Power Rankings, Week 20: Timberwolves, Magic rising

Anthony Edwards finished with 21 points in Minnesota’s 117-108 win over Denver on Sunday.

We made it to March, and the 2025-26 season will be 75% complete on Wednesday.

The Detroit Pistons are the only team with a secure position in the Eastern or Western Conference standings, and they might be happy to start the playoffs this week. Every other team still has some work to do, and several would like to get healthier before the postseason begins.

We had some huge games last week, with the Spurs winning in Detroit, the Cavs handling the Knicks, those same Knicks ending the Spurs’ winning streak, and the Thunder edging the Nuggets in overtime.

More big games are coming. There will be eight games between the top 10 teams in the league over the next seven days, starting with Pistons-Cavs on Tuesday and including three games – Celtics-Cavs, Knicks-Lakers and Rockets-Spurs – on Sunday. We’ll also get some big tests for the surging Hornets, who visit the Celtics and host the Heat this week.

Plus-Minus Players of the Week

Teams of the Week

• Make It Last Forever: Minnesota (3-0) — The Wolves are back … again … for now.
• Something Just Ain’t Right: Indiana (0-3) — It’s a good time for Micah Potter fans, though.

* * *

East vs. West

• The West is 160-157 (.505) against the East in interconference games after going 9-7 last week.

Schedule strength through Week 19

• Toughest: 1. Sacramento, 2. Portland, 3. Brooklyn
• Easiest: 1. Minnesota, 2. Denver, 3. Detroit
• Schedule strength = cumulative opponent record.

* * *

Movement in the Rankings

• High jumps of the week: Minnesota, Orlando (+2)
• Free falls of the week: Denver, Golden State, LA Clippers (-2)

* * *

Week 20 Team to Watch

• San Antonio — Last week was eventful, with the Spurs getting a big win in Detroit and then seeing their 11-game winning streak come to an end in New York. This week brings more big games, as they’ll visit the Sixers on Tuesday and then return home to face the Pistons, Clippers and Rockets.

* * *

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 114.3 points scored per 100 possessions and 100.3 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

San Antonio SpursLast Week:1

Record: 43-17

OffRtg: 116.8 (8) DefRtg: 110.5 (3) NetRtg: +6.3 (4) Pace: 100.9 (13)

The Spurs’ 11-game winning streak came to an end in New York on Sunday afternoon, but not before they got a huge win in Detroit, keeping themselves in the mix for the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs.

Three takeaways

• The Spurs’ initial defense was good enough on Monday, when Detroit had its third-worst half-court performance of the season. And they’re still the league’s second-most-improved rebounding team from last season. But San Antonio ranks 29th in defensive rebounding percentage (64.7%) since the All-Star break, with three of their last four opponents registering more than 20 second-chance points.

• Victor Wembanyama remains the favorite for Defensive Player of the Year, but his offense remains a work in progress and he shot just 20-for-54 (37%) over the Spurs’ four games last week. Only 24 (44%) of those 54 shots came in the paint and he was 5-for-30 (17%) from the outside. The Spurs still scored more efficiently with him on the floor, and they were outscored by 17.3 points per 100 possessions in his 67 minutes on the bench over the four games.

• San Antonio was 19-for-31 (61%) on corner 3s over its wins in Detroit and Toronto, with Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie a combined 12-for-14. The Spurs lead the league in the percentage of their 3-point attempts (33%) that have come from the corners and Harrison Barnes is tied for second among individuals with 62 made corner 3s.

Coming up: After finishing their longest road trip of the season in Philadelphia on Tuesday, the Spurs will begin their longest homestand of the season (six games over 10 days), which includes big games against the Pistons, Rockets, Celtics and Nuggets. They’ve yet to face the Clippers, who they’ll play three times in the next month.

Week 20: @ PHI, vs. DET, vs. LAC, vs. HOU

#2

Detroit PistonsLast Week:2

Record: 45-14

OffRtg: 116.3 (11) DefRtg: 108.2 (2) NetRtg: +8.1 (3) Pace: 100.5 (16)

The Pistons lost their first meeting with the Spurs, but rebounded to pick up three more wins over winning teams last week and still have a six-game lead (in the loss column) at the top of the Eastern Conference.

Three takeaways

• The Pistons had some success in transition (38 transition points) and on the offensive glass (22 second-chance points) against the Spurs last Monday. But they really struggled with their half-court offense, which will obviously be under the spotlight in the playoffs. Cade Cunningham shot 2-for-10 on pull-up jumpers and obviously wasn’t going to have much success inside when Victor Wembanyama was on the floor.

• The Pistons almost lost to the Cavs (who were without James Harden and Donovan Mitchell) on Friday, but still have the best record (13-4) in games played between the top 10 teams in the league, having allowed just 109.9 points per 100 possessions over those 17 games. They have six games remaining within that group, with rematches with the Cavs and Spurs (14-8 within the top 10) coming this week. Isaiah Stewart’s seven-game suspension is now over, so he’ll be back in the rotation in Cleveland on Tuesday.

• The Pistons have made 37 fewer 3-pointers than their opponents over their last five games, a discrepancy of 22.2 points per game from beyond the arc. But they’ve now outscored their opponents in the paint in 53 of their 59 games. The Magic rank sixth in restricted-area differential, but the score in the restricted area on Sunday (when Detroit shot 4-for-30 from 3-point range) was Pistons 48, Magic 26.

Coming up: The Pistons are one of four teams with two stretches of five games in seven days left on their schedule, with five total back-to-backs over the final 25 days of March. The first of the five-in-seven stretches begins when they host the Nets on Saturday.

Week 20: @ CLE, @ SAS, vs. BKN, @ MIA

#3

Oklahoma City ThunderLast Week:3

Record: 47-15

OffRtg: 117.2 (6) DefRtg: 106.1 (1) NetRtg: +11.1 (1) Pace: 100.7 (15)

Jalen Williams remains out, but the Thunder got Shai Gilgeous-Alexander back from a nine-game absence last week, just in time for their game against the Nuggets. The champs beat Denver for the third consecutive time (going back to Game 7 last May) and have won seven of their last nine games to remain atop the Western Conference.

Three takeaways

• Gilgeous-Alexander scored 36 points in the Thunder’s overtime win over Denver, even though he didn’t play in the extra period, adding another 30 in Dallas on Sunday. But the overall offense hasn’t returned to form, with the champs having scored just 107.2 points per 100 possessions over the two games. They still rank sixth on that end of the floor, but have now seen the league’s seventh biggest drop in efficiency from last season.

• Alex Caruso ranks just 10th on the Thunder in total minutes (760) this season, and he hasn’t started a single game. But he’s often been a closer, and he made several big plays (on both ends of the floor) down the stretch of the win over the Nuggets. The Thunder held Denver to just 12 points (with four steals) on 18 clutch possessions on Friday and have now played three more clutch games (27) than they did all of last season (league-low 24).

• Though the Thunder were without Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, Caruso, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein in their rest-disadvantage game in Detroit on Wednesday, they still had a 12-point lead after the first quarter. But that lead disappeared pretty quickly and the Thunder fell back behind the Pistons for the best record in the league. Oklahoma City still has the league’s best record with rest (44-8), but is now 3-7 in the second games of back-to-backs. (Detroit is 37-13 and 8-1.)

Coming up: After the Thunder’s Tuesday-Wednesday back-to-back in Chicago and New York, they’ll have an opportunity to get healthy, because they have a 10-day stretch where they’re playing just three games.

Week 20: @ CHI, @ NYK, vs. GSW

#4

New York KnicksLast Week:4

Record: 39-22

OffRtg: 118.3 (3) DefRtg: 112.2 (8) NetRtg: +6.1 (5) Pace: 98.6 (23)

The Knicks came up empty in Cleveland on Tuesday, but they got their most impressive win of the season over the weekend, ending the Spurs’ 11-game winning streak by shutting down their top-10 offense.

Three takeaways

• The Knicks are now one of six teams that rank in the top 10 on both ends of the floor, having allowed 103.1 points per 100 possessions (fewest in the league by a wide margin) as they’ve won 14 of their last 18 games. That’s with eight of their last 12 coming against teams that currently rank in the top 11 offensively.

• The Knicks have had some luck with opponent 3-point shooting (league-low 31.2%) over that stretch. But they’ve also seen drops in both opponent field goal percentage in the paint and the percentage of their opponents’ shots that have come in the paint, along with a big jump in opponent turnover rate. Even in their loss in Cleveland last week, the Cavs shot just 21-for-46 (46%) in the paint, their third-worst mark of the season.

• The Knicks’ starting lineup was outscored by the Bucks on Friday, and they trailed by 12 points after eight minutes against the Spurs. But bench minutes were terrific in both wins. Mohamed Diawara had a DNP eight days ago, but he’s remained ahead of Jeremy Sochan in the rotation and he totaled 24 points over the two weekend wins, with the Knicks outscoring Milwaukee and San Antonio by 43 points in the rookie’s 38 minutes on the floor. The New York bench ranks fourth this season, up from ninth last season.

Coming up: The Knicks’ win over the Spurs on Sunday was the first of five straight games against teams with winning records, and their game in Toronto on Tuesday night is the start of their only stretch of five games in seven days, with their visit from the Thunder the following night being the second game of a back-to-back for both teams. They’re 3-0 against the Raptors, having allowed just 98.6 points per 100 possessions over the three games.

Week 20: @ TOR, vs. OKC, @ DEN, @ LAL

#5

Boston CelticsLast Week:5

Record: 40-20

OffRtg: 120.3 (1) DefRtg: 112.0 (6) NetRtg: +8.3 (2) Pace: 95.4 (30)

The Celtics lost a battle between the league’s top two offenses in Denver on Wednesday, but they’re back in the top spot on that end of the floor because of what happened over the next four nights.

Three takeaways

• Two nights after the loss in Denver, the Celtics shot 67%, including 22-for-34 (65%) from 3-point range in a 37-point win over the Nets. Their effective field goal percentage of 80.8% was the highest for any team in any game in NBA history, and their 148 points on 93 possessions (159.1 per 100) was the second most efficient offensive performance for any team in the 30 seasons of play-by-play data. This season’s Celtics account for the second, fourth and 12th most efficient games over those 30 years (all greater than 150 per 100).

• Baylor Scheierman could be replaced in the starting lineup very soon, but the Celtics are now 7-1 when he’s started alongside Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Jaylen Brown and Neemias Queta, with the only loss being their rest-disadvantage game in Denver on Wednesday. That lineup hit the 100-minute mark over the weekend and has outscored opponents by 11.8 points per 100 possessions.

• Queta had the best game of his career against the Sixers on Sunday, scoring 27 points, grabbing 17 rebounds (10 offensive) and blocking three shots as the Celtics improved to 14-8 in games played between the top eight teams in the East. Nikola Vučević has averaged more minutes (23.9) than Queta (22.3) since his arrival, but Queta continues to start and, for the season, the Celtics have allowed 8.66 fewer points per 100 possessions with him on the floor (105.3) than they have with him off the floor (113.9), a huge differential for a full-time starter (who mostly defends against other starters).

Coming up: The Celtics’ final stretch of five games in seven days concludes with their visit to Milwaukee on Monday. They’ll then play two straight rest-advantage games before a big visit to Cleveland on Sunday afternoon. They’ve scored almost 127 points per 100 possessions as they’ve won their first two meetings with the Cavs, but the most recent one was back in November.

Week 20: @ MIL, vs. CHA, vs. DAL, @ CLE

#6

Cleveland CavaliersLast Week:7↑

Record: 38-24

OffRtg: 117.3 (5) DefRtg: 113.1 (12) NetRtg: +4.3 (8) Pace: 101.2 (12)

The Cavs continue to have bad luck with injuries, seeing James Harden fracture his right thumb on Tuesday and Donovan Mitchell miss the last three games with a groin strain. But they got a big win over the Knicks before that and came seconds away from beating the Pistons without both of their star guards.

Three takeaways

• Harden returned from a two-game absence on Sunday and didn’t seem to be affected by the broken thumb. He wasn’t afraid to put the ball out ahead of him, drawing eight fouls and attempting 12 free throws in the Cavs’ narrow win in Brooklyn. He ranks 10th in free-throw rate (48 attempts per 100 shots from the field) among 227 players with at least 300 field goal attempts and 10th in free-throw percentage (89.2%) among 146 players with at least 100 attempts.

• Jarrett Allen’s production increase extended into March with a 20-point performance in the Cavs’ win in Brooklyn, and he and Victor Wembanyama are the only players who’ve averaged at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and a block since Feb. 1. Allen has shot 73% and has a free throw rate of 59 attempts per 100 shots from the field over those 12 games, up from 60% and 43 per 100 through January.

• The Cavs are now 2-6 within the top four in the East, with their win over the Knicks last week their first within the group since they won in Detroit in October. Their final two games within the top four are this week and they’ll have four days off between visits from the Pistons (Tuesday) and Celtics (Sunday). The Cavs are 0-2 against Boston, having allowed 126.7 points per 100 possessions over the two games.

Coming up: The Cavs have the East’s easiest remaining schedule regarding cumulative opponent winning percentage (.463), with only nine of their 20 games against teams with winning records. But the easy part doesn’t come until the end of next week.

Week 20: vs. DET, vs. BOS

#7

Minnesota TimberwolvesLast Week:9↑

Record: 38-23

OffRtg: 116.6 (9) DefRtg: 112.3 (9) NetRtg: +4.2 (9) Pace: 101.6 (9)

The Wolves went 3-0 on a trip out West last week, climbing into fourth place in the West with their win in Denver on Sunday afternoon. They’ve won six of their last seven games overall and six of their last seven on the road.

Three takeaways

• The Wolves continue to rank in the top 10 on both ends of the floor, and their road trip was a mixed bag. They won in Portland while allowing 121 points on 101 possessions, and they beat the Clippers while scoring just 94 on 96. Their win on Sunday was the best defensive performance in their four games against the Nuggets (they lost the first three) and they turned stops into transition opportunities, with their 30-6 advantage in fast break points being the biggest differential in any game (for any team) since the All-Star break.

• The Wolves continue to enjoy good health. Among their top six guys in minutes per game (not including Ayo Dosunmu), only Anthony Edwards (10) has missed more than three games. Their starting lineup has now played 621 minutes together, 152 more than any other lineup in the league. That’s still fewer than the starters (with Mike Conley instead of Donte DiVincenzo) played last season (714), but this lineup has been better, especially offensively.

• The Wolves played only eight guys in Denver on Sunday, but got a big (revenge) game off the bench from Bones Hyland, who scored 18 points on 6-for-7 shooting. Dosunmu has scored efficiently over his eight games with the Wolves, though the Minnesota bench ranks just 21st over that stretch, down from 12th prior. They’ve been outscored by 6.2 points per 100 possessions with Dosunmu on the floor, though much of that comes from just two games: a minus-33 in his Wolves debut vs. the Clippers and a minus-25 in a loss to Philadelphia.

Coming up: That 27-point loss to the Embiid-less Sixers (eight days ago) was the last time the Wolves played at home, and they’re back at the Target Center this week for a three-game homestand that begins with a visit from the Grizzlies. The last meeting (Feb. 2 in Memphis) was one of the Wolves’ worst defensive games of the season.

Week 20: vs. MEM, vs. TOR, vs. ORL

#8

Denver NuggetsLast Week:6↓

Record: 37-24

OffRtg: 120.2 (2) DefRtg: 115.7 (21) NetRtg: +4.5 (7) Pace: 99.0 (22)

The Nuggets haven’t won two straight games since January and they’re 1-3 on a stretch where they’re playing 11 of 12 against teams with winning records, sliding into fifth place in the West with their loss to Minnesota on Sunday afternoon.

Three takeaways

• The good news is that the Nuggets rank fourth defensively since the All-Star break, having allowed just 106.1 points per 100 possessions over their six games. The Celtics’ 84 points on 95 possessions on Wednesday (when Denver had a rest advantage) were, easily, their worst offensive game of the season. With the post-break improvement, the Nuggets are very close to climbing out of the bottom 10 on that end of the floor.

• Even at lower efficiency, Jokić remains an MVP candidate. Over the Nuggets’ losses to Oklahoma City and Minnesota over the weekend, they outscored the opponents by 19 points in their 82 minutes on the floor, but were outscored by 34 in their 19 minutes on the bench. The Nuggets led both games by double-digits, but the Thunder went on an 18-4 run spanning the third and fourth quarters, while the Wolves began the second with a 23-7 stretch.

Coming up: The Nuggets have now lost nine of their last 10 games against other teams with winning records and they have the league’s toughest remaining schedule in regard to cumulative opponent winning percentage (.539). Their visit to Utah on Monday (a rest-disadvantage game) is the lone exception in this stretch of 12 games, where 11 are against teams currently over .500.

Week 20: @ UTA, vs. LAL, vs. NYK

#9

Houston RocketsLast Week:8↓

Record: 37-22

OffRtg: 117.0 (7) DefRtg: 111.7 (5) NetRtg: +5.3 (6) Pace: 96.7 (29)

The Rockets found some offense last week, and they climbed back into third place in the West with a three-game winning streak before coming up empty against the Heat’s zone defense on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• The winning streak was the Rockets’ best three-game stretch of offense (124.1 points scored per 100 possessions) since Jan. 1. The first two games came against the bottom two defenses in the league (those of the Jazz and Kings), but their 113 points on just 90 possessions on Thursday were the Magic’s second-worst defensive game in February. Alperen Sengun shot better than 50% in all three games, having done so in just two of his previous 11.

• The Rockets scored an amazing 56 points on their final 31 trips down the floor in Orlando, including 16 points on 10 with the score within five points in the last five minutes. Reed Sheppard shot 17-for-32 (53%) from 3-point range over the winning streak, with two of those 17 makes coming in the clutch on Thursday. The Rockets have still scored just 110.0 points per 100 possessions (17th) in the clutch, but their clutch offense has been at its best (122.4 scored per 100) with Sheppard on the floor.

• The Heat played 61 possessions of zone on Saturday, the most they’ve played in any game this season by a wide margin. The Rockets’ offense ranks sixth in the percentage of its possessions (4.6%) that have come against zone and is 26th in points per possession vs. zone (0.84) among the 27 teams that have faced at least 100 zone possessions total, according to Synergy tracking. (Only the Jazz have been worse.)

Coming up: The Rockets will have a two-day break after finishing their three-game trip in Washington on Monday. They’ll then begin their second (and final) stretch of five games in seven days with a visit from the Warriors. Sheppard started and scored 31 points as the Rockets won the first meeting just before Thanksgiving.

Week 20: @ WAS, vs. GSW, vs. POR, @ SAS

#10

Phoenix SunsLast Week:10

Record: 34-26

OffRtg: 113.4 (20) DefRtg: 112.7 (10) NetRtg: +0.7 (14) Pace: 98.3 (25)

The Suns were struggling without both Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks, but they got a huge win over the Lakers on Thursday, with Royce O’Neale draining the game-winning 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds left.

Three takeaways

• Booker played less than nine minutes in the Suns’ first game out of the All-Star break before injuring his hip. Brooks missed that game and played less than eight minutes in the next one before fracturing his hand. With the injuries, the first four games out of the break were, by far, the Suns’ worst stretch of offense this season (94.8 points scored per 100 possessions). But they got to play the Lakers’ defense on Thursday, and they busted out with 113 points on just 90 possessions (125.6 per 100).

• The Suns have still scored just 98.3 points per 100 possessions in 87 total minutes with their other three starters – Collin Gillespie, O’Neale, and Mark Williams – on the floor without Booker or Brooks. Grayson Allen came off the bench and led them with 28 points on Thursday, also generating O’Neale’s game-winner with an isolation drive past Luka Dončić. Allen’s 11.3 drives per game are, by far, the most he’s averaged in his eight seasons, and he’s passed on 50.2% of his drives, the seventh-highest rate among 52 players who’ve averaged at least 10 drives per game.

• The Suns’ offensive success on Saturday was largely about their 3-point shooting (22-for-50, 44%). It was the fifth straight game in which they made less than half of their shots in the paint and, with their loss to Boston on Tuesday, they now account for four of the seven times any team has shot less than 37% in the paint.

Coming up: The Suns will have had four days off before beginning a stretch of six straight games against teams with losing records, with a visit to Sacramento on Tuesday. They’re 19-7 against that group and should have Booker back in the lineup at some point this week.

Week 20: @ SAC, vs. CHI, vs. NOP, vs. CHA

#11

Los Angeles LakersLast Week:11

Record: 36-24

OffRtg: 116.5 (10) DefRtg: 116.3 (22) NetRtg: +0.2 (16) Pace: 99.4 (20)

The Lakers had a bizarro week by their standards, losing two close games and winning two blowouts. Their loss in Phoenix on Thursday put them on the brink of sliding out of the top six in the West, but the Curry-less Warriors and the Kings over the weekend.

Three takeaways

• Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and LeBron James have all played (and started) in all six of the Lakers’ games since the All-Star break. They’ve played almost as many minutes together over those six games (119) as they did before the break (152) and the team’s numbers with all three on the floor have been much better (plus-13.8 per 100 possessions), especially defensively.

• The Lakers have still been outscored by 2.8 points per 100 possessions in 805 total minutes with Dončić and James together, though that breaks down to minus-4.6 per 100 in 545 minutes with Deandre Ayton also on the floor and plus-0.9 per 100 in 260 minutes with Ayton off the floor.

• The Lakers still have the league’s best record (34-4) in games they led by double-digits, but that loss total was doubled (from two to four) last week. They had a 12-point lead early in the third against Orlando and a 13-point lead midway through the third in Phoenix, but both games went down to the wire and ended with the Lakers missing 3-point attempts at the buzzer. The backwards “elevator doors” play that they drew up for Austin Reaves’ attempt for the tie in Phoenix was pretty cool, though.

Coming up: The Lakers still have three games left on their final stretch of five games in seven days, though the end of that stretch (a rest-disadvantage game) is against the Pacers at home. With their win over the Kings on Sunday, the Lakers are 5-5 (3-3 at home) in the second games of back-to-backs.

Week 20: vs. NOP, @ DEN, vs. IND, vs. NYK

#12

Toronto RaptorsLast Week:12

Record: 35-25

OffRtg: 113.9 (16) DefRtg: 112.0 (7) NetRtg: +1.9 (12) Pace: 99.3 (21)

The Raptors remain in fifth place in the East, continuing to take care of business against lesser opponents and coming up short against the better ones.

Three takeaways

• The Raptors are now 19-10 (.655) on the road and 16-15 (.516) at home, with that being the league’s biggest such differential. Of course, their last three road games (all wins) were against the Bulls, Bucks and Wizards, while their last three home games (all losses) have come against the Pistons, Thunder and Spurs. For the season, they have the league’s second biggest differential between their record vs. the 14 teams currently at or below .500 (24-7, fourth best) and their record vs. the 16 teams currently above .500 (11-18, 17th).

• After missing 24 straight games, Jakob Poeltl has played in five of the last six, and he had one of his best games of the season (18 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and a block) in the Raptors’ win over the Wizards on Saturday. He also made some terrific defensive plays against the Spurs on Wednesday, but got absolutely stuffed by Victor Wembanyama on a big possession down the stretch. The Raptors’ lineup with Poeltl at the five cracked the 200-minute mark over the weekend, but has outscored opponents by just 3.3 points per 100 possessions, a mark that ranks ninth among the 13 lineups that have played at least 200 minutes.

• Overall, the Raptors have been better in 660 minutes with Scottie Barnes on the floor without Brandon Ingram (plus-8.3 per 100 possessions) than they’ve been in 1,323 minutes with both forwards on the floor together (plus-1.7 per 100) or in Ingram’s 650 minutes on the floor without Barnes (plus-1.2 per 100). The much bigger difference has been on defense.

Coming up: With their losses to the Thunder and Spurs last week, the Raptors are 1-13 against the top three teams in the Eastern Conference and the top five in the West, having allowed 120.4 points per 100 possessions over those 14 games. They still have eight games remaining against those eight teams, with two of them coming this week. The Raptors have scored just 98.6 points per 100 possessions (their worst mark vs. any opponent) as they’ve gone 0-3 vs. the Knicks, and the fourth of five meetings will be Tuesday in Toronto.

Week 20: vs. NYK, @ MIN, vs. DAL

#13

Philadelphia 76ersLast Week:13

Record: 33-27

OffRtg: 114.9 (13) DefRtg: 114.4 (16) NetRtg: +0.5 (15) Pace: 100.0 (19)

Joel Embiid returned to the Sixers’ lineup last week, but he was back for less than two games before suffering another injury (oblique strain). The Sixers had run off three straight wins, but they fell to 6-13 when Tyrese Maxey played without Embiid and Paul George with their loss in Boston on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• Maxey continues to keep the Sixers competitive no matter who else is in the lineup, and he’s averaged 33 points over the last four games. But he takes a lot of tough shots and efficiency can be an issue when he’s asked to carry a larger load. He needed 34 shots to score his 33 points in Boston on Sunday, when he played more than 43 minutes in a double-digit loss. His true shooting percentage of 59.1% is still his highest mark over the three seasons since his usage rate took a big leap, and it’s in the middle of the pack (22nd) among the 43 players with a usage rate of 25% or higher this season.

• The Sixers are still just three games in the loss column behind the fourth-place Cavs, but they’ve now lost their last five games against teams ahead of them in the East standings, having scored just 105.1 points per 100 possessions over the five.

Coming up: The Sixers have the third toughest remaining schedule (cumulative opponent winning percentage of .500) among the top eight teams in the East, though only 10 of their 22 games are against teams that currently have winning records. Two of those are against the Spurs, who they’ll host on Tuesday.

Week 20: vs. SAS, vs. UTA, @ ATL

#14

Charlotte HornetsLast Week:15↑

Record: 30-31

OffRtg: 117.5 (4) DefRtg: 114.5 (17) NetRtg: +3.1 (10) Pace: 98.2 (26)

The Hornets have won four straight games, continuing to play well offensively and threatening to take a top-eight spot in the Eastern Conference.

Three takeaways

• The Hornets rank second in 3-point differential, having outscored their opponents by 8.8 points per game from beyond the arc. That includes a differential of 26.3 per game over their last 8, and they made at least 20 3s in four straight games before their win over Portland on Saturday afternoon. They’ve seen the league’s fourth biggest jump in 3-point rate and its biggest jump in 3-point percentage from last season.

• With their 3-0 trip through Washington, Chicago and Indiana, the Hornets have a winning record (17-15) on the road, with the 17 wins being as many road wins as they had over the last two seasons combined (17-65). They’ve outscored their opponents by 5.5 points per 100 possessions, the league’s third-best road mark, outside of Charlotte.

• The Hornets have climbed toward .500 by beating the other teams below. In mid-January, they were just 9-11 in games played between the 14 teams that are currently at or below .500, but they’ve since won their last 10 within that group, with the last four wins all coming by more than 15 points.

Coming up: The Hornets have had a positive point differential for almost 40 days, but they haven’t been .500 since they were 2-2. They’ll have a great chance to get there when they host the Mavs on Tuesday, and their game against the eighth-place Heat (who they trail by two games) three nights later will be the first of two meetings (both in Charlotte) in the span of 12 days.

Week 20: vs. DAL, @ BOS, vs. MIA, @ PHX

#15

Orlando MagicLast Week:17↑

Record: 31-28

OffRtg: 113.4 (19) DefRtg: 113.4 (13) NetRtg: +0.0 (17) Pace: 100.1 (18)

After coming out of the All-Star break with a 3-1 trip out West, the Magic returned home and lost two tough games to the Rockets and Pistons. They’re just a game in the loss column behind the sixth-place Sixers, but also just a game in the win column ahead of the 10th-place (and surging) Hornets.

Three takeaways

• The Magic had some incredible fourth quarters on the road trip, outscoring their opponents by an amazing 37 points per 100 possessions over their 48 fourth-quarter minutes out West. Their win in L.A. on Tuesday was their league-leading 16th win in a game they trailed by double-digits and just the Lakers’ third loss in a game they led by double-digits. Paolo Banchero played one of his best games of the season (36 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, 12-for-22 shooting) and Wendell Carter Jr. had the game-winning bucket (through a lot of contact) off a loose ball.

• But the script was flipped upon their return to Orlando. On Thursday, the Magic blew a 19-point, second-half lead, somehow allowing the Rockets to score 56 points on their final 31 offensive possessions. And on Sunday, the Magic scored just nine points on their final 20 trips, seeing a tie game turn into a 14-point loss to Detroit. They still have the fourth-best record (10-11) in games played between the top eight teams in the East, but are 2-6 within the group since mid-December.

• Overall, the Magic have been defending more like they did last season. Despite that ridiculous final 17 minutes from the Rockets, Orlando ranks third defensively (107.2 points allowed per 100 possessions) over its last 10 games. That includes just 100.0 allowed per 100 in Jalen Suggs’ 185 minutes on the floor over that stretch.

Coming up: The Magic are 6-1 since Feb. 1 against teams that are currently below .500, with the only loss being against the Bucks in their last game before the All-Star break. They’ll play three of their four games this week against that group, with a visit to Milwaukee (the second game of a back-to-back for both teams) on Sunday.

Week 20: vs. WAS, vs. DAL, @ MIN, @ MIL

#16

LA ClippersLast Week:14↓

Record: 28-31

OffRtg: 115.2 (12) DefRtg: 115.5 (18) NetRtg: -0.2 (19) Pace: 96.8 (28)

The Clippers finally felt the effects of their trade-deadline moves, losing three straight games for the first time since mid-December. But they’re in no danger of losing their spot in the Western Conference Play-In, and they put an end to the streak with a comfortable win over the improving Pelicans on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• The three losses were all against good teams and came by a total of just 11 points. The Clippers scored just 25 points on 29 clutch possessions over the three games, with some costly turnovers down the stretch of their loss to Minnesota (without Kawhi Leonard) on Thursday. They’ve still played the third fewest clutch games in the league (23).

• Overall, the loss to the Wolves was the sixth time the Clippers have scored less than a point per possession, and it dropped them to 4-10 without Leonard. They’ve scored just 104.3 points per 100 possessions in 552 total minutes with neither Leonard nor James Harden on the floor, so Darius Garland should be a welcome addition when he makes his Clippers debut.

• The Clippers trail the eighth-place Warriors by 2 1/2 games, having split the first two head-to-head meetings. LA has the league’s fourth-easiest remaining schedule (cumulative opponent winning percentage of .463), and it’s playing 13 of its 23 games at home. That includes the final game of the season vs. the Warriors.

Coming up: Garland could also be making his debut against Golden State on Monday. But that one will be on the road, with the Clippers playing at a rest disadvantage. It’s Game 2 of their first stretch of five games in seven days.

Week 20: @ GSW, vs. IND, @ SAS, @ MEM

#17

Miami HeatLast Week:18↑

Record: 32-29

OffRtg: 114.1 (15) DefRtg: 111.5 (4) NetRtg: +2.5 (11) Pace: 104.8 (1)

The Heat continue to have some mixed results, but they’re still in the mix for a top-six spot in the East, having picked up an impressive and much-needed win over the Rockets on Saturday afternoon.

Three takeaways

• The Heat still have the league’s third biggest differential between their record vs. the 14 teams currently at or below .500 (21-8) and their record vs. the 16 teams currently above .500 (11-21). The bigger difference has been on defense, but their worst defensive game in February came in Milwaukee on Tuesday, when they blew a nine-point, fourth-quarter lead and allowed the Bucks to score 128 points on 105 possessions.

• They had a one-point lead with 2 1/2 minutes left in Philadelphia two nights later, but then saw the Sixers close the game on an 8-0 run. The Heat rank fourth defensively overall, but they’re 28th in clutch defense, having allowed 120.6 points per 100 possessions with the score within five points in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime.

• The Heat played zone on some of those clutch defensive possessions on Thursday, and then they played 61 possessions of zone in their win over the Rockets two days later, according to Synergy tracking. For what would be the fourth straight season, the Heat lead the league in the percentage of defensive possessions (11.0%) on which they’ve played zone, which was the most zone they’ve played all season by a wide margin, and they held Houston to its worst offensive performance (105 points on 99 possessions) in its last nine games. The 0.92 points per possession the Heat have allowed in zone ranks second among 18 teams that have played at least 100 zone possessions total.

Coming up: The Heat’s win over Houston on Saturday was the start of a stretch where they’re playing seven of eight games at home, with the only road game in Charlotte on Friday. They’re 2-0 against the Hornets, having allowed just 106.6 points per 100 possessions (Charlotte’s third-worst mark vs. any opponent) over the two games. But both came in the first 18 days of the season and the Hornets have had the league’s top-ranked offense over the last 10 weeks.

Week 20: vs. BKN, vs. BKN, @ CHA, vs. DET

#18

Golden State WarriorsLast Week:16↓

Record: 31-29

OffRtg: 114.3 (14) DefRtg: 112.8 (11) NetRtg: +1.5 (13) Pace: 100.7 (14)

Stephen Curry has missed the last 10 games, but the Warriors are staying afloat. They’ve won four of the 10 to stay above .500 and in eighth place in the West.

Three takeaways

• The Warriors continue to take a lot of 3s, and they’re now 2-10 since Jan. 1 when they’ve shot worse than the league average from beyond the arc. That includes losses to the Pelicans and Lakers last week, with the loss to L.A. on Saturday coming with their second-worst 3-point discrepancy (57-36) of the season. They were 19-for-46 (41%) from 3-point range in their win in Memphis on Wednesday (their second-best offensive game of the season), with all nine guys who played making at least one shot from deep.

• Curry has a significant on-off differential on offense once again, but the Warriors have scored 121.8 points per 100 possessions in De’Anthony Melton’s 517 minutes on the floor without Curry. Melton’s effective field goal percentage (49.0%) is his lowest mark in the last six seasons, but his impact has been huge. He was a plus-9 in the loss in New Orleans, but the Warriors were outscored by 13 points in less than 20 minutes with him on the bench.

• Gui Santos has been in the starting lineup for each of the last 10 games and was rewarded with a standard, three-year contract last week. He’s averaged 18.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks per 36 minutes over the last 13 games, shooting 58% over that stretch. Santos is now the only player who’s shot 38% or better on at least 100 3-point attempts and 70% or better on at least 100 shots in the paint.

Coming up: The Warriors lead the ninth-place Clippers by 2 1/2 games, and they have two head-to-head meetings remaining. The first is Monday in San Francisco, after which the Warriors will have a two-day break and two tough road games. With their loss to the Lakers last week, they’re 3-9 without Curry or Jimmy Butler against teams that currently have winning records, having scored just 102.4 points per 100 possessions over those 12 games.

Week 20: vs. LAC, @ HOU, @ OKC

#19

Atlanta HawksLast Week:19

Record: 31-31

OffRtg: 113.6 (17) DefRtg: 113.6 (14) NetRtg: -0.0 (18) Pace: 103.0 (3)

The Hawks have taken advantage of a soft and home-heavy stretch of schedule (that isn’t over yet) to win four straight games (by an average of 24 points) and climb to .500 for the first time since they were 15-15 just before Christmas.

Three takeaways

• The winning streak has been the Hawks’ best four-game stretch of defense (96.8 points allowed per 100 possessions) this season. The context is that the four games have come against three teams – the Nets, Wizards (x 2) and Blazers – that rank in the bottom six offensively. But the opponents haven’t shot too terribly (32.6%) from 3-point range, and the Hawks have done a better job of protecting the paint, rebounding and keeping the opponents off the free throw line.

• The leading scorer (21.3 points per game) over the winning streak has been Jonathan Kuminga, who made his Hawks debut on Tuesday and has shot 21-for-31 (68%) over his three games. That includes 16-for-19 in the paint, with 29 of his 64 total points having come in transition, according to Synergy tracking. As a team, the Hawks rank third in the percentage of their possessions (22.4%) that have come in transition, making Kuminga (on the surface) a better fit in Atlanta than he was with the Warriors (16.5%, 21st).

• If the Eastern Conference standings included only games played within the Eastern Conference, the Hawks would be in 11th place. But they’re 14-10 against the West after their win over the Blazers on Sunday, and four of their six remaining interconference games are against the Mavs (x 2), Grizzlies and Kings. (Kuminga will also face his former team later this month.)

Coming up: The Hawks’ win over the Blazers on Sunday was the end of a five-game homestand. They’ll visit the Bucks on Wednesday and then begin another five-game homestand over the weekend, playing just three games over a span of 11 days.

Week 20: @ MIL, vs. PHI

#20

Portland Trail BlazersLast Week:20

Record: 29-33

OffRtg: 112.5 (25) DefRtg: 115.7 (20) NetRtg: -3.1 (21) Pace: 102.0 (7)

The Blazers remain safely in Play-In position, but only because nobody behind them is challenging them (or the Clippers) for one of the final two spots. They’re 2-4 since the All-Star break and their offense had a brutal weekend in Charlotte and Atlanta.

Three takeaways

• The Blazers scored less than a point per possession in seven (13%) of their 56 games before the break. Since the break, four of six, and they scored 96.5 per 100 as they lost both ends of their Charlotte-Atlanta weekend back-to-back by a total of 50 points. Scoot Henderson continues to struggle with his shot, making just three (11%) of his 28 3-point attempts over the last six games.

• Bad offense doesn’t help the transition defense, and the Blazers have allowed 27.0 transition points per game, according to Synergy tracking. Only the Jazz and Wizards have allowed more.

• The Blazers were 10-9 against the top eight teams in the West through Jan. 31, but went 1-4 (with a 54-point loss included) against that group in February, allowing 131.1 points per 100 possessions over those four losses. They have five games remaining against the West’s top eight and all five (including a visit to Houston on Friday) are on the road.

Coming up: The Blazers have two games left on the first of two post-break, five-game road trips, and they’ll be at a rest advantage in both Memphis and Houston. They’re just 3-4 (1-2 on the road) in rest-advantage games thus far.

Week 20: @ MEM, @ HOU, vs. IND

#21

Milwaukee BucksLast Week:21

Record: 26-33

OffRtg: 113.0 (22) DefRtg: 116.7 (23) NetRtg: -3.7 (23) Pace: 98.6 (24)

An 8-2 stretch had the Bucks knocking on the Play-In door, but they’ve since lost games to the Knicks and Bulls by a total of 52 points.

Three takeaways

• The Bucks ranked third offensively (120.6 points scored per 100 possessions) over the 8-2 stretch. Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins both averaged more than 21 points over the 10 games, with Porter shooting 61% inside the arc and 93% from the free throw line, while Rollins shot 28-for-57 (49%) from 3-point range.

• Rollins (two straight drives to go up four) and Porter (game-winner with 20 seconds left) had the big buckets down the stretch of the Bucks’ win over the shorthanded Cavs on Wednesday. The Bucks have won their last five games that were within five points in the last five minutes and are 17-13 in the clutch and 9-20 otherwise.

• With that and their two blowout losses over the last three days, the Bucks are 26-33 with the point differential of a team that’s 22-37.

Coming up: After a quick trip to Chicago, the Bucks are back at Fiserv Forum for a five-game homestand, with their visit from the Celtics on Monday the end of a stretch of five games in seven days. They’ve split the first two meetings with Boston (Giannis Antetokounmpo missed both), with the last (Feb. 1 in Boston) being one of the Bucks’ worst offensive games of the season. Antetokounmpo has now missed the last 15 games, but a return this week seems possible.

Week 20: vs. BOS, vs. ATL, vs. UTA, vs. ORL

#22

New Orleans PelicansLast Week:23↑

Record: 19-43

OffRtg: 112.7 (23) DefRtg: 117.9 (26) NetRtg: -5.2 (25) Pace: 101.3 (11)

Dejounte Murray made his season debut last week and the Pelicans put together a four-game winning streak, with (unrealistic) promises of competing for a Play-In spot. But Zion Williamson’s streak of 35 straight games played came to an end with a sprained ankle, and the winning streak was stopped with a wire-to-wire defeat to the Clippers on Sunday.

Two takeaways

• Murray started in his first game back, bumping Derik Queen to the bench and giving the Pelicans a starting point guard for the first time this season. He’s had almost as many turnovers (13) as assists (17) and the offense wasn’t any more efficient with him on the floor (113.1 points scored per 100 possessions) than it was with him off over the Pelicans’ four games last week, but his 8.4 assists per 36 minutes are the most on the team by a wide margin.

• Because the Pelicans are just 19-43, we can overlook that they are, statistically, the league’s sixth most improved team, 4.2 points per 100 possessions better than they were last season. The larger improvement, even when you take the league-average jump into account, has been on offense, and they rank fifth on that end of the floor (117.8 points scored per 100) over their last 10 games. That’s with Murray just getting started and with Trey Murphy III (who returned on Sunday) missing five of the 10.

Coming up: With their two-game sweep in Utah last week, the Pels are 7-3 (with six straight wins) within the bottom five in the Western Conference. They have four games remaining within the bottom five, with two of those four games in Sacramento. The first of those is Thursday as the Pels wrap up their six-game trip out West.

Week 20: @ LAL, @ SAC, @ PHX, vs. WAS

#23

Chicago BullsLast Week:22↓

Record: 25-36

OffRtg: 112.6 (24) DefRtg: 117.0 (25) NetRtg: -4.4 (24) Pace: 102.4 (5)

The Bulls went winless (0-11) in February, but they began March by coming back from a 16-point, second-half deficit against the Bucks on Sunday, running off a 27-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters.

Two takeaways

• Josh Giddey’s production was rather limited (12.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 25 minutes per game) over his first five games back from an extended absence. But he had 20, 14 and 10 in the win over Milwaukee, his 15th triple-double in 110 career games with the Bulls. Chicago is 12-3 in those games, including 5-3 when Giddey has recorded a triple-double this season. He and Nikola Jokić are the only players who’ve played at least 500 minutes and averaged at least 20 points, nine rebounds and nine assists per 36.

• Offense was the bigger issue (the Bulls ranked last on that end) over the course of the losing streak, but the win over the Bucks was the first time since the second game of the season that the Bulls’ defense allowed less than a point per possession. They do rank 10th in opponent field goal percentage in the paint (56.9%) and the Bucks shot just 13-for-30 (43%) on Sunday.

Coming up: The Bulls have lost seven straight against teams with winning records and their seven-game homestand concludes with a visit from the champs on Tuesday. That’s also the start of seven straight games against the Western Conference.

Week 20: vs. OKC, @ PHX, @ SAC

#24

Memphis GrizzliesLast Week:25↑

Record: 23-36

OffRtg: 113.5 (18) DefRtg: 115.6 (19) NetRtg: -2.1 (20) Pace: 101.5 (10)

The Grizzlies were the victims when the Kings ended their 16-game losing streak last Monday, but Memphis got back to its “best of the bad teams” status with wins in Dallas and Indiana over the weekend.

Two takeaways

• Zach Edey is set to have another ankle surgery, Brandon Clarke remains out for at least another two weeks, and Santi Aldama has missed 14 of the last 15 games. The Grizzlies have been starting 6-7 Olivier-Maxence Prosper at center and, unsurprisingly, having some issues on the glass. They ranked last in rebounding percentage in February, allowing their last three opponents to average 25.3 second-chance points. But they played the Pacers (29th in rebounding percentage) on Sunday and had their best rebounding game since mid-January.

• GG Jackson has started 10 of the last 11 games, and he’s averaged 16.4 points in just 26 minutes over that stretch. He’s got an effective field goal percentage of 57.3%, up from 50.1% over his first two seasons in the league, with the bulk of that improvement (from 49.1% to 61.5%) coming in the paint.

Coming up: The Grizzlies won 11 of their first 12 games against the other six Western Conference teams that currently have losing records, but they’re 3-5 within that group since Christmas. They have four games remaining within the West’s bottom seven, with two of them – home games vs. the Blazers and Clippers – coming this week.

Week 20: @ MIN, vs. POR, vs. LAC

#25

Dallas MavericksLast Week:24↓

Record: 21-39

OffRtg: 110.2 (26) DefRtg: 113.7 (15) NetRtg: -3.5 (22) Pace: 102.6 (4)

Cooper Flagg has missed the last seven games and the Mavs are 2-5 over that stretch, in the same place in the upside-down standings (seventh) as they were prior.

Two takeaways

• You don’t necessarily expect a rookie forward to help with turnover issues, but the Mavs have committed 2.0 fewer turnovers per 100 possessions with Flagg on the floor (13.3 per 100) than they have with him off the floor (15.3 per 100). Over their current three-game losing streak, the Mavs have committed 31 more turnovers than their opponents.

• Naji Marshall has handled the ball more in Flagg’s absence, and he had an eight-game stretch where he averaged 22.1 points on 55% shooting. also dishing out 13 total assists over the Mavs’ first two games last week. Marshall’s usage rate is still down a bit from last season, but he’s had his most efficient scoring year (true shooting percentage of 61.3%) of his career, registering career-best marks for field goal percentage in the paint (63.6%) and free throw rate (39 attempts per 100 shots from the field).

Coming up: The Mavs now head out on their longest road trip of the season (six games over 10 days), with the first three games coming against the Eastern Conference. They’re 10-10 (4-3 on the road) against the East after picking up their third win against Brooklyn last week.

Week 20: @ CHA, @ ORL, @ BOS, @ TOR

#26

Utah JazzLast Week:26

Record: 18-42

OffRtg: 113.0 (21) DefRtg: 120.7 (30) NetRtg: -7.7 (26) Pace: 103.1 (2)

Lauri Markkanen is out again and the Jazz are one of three winless teams since the All-Star break. They’ve lost five straight games overall and slid back to 14th place in the West with two losses to the Pelicans last week.

Two takeaways

• The Jazz have seen the league’s biggest improvement in turnover differential from last season, mostly because they ranked last by a huge margin in ’24-25. They’re 25th (1.7 per game more than their opponents) this season, having seen the league’s biggest drop in turnover rate and its third biggest jump in opponent turnover rate. But they somehow lost games last week when they committed 15 fewer turnovers than the Rockets and 12 fewer than the Pelicans. They shot 20-for-87 (23%) from 3-point range over the two games, and were also 0-for-12 from mid-range against New Orleans on Saturday.

• Keyonte George was back in the lineup on Saturday after playing just 13 minutes over the previous 10 games. Isaiah Collier came off the bench, but still played the most minutes and has now scored in double-figures in 15 straight games. He’s shot just 6-for-35 (17%) from 3-point range, but has averaged 16.3 points and 9.0 assists over that stretch and (despite the sub-par 3-point shooting) has a true shooting percentage of 57.0%, up from 49.4% last season.

Coming up: With their two losses to the Pelicans last week, the Jazz are 9-9 (3-5 on the road) in games played between the bottom nine teams in the league. Two of their five remaining games within that group are against the Wizards, and the Jazz will be at a rest disadvantage when they play in Washington on Thursday.

Week 20: vs. DEN, @ PHI, @ WAS, @ MIL

#27

Washington WizardsLast Week:27

Record: 16-43

OffRtg: 109.3 (29) DefRtg: 120.1 (28) NetRtg: -10.8 (30) Pace: 102.2 (6)

The Wizards have lost four straight games, but they remain in 13th place in the Eastern Conference, because the two teams behind them – the Nets and Pacers – have longer active streaks.

Two takeaways

• Trae Young remains on the shelf and Bub Carrington remains the Wizards’ starting point guard. Carrington has been an improved 3-point shooter (38.2%) from last season (33.9%), though he’s just 8-for-35 (23%) from beyond the arc over the last eight games, and he’s averaged just 5.1 drives per 36 minutes, a rate which ranks 108th among 143 guards who’ve played at least 750 minutes total.

• Even with Young, Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr (last seven games) out, opportunities for other guys on the roster are somewhat limited. The Wizards played 11 guys in their nine-point loss to the Raptors on Saturday, with none of their starters playing more than Bilal Coulibaly’s 23 minutes. The Wizard who has played the most minutes (26.8 per game) over Sarr’s seven-game absence is the oldest guy on the roster: Anthony Gill.

Coming up: The Wizards have five games remaining within the bottom nine in the league. That includes both of their meetings with the Jazz, and the Wizards will have a rest advantage when the teams with the league’s two worst records over the last three seasons meet in Washington on Thursday.

Week 20: vs. HOU, @ ORL, vs. UTA, @ NOP

#28

Brooklyn NetsLast Week:28

Record: 15-45

OffRtg: 109.8 (27) DefRtg: 118.3 (27) NetRtg: -8.5 (28) Pace: 97.0 (27)

The Nets were competitive against the Cavs on Sunday, but they’ve put themselves in the mix for the worst record in the league, having lost eight straight games, their longest streak of the season.

Two takeaways

• The Nets are in a position to rank in the bottom five on both ends of the floor for the first time in the last 10 seasons. They had the league’s No. 1 defense in December, but rank 29th on that end of the floor (120.5 points allowed per 100 possessions) since Jan. 1. The Celtics’ 148 points on 93 possessions (159.1 per 100) on Friday was the second most efficient performance for any team in the 30 years for which we have play-by-play data.

• The Nets continue to lead the league with nine wire-to-wire losses (games they never led), including one against the Spurs last week. They’re also just 1-41 (every other team has at least three wins) in games they trailed by double-digits. (The one win was Dec. 1 vs. Charlotte.) That would be the fifth-worst record after trailing by double-digits in those 30 seasons of play-by-play data.

Coming up: It was four weeks ago when the Nets lost by 53 points in Detroit, and they’re back at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, the end of a stretch of seven straight games against teams with winning records.

Week 20: @ MIA, @ MIA, @ DET

#29

Sacramento KingsLast Week:30↑

Record: 14-48

OffRtg: 109.5 (28) DefRtg: 120.2 (29) NetRtg: -10.6 (29) Pace: 100.3 (17)

The Kings finally put an end to their losing streak, which reached 16 games before they won in Memphis last Monday. They got another win in Dallas three nights later, but still have the league’s worst record.

Two takeaways

• It took a while for the results to follow, but the Kings have been much better regarding the possession game over the last month or so. Through their first 47 games, they averaged 2.9 fewer shot opportunities than their opponents. But over their last 15, they’ve averaged 5.4 more, having seen big jumps in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage. They also committed a season-low five turnovers in Dallas on Thursday, when they had 16 more shot opportunities than the Mavs, their best differential of the season.

• Rookie Dylan Cardwell was a big part of that rebounding improvement before the All-Star break, and he still ranks fifth in offensive rebounding percentage among 237 players who’ve averaged at least 20 minutes per game. But he’s missed all six of the Kings’ games since the break and they still have three guys (Precious Achiuwa, Drew Eubanks and Maxime Raynaud) who’ve averaged more than 10 rebounds per 36 minutes over those six games.

Coming up: The Kings still have a seven-game losing streak at home, and they’ll play nine of their next 10 games at the Golden 1 Center. They lost their first meeting with the Pelicans (in New Orleans) by 26 points, and their game on Thursday will be the start of six straight against teams with losing records.

Week 20: vs. PHX, vs. NOP, vs. CHI

#30

Indiana PacersLast Week:29↓

Record: 15-46

OffRtg: 108.7 (30) DefRtg: 116.7 (24) NetRtg: -8.0 (27) Pace: 101.9 (8)

The Pacers are holding onto last place in the Eastern Conference, having lost their last six games. Half of those losses have come against teams – Washington and Memphis – also in the bottom nine in the league.

Two takeaways

• It will be interesting to see how much Ivica Zubac (eventually) helps the Pacers on the glass. This would be the fourth straight season that they ranked in the bottom seven in rebounding percentage (29th this season), and they even got out-rebounded on Sunday by a team (the Grizzlies) starting 6-7 Olivier-Maxence Prosper at center. At the time Zubac had played his last game with the Clippers, LA had grabbed 51.2% of available rebounds with him on the floor and just 47.4% with him off the floor, with his bigger impact coming on the defensive glass.

• Pascal Siakam has missed six of the last seven games, and the Pacers are now 1-8 without him, having been outscored by 13.6 points per 100 possessions in his 1,191 total minutes off the floor.

Coming up: The Pacers will play eight of their next 11 games on the road, with a four-game trip beginning in L.A. on Wednesday. They’re just 1-9 in Western Conference arenas, with only one win having come in … Oklahoma City.

Week 20: @ LAC, @ LAL, @ POR