: +6.5 (5) Pace: 99.3 (18)

The Rockets dropped a rest-disadvantage game in Sacramento on Thursday, but won their two more important games last week, including one that clinched a tie-breaker with the third-place Grizzlies.

Three takeaways

• With their wins over the Grizzlies and Nuggets (in Denver) last week, the Rockets have the best record (11-2) in games played between the seven Western Conference teams that are more than two games over .500, with both losses having come to the Thunder. They’ve been better offensively in those 13 games (116.7 points scored per 100 possessions) than they’ve been otherwise.

• The offense has been terrific over the last 15 days in general. Having scored 124.9 points per 100 possessions (best in the league) over their last seven games, the Rockets have climbed from 14th to ninth on offense. They’re now one of four teams in the top 10 on both ends and one of only seven that have scored more points per 100 possessions than they did last season (113.7, 20th).

• The offensive surge starts with Jalen Green, who’s averaged 31.3 points on 55/54/94 shooting splits over this seven-game stretch. But it’s also important that Fred VanVleet has seemingly found his shot. His season-long 3-point percentage (33.2%) is still the worst mark of his career, but he’s 12-for-25 (48%) from beyond the arc over his last four games.

After they host the Pistons on Monday, the Rockets will begin a stretch where they’re playing five of seven games against the Cavs (x 2), Celtics, Grizzlies and Knicks, with four of those five on the road.

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

Record: 29-13

OffRtg: 118.8 (3) DefRtg: 109.8 (5) NetRtg: +9.0 (3) Pace: 104.2 (24)

The Celtics remain in a (relative) funk, alternating wins and losses over their last eight games.

Three takeaways

• The nadir for the Celtics was probably their loss in Toronto on Wednesday when they scored just 97 points on 94 possessions against the league’s 28th-ranked defense. Their issues have started with their offense, and it hasn’t been solely about 3-point shooting. The Celtics shot just 20-for-39 (51%) in the paint in Toronto and just 21-for-42 (50%) in the paint in their overtime loss to the Hawks over the weekend.

• The Celtics still rank fifth in field goal percentage in the paint for the season (60.0%), but are last (by a wide margin) in the percentage of their shots that have come in the paint (39%). That rate has been a little higher (40%) but is still last in the league over the eight weeks since Kristaps Porziņģis made his season debut.

• Their one win last week did come with the most efficient offensive performance (121 points on only 90 possessions) that the Magic’s third-ranked defense has allowed this season by a wide margin. Jaylen Brown had six assists that night and another eight in the Celtics’ loss to Atlanta. His scoring efficiency is down, but he’s seen a big jump in assist ratio (career-high 16.7 per 100 possessions used) from last season (13.9).

The Celtics will play nine of their next 12 games on the road, starting a four-game trip in Golden State on Monday afternoon. They blew a seven-point, fourth-quarter lead in a loss to the Warriors early in the season.

Week 14: @ GSW, @ LAC, @ LAL, @ DAL

Record: 27-15

OffRtg: 117.3 (5) DefRtg: 109.8 (6) NetRtg: +7.5 (4) Pace: 105.0 (1)

The Grizzlies lost a huge game in Houston last Monday (falling to 0-3 vs. the second-place Rockets), blowing a 13-point, fourth-quarter lead. But they remain in the top three in the West, having swept a two-game series in San Antonio.

Three takeaways

• The Grizzlies are the second team to match its win total from last season (27-55), not a big surprise given the circumstances. But statistically, (+7.5 points per 100 possessions), this would also be the best team in franchise history. They’re not on pace to match their franchise high of 56 wins, but they have the point differential of a team that’s 32-10, with 10 of their last 12 losses having been by single digits.

• The Grizzlies’ when-healthy starting lineup continues to have dominant numbers (plus-38.1 points per 100 possessions), but has still played just 76 total minutes, because of limited availability and limited minutes (9.5 per game) when they’re all in uniform. Memphis’ bench ranks third, with one key ingredient being Jake LaRavia (averaging 22 minutes), who’s seen big jumps in scoring efficiency, rebounding percentage and assist ratio in his third season.

• Ja Morant (sore foot) missed the second of the Grizzlies’ two wins in San Antonio, what was the team’s most efficient offensive performance of the season (140 points on 101 possessions). Overall, Memphis has almost identical numbers in the games Morant has played vs. the games he hasn’t, with the strength of schedule (cumulative opponent winning percentage) having also been about the same …

Morant had the game-winner when the Grizzlies won in Minnesota nine days ago. The second of three meetings with the Wolves is Monday and the start of a four-game homestand where the other three games are against bottom-seven teams.

Week 14: vs. MIN, vs. CHA, vs. NOP, vs. UTA

Record: 26-16

OffRtg: 117.6 (4) DefRtg: 113.0 (14) NetRtg: +4.6 (7) Pace: 101.2 (5)

The Nuggets dropped a rest-disadvantage game (without Nikola Jokić) to the Rockets on Wednesday, but remain in the top four in the West, having won 10 of their last 13 games.

Three takeaways

• The Nuggets have the league’s No. 1 offense (121.9 points scored per 100 possessions) since the day after Christmas. That stretch includes some big offensive games against top 10 defenses (those of the Clippers and Heat). All five of their current starters have averaged at least 13.3 points over that stretch, combining for an effective field goal percentage of 59.7%.

• It wasn’t long ago that we were worrying about Jamal Murray, who scored 45 points (on 18-for-26 shooting) in the Nuggets’ win in Dallas on Tuesday. His effective field goal percentage of 52.1% would still be the lowest mark in his last four seasons, but he’s at 56.1% since Christmas and was 21-for-42 on pull-up jumpers over the Nuggets’ four games last week.

• The Nuggets continue to rank last in 3-point rate (34.5% of their shots) for the second straight season and by a healthy margin. (They’ve seen a drop in each of the last three seasons.) They also still rank in the top five in 3-point percentage, having shot 43-for-91 (47%) over a three-game stretch last week. Their win in Miami on Friday came with their biggest 3-point differential of the season (plus-21) and a ridiculous no-look, over-the-head dime from Jokić to Aaron Gordon.

Their loss to the Rockets on Wednesday was just the Nuggets’ first defeat in eight rest-disadvantage games. They’ve had just two rest-advantage games (2-0) all season, with that (six more) being the league’s biggest differential. They’ll narrow that gap in the next several weeks, starting with an advantage game against the Kings on Thursday.

Week 14: vs. PHI, vs. SAC, @ MIN

Record: 27-16

OffRtg: 119.2 (2) DefRtg: 113.2 (15) NetRtg: +6.0 (6) Pace: 97.7 (25)

The Knicks haven’t been able to take advantage of the Celtics’ slide, because they’re just 3-6 over the last 2 1/2 weeks.

Three takeaways

• Over the last eight days, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart have returned from the locker room after suffering scary-looking shoulder injuries. But Karl-Anthony Towns missed the last two games with a thumb sprain. Having split the two, the Knicks are 4-3 when one of their five starters hasn’t been available.

• The Knicks were pretty efficient in their overtime win in Philadelphia, just the 13th OT game in 29 seasons of play-by-play data in which one team never led. But they shot just 39% against the Wolves on Friday, with a big difference being Brunson’s shooting inside the arc (11-for-16 in Philly, 6-for-16 vs. Minnesota). For the season, they’ve been outscored by 7.2 points per 100 possessions (scoring just 108.2 per 100) in 216 total minutes with the other four starters on the floor without Towns.

• Defense was the issue down the stretch against Detroit last Monday, and the Pistons put the game away by targeting Brunson in the pick-and-roll, with his man setting screens for Cade Cunningham and the results being two wide-open, weak-side 3s for Malik Beasley. The Wolves also came out of a fourth-quarter timeout looking to get Brunson switched onto Anthony Edwards. According to Second Spectrum tracking, opponents have set 10.0 ball screens per 100 possessions with Brunson’s defender this season, up from 5.4 per 100 last season.

The Knicks still have seven games left on a stretch where they’re playing 12 of 14 at home, and the one road game this week is just across the river, though they’ll be at a rest disadvantage in Brooklyn on Tuesday.

Week 14: vs. ATL, @ BKN, vs. SAC

Record: 24-19

OffRtg: 114.0 (11) DefRtg: 113.6 (20) NetRtg: +0.4 (15) Pace: 100.4 (7)

The Pacers couldn’t get the home-and-home sweep of the Cavs, but they still have the league’s third-best record (14-4) over the last 5 1/2 weeks.

Three takeaways

• The Pacers’ improvement from their first 25 games to their last 18 has been about even on both ends of the floor, with the defensive improvement the more surprising. The Pacers rank fifth defensively over the 14-4 stretch, with eight of the 18 games having come against teams that currently rank in the top 10 offensively.

• They’ve benefitted from their opponents shooting just 32.8% from 3-point range over the 18 games, without an increase in the percentage that have been contested, according to Second Spectrum tracking. But they’ve also seen a drop in opponent field goal percentage in the paint (from 59.9% to 56.2%) and a jump in defensive rebounding percentage.

• Aaron Nesmith returned from a 35-game absence on Thursday and shot 7-for-9 over his two games back. After one game as a starter (with Bennedict Mathurin serving a one-game suspension), Nesmith came off the bench on Saturday, when the starting lineup (still one of the best in the league) struggled a bit and the Pacers outscored the Sixers by 19 points in a little more than 36 minutes with at least one reserve on the floor.

The Pacers now head to Paris for two games against the Spurs, currently 9-4 (second best in the East) against the Western Conference.

Week 14: vs. SAS (Paris), vs. SAS (Paris)

Record: 24-17

OffRtg: 110.8 (22) DefRtg: 107.3 (2) NetRtg: +3.5 (8) Pace: 98.9 (20)

After a 1-4 stretch, the Clippers have won four straight games to climb back into the top five in the West.

Three takeaways

• The Clippers have allowed just 91.5 points per 100 possessions over the winning streak. That’s somewhat skewed by Brooklyn scoring 67 points on 96 possessions on Wednesday. (That was the least efficient game for any team — regular season or playoffs — in the last six seasons.) But, they also held the Heat and Blazers under a point per possession last week. They’ve now held their opponent under a point per possession 11 times they’ve held their opponent under a point per possession, two more times than they did all of last season (nine).

• Kawhi Leonard sat out the Clippers’ win in Portland on Thursday (the second game of a back-to-back), but scored 42 points in 48 minutes over their wins over the Nets and Lakers. He shot 17-for-24 (16-for-20 inside the arc) over the two games and the Clippers have now outscored their opponents by 73 points (31.3 per 100 possessions) in his 109 minutes this season.

• Derrick Jones Jr. is back in the starting lineup, with the Brooklyn win being the first time in more than two months that Kris Dunn came off the bench. The latter is a terrific defender, but Jones gives the Clippers more size and Dunn has shot just 15-for-57 (26%) on corner 3-pointers, the second-worst mark among 80 players who’ve attempted at least 50.

The Clippers have won 15 of their last 17 games at the Intuit Dome and, with the rescheduling of a handful of games due to the wildfires in Los Angeles, their four-game homestand has become a five-game homestand. But the first four games of it (starting with their win over the Lakers on Sunday) is now the league’s only stretch of four games in five days. They’re 8-1 against the Eastern Conference, with the one loss (by 32 points) having come to the Celtics, who they’ll host on Wednesday.

Week 14: vs. CHI, vs. BOS, vs. WAS, vs. MIL

Record: 22-20

OffRtg: 112.4 (15) DefRtg: 110.5 (7) NetRtg: +1.9 (12) Pace: 97.4 (27)

The Wolves remain amazingly inconsistent. They got a big win in New York on Friday, which was sandwiched by losses at home to the Warriors and Cavs.

Three takeaways

• The win in New York was the Wolves’ best 3-point shooting game of the season (22-for-40), but the inconsistency is almost completely about defense. They’ve allowed 14.0 fewer points per 100 possessions in their wins (103.8) than they have in their losses (117.8).

• Before the New York game (two nights after his team gave up 25 second-chance points to the Warriors), coach Chris Finch boiled it down to rebounding. But there have also been big win-loss differentials regarding opponent shooting, opponent free throw rate and opponent turnover rate. The Wolves’ effective field goal percentage difference has been almost as big in the paint (52.7% in wins vs. 58.1% in losses) as it’s been from the outside (46.9% vs. 54.3%).

• With Donte DiVincenzo out with a sprained toe, Mike Conley is back in the starting lineup. But the Wolves closed the New York win with Nickeil Alexander-Walker on the floor instead of Conley. They’ve been at their best with Alexander-Walker on the floor and have outscored their opponents by 16 points per 100 possessions in his 100 minutes with the other four starters. The sixth-year guard is posting career-best marks in both 2-point percentage (52.2%) and 3-point percentage (41.1%).

The Wolves are two games into a stretch of five straight against teams that rank in the top eight offensively. So their defense will continue to be in the spotlight as they head back out on the road for games against the Grizzlies and Mavs. They allowed Memphis to score 127 points on 102 possessions (125 per 100) in a two-point loss (at home) nine days ago.

Week 14: @ MEM, @ DAL, vs. DEN

Record: 24-17

OffRtg: 113.6 (12) DefRtg: 110.9 (8) NetRtg: +2.7 (11) Pace: 100.0 (11)

The Bucks have won seven of their last eight games, climbing into the top four in the East, where they trail the third-place Knicks by just a game in the loss column.

Three takeaways

• The Bucks rank fourth offensively over the 7-1 stretch, up from 15th prior. Damian Lillard has shot better than 50% (30-for-58) from 3-point range over the eight games, while Giannis Antetokounmpo shot 67% over their four games last week.

• The 7-1 stretch also coincides with Taurean Prince moving back into the starting lineup for Khris Middleton. The lineup is still in the red (minus-2.5 points per 100 possessions) for the season, but it had some good minutes last week and Prince has shot much better as a starter (effective field goal percentage of 65.2%) than he did in seven games as a reserve (43.0%).

• Middleton is also warming up. He’s averaged 13.4 points (20.6 per 36 minutes) off the bench over his last five games, shooting 17-for-22 (77%) on non-restricted-area 2-pointers. That’s a reminder that he shot a pretty incredible 58.5% from mid-range last season.

For the third straight season, the Bucks are the last team to play in the Mountain or Pacific time zones. Their first excursion out West begins Saturday when a visit to the Intuit Dome is the start of a four-game trip and Game 3 of their second (and final) stretch of five games in seven days.

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

Record: 23-19

OffRtg: 114.9 (8) DefRtg: 111.5 (12) NetRtg: +3.4 (9) Pace: 100.2 (9)

The Mavs are 10-10 without Luka Dončić (who’s missed the last 12 games), losing another game to the Nuggets last week, but beating the Thunder (without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) on Friday.

Three takeaways

• The win over Oklahoma City was more about defense and the Mavs have ranked 25th offensively (109.1 points scored per 100 possessions) over Dončić’s current, 12-game absence, down from fifth (117.1 per 100) before that. Their loss to Denver on Tuesday was the fourth time in the 12 games that they’ve scored less than a point per possession. Two of those came with Kyrie Irving in the lineup, though the Mavs are still 8-4 in games where they’ve had Irving without Dončić.

• They committed only 12 turnovers in the loss to Denver, but overall, the Mavs have committed 2.4 more per 100 possessions with Dončić off the floor (15.1 per 100) than they have with him on the floor (12.7 per 100). Irving’s turnover ratio of 8.4 per 100 possessions used is his highest in the last six seasons.

• Dereck Lively II suffered a bad ankle sprain early in the Mavs’ loss to the Nuggets on Tuesday, so they’re relying on Daniel Gafford and Maxi Kleber at the five for the time being. They’ve outscored their opponents by 12.7 points per 100 possessions in 561 minutes with Lively on the floor with Dončić and/or Irving, but are just plus-0.8 per 100 in 617 minutes with Gafford on the floor with one or both of the star guards.

The win over the Thunder began a stretch where the Mavs are playing four of five games against teams that rank in the top seven defensively, with another game against the best team in the West on Thursday.

Week 14: @ CHA, vs. MIN, @ OKC, vs. BOS

Record: 22-20

OffRtg: 115.5 (7) DefRtg: 112.3 (13) NetRtg: +3.2 (10) Pace: 100.0 (12)

The Kings’ seven-game winning streak ended Tuesday in Milwaukee, but they’ve picked up two wins since and aren’t far from a top-six spot in the West.

Three takeaways

• The Kings still aren’t the offensive team they were two seasons ago, but they’re sixth in offense during this 9-1 stretch, with their top four scorers all averaging more than 20 points per game. With their wild, rest-advantage win over the Rockets on Thursday, they’ve now handed Houston’s fourth-ranked defense its two worst performances of the season.

• In their 11 games under interim coach Doug Christie, the Kings have averaged 6.5 more shooting opportunities than their opponents, up from a differential of 1.4 per game in their 31 games under former coach Mike Brown. They’ve cut down on turnovers, but have also seen significant jumps in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage.

• Part of that comes from Trey Lyles and Domantas Sabonis playing almost as many minutes together in 11 games under Christie (130) as they played in 18 games (when both were available) under Brown (144). In those 273 total minutes, the Kings have grabbed 56% of available rebounds.

After the Kings wrap up their three-game homestand with a visit from the Warriors on Wednesday, they’ll play 10 of their final 12 pre-All-Star games on the road, beginning a six-game trip with a rest-disadvantage game in Denver on Thursday night.

Week 14: vs. GSW, @ DEN, @ NYK

Record: 22-18

OffRtg: 112.8 (13) DefRtg: 115.7 (24) NetRtg: -2.9 (21) Pace: 98.3 (23)

The Lakers don’t seem like a very good team, but they’ve managed to stay in the top six in the stronger conference.

Three takeaways

• As has been the case during LeBron James’ and Anthony Davis’ tenure in L.A., the Lakers are strongest inside. In their wins over Miami and Brooklyn (by a total of 10 points) last week, they outscored their opponents by 34 points (106-72) in the paint. They’re one of three teams — the Nuggets and Knicks are the others — that rank in the top 10 in both field goal percentage in the paint (58.5%, ninth) and the percentage of their shots that have come in the paint (50%, eighth).

• The Lakers have a lot of guys for whom power forward or center would be their primary position, sometimes a few of them play together, and they had some success last week with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and two other big guys on the floor last week. There was even a non-James version on Sunday, where Dorian Finney-Smith was the nominal shooting guard alongside Rui Hachimura, Davis and Jaxson Hayes.

• With their narrow win (without Davis) over the Nets on Friday, the Lakers (8-0) remain one of three undefeated teams — the Cavs and Thunder are the others — against the bottom seven teams in the league, though only one of those eight wins was by double-digits. The Lakers’ point differential (minus 2.6 per game) would be the worst in NBA history for a team with a winning record.

They’ll host another one of those bottom-seven teams in the league on Tuesday, one of two games against the Wizards in the next two weeks. The Lakers are 14-14 against the Celtics (7-7 at home, 7-7 on the road) since the last time they met in the Finals (2010), and their first meeting of the season is in L.A. on Thursday when the Lakers will have a rest advantage.

Week 14: vs. WAS, vs. BOS, @ GSW

Record: 21-20

OffRtg: 112.4 (14) DefRtg: 111.4 (10) NetRtg: +1.0 (13) Pace: 97.6 (26)

Jimmy Butler returned from his seven-game suspension and the Heat split weekend games against the Nuggets and Spurs.

Three takeaways

• Both games were blowouts, so we didn’t get to see if Butler would be on the floor with the score close down the stretch. He had a normal usage rate in his return against Denver but was more of a distributor in the win over the Spurs. The Heat are 13-11 with Butler in uniform and have been at their best offensively (117.8 points scored per 100 possessions) with him on the floor.

• Rookie Kel’el Ware has been in the rotation since just before Christmas, but he topped the 30-minute mark for the first two times last week. He tied his career high with 25 points in the win over the Spurs on Sunday when he also played extended minutes alongside Bam Adebayo for the first time. The Heat outscored the Spurs by 23 points, holding them to just 13 points on 27 possessions, in 13.3 minutes with the two bigs on the floor together.

• Those 27 possessions have the Heat back in the top 10 defensively, a hair ahead of 11th-ranked Cleveland. If they stay there, this would be the 22nd top-10 defense they’ve had in the 29 seasons for which we have play-by-play data.

Their win over the Spurs on Sunday began a stretch where the Heat are playing seven of 10 games against teams currently below .500, though the schedule will get road-heavy after they host Portland on Tuesday. They’re 11-2 (tied for fourth best) against the 10 teams that currently have losing records.

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

Record: 21-20

OffRtg: 111.6 (19) DefRtg: 111.0 (9) NetRtg: +0.6 (14) Pace: 99.6 (14)

The Warriors suffered a brutal loss in Toronto last Monday, blowing a nine-point, fourth-quarter lead. But they finished their four-game trip with a big win in Minnesota and took care of business against the Wizards over the weekend.

Three takeaways

• Draymond Green returned from a three-game absence on Saturday, only to suffer a calf injury early in the first quarter of the Warriors’ win over Washington. The Warriors have, statistically, been just as good (better offensively, worse defensively) in 345 minutes with Stephen Curry on the floor without Green (plus-5.5 points per 100 possessions) as they’ve been in 703 minutes with the two on the floor together (plus-5.5).

• The three opponents last week combined to shoot 51-for-111 (46%) from 3-point range, but the Warriors’ top-10 defense continues to be strongest inside. In the two wins, they held the Wolves and Wizards to just 32-for-79 (41%) in the paint.

• Overall, the Warriors are the only team that ranks in the top five in both opponent field goal percentage in the paint (54.4%, third) and the percentage of their opponents’ shots that have come in the paint (46%, fifth lowest). Opponents have shot just 41.4% on shots that Kevon Looney has defended, with the expected field goal percentage on those shots being 48.2%. That’s the fourth-biggest differential among 199 players who’ve defended at least 300 total shots.

Their win over the Wizards on Saturday began a stretch where the Warriors are playing eight of nine games at home, with the only road game being a short trip to Sacramento on Wednesday. Green is out for their game against the Celtics on Monday afternoon.

Week 14: vs. BOS, @ SAC, vs. CHI, vs. LAL

Record: 22-19

OffRtg: 111.6 (18) DefRtg: 113.4 (18) NetRtg: -1.8 (19) Pace: 104.2 (3)

The Hawks are back on the upswing, with a three-game winning streak highlighted by an overtime victory in Boston on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• With the win in Boston, the Hawks have the best record (8-2) in games played between the eight Eastern Conference teams that are currently over .500. They’ve allowed just 108.5 points per 100 possessions over those 10 games. Overall, this would be just the second time in the last eight seasons that the Hawks haven’t ranked in the bottom 10 defensively. They’ve seen the league’s fourth-biggest drop in points allowed per 100 possessions from last season.

• The Hawks still have a negative point differential (that of an 18-23 team). They won comfortably in Chicago on Wednesday, but have also won six of their last seven games that were within five points in the last five minutes. They’ve scored an incredible 78 points on just 53 clutch possessions (1.47 per) over that stretch, with Trae Young shooting 6-for-10 on clutch 3s and 11-for-12 on clutch free throws.

• Onyeka Okongwu made the biggest plays in overtime on Saturday, blocking Jaylen Brown, grabbing a huge offensive rebound and draining a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left. The Hawks’ bench ranks just 19th this season, though that’s a slight improvement from last season (21st), De’Andre Hunter remains a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, and they’ve outscored their opponents by 15.6 points per 100 possessions in Okongwu’s 87 total minutes over the three-game winning streak.

That 8-2 record within the East’s top eight includes a 2-0 mark against the Knicks, with the Hawks’ Dec. 11 win in New York being one of the Knicks’ worst offensive games of the season. They’re back at Madison Square Garden on Monday afternoon.

Week 14: @ NYK, vs. DET, vs. TOR, vs. TOR

Record: 21-20

OffRtg: 114.2 (10) DefRtg: 115.3 (22) NetRtg: -1.1 (17) Pace: 98.6 (21)

The Suns have won five of their last six games to climb back above .500.

Three takeaways

• The last six games have been the Suns’ best stretch of offense this season (121.9 points scored per 100 possessions), with the context that none of the five opponents (they played the Hawks twice) rank higher than 17th defensively. Devin Booker has seemingly found a rhythm, averaging 31.8 points on a true shooting percentage of 63.8% over the six games.

• The Suns got destroyed on the glass (they were outscored 27-9 on second chances) in their loss in Atlanta on Tuesday. Jusuf Nurkić lost his starting job, but before the weekend, Phoenix had been much better on the defensive glass (defensive rebounding percentage of 76.3%) with him on the floor than it had been with him off the floor (68.5%).

• The Suns traded for Nick Richards on Wednesday, and he had as good of a debut as they could ask for. He had 21 points (on 7-for-8 shooting) and 11 rebounds, with the Suns outscoring Detroit by 22 points in his 29 1/2 minutes off the bench on Saturday afternoon. The fifth-year big has seen a jump in defensive rebounding percentage every season he’s been in the league.

The Suns have two games left on their longest road trip of the season. The Cavs (who they’ll visit on Monday) haven’t been dominant on the glass, but they’ll certainly be a huge test of Phoenix’s recent success.

Week 14: @ CLE, @ BKN, vs. WAS

Record: 21-21

OffRtg: 112.1 (17) DefRtg: 113.3 (17) NetRtg: -1.2 (18) Pace: 99.2 (19)

The Pistons got a big win in New York last Monday, but have dropped back to .500, losing two straight games for the first time since early December.

Three takeaways

• Malik Beasley probably wouldn’t mind facing the Knicks in the playoffs, having shot 13-for-18 from 3-point range in the Pistons’ two wins at Madison Square Garden, with two weak-side daggers in the final minute (with Cade Cunningham attacking Jalen Brunson in the pick-and-roll) on Monday. Beasley (9-for-20) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (7-for-11) are two of the 12 players with at least seven clutch 3-pointers this season.

• With that victory in New York, the Pistons have as many clutch wins (14-10) as they had total wins all of last season (14-68).

• The Pistons shot just 18-for-69 (26%) from 3-point range over the losses to the Pacers and Suns, falling to 10-11 at home. They’ve still seen big jumps in both 3-point percentage and 3-point rate (having ranked in the bottom five in both last season), but have the league’s fourth biggest differential between their record when they’ve shot the league average (36.0%) or better from 3-point range (14-5, with nine straight wins) and their record when they’ve shot worse (7-16).

The Pistons now embark on their longest road trip of the season (five games over 10 days), which begins in Houston on Monday and includes big games against each of the three teams — Atlanta, Orlando and Indiana — within striking distance in the Eastern Conference standings.

Week 14: @ HOU, @ ATL, @ ORL

Record: 23-21

OffRtg: 107.7 (29) DefRtg: 107.7 (3) NetRtg: +0.0 (16) Pace: 96.8 (30)

The Magic remain shorthanded and their remarkable resilience has seemingly dissipated. They’ve lost five of their last six games, continuing to really struggle offensively.

Three takeaways

• The Magic trailed all three of their games last week by at least 24 points, losing all eight quarters they played in Milwaukee and Boston. They still rank in the top three defensively, but the three games were the eighth, ninth and 10th times they’ve allowed more than 115 points per 100 possessions.

• The Magic are the only undefeated team when they’ve shot the league average (36.0%) or better from 3-point range, but have only done so eight times, including just twice since Dec. 1. Paolo Banchero has been back for five games, and the Magic have scored less than a point per possession in his 138 minutes over that stretch.

• The Magic’s struggles are, in part, due to the strength of their recent schedule. They have a loss to the Jazz this month, but they also have the league’s second-biggest differential between their record against 11 teams currently at or below .500 (14-4) and their record vs. the 19 teams currently above .500 (9-17).

With five of their next six games against teams currently at or below .500, the Magic have an opportunity to right the ship somewhat. They’re tied in the loss column with the ninth-place Pistons (21-21), who they’ll host on Saturday, having split the first two meetings.

Week 14: @ TOR, vs. POR, vs. DET

Record: 19-22

OffRtg: 111.6 (20) DefRtg: 113.3 (16) NetRtg: -1.8 (20) Pace: 99.4 (17)

The Spurs head to Paris having lost six of their last seven games, sliding from eighth to 12th place in the Western Conference.

Three takeaways

• The Spurs got a comeback win in L.A. last Monday, outscoring the Lakers by 34 points (52-18) over the final 15 1/2 minutes. But they’ve also led five of these last six losses (including each of their three last week) by double-digits. Their 29 losses (they’re 33-29) after leading by double-digits over the last two seasons are six more than any other team has.

• Before Wednesday, the Spurs were the league’s third-best third-quarter team (plus 11.8 points per 100 possessions). And then they lost each of their last three third quarters by at least 18 points. Over the three-game losing streak, they’ve allowed an amazing 155.6 points per 100 possessions after halftime and, with that, they are now a worse-than-average defensive team.

• With Jeremy Sochan out, rookie Stephon Castle has been back in the starting lineup for the last five games. He’s been struggling from 3-point range (10-for-48 since mid-December) and the Grizzlies were giving him the Tony Allen treatment, guarding him with Zach Edey and leaving him alone on the perimeter. But Castle still averaged 23 points over a three-game stretch that included the two losses to Memphis, shooting 20-for-29 (69%) in the paint.

The Spurs head to Paris having won just three of their nine games against the Eastern Conference, and two games against Indiana will test their struggling defense.

Week 14: vs. IND (Paris), vs. IND (Paris)

Record: 15-26

OffRtg: 109.6 (24) DefRtg: 113.9 (21) NetRtg: -4.3 (23) Pace: 97.1 (28)

Joel Embiid, dealing with both a foot sprain and knee swelling, has now missed the last eight games, stuck at 13 games played for the season. The Sixers took the Knicks to overtime in a rest-disadvantage game on Wednesday, but have lost six straight and are 8-20 without the 2023 League MVP.

Three takeaways

• Embiid, of course, isn’t the only guy missing games. Paul George has missed three of the last four, Caleb Martin has missed five straight, Andre Drummond has missed 12 of the last 14, and Guerschon Yabusele missed both of their games over the weekend. The Sixers played eight guys in Milwaukee on Sunday and five of them were second-round picks (1) or undrafted (4), with four of those five in their first or second season.

• The Sixers are the only team without a lineup that’s played at least 75 minutes this season, and their most-used lineup (72 minutes) doesn’t include Embiid. They had a great lineup that played more than 200 minutes last season, but that was in just 14 total games.

• The good news is that Tyrese Maxey shot 6-for-15 from 3-point range in Milwaukee on Sunday, having shot just 12-for-47 (26%) from beyond the arc over his previous five games. The Sixers need him to play as many minutes as possible, as they’ve been outscored by 26.4 points per 100 possessions in his 101 minutes off the floor over these last eight games without Embiid.

With Embiid set to miss the Sixers’ game in Denver on Tuesday, he and Nikola Jokić will have faced each other in just eight of a possible 21 games since they were both drafted in 2014, including just of three of nine over the last five seasons. The Sixers are 6-2 against the Nuggets when they’ve both played, but just 2-6 when they’ve faced Jokić without Embiid.

Week 14: @ DEN, vs. CLE, @ CHI

Record: 11-32

OffRtg: 109.3 (26) DefRtg: 117.5 (27) NetRtg: -8.2 (28) Pace: 99.5 (16)

The Pelicans are still one loss from matching their 2023-24 total because they’ve won three straight games for the first time.

Three takeaways

• The Pelicans have had a top-10 offense (117.7 points scored per 100 possessions) as they’ve won six of their last nine games, and one key has been a big reduction in turnovers. They’ve averaged just 12.1 per 100 possessions (second fewest) over that stretch, down from 15.2 per 100 (18th) prior. They had seven fewer turnovers than the Mavs in their three-point win on Wednesday when they also benefitted from an uncalled goaltending violation (after a turnover) in the closing seconds.

• Zion Williamson missed that game and has still played in just four games since returning from a two-month absence. But he shot 10-for-14 in the Pelicans’ win in Chicago on Tuesday and had 14 rebounds, six assists and three blocks as they beat the Jazz over the weekend. His 2.99 steals + blocks per 36 minutes would be a huge jump from his career-high rate of 2.02 per 36 last season.

• Their win over the Jazz came with the Pelicans’ largest margin of victory (13) and their most efficient offensive performance of the season (136 points on 104 possessions). This 6-3 stretch has included the only three times they’ve taken at least half of their shots from 3-point range.

Now 4-5 in games played between the bottom seven teams in the league, the Pelicans will host the Jazz again on Monday and face the Hornets and Raptors on a three-game trip that begins over the weekend.

Week 14: vs. UTA, vs. MIL, @ MEM, @ CHA

Record: 14-28

OffRtg: 108.6 (27) DefRtg: 117.1 (26) NetRtg: -8.6 (29) Pace: 99.5 (15)

Statistically, the Blazers have been the second-worst team in the league. But they’re seventh in the upside-down standings, completing a five-game homestand with a win over the Bulls on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• Scoot Henderson was in the starting lineup (for the first time since before Thanksgiving) on Tuesday and responded with a career-high 39 points against Brooklyn. The scoring didn’t stop there and he averaged a team-high 25.3 points over the Blazers four games last week, shooting 16-for-30 (53%) from 3-point range. That included 8-for-14 on pull-up 3s.

• Jerami Grant returned from a nine-game absence over the weekend, but Deandre Ayton missed the Blazers loss to the Rockets on Saturday, while Anfernee Simons wasn’t available the following day. The Blazers have been outscored by 20.7 points per 100 possessions with all three of their veteran starters on the floor, with that being the worst mark among 232 three-man combinations that have played at least 350 minutes together.

• The Jazz are setting a record by allowing 29.9 transition points per game, but the Blazers aren’t far behind. They allowed 33.8 per game over their five-game losing streak before holding the Bulls (who rank second in transition points per game) to just 15 on Sunday, according to Synergy tracking.

The Blazers’ third (and final) stretch of five games in seven days concludes with a three-game trip through the Southeast Division. They’re 4-3 in games played between the bottom seven teams in the league and will be at a rest disadvantage for their first meeting with the Hornets on Friday.

Week 14: @ MIA, @ ORL, @ CHA, vs. OKC

Record: 18-25

OffRtg: 112.2 (16) DefRtg: 115.4 (23) NetRtg: -3.2 (22) Pace: 104.2 (2)

Woof. The Bulls have a five-game losing streak, with four of the losses having come to the Pelicans, Hawks (without three starters), Hornets and Blazers.

Three takeaways

• The Bulls still rank seventh in defensive rebounding percentage, having seen the league’s fifth-biggest jump from last season. But they’ve allowed more than 20 second-chance points in each of the five games in the losing streak.

• Josh Giddey has an effective field goal percentage of just 40.2% over the last three weeks, last among 98 players with at least 100 field goal attempts over that stretch and down from 52.1% before that. Bad shooting clearly affects his willingness to shoot, as he has a usage rate of just 16.1% in January, down from 23.1% in December.

• The Bulls continue to play fast. They’ve averaged 7.3 more possessions per 48 minutes than they did in 2023-24. That would be the fourth biggest season-to-season jump for any team in the last 20 years. They were a minus-9 in transition in Portland on Sunday, but have still outscored their opponents by 7.9 points per game in transition, with only the Grizzlies (plus-8.8) having a bigger differential.

With the Bulls’ game against the Clippers being moved up a day (to Monday) to accommodate other changes to the schedule, it’s now the second game of a back-to-back and the end of a (second) stretch of five in seven days. With a loss to the shorthanded Hawks last week, Chicago is 1-6 (with four straight losses) in the second game of back-to-backs.

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

Record: 10-32

OffRtg: 110.1 (23) DefRtg: 117.5 (28) NetRtg: -7.4 (27) Pace: 100.1 (10)

The Raptors are 1-19 on the road, but won a pair of home games last week, edging the Warriors and stunning the Celtics with two of their best defensive performances of the season.

Three takeaways

• The Raptors had huge margins in the paint in both wins and again in their loss in Milwaukee on Friday, outscoring the three opponents by a total of 60 points (166-106) inside. Their average margin in the paint (plus-5.2 points per game) ranks fifth and is up from minus-0.3 per game (16th) last season, with the bigger improvement coming on defense.

• The flip side is that the Raptors have the league’s biggest 3-point discrepancy (minus-8.7 points per game) by a huge margin, with a discrepancy almost double that (-16.9) as they’ve been outscored from beyond the arc in each of their last eight games. They’ve outscored their opponents from 3-point range a league-low nine times this season.

• Scottie Barnes has been posting up a little more lately. He’s had at least five post-ups in three of his 12 games since Christmas (including six against Golden State last Monday), having had no more than four in his 27 games before that, according to Second Spectrum tracking. He’s shot just 17-for-44 (39%) from the post, with only four assists (with four turnovers) on his 71 total post-ups this season.

One of the four teams with a bigger paint differential than the Raptors is the Hawks (plus-5.5 per game), who Toronto will visit twice this week. The previous meeting was one of the three times this season that Atlanta has held an opponent under a point per possession.

Week 14: vs. ORL, @ ATL, @ ATL

Record: 10-30

OffRtg: 111.2 (21) DefRtg: 118.0 (29) NetRtg: -6.9 (25) Pace: 99.8 (13)

The Jazz are 1-2 on a stretch of four straight games (and 3-3 for the season) within the bottom seven teams in the league, set to play a second straight game in New Orleans on Monday.

Three takeaways

• John Collins has missed 12 of the last 13 games, Jordan Clarkson has missed the last seven and Lauri Markkanen has missed the last three. Three of the Jazz’s top five guys in total minutes this month are rookies, and they’ve climbed to third in the percentage of their season-long minutes (35%) that have come from rookies or second-year players.

• One of those rookies is Cody Williams, who has started the last three games and shot just 4-for-20. For the season, the Jazz have been outscored by 20.6 points per 100 possessions with Williams on the floor, with that being the worst on-court mark among the 368 players who’ve averaged at least 10 minutes in 10 games or more.

• Second-year guard Keyonte George returned from a five-game absence last week and totaled 52 points in Utah’s losses to the Hornets and Pelicans. More important may be that he committed just one turnover in more than 58 minutes over the two games, with Isaiah Collier handling the ball more. Whether or not the Jazz have a starting point guard within their young core is a big question that needs to be answered whenever they decide to be competitive again.

The Jazz’s four-game trip will get much tougher after they play a second game in New Orleans. They committed 29 turnovers in a 27-point loss last month in Oklahoma City, where they’ll play again on Wednesday.

Week 14: @ NOP, @ OKC, @ MEM

Record: 14-29

OffRtg: 109.5 (25) DefRtg: 116.7 (25) NetRtg: -7.3 (26) Pace: 96.9 (29)

The Nets got a win in Portland last week, but are now 5-19 (somehow two teams have been worse) since Thanksgiving, and they lost by 59 to the Clippers on Wednesday.

Three takeaways

• Over their 19 games before Thanksgiving, the Nets had a top-10 offense. They rank last on offense since then, and their 67 points on 96 possessions (69.8 per 100) against the Clippers was the least efficient game for any team (regular season or playoffs) since Nov. 14, 2018 (when the Jazz scored 68 on 101 in a 50-point loss at Dallas).

• The Nets have been solid offensively since Christmas with their best players on the floor, but their best players haven’t played much. After Cam Johnson returned from a five-game absence and scored 24 points in the Nets’ win in Portland, he missed the next two games. Cam Thomas, meanwhile, has missed 23 of the last 25 games.

• D’Angelo Russell had a four-game absence and also missed the second game of the Nets’ back-to-back last week. He returned to score 19 points off the bench against the Lakers but missed a step-back 3-pointer for the win. The Nets are 4-for-22 on clutch shots in their last four games that have been within five points in the last five minutes.

The Nets have played 26 of their 43 games on the road, and they’ll now play 10 of their next 12 at home, where they’ve scored just 101 points per 100 possessions as they’ve lost seven straight. They’ve also lost eight straight games to the Knicks, who they’ll host on Tuesday.

Week 14: vs. NYK, vs. PHX, vs. MIA

Record: 10-28

OffRtg: 107.8 (28) DefRtg: 113.4 (19) NetRtg: -5.6 (24) Pace: 98.5 (22)

The Hornets have won three out of four for the first time, finishing their three-game road trip (truncated by two postponements) with wins in Utah and Chicago. But they’ve lost Brandon Miller indefinitely to a wrist injury.

Three takeaways

• After scoring just 101.4 points per 100 possessions over the 10-game losing streak that preceded it, the Hornets have scored 116.6 per 100 over this 3-1 stretch. LaMelo Ball has been the leading scorer (averaging 27.5 points) over the four games, though he’s shot just 13-for-51 (25%) from 3-point range, with Miles Bridges and Mark Williams (who’s averaged 24.7 over the last three) scoring much more efficiently.

• The Hornets got just six games (and 77 total minutes) with their starting lineup — Ball, Miller, Josh Green, Bridges and Williams — together before Miller tore a ligament in his right wrist. They were a plus-10 in those 77 minutes, having outscored the Suns and Jazz by 31 points (scoring 83 on just 59 offensive possessions) in a little less than 28 minutes over the road trip. Those 77 minutes are still the most that any Charlotte lineup has played.

• Miller’s true shooting percentage of 54% (down from 55.2% last season) was a little more efficient since Dec. 1 (55.3%) than he was prior (53.1%). Overall, he’s taken just 32% of his shots in the paint, down from 37% as a rookie and the 37th-lowest rate among 226 players with at least 200 total field goal attempts.

The Hornets’ nine-game home stand — the longest homestand in the league this season — begins with a weekend back-to-back against the Blazers and Pelicans. After their win in Utah last week, the Hornets are still just 2-3 in games played between the bottom seven teams in the league.

Week 14: vs. DAL, @ MEM, vs. POR, vs. NOP

Record: 6-35

OffRtg: 105.3 (30) DefRtg: 118.8 (30) NetRtg: -13.4 (30) Pace: 103.0 (4)

The Wizards have their second double-digit losing streak of the season and now have four fewer wins than every other team.

Three takeaways

• Statistically, the Wizards haven’t been quite as bad over this 10-game losing streak (minus 17.2 points per 100 possessions) as they were over their 16-game streak earlier in the season (minus 18.9). The offense has been better than those of the Nets and Magic over the last 17 days, with six guys who’ve played in at least seven of the 10 games having averaged double-figures.

• Leading scorer Jordan Poole continues to score much more efficiently (true shooting percentage of 59.3%) than he did last season (52.9%). His 73-for-160 (45.6%) on pull-up 3-pointers is the second-best mark among 58 players who’ve attempted at least 75 and is up from 30.4% last season.

• Kyle Kuzma continues to struggle, with his true shooting percentage of 48.8% being the lowest mark of his career by a wide margin and ranking 180th among 185 players with at least 250 field goal attempts, with Kyshawn George (184th), Alex Sarr (179th), Bilal Coulibaly (173rd) and Bub Carrington (166th) also in the bottom 20. The good news is that Kuzma was 11-for-12 from the free throw line over the Wizards’ two losses over the weekend, having shot just 10-for-27 (37%) from the stripe over his previous 10 games.

The Wizards’ game in Utah got moved to March, with a game against the Clippers moved up to Thursday. So their six-game trip got more difficult, and they’re now 1-16 (0-7 on the road) against the Western Conference.

Week 14: @ LAL, @ LAC, @ PHX