Power Rankings, Week 11: Spurs power past Thunder for No. 1

Tristan Thompson and David Fizdale give their thoughts on whether the Spurs are just a bad matchup for the Thunder.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will not be spending all 25 weeks of the season in the top spot in the Power Rankings. After a 24-1 start to their season, the Thunder are 3-4 over their last seven games.

That, in itself, might not have been enough to knock the champs down a notch. Oklahoma City is still three games and 5.3 points per 100 possessions ahead of every other team in the league. But three of those four losses have come to the same team, and the two last week were by a total of 35 points.

So as we head into 2026, we have a new No. 1.

Plus-Minus Players of the Week

Teams of the Week

• Make It Last Forever: LA Clippers (3-0) — Better late than never?
• Something Just Ain’t Right: Philadelphia (0-3) — The Sixers haven’t been better when they’ve been healthy.

* * *

East vs. West

• The West is 70-56 (.556) against the East in interconference games after going 8-8 last week.

Schedule strength through Week 10

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

* * *

Movement in the Rankings

• High jumps of the week: LA Clippers (+5), Utah (+3), Brooklyn (+3)
• Free falls of the week: Dallas (-7), New Orleans (-4), Portland (-4)

* * *

Week 11 Team to Watch

• Cleveland — The Cavs have started to play better, but they haven’t been able to put wins together, and they’ve hit a critical juncture in their season. They’re two games into a stretch where they’re playing 11 of 13 against teams currently over .500, with a visit to San Antonio on Monday followed by home games against the Suns, Nuggets and Pistons.

* * *

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 114.9 points scored per 100 possessions and 100.8 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:5↑

Record: 23-8

OffRtg: 118.8 (5) DefRtg: 112.5 (5) NetRtg: +6.2 (6) Pace: 100.7 (18)

The Spurs’ eight-game winning streak (in games that count toward the standings) came to an end on Saturday, when De’Aaron Fox missed their game against the Jazz. But they still have more wins against the Thunder than the rest of the league, having beat the champs on a neutral court, at home and on the road.

Three takeaways

• The defense is aided by the Spurs’ lack of turnovers against the Thunder. Their two wins last week were two of the seven times that the Thunder have forced fewer than 14 turnovers per 100 possessions. Fox had a quiet night scoring (six points) on Tuesday, but he led the way with 29 points on Christmas, and he has an assist/turnover ratio of 16/2 over the three games. Overall, the Spurs’ offense has been at its best (119.4 points scored per 100 possessions) with Fox on the floor.

• But the loss to Utah without Fox was more about the defense. Wembanyama was in the starting lineup for the first time since his month-long absence, but the Spurs allowed 127 points on 99 possessions, their worst defensive game of the 19 that Wembanyama has played in.

Coming up: The Spurs’ two losses against the Eastern Conference (one that counts in the standings, one that doesn’t) have come against the Cavs and the Knicks. They’ll have opportunities to avenge them both this week.

Week 11: vs. CLE, vs. NYK, @ IND, vs. POR

#2

Oklahoma City ThunderLast Week:1↓

Record: 27-5

OffRtg: 118.5 (6) DefRtg: 104.6 (1) NetRtg: +13.9 (1) Pace: 101.2 (13)

The Thunder are 27-2 against everybody else, but they’re 0-3 against the Spurs, having dropped both games of their home-and-home set last week. They look a lot more mortal than they did three weeks ago and are no longer a lock to finish with the league’s best record, let alone the most wins in NBA history.

Three takeaways

• The Thunder have the league’s fourth-biggest differential between their field goal percentage in the paint (61.3%, second best) and their effective field goal percentage on shots from outside the paint (52.8%, eighth). And they’re obviously more reliant on jump shots against the Spurs than they are otherwise. Only 41% of their shots against San Antonio (compared to 49% against all other opponents) have come in the paint, and they took 21 mid-range shots, tied for the third most for any team in any game this season, in their loss in San Antonio on Tuesday.

• The loss in San Antonio on Tuesday ended a streak of 25 straight games where the Thunder committed fewer turnovers than their opponent. Their turnover differential (5.4 fewer per game) is still more than twice as good as that of any other team. (Boston ranks second with 2.3 fewer per game than their opponents.)

Coming up: The second of the Thunder’s two losses to San Antonio was a rest-disadvantage game, and they’re now 2-3 in the second games of back-to-backs. They’ll be at a disadvantage again against the Hawks on Monday, though it’s a home-home back-to-back, with their win over the Sixers on Sunday having come in the afternoon.

Week 11: vs. ATL, vs. POR, @ GSW, @ PHX

#3

Denver NuggetsLast Week:2↓

Record: 22-9

OffRtg: 124.0 (1) DefRtg: 115.8 (20) NetRtg: +8.2 (3) Pace: 100.5 (19)

The Nuggets got a good win over the Wolves on Christmas, blowing a 15-point lead with less than six minutes left and then coming back from a nine-point deficit in overtime. But that was sandwiched by one-point losses in Dallas and Orlando, with game-winning, buzzer-beating shots spinning off the rim on both nights.

Three takeaways

• With Cam Johnson suffering a right knee injury in Dallas on Tuesday and joining Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon on the shelf, the Nuggets are down to two healthy starters. The two left are Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić, but Denver has been outscored by 5.9 points per 100 possessions (allowing an amazing 129.1 per 100) in 235 minutes with Murray and Jokić on the floor without any of the other three starters.

• The Nuggets (17-1) now have the fewest losses in games that weren’t within five points in the last five minutes. But Denver is now just 5-8 in clutch games, having allowed a league-worst 138 points per 100 possessions (178 on 129) when the score was within five in the last five minutes of regulation or overtime. There’s surely some bad luck in there, because their opponents have shot 20-for-39 (51%) on clutch 3-pointers.

Coming up: The Nuggets’ loss in Orlando on Saturday was the start of their longest road trip of the season (seven games over 12 days), and six of the seven games are against East teams with winning records. The seventh is against the team – Brooklyn – with the league’s No. 1 defense in December.

Week 11: @ MIA, @ TOR, @ CLE, @ BKN

#4

New York KnicksLast Week:3↓

Record: 22-9

OffRtg: 121.1 (3) DefRtg: 114.3 (15) NetRtg: +6.8 (4) Pace: 99.5 (26)

The Knicks couldn’t win in Minnesota without Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby on Tuesday, but they returned for Christmas and had 24 of the team’s 34 clutch points in narrow wins over the Cavs and Hawks.

Three takeaways

• The loss in Minnesota without Brunson was the Knicks’ worst offensive game of the season (104 points on 102 possessions) and they’ve now scored 13.1 more points per 100 possessions with him on the floor (124.7) than they have with him on the bench (111.6), a much bigger on-off differential than he had last season. But they also beat the Cavs on Thursday in a game in which they were outscored by 17 points in Brunson’s 39 minutes. Their depth is being tested, with Josh Hart (sprained ankle late in the Christmas win) joining Miles McBride and Landry Shamet on the shelf.

• The wins over the Cavs and Hawks came by a total of five points. The possession game made the difference in both, with the Knicks garnering eight more shot opportunities than the opponent in both games. Karl-Anthony Towns had an incredible tip-in to put them up four with 29 seconds left against Cleveland, and Anunoby put them ahead in Atlanta with two free throws after ripping an offensive rebound away from Jalen Johnson. The Knicks rank second (behind Detroit) in shot-opportunity differential, having averaged 3.6 more per game than their opponents.

• Mitchell Robinson had 18 offensive rebounds in 61 minutes last week and continues to have the highest offensive rebounding percentage (23.1%) for any player who’s averaged at least 15 minutes per game in the 30 seasons for which we have play-by-play data.

Coming up: Those stats don’t include the Emirates NBA Cup final, when Robinson had 10 offensive boards in just 18 minutes off the bench. The Knicks will face the Spurs in a game that counts toward the regular season standings (and stats) when they play in San Antonio on Wednesday.

Week 11: @ NOP, @ SAS, vs. ATL, vs. PHI

#5

Detroit PistonsLast Week:4↓

Record: 24-8

OffRtg: 116.9 (8) DefRtg: 110.9 (2) NetRtg: +6.0 (7) Pace: 101.0 (15)

The Pistons are 2-2 on their holiday trip out West, and their lead over the Knicks at the top of the Eastern Conference is down to just one game in the loss column.

Three takeaways

• The Pistons still rank second defensively, but the last three games have been, easily, their worst stretch on that end of the floor (124.2 points allowed per 100 possessions). They were able to beat the Kings with offense on Tuesday, but didn’t have enough against the Jazz or Clippers over the weekend. The Pistons rank last in opponent free-throw rate (34.1 attempts per 100 shots from the field) and that rate is 40.8 per 100 over the four-game trip thus far. Seven Pistons have averaged at least four fouls per 36 minutes over the four games.

• The Pistons’ loss to the Clippers on Sunday was just their second loss in a game that wasn’t within five points in the last five minutes. It was also the first time this season that they never held a lead as they were down double-digits after four minutes and never really threatened the Clippers (because they couldn’t stop Kawhi Leonard).

• That was a relatively rough night for the Pistons’ starting lineup, which has now eclipsed the 200-minute mark. It’s outscored opponents by 8.1 points per 100 possessions, a mark that ranks fifth among 12 lineups that have played at least 150 minutes. Jaden Ivey continues to come off the bench, though he played a season-high 29 minutes on Sunday, eight more than he’d logged in any of his previous 16 games.

Coming up: The Pistons are now 7-3 against the Western Conference, and their trip concludes with a game against the Lakers on Tuesday. Then they’ll play three straight games within the top nine in East, and will look to avenge their first non-clutch loss of the season (Oct. 27 vs. the Cavs) when they play in Cleveland on Sunday afternoon.

Week 11: @ LAL, vs. MIA, @ CLE

#6

Houston RocketsLast Week:6

Record: 19-10

OffRtg: 121.2 (2) DefRtg: 112.6 (7) NetRtg: +8.6 (2) Pace: 97.2 (28)

After a 1-4 stretch that concluded with their worst loss of the season (to the Clippers on Tuesday), the Rockets have seemingly righted the ship, blowing out the Lakers and Cavs late last week.

Three takeaways

• The Clippers’ 128 points on just 90 possessions on Tuesday were the fifth most efficient game for any team this season. LA shot 20-for-37 (54%) from 3-point range, also attempting 27 free throws and committing just 10 turnovers. The Rockets responded by allowing the Lakers and Cavs to score just 104.8 points per 100 possessions, with only 22 total free throw attempts and 31 turnovers. Houston is 18-2 (with 18 straight wins) when holding its opponent under 119 per 100, with the only two losses having come in October against the teams – Oklahoma City and Detroit – that rank first and second defensively.

• The Rockets are 2-1 without Alperen Sengun, who missed their win against the Cavs on Saturday. Steven Adams started in Sengun’s place and the Rockets have now outscored their opponents by an amazing 26.3 points per 100 possessions in Adams’ 245 minutes on the floor without Sengun.

• Tari Eason has been back for four games, and he replaced Josh Okogie in the starting lineup for the last two. Okogie has still shot 42% from 3-point range, but Eason has been better (49%) and has averaged 7.4 attempts per 36 minutes, compared to Okogie’s 4.5 per 36. The Rockets rank last in 3-point rate (just 33.3% of their shots), but they’ve seen the league’s biggest jump in 3-point percentage, from 35.3% (21st) last season to 40% (second) this season.

Coming up: The Rockets are 9-5 against the 14 teams that currently have losing records, and they’ll play seven of their next eight games against that group. One of those five losses came in Dallas, and they’ll return to American Airlines Center on Saturday.

Week 11: vs. IND, @ BKN, @ DAL

#7

Minnesota TimberwolvesLast Week:9↑

Record: 20-12

OffRtg: 116.4 (10) DefRtg: 112.7 (8) NetRtg: +3.7 (8) Pace: 100.9 (16)

The Wolves were tied (with the Spurs) for the league’s best record (10-2) between Thanksgiving and Christmas. But they’ve suffered as many losses over the last four days, with their Christmas comeback in Denver coming up short and with an ugly second half against the Nets over the weekend.

Three takeaways

• They benefited from the absences of Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby on Tuesday, but their five games before Christmas were the Wolves’ best stretch of defense (103.7 points allowed per 100 possessions) this season. Then they allowed the Nuggets and Nets to score 123.8 per 100, including an amazing 118 points on 81 possessions (146 per 100) in Rudy Gobert’s 36 minutes off the floor.

• The Wolves have now allowed 11.3 fewer points per 100 possessions with Gobert on the floor (107.4) than they have with him off the floor (118.7). That’s the biggest on-off differential on defense among full-time starters who’ve played at least 500 minutes and would be the biggest for Gobert in the last five seasons. Opponents have shot 52.9% in the paint with him on the floor and 59.6% in the paint with him off.

• Anthony Edwards couldn’t match Nikola Jokić’s output on Christmas, but he still had a remarkable performance (44 points on 14-for-25 from the field and 11-for-13 from the line) for a player dealing with shoulder pain. He’s seen a jump in both points per game and true shooting percentage every season he’s been in the league, and his 61.2% in the paint this season is easily the best mark of his career.

Coming up: The Wolves’ loss to Brooklyn on Saturday began a stretch of eight straight games against the Eastern Conference. They’re one of two teams (the Hawks are the other) with no road trips longer than four games this season, and their first of four four-game trips begins Monday in Chicago.

Week 11: @ CHI, @ ATL, @ MIA, @ WAS

#8

Boston CelticsLast Week:8

Record: 19-12

OffRtg: 120.8 (4) DefRtg: 114.2 (14) NetRtg: +6.6 (5) Pace: 96.6 (30)

The Celtics are still in third place in the East, and they had a couple of big comebacks against the Pacers last week. But they dropped the second game of what might be the easiest five-game road trip any team will have all season, committing six turnovers in the final four minutes of a narrow loss in Portland on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• This is still the third straight season where the Celtics ranked in the top two in turnover rate (12.8 per 100 possessions). But they’re 27th in clutch turnover rate (17 per 100) after their meltdown in Portland. Jaylen Brown has scored more efficiently with his higher usage this season, but his turnover ratio (11.1 per 100 possessions used) would be his highest since his rookie season. He had three of those six in the final four minutes on Sunday.

• The Celtics took Neemias Queta off the floor and played small for the final three minutes on Sunday. They paid the price when they needed one stop to give themselves a chance to win the game in the closing seconds. Deni Avdija missed a step-back 3, but 6-foot-6 Hugo González was tasked with boxing out 7-foot-2 Donovan Clingan … that didn’t work out. Clingan grabbed the rebound and his put-back gave the Blazers a four-point lead when he converted the three-point play. The Celtics have grabbed 69% of available defensive rebounds with Queta on the floor, but just 64.9% with him off the floor.

• The Celtics have still outscored their opponents by 17.2 points per 100 possessions with González on the floor. That’s the fourth-best on-court mark among 332 players who’ve averaged at least 10 minutes in 15 games or more. (He’s the only player in the top seven who’s not on the Thunder.)

Coming up: The Celtics have three games left on what seemed like an easy, five-game trip, though the Jazz and Clippers each had some quality wins last week. The Celtics can avenge an early-season, two-point loss when they play in Utah on Tuesday.

Week 11: @ UTA, @ SAC, @ LAC

#9

Los Angeles LakersLast Week:7↓

Record: 20-10

OffRtg: 117.6 (7) DefRtg: 117.4 (25) NetRtg: +0.2 (15) Pace: 99.6 (24)

The Lakers lost three straight games, and they had a negative point differential after their 23-point, Christmas-Day loss to the Rockets. But they ended the streak, got back on the plus side and climbed back into fourth place in the West with an easy win over the Kings on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• The Lakers were a worse-than-average defensive team last season as they’ve seen the league’s sixth biggest season-to-season jump in points allowed per 100 possessions. Things were particularly rough last week, when they allowed both Phoenix and Houston score more than 130 per 100. Over the two games, the Lakers were outscored by 36 points (100-64) in the restricted area.

• They’ve seen the biggest jump in opponent effective field goal percentage, even though they’ve seen a tiny improvement in opponent shot quality, according to tracking data. So they may see some regression to the mean, with their opponents having shot 38.1% (the league’s highest mark) thus far.

• The defense has been at its best (112.1 points allowed per 100 possessions) with Marcus Smart on the floor, and he’s now in the starting lineup with Austin Reaves (calf strain) out at least four weeks. The Lakers rank last in average pick-up distance on defense, but Smart has applied more pressure to opposing ball-handlers than Reaves.

Coming up: Luka Dončić has averaged 36.1 points (his highest mark vs. any opponent) in eight career games against the Pistons, who the Lakers will host on Tuesday. After that, they’ll play eight of their next nine against teams currently below .500. The Lakers are 13-3 against that group after beating the Kings over the weekend.

Week 11: vs. DET, vs. MEM, vs. MEM

#10

Phoenix SunsLast Week:10

Record: 18-13

OffRtg: 114.7 (13) DefRtg: 113.5 (10) NetRtg: +1.3 (14) Pace: 99.9 (21)

The Suns are hovering just outside the top six in the West, having won three straight games, including a thrashing of the Dončić-less Lakers on Tuesday.

Three takeaways

• Overall, the Suns now rank as the league’s most improved defensive team, having allowed 4.2 fewer points per 100 possessions than they did last season. A lot of that improvement is the league’s biggest jump in opponent turnover rate, but they’ve also seen significant drops in both opponent 3-point rate and opponent 3-point percentage.

• The Suns haven’t been as good an offensive team as they were last season, but their game against the Lakers was an opportunity for them to break out of a little offensive slump, and their 132 points on 95 possessions were their best offensive performance of the season. It came with 25 points on 10-for-15 shooting from Dillon Brooks, who continues to register the highest true shooting percentage of his career (56.8%) while having seen the league’s biggest jump in usage rate (from 17.6% to 28%) among 316 players who’ve played at least 200 minutes in each of the last two seasons.

Coming up: The Suns are the only team that hasn’t played in an Eastern Conference arena, and they’ve played just two total games against the East thus far. They’ll double that total in the next three days, finishing their four-game trip with visits to Washington and Cleveland. Their game in D.C. on Monday (for which Williams is suspended) will be their second rest-advantage game of the season.

Week 11: @ WAS, @ CLE, vs. SAC, vs. OKC

#11

Orlando MagicLast Week:11

Record: 18-14

OffRtg: 115.0 (11) DefRtg: 113.5 (12) NetRtg: +1.5 (12) Pace: 101.1 (14)

The Magic’s weekend back-to-back produced one of their worst losses of the season (Friday vs. Charlotte) and one of their best wins: a one-point, rest-disadvantage victory over the Nuggets on Saturday night.

Three takeaways

• The win over Denver came with a career-high 38 points from Anthony Black, who also stripped Nikola Jokić and went coast to coast to put the Magic up one with a little more than a minute left. Black has started the last eight games in Franz Wagner’s spot and has averaged a team-high 24.2 points over the last six. Eighteen of those 38 points on Saturday came on corner 3s, and he’s now 22-for-47 (47%) from the corners on the season.

• While Black has been thriving, Paolo Banchero has been relatively quiet, totaling just 37 points over the Magic’s last three games. It’s the first time in more than two years (since October 2023) that he’s scored fewer than 15 points in three straight games, and he scored fewer than 15 just three times total (in 46 games) last season. Banchero has a lower usage rate over this eight-game stretch without Wagner (25.7%) than he did prior (26.6%).

• The Magic have won eight of their last 10 games that were within five points in the last five minutes, but their two clutch wins last week were different. In Portland on Tuesday, the Magic and Blazers combined to score just 14 points on 21 clutch possessions, with Desmond Bane blocking Donovan Clingan with less than 15 seconds left. On Saturday, the Magic and Nuggets combined to score 28 points on 22 clutch possessions, with a big bucket from Tristan da Silva before Bane sank the game-winning free throws with 6.9 seconds left. He’s 16-for-16 on clutch free throws for the season, with the 16 being the second most among players who haven’t missed.

Coming up: The Magic trail the fourth-place Raptors by just a half game, and the first of their three head-to-head meetings is Monday in Toronto. That’s the start of a stretch where the Magic are playing five of six on the road, but after Monday, nine of their next 10 games will be against teams that currently have losing records.

Week 11: @ TOR, @ IND, @ CHI, vs. IND

#12

Toronto RaptorsLast Week:13↑

Record: 19-14

OffRtg: 113.9 (18) DefRtg: 112.6 (6) NetRtg: +1.3 (13) Pace: 99.7 (23)

The Raptors have seen the league’s biggest drop-offs in both winning percentage and point differential per 100 possessions since (American) Thanksgiving. But they got RJ Barrett back from a 15-game absence on Sunday and then got a huge performance from Scottie Barnes as they came back from a 12-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Warriors in overtime.

Three takeaways

• Barnes started at center on Sunday and had 23 points, a career-high 25 rebounds and 10 assists in the win over the Warriors. He sent the game to overtime with a tip-in at the end of regulation and then outrebounded the Warriors (6-0) in the extra period. Fourteen of his 17 shots came in the paint, and he’s now registering career-best marks in the paint (58.3%), from mid-range (41.2%) and from 3-point range (35.4%).

• Overall, the Raptors have been a little better in 275 minutes with Barnes at the five (plus-3.7 points per 100 possessions) than they’ve been in 849 minutes with him on the floor alongside Jakob Poeltl, Sandro Mamukelashvili or Jonathan Mogbo (plus-2.5 per 100). The offense has been much better, but the defense has been worse with him at center.

Coming up: The fourth-place Raptors’ win over the Warriors on Sunday afternoon was the start of a five-game homestand, which continues with a big game against the fifth-place Magic (the first of three meetings) on Monday night. Toronto is 6-5 in games played between the eight Eastern Conference teams with winning records.

Week 11: vs. ORL, vs. DEN, vs. ATL

#13

Miami HeatLast Week:14↑

Record: 17-15

OffRtg: 114.2 (17) DefRtg: 112.0 (4) NetRtg: +2.3 (9) Pace: 104.7 (1)

The Heat fell to .500 with a stretch where they lost eight of nine games. But they won both games of a weekend back-to-back to climb back into seventh place in the East.

Three takeaways

• The Heat scored just 91 points on 95 possessions in their loss to the Raptors on Tuesday, both their slowest-paced and worst offensive game of the season. But they picked the pace back up in their weekend back-to-back, averaging 110 offensive possessions per game and scoring 121.8 points per 100 possessions over the two wins. They’re now 13-5 when they’ve played at a pace of at least 103 possessions per 48 minutes and 4-10 when they’ve played slower.

• The Heat have played the slowest (103.7 possessions per 48 minutes) with Bam Adebayo on the floor, and he missed both of the weekend wins. Pelle Larsson replaced Adebayo in the starting lineup and shot 14-for-20 over the two games, also tallying 12 assists with zero turnovers. The second-year wing has 23 more assists and almost as many points in 26 games this season (88 assists, 246 points) as he had in 55 games last season (65 and 251).

• The pace over the two wins was aided by the Heat’s opponents committing a total of 47 turnovers, with 23 of them being live balls. Dru Smith was one of six Heat players with four steals over the two games and leads the league with 3.2 steals per 36 minutes. The Heat are 9-2 when their opponent has committed at least 18 turnovers.

Coming up: The Heat’s first game against the first-place Pistons (Nov. 29) was one of their fastest-paced losses of the season and one of those two losses where their opponent committed at least 18 turnovers. Their second meeting is their first game of 2026 (Thursday in Detroit).

Week 11: vs. DEN, @ DET, vs. MIN, vs. NOP

#14

Philadelphia 76ersLast Week:12↓

Record: 16-14

OffRtg: 113.8 (19) DefRtg: 113.7 (13) NetRtg: +0.1 (16) Pace: 100.3 (20)

The Sixers remain in the top six in the East, but they’ve lost three straight games for the first time, and two of those losses came to teams — Chicago and Brooklyn — with losing records.

Three takeaways

• The Sixers have scored just 105.4 points per 100 possessions over the losing streak. Tyrese Maxey shot just 12-for-38 (32%) against the Nets and Bulls and got very little help against the Thunder. The Sixers are 14-2 when they’ve scored at least 113 points per 100 possessions and 2-12 when they scored fewer.

• The Sixers had Maxey, Paul George and Joel Embiid in the lineup for their games against the Bulls and Nets last week, but are now 0-4 when all three have been available. They’ve outscored their opponents by 7.0 points per 100 possessions (with good defensive numbers) in their 81 minutes on the floor together, but have been outscored by 15 per 100 (scoring an anemic 100.4 per 100) in 121 minutes with at least one of the three on the bench over those four games.

• Embiid still hasn’t played in more than three straight games and he missed the game against Oklahoma City on Sunday (when the Sixers were down by just two points at halftime). They were down 16 entering the fourth quarter, because they lost the third by double-digits for the 11th time this season. They’ve now been outscored by 22.3 points per 100 possessions in the third period, the worst mark for any team in any quarter.

Coming up: The end of the Sixers’ five-game trip — Saturday in New York — is the first of three straight rest-advantage games. Philly is one of three teams with a league-high 14 rest-advantage games this season, and they’re 4-0 in those games thus far, with one of those wins having come at Madison Square Garden 10 days ago.

Week 11: @ MEM, @ DAL, @ NYK

#15

Golden State WarriorsLast Week:15

Record: 16-16

OffRtg: 113.4 (21) DefRtg: 111.5 (3) NetRtg: +2.0 (10) Pace: 100.8 (17)

It was an interesting week for the Warriors, who dealt with some more Draymond-Green-related drama, climbed back over .500 with a three-game winning streak and then suffered a tough, overtime loss in Toronto on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• The Warriors outscored their opponents by 50 points on second chances (74-24) over their three-game winning streak. But they still rank 26th in defensive rebounding percentage (67.7%) and they didn’t grab a single rebound in overtime on Sunday, even though the two teams combined to miss 10 shots in those five minutes. The Raptors finished with 18 offensive boards and a season-high 29 second-chance points, even though they played most of the game without a center.

• Those second chances negated a 48-39 advantage from beyond the arc. The Warriors continue to lead the league in 3-point differential, with their differential of 12.1 points per game being more than double that of any other team. They’ve been outscored from 3-point range in only three of their 32 games.

• Green remains one of the league’s best defenders, and defense is what’s keeping this team competitive. But this would be the first time in the last 12 seasons that the Warriors weren’t better with him on the floor than they’ve been with him off the floor. His offensive value comes from his passing, but he has almost as many turnovers (24) as assists (27) this month, with one of the Warriors’ three brutal turnovers in the final minute and a half of regulation on Sunday.

Coming up: The Warriors’ overtime loss in Toronto was the start of their first stretch of five games in seven days, with their two rest-disadvantage games this week coming against the Nets and Jazz. In 11 games at Barclays Center, Stephen Curry has averaged 30.1 points per game, his highest career average in any arena and the highest regular-season mark for any player in Brooklyn.

Week 11: @ BKN, @ CHA, vs. OKC, vs. UTA

#16

Cleveland CavaliersLast Week:17↑

Record: 17-16

OffRtg: 116.4 (9) DefRtg: 114.7 (16) NetRtg: +1.7 (11) Pace: 102.0 (8)

The Cavs have shown some signs of life and got Evan Mobley back earlier than expected. But they blew a 17-point, fourth-quarter lead in New York on Christmas and got blown out in Houston over the weekend.

Three takeaways

• The three games concluding with the Christmas loss were the Cavs’ best stretch of offense (129.5 points scored per 100 possessions) since early November. Their 24 3-pointers against the Hornets on Monday are tied for the most for any team this season, and they had another 20 as they ended the Pelicans’ five-game winning streak the following night. The offense was sharp for most of the afternoon in New York, but as things got tight in the fourth quarter, there were a couple of possessions where they could have been more intentional about running their stuff and generating a good shot.

• The last five games have also been the Cavs’ worst five-game stretch of defense (122.4 points allowed per 100 possessions) all season. Their opponents shot 47% from 3-point range over their four games last week, with the Knicks going 9-for-16 from the corners. The Cavs rank 28th in opponent 3-point percentage (38.0%), and only the Nets have seen their opponents shoot better from the corners.

• The Cavs are now 2-4 when Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Mobley and Jarrett Allen have all been available, though those four guys have played just 64 total minutes together over those six games. Mobley has come off the bench in the two games since his return and he scored just four points (on 2-for-9 shooting) in 20 minutes in Houston on Saturday.

Coming up: The Cavs are just two losses from matching their total from last season (64-18), and their schedule isn’t getting much easier anytime soon. They’re 4-10 against the other 14 teams that currently have winning records and just two games into a stretch where they’re playing 11 of 13 against that group. These next three weeks feel pretty important.

Week 11: @ SAS, vs. PHX, vs. DEN, vs. DET

#17

Memphis GrizzliesLast Week:18↑

Record: 15-17

OffRtg: 112.7 (23) DefRtg: 113.5 (11) NetRtg: -0.8 (17) Pace: 101.9 (9)

In the last nine days, the Grizzlies have had two chances to get back to .500 for the first time since they were 3-3. Both games were against the Wizards, but they went 0-2, coming up short in the clutch in Washington on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• The Grizzlies have seen the league’s third biggest drop in points scored per 100 possessions from last season. But they scored at least 125 per 100 for the fourth and fifth times last week. Three of those five efficient performances have come with Ja Morant in the lineup, and he totaled 38 points on 14-for-27 shooting in their two games over the weekend, returning from a four-game absence. But the Grizzlies have still scored just 106.8 points per 100 possessions in 253 minutes with Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. on the floor together, a huge drop-off from their minutes together (117.1 per 100) last season.

• If this were college basketball and the conference standings were determined by games only within the conference, the Grizzlies would be in fifth place in the West at 13-9. But they’re 2-8 against the East after the loss in Washington on Sunday.

• Even with the two losses to Washington, the Grizzlies have the league’s biggest differential between their record vs. teams currently at or below .500 (13-4) and their record vs. teams currently above .500 (2-13). The bigger difference has been on offense, where they’ve scored just 106.5 points per 100 possessions against the good teams. The Grizzlies have played 13 of their last 17 games against the below-.500 group, but will now play eight of their next nine against teams that currently have winning records.

Coming up: The Grizzlies and Lakers are the only two teams not playing on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, and they’ll open 2026 with a two-game series in L.A. starting Friday. The Grizzlies had a 14-point lead at halftime of the first meeting (in Memphis on Halloween), but were outscored, 62-43, in the second half.

Week 11: vs. PHI, @ LAL, @ LAL

#18

Atlanta HawksLast Week:16↓

Record: 15-18

OffRtg: 114.6 (15) DefRtg: 115.8 (19) NetRtg: -1.2 (18) Pace: 103.0 (4)

A six-game losing streak has taken the Hawks from three games above .500 to three games below. It has also put them in danger of falling out of SoFi Play-In Tournament positioning in the East.

Three takeaways

• The Hawks are 1-8 in games that Trae Young has played more than 10 minutes. But as he’s played in the last four games (including both games of their weekend back-to-back), they’ve been much better offensively in his 121 minutes on the floor (123.2 points scored per 100 possessions) than they’ve been in his 71 minutes on the bench (104.5). They haven’t fully staggered his minutes with those of Jalen Johnson so that one of the two is always on the floor, and they’ve scored just 30 points on 37 offensive possessions (81 per 100) in 19 total minutes with both on the bench over the last four games.

• The Hawks remain one of four teams that rank in the bottom 10 in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage, and they’ve grabbed less than 50% of available rebounds in all six games of the losing streak. Their three games last week were determined by a total of 21 points and they were outscored by 30 (58-28) on second chances. The Knicks took the lead with 30 seconds left on Saturday after OG Anunoby took a rebound away from Johnson.

• The last five losses have all come at home in what was one of the Hawks’ three longest homestands of the season (all five games). They’re now 5-11 at State Farm Arena and 10-7 elsewhere, which would be the biggest home-road discrepancy in NBA history.

Coming up: The Hawks’ rest-advantage game in Oklahoma City on Monday will be their 10th straight game without Kristaps Porziņģis, but he could make his return this week. The Hawks are just two games into a stretch of seven straight against teams with winning records.

Week 11: @ OKC, vs. MIN, @ NYK, @ TOR

#19

Utah JazzLast Week:22↑

Record: 12-19

OffRtg: 115.0 (12) DefRtg: 121.3 (29) NetRtg: -6.3 (26) Pace: 103.0 (3)

After losing four straight games, the Jazz had as impressive a back-to-back as any team might this season. They beat the Pistons (who had won seven of eight) at home and then beat the Spurs (who had won eight straight in games that count toward the standings) on the road.

Three takeaways

• The Jazz still rank 29th defensively, in the bottom two on that end of the floor for what would be the third straight season. But they’ve seen the league’s sixth biggest jump in points scored per 100 possessions, and the last three games (124.5 points scored per 100 possessions) have been one of their best stretches of offense this season. Keyonte George has averaged 27.7 points over the three games and Lauri Markkanen (after missing their loss to Memphis) totaled 59 points (shooting 9-for-13 from 3-point range) over the weekend back-to-back.

• The Jazz lost a 17-point, second-half lead in San Antonio on Saturday, but never trailed after they went on a 36-12 run in the second quarter. And Markkanen had an incredible sequence – a tip dunk, a 3-pointer and a block – to give them some separation with less than three minutes left. With the two weekend wins, they’re 9-6 in games that were within five points in the last five minutes, and were the first team to win more clutch games than it did last season, when they were a league-worst 8-25. (Toronto then surpassed its clutch win total from last season on Sunday.)

• While they rank 29th defensively overall, the Jazz are one of three teams that have allowed less than a point per possession in the clutch. And with his game-winner against the Pistons on Friday, George is 5-for-9 on shots to tie or take the lead in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime. Those five buckets have him tied with Alperen Sengun (5-for-13) for the league lead.

Coming up: The Jazz have played a tough schedule regarding opposing offenses, with 15 of their 31 games having come against teams that currently rank in the top 10 on that end of the floor. One of their best defensive games of the season actually came (Nov. 3) in Boston, and they’ll face the Celtics’ fourth-ranked offense again on Tuesday.

Week 11: vs. BOS, @ LAC, @ GSW

#20

Charlotte HornetsLast Week:21↑

Record: 11-20

OffRtg: 114.7 (14) DefRtg: 117.3 (24) NetRtg: -2.7 (19) Pace: 99.9 (22)

The Hornets are 7-6 since Thanksgiving, with four of those seven wins having come against teams – Toronto, Cleveland and Orlando – with winning records.

Three takeaways

• The Hornets rank eighth defensively (113.9 points allowed per 100 possessions) since Thanksgiving, up from 25th (119.8 allowed per 100) prior. They’ve also played a tougher schedule regarding opposing offenses (six of the 13 games against teams currently in the top 11 offensively) than they had before the holiday. Over their last two games, the Wizards and Magic combined to shoot just 46.6% in the paint and just 30% from 3-point range.s

• With Ryan Kalkbrenner out, Moussa Diabaté has started the last two games and totaled 30 rebounds over the two wins. For the second straight season, the Hornets have been an elite offensive rebounding team (offensive rebounding percentage of 39.4%) with Diabaté on the floor, and they’ve outscored opponents by an amazing 23.3 points per 100 possessions in his 167 minutes alongside LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel.

• But the Hornets lost Knueppel to a right-ankle sprain in the second quarter of their win in Orlando on Friday. He’s one of only two players (Michael Porter Jr. is the other) who’ve shot better than 40% on at least eight 3-point attempts per game. His true shooting percentage of 63.9% would be the highest in NBA history for any rookie that’s averaged at least 15 points per game.

Coming up: The Hornets trail the ninth-place Bucks by a game and a half, having split the first two games of the season series. The final two games will be this week, with their visit to Milwaukee on Friday being the start of the Hornets’ first stretch of five games in seven days.

Week 11: vs. MIL, vs. GSW, @ MIL, @ CHI

#21

Brooklyn NetsLast Week:24↑

Record: 10-19

OffRtg: 112.4 (25) DefRtg: 115.8 (18) NetRtg: -3.4 (23) Pace: 98.0 (27)

The Nets are 7-3 in December and their first three-game winning streak of the season has come against three teams – Toronto, Philadelphia and Minnesota – with winning records.

Three takeaways

• The Nets’ defensive turnaround remains remarkable. It bears repeating that they ranked 29th defensively (just a hair better than the Wizards) through Nov. 30, and have had the league’s No. 1 defense (by a healthy margin) this month. They’ve held nine of their 10 December opponents (including each of the last seven) under the league average for efficiency.

• The offense has had its moments, too. Cam Thomas returned from a 20-game absence on Saturday and scored 30 points in 19:48 off the bench, shooting 9-for-15 from the field and 9-for-9 at the line. It was just the fifth time in (at least) the last 44 seasons that a player scored at least 30 points while playing less than 20 minutes. The Nets’ 33-for-39 (85%) in the paint against the Wolves’ top-10 defense was the best paint shooting game for any team this season.

• The win in Minnesota was also just the second time the Nets won a game they trailed at the half. They were down one at the break, but held the Wolves to just 44 points on 49 points in the third and fourth quarters. The Nets are still tied (with Cleveland) for the league’s biggest differential between their record when they’ve led at the half (7-2) and their record when they’ve trailed at the half (2-17).

Coming up: The Nets are playing five of their next six games at home, and it’s a good time to be in Brooklyn as Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Nikola Jokić are coming to Barclays Center in the next week. The Nets’ worst defensive game of the season (137 points allowed on 92 possessions) was in Houston in October.

Week 11: vs. GSW, vs. HOU, @ WAS, vs. DEN

#22

LA ClippersLast Week:27↑

Record: 10-21

OffRtg: 114.4 (16) DefRtg: 117.7 (26) NetRtg: -3.3 (21) Pace: 96.8 (29)

Here come the Clippers. After winning just three of their previous 22 games, they’ve won four straight, with three of those wins coming against the Lakers, Rockets and Pistons.

Three takeaways

• Before last week, Kawhi Leonard had just eight 40-point games in his *regular-season career (751 games total), and his last one was more than two years ago. But he had 41 points against the Rockets’ seventh-ranked defense on Tuesday and a career-high 55 against the Pistons’ second-ranked defense on Sunday. Leonard didn’t score in double-digits from the free throw line in any of his 37 games last season or in any of his first 17 games this year. But he’s done so in three of his last four and is now an incredible 123-for-126 (98%) from the line, which would be the second-best mark in NBA history for a player with at least 100 attempts.

* Leonard has five career 40-point playoff games.

• The winning streak began with the Clippers holding the Lakers under a point per possession. But the last three games have been more about the offense, with their 128 points on 90 possessions against Houston being the fifth most efficient offensive game for any team this season. When Leonard had a relatively quiet night (28 points) in Portland on Friday, Brook Lopez shot 9-for-14 from 3-point range.

• Given the Western Conference standings, that was one of the Clippers’ most important wins of the season. They’re 2-15 in games they trailed by double-digits, and both wins have come against the 10th-place Blazers, who they now trail by 2 1/2 games.

Coming up: The Clippers’ win over Detroit on Sunday was the start of a five-game homestand, which continues with very winnable games against the Kings and Jazz. With that win in Portland last week, they’re 4-5 in games played between the seven Western Conference teams with losing records.

Week 11: vs. SAC, vs. UTA, vs. BOS

#23

Chicago BullsLast Week:25↑

Record: 15-16

OffRtg: 113.6 (20) DefRtg: 117.2 (23) NetRtg: -3.6 (25) Pace: 103.6 (2)

After that brutal stretch where they lost six games to the bottom seven teams in the league, the Bulls got back to .500 with a five-game winning streak before losing to the Bucks in Giannis Antetokounmpo’s return on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• With their win over Philadelphia on Friday, the Bulls are 8-6 against the 15 teams that currently have winning records. After their loss to Milwaukee the following night, Chicago is 7-10 against the 15 teams currently at or below .500. The Nuggets (9-3 vs. 13-6) are the only other team that has a better record against the top 15 than they do against the bottom 15.

• The Bulls lead the league with nine wins (they’re 9-13) in games they trailed by double-digits. They were down 13 at the end of the third quarter in Atlanta on Tuesday, but won the fourth quarter, 34-18, and escaped with a win when the Hawks committed an away-from-the-play foul with the score tied and 1.9 seconds left. Three nights later, the Bulls erased two double-digit deficits and closed the game on a 10-0 run (highlighted by Jalen Smith’s dunk on Joel Embiid) to beat the Sixers by seven. They scored 52 points on 34 clutch possessions (1.53 per) over their five-game winning streak.

• But the Bulls are just 3-7 in games that weren’t within five points in the last five minutes. Among Eastern Conference teams, only the Pacers (3-16) and Wizards (3-17) have been worse in games that weren’t close.

Coming up: The Bulls still have four games left on their six-game homestand, though the last two will also be the start of their second (and final) stretch of five games in seven days. They’ve already lost twice to the Pelicans, who will be at the United Center on Wednesday.

Week 11: vs. MIN, vs. NOP, vs. ORL, vs. CHA

#24

Portland Trail BlazersLast Week:20↓

Record: 13-19

OffRtg: 112.9 (22) DefRtg: 116.2 (21) NetRtg: -3.3 (22) Pace: 102.6 (5)

The Blazers lost the first three games of a five-game homestand, but got a quality win over the Celtics on Sunday to hold onto the last SoFi Play-In Tournament spot in the West.

Three takeaways

• Jerami Grant has missed the last five games … and the Blazers have scored less efficiently than the league average in all five, including an anemic 87.9 points per 100 possessions in Deni Avdija’s 46 minutes on the bench over that stretch. They erased two double-digit deficits against the Magic on Tuesday and were down two with two minutes left, but then scored just one point on their final six trips down the floor.

• The Blazers’ offense wasn’t great on Sunday, but the Celtics had their worst offensive performance (108 points on 103 possessions) since Nov. 1. Their 20 turnovers were tied for the most they’ve committed this season, and four of them came in the final 68 seconds. Though they couldn’t stop the Clippers on Friday, the Blazers have allowed just 111.1 points per 100 possessions over this five-game stretch without Grant, their best five-game stretch of defense since October.

• While the Celtics committed 20 turnovers on Sunday, the Blazers committed 21. With that, they’ve committed fewer turnovers than their opponent in only one of their last 19 games. They had 19 fewer shot opportunities than the Pistons in their eight-point loss last Monday.

Coming up: The Blazers’ win over the Celtics on Sunday was the start of their second stretch of five games in seven days, and they’ll be at a rest disadvantage against the Mavs on Monday night. They’re 3-2 in the second games of back-to-backs, having allowed just 107.4 points per 100 possessions over those five games.

Week 11: vs. DAL, @ OKC, @ NOP, @ SAS

#25

Milwaukee BucksLast Week:26↑

Record: 13-19

OffRtg: 112.6 (24) DefRtg: 115.7 (17) NetRtg: -3.2 (20) Pace: 99.5 (25)

Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from an eight-game absence on Saturday and led the Bucks to a much-needed win in Chicago, scoring 29 points in less than 25 minutes. Milwaukee is 10-8 with him and 3-11 otherwise.

Three takeaways

• The Bucks’ 112 points on 96 possessions on Saturday weren’t a super-efficient performance, but it was their best offensive game in their last six. They’ve scored 18.8 more points per 100 possessions with Antetokounmpo on the floor (124.4) than they have with him off the floor (105.6), the biggest on-off differential on offense among players who’ve played at least 250 minutes. Antetokounmpo has now scored 521 points in 520 minutes of playing time, which would give him three of the top six per-minute scoring seasons in NBA history.

• Ryan Rollins was also back in the starting lineup on Saturday after four games coming off the bench and playing less than 24 minutes in Memphis the night prior. He scored nine points in the Bucks’ opening night win over the Wizards and has scored in double-figures in each of the 31 games since. The Bucks are 4-0 when Antetokounmpo has played at least 15 minutes and Rollins has scored 20 points or more.

• Antetokounmpo has drawn a league-high 9.8 fouls per 36 minutes, and he made eight of his 10 free throws on Saturday, going 3-for-3 in the clutch. The Bucks outscored the Bulls by seven points (their best differential of the season) at the line, but still have the worst free-throw discrepancy in the league (minus-5.5 points per game).

Coming up: The Bucks are three games into a stretch of seven straight against teams with losing records, so they have a chance to put together some wins. With their victory in Chicago on Saturday, they’re 9-6 (7-2 with Antetokounmpo) against the other 14 teams currently at or below .500.

Week 11: @ CHA, vs. WAS, vs. CHA, @ SAC

#26

Dallas MavericksLast Week:19↓

Record: 12-21

OffRtg: 109.4 (28) DefRtg: 112.9 (9) NetRtg: -3.6 (24) Pace: 102.3 (6)

The Mavs got a good win over the Nuggets on Tuesday, but Anthony Davis (adductor injury) is out again and they’ve lost four of their last five games.

Three takeaways

• Davis has yet to play in more than five straight games and, with their loss in Sacramento on Saturday, the Mavs are 4-13 without him. Eleven of those 13 losses have been within five points in the last five minutes (they continue to lead the league in clutch games), but they’ve scored just 106.3 points per 100 possessions over those 17 games overall. Saturday was just the fourth time that the Kings have allowed less than 105 per 100.

• The one-point win over the Nuggets (with Davis) was the Mavs’ best offensive game of the season (131 points on 98 possessions). Cooper Flagg led the way with 33 points and nine assists, making as many 3-pointers (four) as he had made over his previous 10 games combined. That included a late-clock 3-pointer that put Dallas up five with a little more than three minutes left. Flagg’s 68 clutch points are more than twice as many as any other rookie and 30 more than any rookie had all of last season.

• The Mavs had just four 3-pointers as a team in their 10-point loss to the Warriors, when they were outscored by 30 points from beyond the arc. They now have four games of making five or fewer 3s, while the rest of the league has just eight. The Mavs and Pelicans are the two teams that rank in the bottom five in both 3-point percentage and 3-point rate.

Coming up: The Mavs have now lost six straight road games and will complete a three-game trip in Portland on Monday. One of their four wins without Davis came in mid-November against the Blazers, who they trail by a game and a half for the final SoFi Play-In Tournament spot in the West.

Week 11: @ POR, vs. PHI, vs. HOU

#27

New Orleans PelicansLast Week:23↓

Record: 8-25

OffRtg: 111.9 (26) DefRtg: 118.8 (27) NetRtg: -6.9 (27) Pace: 101.8 (10)

After five straight wins, the Pelicans have lost three straight to fall back into last place in the Western Conference.

Three takeaways

• The five-game winning streak was the Pelicans’ best stretch of defense this season (107.7 points allowed per 100 possessions), and the three-game losing streak coincides with them losing Herb Jones to an ankle injury. They’re 1-10 without Jones, having allowed more than 121 points per 100 possessions over those 11 games. Jones’ defensive assignment on Tuesday (when the Cavs scored 141 on 107 possessions) surely would have been Donovan Mitchell, who scored 27 points in less than 30 minutes, shooting 11-for-16 from the field.

• The Pelicans are still one of only eight teams that have allowed fewer points per 100 possessions than they did last season (119.1), but that has only resulted in a jump from 29th to 27th on that end of the floor.

• Zion Williamson has played in seven straight games, a stretch that includes two back-to-backs. He continues to come off the bench, with his 29 minutes against Phoenix on Saturday being the most he’s played since his latest return. He’s played only 42% of his minutes over those seven games (73/175) alongside Derik Queen, and the Pelicans have scored just a point per possession with the two big men on the floor together over that stretch.

Coming up: If the Pelicans are going to climb back out of the basement in the Western Conference, they’ll have to get some more wins against the East. They’re 4-4 against the opposite conference, with two of those four wins having come against the Bulls. They’ll make a second visit to Chicago on Wednesday, playing nine of their next 12 games against the East.

Week 11: vs. NYK, @ CHI, vs. POR, @ MIA

#28

Washington WizardsLast Week:28

Record: 7-23

OffRtg: 110.2 (27) DefRtg: 122.0 (30) NetRtg: -11.8 (30) Pace: 102.2 (7)

After winning only three of their first 23 games, the Wizards are 4-3 over their last seven and have won two straight games for the first time.

Three takeaways

• On Tuesday, the Wizards’ defense yielded the Hornets’ best offensive performance of the season. On Friday, the Wizards had their best offensive performance of the season, scoring 138 points on 103 possessions against the Raptors’ sixth-ranked defense, thanks in part to 15-for-33 (46%) shooting from beyond the arc. They’ve seen the league’s fifth biggest jump in 3-point percentage from last season, and they were 15-for-33 (46%) from beyond the arc against Toronto. Bub Carrington was 4-for-7 on Friday and is now 56-for-129 (43.4%) this season, up from 33.9% last season. That’s the biggest jump among 130 players with at least 100 3-point attempts each of the last two years.

• Alex Sarr had 13 blocks in the Wizards’ three games last week and is now one of four players (minimum 250 minutes played) with more blocks (47) than personal fouls (43). Opponents have shot just 49.5% at the rim when Sarr has been there, the third-best rim protection mark among 65 players who’ve defended at least 100 shots at the basket.

• The Wizards never led by more than nine points as they completed a season sweep of the Grizzlies on Sunday. They’re 4-8 in games they led by double-digits, which would be the worst up-by-double-digits record for any team in the 30 seasons for which we have play-by-play data.

Coming up: The Wizards are 1-31 in the second games of back-to-backs over the last three seasons and they’ll be at a rest disadvantage when they host the Suns on Monday. Then they’ll play two games against fellow East teams with losing records, 3-7 within that group, after their loss in Charlotte (a game they led by 10) last week.

Week 11: vs. PHX, @ MIL, vs. BKN, vs. MIN

#29

Sacramento KingsLast Week:29

Record: 8-24

OffRtg: 109.1 (29) DefRtg: 119.0 (28) NetRtg: -9.9 (29) Pace: 101.5 (11)

The Kings went 2-2 on a homestand, picking up a relatively comfortable win over the Mavs on Saturday. But they began a three-day stay in L.A. with a 24-point loss to the Lakers and are the only team in the bottom three on both ends of the floor.

Three takeaways

• Keegan Murray suffered a calf strain on Tuesday, so the Kings are now down three starters, with Domantas Sabonis having missed the last 18 games and Zach LaVine having missed the last six. They’ve started a frontline of Precious Achiuwa and Maxime Raynaud over LaVine’s absence and while the overall numbers with that duo on the floor align pretty well with the Kings’ season-long numbers, the rebounding has been pretty good. The Kings rank last in rebounding percentage (46.8%), but have grabbed 52.5% of available boards in 81 minutes with both Achiuwa and Raynaud on the floor over these last six games.

• The Kings had their third-most-efficient offensive game of the season (127 points on 100 possessions) against the league’s second-ranked defense on Tuesday, with DeMar DeRozan shooting 12-for-15 inside the arc and 13-for-15 at the line. But they still lost to the Pistons, allowing more than 130 per 100 for the fifth time.

• The Mavs cut the Kings’ 18-point lead down to four in the final minute on Saturday, so the Kings still have just one win that wasn’t within five points in the last five minutes. Every other team has at least three.

Coming up: The Kings have yet to play any of the three teams (the Pelicans, Clippers and Mavs) in the bottom four in the West. Their first meeting with the Clippers is Tuesday in L.A, the middle game of their only stretch of five games in seven days.

Week 11: @ LAC, vs. BOS, @ PHX, vs. MIL

#30

Indiana PacersLast Week:30

Record: 6-26

OffRtg: 107.7 (30) DefRtg: 116.8 (22) NetRtg: -9.1 (28) Pace: 101.3 (12)

The Pacers now have the league’s worst record, thanks to an eight-game losing streak where six of the eight losses have come by double-digits.

Three takeaways

• Their loss in Miami on Saturday was the first time since opening night (when Andrew Nembhard suffered a shoulder injury in the second quarter) that the Pacers had Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin and Aaron Nesmith all available. Nesmith came off the bench in his return from a 19-game absence and the Pacers were outscored by 26 points in his 19 minutes. The Pacers’ three returning (and healthy) starters – Nembhard, Nesmith and Pascal Siakam – have played just 68 minutes together, and Indiana has allowed 134.4 points per 100 possessions in those minutes.

• We can assume that Nesmith will eventually become the fifth starter alongside Nembhard, Mathurin, Siakam and Jay Huff, a group that has started the last 13 games together. Six other Pacers have started at least one of those 13 games, but the Pacers have only been outscored by 4.0 points per 100 possessions in 216 minutes with those four guys on the floor together over that stretch. They’ve been outscored by 11.3 per 100 in 408 minutes with at least one of them on the bench, with a big drop-off on defense.

• Not coincidentally, the Pacers have been at their best in the first quarter. But with their two losses to the Celtics last week (games they led by 20 and 15 points), they’re 5-8 in games they led by double-digits. The Wizards (4-8) are the only other team with a losing record after leading by 10-plus.

Coming up: The Pacers are 0-16 against the 15 teams that currently have winning records, and they’re just two games into a stretch of seven straight against that group. This week brings their first meetings with the Rockets, Magic and Spurs.

Week 11: @ HOU, vs. ORL, vs. SAS, @ ORL