Power Rankings, Week 13: Thunder back at top amid changed Top 5

Devin Booker and the Suns have used a top-flight defense of late to surge into the Top 5 of the Power Rankings.

It may feel like we know everything about the 30 teams listed below, but the 2025-26 season is not quite halfway done.

It is halfway done for the Hawks and Pelicans, both of whom played their 41st game on Sunday. Overall, we’ll hit the halfway point of the season when four of Friday’s six games are complete.

There are still more games to be watched and more data to be mined over the rest of the season than there have been thus far.

Plus-Minus Players of the Week

Teams of the Week

• Make It Last Forever: Portland (3-1) — The Blazers won seven of eight before losing to the Knicks on Sunday.
• Something Just Ain’t Right: Miami (0-3) — The Heat might be below .500 after a tough week ahead.

* * *

East vs. West

• The West is 96-83 (.536) against the East in interconference games after going 14-11 last week.

Schedule strength through Week 12

• Toughest: 1. Sacramento, 2. Utah, 3. New Orleans
• Easiest: 1. Oklahoma City, 2. Denver, 3. Detroit
• Schedule strength = cumulative opponent record.

* * *

Movement in the Rankings

• High jump of the week: Phoenix (+3)
• Free fall of the week: Houston (-5)

* * *

Week 13 Team to Watch

• Oklahoma City — The Thunder have two more chances to beat the Spurs, and the first is Tuesday in Oklahoma City. They’ll then face the Rockets for the first time since they played two overtimes on opening night.

* * *

Previously…

OffRtg: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank)
DefRtg: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)
NetRtg: Point differential per 100 possessions (League Rank)
Pace: Possessions per 48 minutes (League Rank)

The league has averaged 114.7 points scored per 100 possessions and 100.6 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes this season.

NBA.com’s Power Rankings, released every Monday during the season, are just one man’s opinion. If you have an issue with the rankings, or have a question or comment for John Schuhmann, contact him via Bluesky.

#1

Oklahoma City ThunderLast Week:2↑

Record: 33-7

OffRtg: 118.0 (5) DefRtg: 105.4 (1) NetRtg: +12.6 (1) Pace: 101.5 (11)

The Thunder suffered another surprising loss last Monday, getting clobbered by the Hornets at home. Their three wins since haven’t been especially impressive, but they are tied for the fewest losses (they’re 7-2) since Christmas.

Three takeaways

• The loss to Charlotte (their first against the Eastern Conference) was a rest-disadvantage game, and the Thunder are now 3-4 in the second games of back-to-backs, having allowed 113.0 points per 100 possessions over those seven games total, compared to 103.8 per 100 when they’ve been rested.

• The Thunder have had some trouble holding onto leads. They’ve led by at least 12 points in four of their seven losses and they blew a 20-point lead to the Jazz on Wednesday before escaping in overtime. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander forced the extra period by hitting a pull-up jumper while simultaneously suffering an ankle sprain that would cause him to miss the next game. He was 8-for-10 on pull-up 2-pointers in the win, and his 55.2% on pull-up 2s for the season would be the third-best mark for a player with at least 200 attempts in the 13 seasons of tracking data.

• It’s still all about April, May and June, but if the Thunder have anything to prove in the regular season, it’s that they can beat the Spurs. They’ll have to make some jump shots, as only 41% of their field goal attempts in the three meetings thus far have come in the paint. (They’ve taken 49% of their shots in the paint in their other 37 games.) That’s partly about Victor Wembanyama, but also about the Thunder not forcing as many turnovers (that lead to transition opportunities) against the Spurs.

Coming up: The first of the two remaining meetings is Tuesday in Oklahoma City. The Thunder will then begin a tough, four-game trip in Houston, having not seen the Rockets since they played two overtimes on opening night.

Week 13: vs. SAS, @ HOU, @ MIA

#2

Detroit PistonsLast Week:3↑

Record: 28-10

OffRtg: 116.4 (9) DefRtg: 109.7 (2) NetRtg: +6.8 (4) Pace: 100.8 (15)

The Pistons have been banged up, with Cade Cunningham (two), Tobias Harris (five), Jalen Duren (four) Caris LeVert (three) and Isaiah Stewart (one) all missing at least one of their five games in January. They’ve still won three of the five and remain comfortably in first place in the East, but they lost an ugly one to the Clippers on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• No matter who’s been available, the Pistons have been able to lean on their defense. They’ve allowed just 102.8 points per 100 possessions over their last six games, with four of those having come against teams that rank in the top 12 offensively. Their rest-disadvantage win over the Knicks last Monday was just the second time New York (which shot 17-for-38 in the paint) has been held under a point per possession. The Pistons have the best record (8-4) in games played between the top eight teams in the East.

• Cunningham is not the Pistons’ only source of turnovers. They only had nine without him against the Bulls last week, but they had 25 in their loss to the Clippers on Saturday, turning the ball over on four straight possessions in the final two minutes after blowing a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead. They’re still tied with the Rockets for the fewest losses (they’re 12-2) in games that weren’t within five points in the last five minutes, but are 6-7 in clutch games since late November after starting the season 10-1.

• With Cunningham out, Jaden Ivey started the last two games. But he still totaled just 40 minutes over the two, and he’s 2-for-17 from 3-point range this month. Daniss Jenkins was on the floor instead of Ivey as the Pistons outscored the Bulls by 21 points over the last 13-plus minutes on Wednesday and again down the stretch against the Clippers. Alas, Jenkins had three of those four clutch turnovers in the loss.

Coming up: With all the injuries, it’s a great time for a four-day break in the middle of a six-game homestand. The Pistons will return to action on Thursday, when they face the Suns (second in opponent turnover rate) for the first of two meetings in the span of 15 days.

Week 13: vs. PHX, vs. IND

#3

Minnesota TimberwolvesLast Week:5↑

Record: 26-14

OffRtg: 117.2 (6) DefRtg: 112.6 (7) NetRtg: +4.7 (7) Pace: 101.3 (13)

The Wolves are 5-1 in 2026, with the highlight being their comeback from 19 points down to beat San Antonio on Sunday. That has them just a game and a half behind the second-place Spurs, with another meeting coming this week.

Three takeaways

• The Wolves split a home-and-home set with Cleveland, and the Cavs’ 146 points on 103 possessions on Saturday afternoon represented Minnesota’s worst defensive performance of the season. But the Wolves have otherwise been strong defensively, with the Heat (19-for-48) and Spurs (16-for-40) both shooting just 40% in the paint against them last week. For the season, the Wolves rank fourth in opponent field goal percentage in the paint (54.8%).

• The Wolves were down 16-0 on Sunday and trailed the Spurs by 19 midway through the third quarter, but scored 54 over their last 37 possessions (1.46 per) against the league’s third-ranked defense. Better starts would be nice, but the Wolves have been better with each ensuing quarter, from minus-1.2 points per 100 possessions (16th) in the first to a league-best plus-10.7 per 100 in the fourth. And they’re now tied with the Magic for the most wins (they’re 4-9) in games they trailed by 15 points or more.

• The Wolves lost their first six games against the seven other Western Conference teams that currently have winning records, but they’ve since won four of six against that group. Both of their wins over the Spurs were the second games of back-to-backs.

Coming up: The Wolves will have two more games within the West’s top eight on the four-game trip that begins Tuesday. They’ll have a rest advantage in Houston, but will be at a disadvantage against the Spurs the following night.

Week 13: @ MIL, @ HOU, @ SAS

#4

San Antonio SpursLast Week:1↓

Record: 27-12

OffRtg: 116.6 (8) DefRtg: 111.2 (3) NetRtg: +5.4 (5) Pace: 101.0 (14)

The Spurs are just 4-5 since their consecutive wins over the Thunder the week of Christmas, a stretch that includes losses to the Jazz, Blazers and Grizzlies. But they got a good win in Boston on Saturday and remain in second place in the West.

Three takeaways

• The Spurs scored 129.3 points per 100 possessions over those two late-December wins over the Thunder, two of Oklahoma City’s three worst defensive games of the season. But the Spurs rank 28th offensively (109.1 points scored per 100) since Christmas, with shooting struggles from multiple guys in their rotation. Harrison Barnes (37.7%), Stephon Castle (36.3%) and Dylan Harper (34.8%) rank 146th, 147th and 148th in effective field goal percentage among the 148 players with at least 65 field goal attempts since Christmas, with De’Aaron Fox (44.8%) also in the bottom 12.

• But in beating the Lakers and Celtics last week, the Spurs held two top-10 offenses (at the time) to a combined 93 points per 100 possessions, with the win over the Celtics on Saturday being the only time Boston has been held under a point per possession. They were coming off a game where they scored a season-high 62 points in the paint, but shot just 18-for-36 in the paint against San Antonio, also tallying just four free throw attempts. De’Aaron Fox had the biggest defensive play of the night, stripping Jaylen Brown with the Spurs up two in the final minute.

• After three games coming off the bench, Victor Wembanyama was back in the starting lineup on Sunday, when the Spurs opened the game on a 16-0 run and outscored the Wolves by 17 points in his 27 minutes on the floor. But Wembanyama’s minutes on the bench were rough, the Spurs blew a 19-point lead and missed two shots for the win on their final possession. They’ve now been 13.1 points per 100 possessions better with Wembanyama on the floor (plus-13.6) than they’ve been with him off the floor (plus-0.5).

Coming up: The Spurs will finish their tough, three-game trip with another meeting with the champs. They’ve outscored the Thunder by 47 points (32.6 per 100 possessions) in Wembanyama’s 70 total minutes over the first three games.

Week 13: @ OKC, vs. MIL, vs. MIN

#5

Phoenix SunsLast Week:8↑

Record: 24-15

OffRtg: 114.6 (14) DefRtg: 111.9 (5) NetRtg: +2.7 (9) Pace: 99.7 (20)

The Suns are 0-3 against the Rockets after a three-point loss last Monday, but they’ve climbed past Houston and into sixth place in the West. They’ve won nine of their last 11 games, a stretch that includes victories over the Lakers, Thunder and Knicks.

Three takeaways

• The Suns have had the league’s No. 1 defense (107.3 points allowed per 100 possessions) over the 9-2 stretch, climbing from 12th to fifth for the season as a whole. They continue to force turnovers at a high rate, but have also been much better at keeping their opponents off the free-throw line over their last five games.

• The Suns’ current starting lineup has outscored opponents by 9.1 points per 100 possessions and allowed just 106.8 per 100, the third-best defensive mark among 15 lineups that have played at least 150 minutes. But they closed their win over the Knicks on Friday with Grayson Allen on the floor instead of Gillespie, and Allen sealed the win with the defensive play of the game, deflecting a Jalen Brunson pass and saving the ball off of Mikal Bridges. The Suns have been a little better offensively (but worse defensively) in 372 minutes with Booker on the floor without a point guard (Gillespie or Jordan Goodwin) than they’ve been with Booker on the floor alongside one or both of Gillespie and Goodwin.

• The Suns have seen a big jump in transition points and a big drop in opponent transition points from last season. They’ve outscored their opponents on fast breaks in 13 of their last 15 games, with a margin of 57 points (108-51) over their first six games of 2026.

Coming up: The Suns are now 4-2 in interconference games and two games into a stretch of 12 straight against the East. They have two six-game road trips this season, and the first begins in Miami on Tuesday.

Week 13: @ MIA, @ DET, @ NYK

#6

New York KnicksLast Week:6

Record: 25-14

OffRtg: 120.3 (3) DefRtg: 115.8 (18) NetRtg: +4.4 (8) Pace: 99.3 (25)

The Knicks came up empty in their first meeting with the first-place Pistons, their worst loss of the season by a healthy margin. That dropped them to third place in the East, but they’re back in second (a half game ahead of the Celtics) after going 2-1 to start a stretch of seven straight games against the West.

Three takeaways

• The loss to the Pistons was one of just two times (both this month) that the Knicks’ third-ranked offense has scored less than a point per possession. They were also unable to stop Cade Cunningham (29 points and 13 assists), who shot 2-for-7 against OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson and 9-for-10 otherwise.

• Robinson was moved back to the bench for the last three games, first replaced by Miles McBride and then by Josh Hart, who returned from an eight-game absence on Sunday. But Robinson was on the floor instead of Karl-Anthony Towns (who sat the final 9:24) down the stretch of the Knicks’ win in Portland on Sunday. The Knicks’ defense has been very good (in limited minutes) with Towns and Robinson on the floor together, and the two bigs helped them erase a fourth-quarter deficit (before they lost with some late turnovers) in Phoenix on Friday. But the offense has been much better (122.5 points scored per 100 possessions in 1,347 total minutes) with one on the floor without the other.

• Even with the win in Portland, the Knicks have the league’s second biggest home-road differential in regard to winning percentage (16-4 vs. 8-10) and its biggest in regard to point differential per 100 possessions (plus-9.4 vs. minus-1.4). The strength of their opponents has been almost the same on the road as it’s been at home.

Coming up: The Knicks will have a couple of days off before finishing their four-game trip with a Northern California back-to-back. They’ve won eight of their last nine games against the Kings, with last season’s two wins having come by a total of 52 points.

Week 13: @ SAC, @ GSW, vs. PHX

#7

Denver NuggetsLast Week:9↑

Record: 26-13

OffRtg: 122.1 (1) DefRtg: 116.8 (23) NetRtg: +5.4 (6) Pace: 99.5 (22)

The Nuggets are 4-3 without Nikola Jokić, picking up impressive wins in Philadelphia (without a bunch of other players) and Boston last week. They’re hanging on to third place in the West and just getting started with a soft stretch of schedule.

Three takeaways

• We can probably expect the Nuggets’ offense to have its ups and downs over an extended period without their MVP candidate. They scored an efficient 122.5 points per 100 possessions over the last three games of their seven-game trip, shooting 38-for-81 (47%) from 3-point range over those wins over the Sixers and Celtics. They then returned home and had their worst offensive performance of the season (87 on 95 possessions) against the Hawks.

• Jamal Murray’s usage rate is higher over Jokić’s absence (29.5%) than it was prior (26.7%). But it still ranks just 21st in the league over the last 12 days, and Murray has now missed three of the last four games himself. The Nuggets have managed to win two of the three, getting a huge game (29 points and seven assists) from Jalen Pickett in Philadelphia and killing the Bucks in bench minutes on Sunday.

• Peyton Watson has seen his usage rate almost double, from 15.3% through the game in which Jokić was hurt to 28.4% over the last seven, while seeing just a small drop in efficiency. Jokić and Watson are two of the nine players league-wide who’ve shot 55% or better on at least 200 2-point attempts and 40% or better on at least 100 3-point attempts.

Coming up: The Nuggets are just two games into a stretch where they’re playing nine of 10 against teams with losing records, but they’ll have three back-to-backs in the next 12 days and will be at a rest disadvantage in Dallas on Wednesday.

Week 13: @ NOP, @ DAL, vs. WAS, vs. CHA

#8

Boston CelticsLast Week:7↓

Record: 24-14

OffRtg: 121.9 (2) DefRtg: 114.5 (16) NetRtg: +7.3 (2) Pace: 96.3 (30)

The Celtics are still a half game behind the Knicks for second place in the East and have the conference’s best point differential. But they suffered a couple of disappointing losses at home last week, losing to the shorthanded Nuggets and blowing a late lead to the Spurs.

Three takeaways

• The Celtics are near the top of the league when it comes to both preventing and defending shots in the paint, and the Nuggets were just 13-for-27 (48%) in the paint on Wednesday. But they were 20-for-44 (45%) from 3-point range, outscoring the Celtics by 15 points from beyond the arc in a game that was decided by four points total. The Celtics are one of four teams that rank in the bottom 10 in both opponent 3-point percentage (36.8%, 24th) and the percentage of their opponents’ shots that have come from 3-point range (45.1%, second highest).

• Jaylen Brown is the Celtics’ star and is registering the highest usage rate of his career by a wide margin. But the Celtics haven’t needed him to shoot well to win. With their wins over the Bulls and Raptors last week, they’re 7-1 (with seven straight wins) when he’s had an effective field goal percentage of 46% or below.

• Anfernee Simons helped make up for Brown’s 6-for-24 against the Bulls by scoring a season-high 27 points off the bench, and he remains the Celtics’ most intriguing player with trade season heating up. Simons is having his most efficient scoring season (true shooting percentage of 58.2%) in five years and has helped the Celtics’ offense continue to hum when Brown has sat down. They’ve scored 124 points per 100 possessions (and outscored their opponents by 12.7 per 100) in Simons’ 460 minutes on the floor without Brown.

Coming up: The Celtics have identical records (12-7) at home and on the road, and they’re on the road for six of their next seven games. The schedule is soft (regarding the opponents) over the next few weeks, though the four-game trip that begins Monday includes visits to Miami and Detroit.

Week 13: @ IND, @ MIA, @ ATL

#9

Houston RocketsLast Week:4↓

Record: 22-14

OffRtg: 119.8 (4) DefRtg: 112.6 (8) NetRtg: +7.3 (3) Pace: 96.7 (28)

The Rockets have slid into seventh place in the West, having lost four of their last five games, with the only win coming when Kevin Durant saved them with a 28-foot, pull-up game-winner over Royce O’Neale last Monday.

Three takeaways

• Amazingly, the Rockets are still in the top eight on both ends of the floor, with the league’s second-best per-game point differential. Each of their last four losses has been within five points in the last five minutes, and they still have the league’s best record (15-2) in games that weren’t within five in the last five.

• But the Rockets’ last seven losses have all come against teams with losing records. The Kings have won just three of their last 16 games and two of those wins came against Houston. The last five games have also been the Rockets’ worst stretch of offense (107.4 points scored per 100 possessions) all season, with players not named Durant or Amen Thompson having shot 34%.

• Alperen Sengun missed three of those games before returning to the lineup on Sunday, when his teammates were probably road weary. The Rockets have played the league’s most road-heavy schedule by a wide margin, with only 13 of their 36 games having come at home. They’re still 11-2 at the Toyota Center and will now begin their first of two five-game homestands.

Coming up: The Rockets are 0-3 in the second games of back-to-backs, but they’re the only team that hasn’t played a rest-disadvantage game yet. Their first is Friday, the second game of a huge back-to-back against the Thunder and Wolves. They’re currently 5-4 against the six teams ahead of them in the West.

Week 13: vs. CHI, vs. OKC, vs. MIN, vs. NOP

#10

Los Angeles LakersLast Week:10

Record: 23-13

OffRtg: 116.1 (11) DefRtg: 116.8 (24) NetRtg: -0.7 (18) Pace: 99.7 (21)

The Lakers were playing for second place in San Antonio on Wednesday, but got shut down by the Spurs and are now in fifth after suffering their first clutch loss of the season over the weekend.

Three takeaways

• The Lakers ranked sixth offensively through their first 26 games, but have scored just 109 points per 100 possessions (29th) over their last 10. Austin Reaves’ absence for the last seven games has obviously hurt, and his replacement in the starting lineup (Marcus Smart) has shot just 33% over this 4-6 stretch.

• The offense also struggled down the stretch against Milwaukee on Friday, when the Lakers (after winning their first 13 clutch games) suffered their first loss in a game that was within five points in the last five minutes. They scored just seven points on 10 clutch possessions, with LeBron James being blocked and then stripped by Giannis Antetokounmpo on the two biggest trips down the floor. The Lakers have now been outscored by 12 points over their 36 games, and 23-13 would be the best record in NBA history for a team with a negative point differential.

• The defense has been at its best (111.1 points allowed per 100 possessions) with Smart on the floor, and the Lakers rank seventh defensively over Reaves’ seven-game absence. But five of those seven games came against teams that currently rank in the bottom 11 offensively. The Lakers are no longer in the top 10 themselves (they’ve been replaced by the Hornets), but they’ve still played just 10 of their 36 games against the league’s top 10 offenses.

Coming up: The Lakers’ game in Sacramento on Monday is the start of their first stretch of five games in seven days, and it will be interesting to see how they manage the minutes of LeBron James this week. They’ll be at a rest disadvantage against the Hawks on Tuesday night and again against the Raptors over the weekend.

Week 13: @ SAC, vs. ATL, vs. CHA, @ POR, vs. TOR

#11

Toronto RaptorsLast Week:12↑

Record: 24-16

OffRtg: 113.9 (19) DefRtg: 112.1 (6) NetRtg: +1.8 (12) Pace: 99.4 (23)

The Raptors are 4-1 in 2026, with the only loss coming in Boston without Scottie Barnes. They kept their spot in the top four in the East with a huge, overtime win over the Sixers on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• Jakob Poeltl has missed the last 10 games, but the Raptors’ interior defense hasn’t suffered much. Before their loss in Boston on Friday, they had a five-game stretch where their opponents shot just 48% in the paint. The Boston loss knocked them out of the top five on that end of the floor, but they’ve still seen the league’s sixth biggest drop in points allowed per 100 possessions from last season (-1.5).

• Both Barnes and Brandon Ingram had played all 38 of the Raptors’ games before Friday. But Ingram suffered a thumb injury in Charlotte and has missed the last two. Barnes returned from a one-game absence on Sunday and had 31 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in the win over Philly. The Raptors have now outscored their opponents by 8.6 points per 100 possessions in his 478 minutes on the floor without Ingram.

• Immanuel Quickley was the hero in Charlotte, beating the buzzer with an on-the-move 3-pointer for the win. The 26-year-old point guard will certainly be mentioned in any trade chatter involving the Raptors over the next 25 days, but his contract would be a tough one for other teams to take on. The Raptors do have some depth behind him and (because they were shorthanded) finished their win over the Sixers with three point guards – Quickley, Jamal Shead and Alijah Martin – on the floor.

Coming up: The Raptors lead the fifth-place Sixers by a game and a half, and they’ll complete their head-to-head back-to-back on Monday. Toronto is one of four teams that have yet to play in the Mountain or Pacific time zones, but it will begin a five-game trip in L.A. on Sunday night.

Week 13: vs. PHI, @ IND, vs. LAC, @ LAL

#12

Philadelphia 76ersLast Week:13↑

Record: 21-16

OffRtg: 114.8 (13) DefRtg: 113.1 (11) NetRtg: +1.7 (13) Pace: 100.2 (19)

Kelly Oubre Jr. returned from an extended absence last week and the Sixers had two games with everybody available. But both Paul George’s and Joel Embiid’s streaks of games played (nine and six games, respectively) came to an end in Toronto on Sunday, when the Sixers lost one of their most important games of the season thus far.

Three takeaways

• Before the overtime loss in Toronto, the Sixers had won five of their last six games, their best stretch of offense (121.2 points scored per 100 possessions) since early November. Tyrese Maxey and Embiid combined to average 57.8 points over the six games, and the Sixers have now scored 119.4 per 100 in their 443 minutes on the floor together.

• The Sixers are still just 12-13 over the last two seasons with Maxey, George and Embiid all in the lineup. But their win over the Wizards on Wednesday (their most efficient offensive performance since October) was the first time that all three scored at least 20 points in the same game. George’s usage rate (22.3%) is still his lowest in his last 14 seasons.

• Oubre started in George’s place on Sunday and might eventually get his permanent job back. But the Sixers’ lineup with Dominick Barlow at the four cracked the 100-minute mark last week and has outscored opponents by 12.0 points per 100 possessions.

Coming up: After completing their back-to-back in Toronto, the Sixers will begin their longest homestand of the season (six games over 11 days) with another important two-game series, this one against the Cavs.

Week 13: @ TOR, vs. CLE, vs. CLE

#13

Cleveland CavaliersLast Week:15↑

Record: 22-18

OffRtg: 116.8 (7) DefRtg: 114.3 (15) NetRtg: +2.5 (10) Pace: 102.2 (7)

The Cavs were the first team to match their loss total from last season (64-18), but they’ve climbed a spot to seventh in the East and are 5-4 on a stretch where they’re playing 11 of 13 games against teams with winning records.

Three takeaways

• The home team won both games of the home-and-home set between the Cavs and Wolves last week, and offense was the story. Minnesota scored 35 points on its first 17 possessions of the third quarter on Thursday, turning the Cavs’ four-point, halftime lead into a 19-point deficit. Then the Cavs had their best offensive game of the season (146 on 103 possessions) on Saturday afternoon, with five guys scoring at least 20 points. They rank fourth on that end of the floor (120.4 per 100) over the last three weeks, with a huge jump in 3-point percentage (39.6%) from their first 29 games (33.9%).

• There hasn’t been a big jump in shot quality or the percentage of their 3-point attempts that have been off the catch over these last 11 games, but the Cavs have shot much better. Overall, they’ve still seen the league’s biggest drop in 3-point percentage from last season.

• Sam Merrill came off the bench in Minnesota on Thursday, but was back in the starting lineup two days later and is 25-for-43 (58%) from 3-point range over his last five games. The defense has held up well enough with Merrill, Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell all on the floor, and the Cavs have outscored their opponents by 13.8 points per 100 possessions in their 121 minutes together.

Coming up: The Cavs have won their last three games against teams that currently have losing records, and they’ll host the Jazz on Monday. Then they have a huge, two-game trip to Philadelphia, having won the first meeting with the fifth-place Sixers (behind 46 points from Mitchell) in early November.

Week 13: vs. UTA, @ PHI, @ PHI

#14

Miami HeatLast Week:11↓

Record: 20-19

OffRtg: 113.2 (22) DefRtg: 111.9 (4) NetRtg: +1.3 (14) Pace: 105.0 (1)

The Heat’s game in Chicago on Thursday was postponed because of moisture on the floor, and that was probably the highlight of their road trip. They lost the three games that were played (including one in Indiana) by a total of 64 points.

Three takeaways

• Tyler Herro returned from an 11-game absence last week and he played both games of the Heat’s weekend back-to-back. He might have been the lone bright spot (21 points) in their loss in Indiana and he also shot well (8-for-15) against the Thunder. But, the Heat are just 3-6 (with five straight losses) with Herro in 2025-26 and they’ve scored just 105.1 points per 100 possessions in his 279 minutes on the floor.

• Bam Adebayo remains the Heat’s defensive anchor, but he’s been struggling on offense. He’s shot 49-for-132 (37%) over his last 11 games, taking his season-long effective field goal percentage below 50%. Only 56% of his shots, the lowest rate of his career by a wide margin, have come in the paint.

• With their losses in Minnesota and Oklahoma City, the Heat are 7-16 in games played between the 16 teams that are currently over .500. That’s the worst record within the group and it includes a 2-10 mark since Thanksgiving. The bigger difference between their 23 games against the good teams (115.2 points allowed per 100 possessions) and their 16 games against the bottom 14 (107.3 allowed per 100) has been on defense.

Coming up: The Heat’s loss to the Thunder on Sunday was the first of five straight games against teams with winning records, and they’ll face the champs again this coming weekend.

Week 13: vs. PHX, vs. BOS, vs. OKC

#15

Orlando MagicLast Week:14↓

Record: 22-18

OffRtg: 114.4 (16) DefRtg: 113.4 (12) NetRtg: +1.0 (15) Pace: 100.7 (16)

The Magic have now alternated wins and losses for an amazing 14 straight games, a streak that was in serious jeopardy before Paolo Banchero banked in a buzzer-beating game-winner on Wednesday.

Three takeaways

• The Magic are without both Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner, but alternating wins and losses against this stretch of schedule isn’t great. One of the wins came against the Nuggets (before Nikola Jokić’s injury), but eight of the Magic’s last 11 games have come against teams with losing records, and they’ve lost to the Hornets, Bulls and Wizards in the last 17 days.

• The much bigger difference between the wins (117.7 points scored per 100 possessions) and the losses (106.3 scored per 100) over these last 14 games has been on offense. Desmond Bane has averaged 23.4 points on a true shooting percentage of 62.7% over the seven wins and just 15.9 on 49.3% over the seven losses. With their win over the Pelicans on Sunday, the Magic are 14-3 when he’s scored more than 20 points.

• Rookie Noah Penda (the No. 32 pick in the 2025 Draft) has been in the rotation for the last four games and got his first two career starts over the weekend. He’s totaled seven steals and five blocks over this four-game stretch, with a big block on Day’Ron Sharpe in overtime in Brooklyn on Wednesday.

Coming up: Moe Wagner made his season debut on Sunday, just in time for the team’s trip to Berlin for the first of two games against the Grizzlies. The Magic are 5-0 against the seven Western Conference teams with losing records.

Week 13: vs. MEM (Berlin), vs. MEM (London)

#16

Atlanta HawksLast Week:17↑

Record: 20-21

OffRtg: 114.2 (17) DefRtg: 114.2 (14) NetRtg: +0.0 (16) Pace: 103.1 (2)

The Trae Young Era came to an end on Wednesday with a somewhat underwhelming trade that brought CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to Atlanta. The Hawks continue to play better without their former star as they’ve won five of their last seven games. They’re close to climbing into the top eight in the East.

Three takeaways

• The Hawks are tied with the Blazers for the most games (they’re 11-15) played against the 16 teams that currently have winning records, and that includes six of the seven games on this 5-2 stretch. The Hawks have allowed just 104.5 points per 100 possessions (second best) over the seven games and now rank as a better-than-average defensive team for what would be the first time in the last nine seasons.

• Offense has been a struggle, but the Hawks had their most efficient game of 2026 (124 points on 101 possessions) against the Warriors’ top-10 defense on Sunday. McCollum and Kispert combined to shoot just 5-for-18 in their debut, but Luke Kennard scored a season-high 22 points (shooting 6-for-9 from 3-point range) off the bench. The new additions could allow the Hawks to put some serious shooting around Jalen Johnson, who ranks fifth with 8.2 assists per game.

• Young and Kristaps Porziņģis played a total of 51 minutes together in just three of a possible 39 games. The Hawks have still been at their best (plus-5.8 points per 100 possessions) with Porziņģis on the floor, but he’s shot 7-for-31 over his last three games, and he missed the first two games of their road trip.

Coming up: The Hawks are now 13-10 on the road and 10-6 against the Western Conference. They’ll finish their four-game trip with games against the Lakers and Blazers, and will have a rest advantage in L.A. on Tuesday.

Week 13: @ LAL, @ POR, vs. BOS

#17

Golden State WarriorsLast Week:16↓

Record: 21-19

OffRtg: 114.5 (15) DefRtg: 112.6 (9) NetRtg: +1.9 (11) Pace: 100.3 (18)

The Warriors are 2-1 on the league’s longest homestand of the season, though they are still struggling to find consistency on either end of the floor.

Three takeaways

• The Warriors had their best offensive performance of the season (137 points on just 94 possessions) against the Kings on Friday. De’Anthony Melton struggled with his shot over his 10 games, but he has been better over the last five, and the Warriors have played well when he’s shared the floor with Stephen Curry. Melton has also averaged 5.5 deflections per 36 minutes, sixth most among 331 players who’ve played at least 300 minutes.

• The Warriors’ current starting lineup doesn’t play a lot of minutes on any given night, but it cracked the 100-minute mark last week and has been outscored by 3.3 points per 100 possessions (the sixth-worst mark among 34 lineups that have played at least 100 minutes). It ranks lower offensively, in part because Moses Moody isn’t giving them much there: he’s shot just 34% (including 28% from 3-point range) since Christmas.

• The Warriors play everybody else on the roster almost every night, but Jonathan Kuminga hasn’t played since Dec. 18, and he becomes trade eligible on Thursday. The Warriors could use an upgrade anywhere and everywhere, with taking some of the offensive burden off Curry’s shoulders being priority No. 1.

Coming up: The Warriors are 0-3 against the Blazers, having allowed 126.4 points per 100 possessions over the three games. They only lead Portland by two games and they’ll look to avoid the season sweep as their eight-game homestand continues on Tuesday.

Week 13: vs. POR, vs. NYK, vs. CHA

#18

LA ClippersLast Week:19↑

Record: 15-23

OffRtg: 115.3 (12) DefRtg: 116.9 (26) NetRtg: -1.6 (20) Pace: 96.6 (29)

After winning just six of their first 27 games, the Clippers have won nine of their last 11, and they’re just a game and a half behind the Grizzlies for the final SoFi Play-In Tournament spot in the Western Conference.

Three takeaways

• The Clippers have been much better on both ends of the floor and the bigger improvement has come on offense, where they rank second over this 9-2 stretch. They’ve shot much better (40.5%) from 3-point range, but have also seen a big drop in turnover rate and a big jump in free-throw rate. James Harden and Kawhi Leonard have combined to shot 91% on 17.3 free throw attempts per game over the 11.

• The defense has been eviscerated (by the Celtics and Knicks) twice in the last nine days, but has otherwise been stout. It helped the Clippers beat the Warriors without Harden last Monday and come back in Detroit (with Harden shooting 4-for-20) over the weekend. That was just the sixth time this season that any team has won a game while scoring less than a point per possession, something the Clippers didn’t do at all last season.

• Though they’ve cut down on turnovers, the Clippers are still getting beaten in the possession game. They’ve had fewer shot opportunities than their opponents in 12 of their last 14 games, with an average of 11.7 fewer over their last five, mostly because they’ve been getting clobbered on the defensive glass. They’ve somehow gone from first in defensive rebounding percentage (73.4%) last season to 26th (67.3%) this season.

Coming up: The Clippers will have two games at home before heading back East, and one of the league’s best offensive rebounding teams (the Hornets) will be at the Intuit Dome on Monday. The Clippers held the Hornets in check on the glass and got 55 points from Harden as they won in Charlotte in November.

Week 13: vs. CHA, vs. WAS, @ TOR

#19

Memphis GrizzliesLast Week:18↓

Record: 17-22

OffRtg: 112.6 (24) DefRtg: 114.0 (13) NetRtg: -1.4 (19) Pace: 101.5 (12)

Ja Morant may have played his last game with the Grizzlies, with the front office reportedly listening to offers for the 26-year-old point guard. He’s missed the last five games and the team is now 11-10 without him, with an impressive win over the Spurs last Tuesday included.

Three takeaways

• Memphis has been outscored by 7.4 points per 100 possessions with Morant on the floor. That’s the worst on-court mark among the 11 Grizzlies that have played at least 250 minutes, and it’s more about offense than defense. He’s shot both a career-low 20.8% from 3-point range and a career-low 48.9% in the paint.

• The Grizzlies have led two of their three games against the Thunder by at least 19 points. But they’re 0-3 against the champs (who were without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Friday), having blown both of those big leads. Clutch offense has been a struggle, with the Grizzlies one of five teams that have scored fewer than a point per clutch possession, even after they finished their win over the Nets on Sunday with a 13-0 run. But Jock Landale leads the league in clutch offensive rebounding percentage (26.5%), having grabbed a huge offensive board down the stretch against the Spurs and two more against Brooklyn.

• The Grizzlies still have a winning record (14-13) within the Western Conference, but they were 2-8 against the East before coming back in the final three minutes against the Nets.

Coming up: That win was the first of four straight games against the East, and the Grizzlies will travel to Europe to play the next two. They’ve won seven of their last eight games against the Magic, but Desmond Bane (who hit the game-winning free throw in the last meeting) is now on the other side.

Week 13: vs. ORL (Berlin), vs. ORL (London)

#20

Portland Trail BlazersLast Week:20

Record: 19-21

OffRtg: 113.5 (21) DefRtg: 116.0 (19) NetRtg: -2.5 (22) Pace: 101.9 (8)

Jrue Holiday returned from a 27-game absence on Sunday, when the Blazers had a chance to get to .500 for the first time since they were 6-6. But they couldn’t hold onto a brief, fourth-quarter lead and saw a five-game winning streak come to an end at the hands of the Knicks.

Three takeaways

• The Blazers had won seven of their last eight games before Sunday, with four of those seven wins coming against the Celtics, Spurs and Rockets (twice). They’re tied with the Hawks for the most games played (26) against the 16 teams that currently have winning records, now a respectable 11-15 against that group.

• Over their five-game winning streak, the Blazers outscored their opponents by 99 points from 3-point range. There was some luck involved, as the Rockets shot just 2-for-29 from the corners over their two games in Portland last week. The Blazers have the league’s seventh-lowest opponent 3-point rate (39%) overall, but 30% of their opponents’ 3-point attempts, the league’s highest opponent rate, have come from the corners.

• Holiday played 16 minutes off the bench on Sunday, with most of those minutes coming alongside Caleb Love. The undrafted rookie has averaged 16.7 points (third on the team) in 28.8 minutes over the last 11 games, and he’s been on the floor down the stretch of the seven that have been within five points in the last five minutes, though the defense hasn’t been very good (120.3 points allowed per 100 possessions) in his 377 total minutes alongside Deni Avdija.

Coming up: They trail the eighth-place Warriors by two games, and the Blazers have won each of the first three head-to-head meetings. They can complete a sweep of the season series when they visit Golden State on Tuesday.

Week 13: @ GSW, vs. ATL, vs. LAL, @ SAC

#21

Milwaukee BucksLast Week:22↑

Record: 17-22

OffRtg: 113.5 (20) DefRtg: 115.7 (17) NetRtg: -2.2 (21) Pace: 98.9 (26)

The Bucks are 5-3 since Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to the lineup, and they handed the Lakers their first clutch loss of the season on Friday. But they’re still not looking like anything better than a SoFi Play-In Tournament team in the East.

Three takeaways

• Antetokounmpo has recorded a positive plus-minus in seven of his eight games since his return, and the Bucks outscored Denver by 16 points in his 33 minutes on the floor on Sunday. But in an ironic twist, the Nuggets took advantage of the minutes when their opponent’s best player was on the bench, outscoring the Bucks by 20 in Antetokounmpo’s 15 minutes off the floor. Over the eight games total, Milwaukee has been 32 points per 100 possessions better with Antetokounmpo on the floor (plus-16.9) than its been with him off the floor (minus-15.1).

• Antetokounmpo had just 12 points in the paint on Sunday, but is still averaging 24.7 points in the paint per 36 minutes, which would be the most for any player in the 30 seasons for which we have shot-location data. His field goal percentage in the paint (73.5%) and the percentage of his shots that have come in the paint (79%) are both the highest marks of his career.

• Overall, Antetokounmpo has more points, 731, than minutes played (730), but his 2.12 steals + blocks per 36 minutes would be the second-lowest rate of his career. Still, he made the two biggest defensive plays in the Bucks’ win over the Lakers on Friday, blocking LeBron James’ layup with the score tied and 40 seconds left and then stripping James from behind after the Bucks took the lead.

Coming up: The Bucks are now 6-15 (4-8 with Antetokounmpo) against the 16 teams currently over .500, a mark that includes a three-point loss (without him) in Minnesota three weeks ago. They’re back home to face the Wolves on Tuesday before hitting the road again and facing the Spurs for the first time.

Week 13: vs. MIN, @ SAS

#22

Charlotte HornetsLast Week:23↑

Record: 14-25

OffRtg: 116.2 (10) DefRtg: 116.4 (21) NetRtg: -0.2 (17) Pace: 99.3 (24)

In the same week that they allowed the Pacers to end their 13-game losing streak, the Hornets stunned the Thunder in Oklahoma City and beat the Jazz by 55 points.

Three takeaways

• The Hornets now rank in the top 10 offensively, having ranked 29th last season. Their 124 points on 97 possessions in Oklahoma City last Monday were the second-best offensive game for any team against the league’s No. 1 defense, and their 150 on 101 in Utah was the fourth-most efficient game for any team against any defense.

• Brandon Miller missed the Hornets’ loss to the Raptors last week and LaMelo Ball’s minutes have been limited. (He actually came off the bench against Indiana on Thursday.) But Ball has played in each of the last 13 games and the Hornets are now 10-8 when he, Miller and Kon Knueppel have all been in uniform. They’ve outscored their opponents by 12.1 points per 100 possessions in 240 minutes with all three on the floor together.

Coming up: The Hornets’ win in Utah on Saturday was the start of their longest road trip of the season (five games over nine days). The rest of the trip should be tougher, and (even after the win in Oklahoma City), the Hornets are still just 1-5 against the top eight in the West.

Week 13: @ LAC, @ LAL, @ GSW, @ DEN

#23

Chicago BullsLast Week:24↑

Record: 18-20

OffRtg: 113.2 (23) DefRtg: 116.9 (25) NetRtg: -3.7 (23) Pace: 103.0 (3)

The Bulls are still without Josh Giddey, but they were more of a normal team last week, playing better against a weaker opponent (Dallas) than they did against the stronger ones (Boston and Detroit).

Three takeaways

• Overall, the Bulls’ offense hasn’t seen a dip (113.3 points scored per 100 possessions) over Giddey’s six-game absence. But the three-game losing streak that preceded their win over Dallas on Saturday was a rough stretch (103.2 points scored per 100) on that end of the floor. Coby White was also out for two of those three games, but scored 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting in his return on Saturday. The Bulls have scored an efficient 119.8 points per 100 possessions in White’s 204 minutes on the floor without Giddey.

• Ayo Dosunmu has been pretty good, no matter who else has been available. The fifth-year guard has totaled 44 points on 17-for-24 shooting over the last two games and is registering career-high marks in both points per 36 minutes (19.9) and true shooting percentage (63.9%). His 45% from 3-point range ranks seventh among 182 players with at least 100 attempts.

• The Bulls now have the same record against the 16 teams currently above .500 (9-10) as they do against the other13 teams currently below. They’re still in the bottom 10 on both ends of the floor, with the point differential (minus-3.5 per game, 12th in the East) of a team that’s 14-24.

Coming up: The Bulls’ final back-to-back before the All-Star break is Tuesday and Wednesday, with the second game (vs. Utah) being the first of four straight against teams with losing records. They were outscored by 36 points from 3-point range as they lost their first game against the Nets, who they’ll meet for a home-and-home set over the weekend.

Week 13: @ HOU, vs. UTA, @ BKN, vs. BKN

#24

Utah JazzLast Week:21↓

Record: 13-25

OffRtg: 114.0 (18) DefRtg: 122.0 (30) NetRtg: -8.0 (28) Pace: 102.7 (4)

The Jazz almost beat the Thunder on Wednesday and ended a five-game losing streak by holding the Mavs to just one point on six possessions down the stretch the following night. But that was an oasis of defensive success in what has been a rough few weeks on that end of the floor, with the nadir being a 55-point loss to the Hornets on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• The Jazz are looking good for a third straight season of ranking last defensively. As they’ve gone 3-10 since mid-December, they’ve allowed 125 points per 100 possessions, 4.8 more than any other team over that stretch. It’s been somewhat of a tough stretch regarding the opponents, but both the Blazers and Hornets had their best offensive games of the season against the Jazz last week, with Charlotte’s 150 points on 101 possessions on Saturday being the fourth most efficient game for any team.

• The 55-point loss to the Hornets (with whom the Jazz were tied in the win column) wasn’t part of a back-to-back, but Lauri Markkanen sat out for rest. The Jazz are 0-6 without their star and have been outscored by an amazing 17.5 points per 100 possessions in his 703 minutes off the floor.

• If the Jazz can get any stops (and if Markkanen is in uniform), they have a chance. With their win over the Mavs, they’re 11-7 when they’ve allowed fewer than 120 points per 100 possessions, with the last two of those losses (including their game in Oklahoma City on Wednesday) having come in overtime.

Coming up: The Jazz now head out on a five-game trip, with their visit to Chicago on Wednesday being the start of their only stretch of five games in seven days. That win over Dallas on Thursday also improved them to 5-3 in the second games of back-to-backs.

Week 13: @ CLE, @ CHI, @ DAL, @ DAL

#25

Dallas MavericksLast Week:25

Record: 14-25

OffRtg: 109.0 (28) DefRtg: 112.8 (10) NetRtg: -3.8 (24) Pace: 102.4 (5)

Anthony Davis is out again (and maybe for a long time) after injuring his left hand in Utah on Thursday. The Mavs remain in the bottom five in the West, having lost six of their last seven games against other teams with losing records.

Three takeaways

• At this point, Davis has played in just 29 of a possible 74 games since he was acquired (along with Max Christie) for Luka Dončić. This season, the Mavs are 10-10 with Davis in uniform, but they’ve been outscored by 4.6 points per 100 possessions in his 626 minutes on the floor.

• The Mavs were outscored by 28 points (54-26) in the restricted area in Chicago on Saturday, falling to 4-15 without Davis. They’ve scored just 106.7 points per 100 possessions over those 19 games, only slightly better (107.5 scored per 100) in Cooper Flagg’s 844 total minutes on the floor without Davis.

• The offense was ugly on both ends of the floor in Sacramento on Tuesday, but the Mavs got the win with two go-ahead buckets in the final minute. Flagg had the first (a tough, lefty finish off the glass) and assisted on the other (a Brandon Williams 3), and he’s now 4-for-6 on shots to tie or take the lead in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime. Those four buckets are tied for fourth league-wide.

Coming up: With their loss in Utah on Thursday, the Mavs are 0-6 (one of three winless teams) in rest-advantage games. They’ll have two more – vs. Brooklyn and Denver – as they play a four-game homestand this week.

Week 13: vs. BKN, vs. DEN, vs. UTA, vs. UTA

#26

Brooklyn NetsLast Week:26

Record: 11-25

OffRtg: 111.9 (25) DefRtg: 116.5 (22) NetRtg: -4.7 (25) Pace: 97.2 (27)

After a 7-3 stretch through most of December, the Nets have lost six of their last seven games, with losses to three below-.500 teams — the Wizards, Clippers and Grizzlies — included.

Three takeaways

• The Nets came back from 18 points down against the Magic on Wednesday and from 16 points down in Memphis over the weekend. But they got beat at the buzzer by Paolo Banchero and saw an eight-point lead turn into a five-point loss with the Grizzlies’ 13-0 run to close the game. The Nets are a league-worst 3-11 in games that were within five points in the last five minutes, ranking in the bottom three in both clutch offense (29th) and clutch defense (28th).

• The Nets are a jump-shooting team, with 56% of their shots, the league’s third-highest rate, having come from outside the paint. On the other end of the floor, their opponents have taken 52% of their shots, the league’s second-highest opponent rate, in the paint. With that, they’ve been outscored by 10.3 points in the paint per game, which would be the biggest discrepancy for any team in the last 14 seasons. That discrepancy was 22 (54-32) in their one-point, overtime loss to the Magic.

• With that Memphis comeback in the final three minutes on Sunday, the Nets are 0-7 without Michael Porter Jr., who missed the game for rest. After shooting 27-for-50 (54%) in his first four games back from an extended absence, Cam Thomas (who continues to come off the bench) has shot just 12-for-36 (33%) over the Nets’ three-game losing streak.

Coming up: The Nets are 0-5 in rest-disadvantage games, having allowed more than 127 points per 100 possessions over the five. They’ll be at a disadvantage again in Dallas on Monday, Game 2 of a three-game trip.

Week 13: @ DAL, @ NOP, vs. CHI, @ CHI

#27

New Orleans PelicansLast Week:28↑

Record: 9-32

OffRtg: 111.7 (26) DefRtg: 118.9 (27) NetRtg: -7.2 (26) Pace: 101.9 (9)

With an easy win in Washington on Friday, the Pelicans put an end to their nine-game losing streak and temporarily climbed out of the basement in the Western Conference. But they’re back in 15th place after the Kings’ win over Houston on Sunday night.

Three takeaways

• Trey Murphy III led the way in Washington, scoring 35 points three nights after he had a career-high 42 in a loss to the Lakers. He took 17 of his 26 shots against L.A. from 3-point range, but his 3-point rate for the season is still at a career-low 51.1%. He’s shot a career-best 61.5% inside the arc, going 8-for-9 on 2-point shots against L.A. and 6-for-8 in Washington.

• Derik Queen recorded his first career triple-double (14 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists) in the win over the Wizards, and the Pels then had one of their best offensive games of the season (118 points on 94 possessions) in their loss in Orlando on Sunday. But the offensive numbers have still been better with only one of Queen and Zion Williamson on the floor (113.4 points scored per 100 possessions in 1,166 total minutes) than they’ve been with the two on the floor together (109.0 per 100).

• With their loss to the Magic on Sunday, the Pelicans are just 1-22 against the 16 teams that currently have winning records, with the one win (vs. Houston) having come in overtime. They have the best record (5-2) in games played between the eight teams that are more than 10 games below .500, even though they’ve scored only 110.7 points per 100 possessions over those seven games.

Coming up: The Pelicans will play two more games within that group this week, hosting the Nets and visiting the Pacers. One of those two losses came (without Jones and Williamson) in Brooklyn in early December.

Week 13: vs. DEN, vs. BKN, @ IND, @ HOU

#28

Washington WizardsLast Week:27↓

Record: 10-28

OffRtg: 109.5 (27) DefRtg: 120.7 (29) NetRtg: -11.2 (29) Pace: 102.3 (6)

The Wizards traded for Trae Young without sending any of their 11 first-, second- or third-year players (or future picks) to Atlanta. Now the question is how much Young (currently out with a quad contusion) can help those young players develop, and how much he’ll actually play over the last three months of the season.

Three takeaways

• Young should help Alex Sarr the most. Dunks have accounted for just 12% of Sarr’s field goals, a rate that ranks just 22nd among 43 players 6-foot-10 or taller with at least 100 total field goals. Over the course of his career, Young has 434 more assists on dunks (2.7 per game) than any other player in the league.

• Over the three games since CJ McCollum (sent to Atlanta) last played, the Wizards have scored an anemic 98.7 points per 100 possessions, their worst stretch of offense since early November. Bub Carrington started only one of the three games, but has led the team by a wide margin in time of possession (5.2 minutes per game) over that stretch, and he did have a couple of nice dimes among his seven assists in Phoenix on Sunday.

• Bilal Coulibaly had five steals and Sarr had five blocks as the Wizards beat the Magic on Tuesday, their fifth win in a stretch of seven games that ended with McCollum’s departure from the rotation. Sarr has been a good rim protector, there’s length on the wings with Coulibaly and Kyshawn George and the Wizards’ defense hasn’t been so bad (117.2 points allowed per 100 possessions) with those three guys on the floor together. But incorporating Young on that end of the floor will be a challenge.

Coming up: The Wizards won both of their games against the Nuggets last season, outscoring Denver by 17 points in Nikola Jokić’s 18 minutes off the floor. They’ll face them twice in the next 11 days, and the Wizards will be at a rest disadvantage in Denver on Saturday.

Week 13: @ LAC, @ SAC, @ DEN

#29

Indiana PacersLast Week:30↑

Record: 8-31

OffRtg: 108.6 (29) DefRtg: 116.2 (20) NetRtg: -7.6 (27) Pace: 101.8 (10)

Rick Carlisle finally got win No. 1,000 … and No. 1,001, as the Pacers ended their 13-game losing streak and picked up wins over the Hornets and Heat last week.

Three takeaways

• The Pacers’ offense has shown some flashes toward the end of the losing streak, and they’ve now shot 40% or better from 3-point range in five straight games. Last season, the Pacers led the league (by a healthy margin) in the percentage of their 3-point attempts (63%) that were wide open. This season, they rank ninth (56%) this season, with only the Nets having seen a bigger drop.

• Not surprisingly, Andrew Nembhard has seen the fourth biggest jump in usage rate (from 16.3% last season to 23.9% this season) among 311 players who’ve played at least 250 minutes in each of the last two seasons. That comes with a small jump in efficiency, both in true shooting percentage and assist/turnover ratio. He missed the win in Charlotte, but Nembhard had 29 points and nine assists (with zero turnovers) against the Heat on Saturday.

• The Pacers have cycled through starting centers all season, and there was a new one on Saturday. Pascal Siakam started at the five against Miami, and the Pacers were up 24-10 before using a true big, eventually picking up their first wire-to-wire win of the season. Siakam has still played just 38 total minutes at the five this season, and the Pacers have scored less than a point per possession (85 on 86) in those minutes.

Coming up: The Pacers’ win over Miami on Saturday was the start of a four-game homestand that concludes with their second meeting with New Orleans. They’re 3-6 in games played between the eight teams that are at least 10 games below .500.

Week 13: vs. BOS, vs. TOR, vs. NOP, @ DET

#30

Sacramento KingsLast Week:29↓

Record: 9-30

OffRtg: 108.5 (30) DefRtg: 119.7 (28) NetRtg: -11.2 (30) Pace: 100.5 (17)

Things remain pretty bleak in Sacramento, but the Kings put an end to a seven-game losing streak with a pretty stunning win over the Rockets on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• The Rockets have been the best rebounding team in the league, and the Kings have been the worst. But second-chance points on Sunday were 30-18 in favor of Sacramento, with rookie Dylan Cardwell accounting for half of the team’s 18 offensive rebounds. He’s grabbed 14.3% of available offensive boards while he’s been on the floor, a rate which ranks seventh among 316 players who’ve averaged at least 15 minutes in 10 games or more.

• Malik Monk also gave the Kings a lift off the bench on Sunday, playing his most minutes (26) of the last 13 games, perhaps because Dennis Schröder was serving the first game of his three-game suspension. The Kings’ bench ranked 15th last season, but it ranks 27th this year.

• The Kings held an opponent under a point per possession for the first time this season on Tuesday, but still lost to the Mavs, with Dennis Schröder, Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan all missing 3-pointers for the lead in the final 25 seconds. The Kings remain last in offensive efficiency and lead the league with eight games of scoring less than a point per possession themselves. No other team has more than six.

Coming up: The Kings’ win over Houston on Sunday was the start of their longest homestand of the season (seven games over 11 days), though they’ll be at a rest disadvantage against the Lakers on Monday night.

Week 13: vs. LAL, vs. NYK, vs. WAS, vs. POR