Power levels, Week 10: Where things stand as the Christmas games approach |

In anticipation of the 5-game Christmas Day slate, here are all 30 teams heading into Week 10.

Victor Wembanyama has dazzled the defense with his play and has made it 100 games in a row with a shutout.

The Atlanta Hawks have fallen to .500, having lost their last three games.That leaves us with 15 teams with winning records entering Week 10.

But with the season only 34% total, there is a difference in as many games the 15 teams have played against each other.The Boston Celtics have played 19 games against the other 14, while the Oklahoma CITY Thunder have only played seven.

That means we'll see the Thunder tested a lot more over the final 16 weeks of the season than the first nine weeks.They remain No. 1 in the power rankings, but are slightly less dominant than they were two weeks ago.

15 teams currently have a record over .500 among them

|Group |

|Denver |

|"Oklahoma State Map |

|Detroit |

|L.A.Lakers |

|New York |

|Houston |

|Saint Anthony |

|Boston |

|Orlando |

|Phoenix |

|Philadelphia |

|Toronto |

| Cleveland |

|Minnesota |

|Miami |

Player of the week plus-minus

Bands of the week

- May it last forever: New Orleans (2-0) - The Pelicans are healthy and have won four straight games.

- Something is not right: Preventa (0-3) - Trae Young back and the Hawks are back to .500.

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East vs. West

- The West is 62-48 (.564) against the East in conference games after going 7-3 last week.

Strength schedule up to week 9

- Toughest: 1. Sacramento, 2. New Orleans, 3. Orlando

- Easiest: 1. Oklahoma City, 2. Denver, 3. Detroit

- Strength of schedule is based on cumulative opponent record.

* * *

Movement in space

- Weekly high jumps: New Orleans (+3), Philadelphia (+3)

- Losers of the week: Milwaukee (-5), Houston (-3), LA Clippers (-3)

******

Week 10 Team to Watch

- San Antonio - The Spurs have won their last six games, including a crushing loss to the Thunder in Las Vegas.They will face the champions two more times this week.Hosted on TuesdayThen visit Oklahoma City for Christmas.

* * *

OffRtg: Points per 100 possessions (league rating)

DefRtg: Points Allowed per 100 Possessions (League Position)

NetRtg: Point Difference per 100 Possessions (League Ranking)

Speed: Possession per 48 minutes (league ranking)

The league is averaging 114.7 points per 100 turnovers and 48 minutes per 100 turnovers this season (per team).

's Power Rankings, released every Monday during the season, is one person's opinion.If you have a problem with the standards, or have questions or comments for John Schuhmann, contact him at Bluesky.

Last week: 1 Record: 25-3

OFFRTG: 119.0 (5) DEFLD: 103.2 (1) NETRTG: +15.8 (1) GET: 101.5 (10)

The Thunder are still the best team in the league by a wide margin, but suddenly they've lost two of their last three games and have struggled a bit offensively.

- Maybe there isn't enough emphasis on strength of schedule as the Thunder have won 24 of their first 25 games, outscoring their opponents by a ridiculous 17.2 points per 100 possessions.Only five of those 25 games have come against 14 other teams that currently have winning records, and only three against teams currently ranked in the top 10 offensively.They are currently at the halfway point where they have played six of eight against winning teams.

- The past three games were the Thunder's worst offensive stretch of the season (106.6 points per 100 possessions). That includes two shutout losses in which they went just 6-of-23 (Shai Gilges-Alexander 5-of-10 and everyone else 1-of-13) to score five points in the final five minutes.

- The Thunder's three losses still come by a total of nine points, and they still have the best margin of victory through the team's first 28 games in history.With the Nuggets losing to Houston on Saturday, the champions were the only team not to lose a game within five points in the final five minutes.Their third-worst defense this season is 109.7 allowed per 100 possessions.points, the second-ranked Pistons defense has allowed on the season.

AHEAD: The Thunder will have two chances to avenge their Emirates Cup loss to the Spurs this weekend, the second (at Oklahoma City) in their first Christmas game since 2018.

Week 10: vs MEM, @ SAS, vs SAS, vs PHI

Last week: 2 Record: 20-7

OffRtg: 123,7 (1) DefRtg: 115,1 (17) NetRtg: +8,6 (3) Ritmo: 100,1 (20)

The Nuggets split two games with the Rockets last week and saw their six-game winning streak come to an end on Saturday.

- The Nuggets had two calls and one no call in last Monday's overtime win over Houston, according to the final two-minute count.They lost their worst offensive game of the weekend (101 points on 97 possessions) and lost their first game in a game that didn't go by five points in the final five minutes.Denver is now 4-2 among the top six teams in the West, with five of those six games coming against the Rockets (2-1) and Wolves.They came against (2-0).This week they will face Minnesota again.

- Between the two games against the Rockets was a win over Orlando where the Nuggets took control with a 35-7 run to close out the first half.Jamal Murray scored 20 of those 35 points on 7-for-8 shooting and finished with 32. Over the past two seasons, only one of Murray's 19 3-point games came before Christmas, and that was on December 22, 2023. He already has seven 30-point games this season, and his true shooting percentage is 63.1% in his career.

- Saturday's offensive struggles came as Nikola Jokic played just 29 minutes due to foul trouble.But in those 29 minutes, the Nuggets were also outscored by 20 points with the three-time MVP on the floor.They're now without three of their top six guys, and Peyton Watson has missed the last 2 1/2 games with a "lower-body injury."But they've still outscored their opponent with Jokic in eight of their last 11 games.

Coming up: The Nuggets are at home for a Christmas Day game against the Wolves, but they have a tough road trip first (home vs. Dallas) and will begin their longest road trip of the season (seven games in 12 days) on Saturday.

Week 10: vs. UTA, @DAL, vs. MIN, @ ORL

Last week: 5↑Record: 20-8

OffRtg: 121,7 (2) DefRtg: 114,0 (15) NetRtg: +7,7 (4) Station: 99,1 (26)

The Knicks are the Emirates Cup champions and their only loss in their last nine games (counting the Cup final) was a poor performance against the Sixers on Friday.

- OG Anunoby has been back for eight games (including the cup final).The first of those games was a blowout against the Jazz, and the Knicks were without a starter in at least two of the other seven.In the other five, their starting lineup (with Josh Hart) has dropped 23 points in 76 minutes, allowing an alarming 136 points per 100 possessions.

- While Myles McBride and Landry Shamet were out, the bench minutes were generally great, with Jordan Clarkson, Tyler Kolek and Mitchell Robinson contributing in Tuesday's win over the Spurs.Hart, Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns all missed the Knicks' game at Indiana two nights later, but Kolek had 16 points and 11 assists and (in the one-point win) the Knicks outscored the Pacers on Jalen Brunson's 17 points in 14 minutes from the floor.Brunson of course returned to the floor, and he hit the game-winning, step-back 3 with 4.4 seconds left.

- Kolek's biggest play of the Cup final was a powerful drive and backhand pass on the 3 in the Anunoby corner for an eight-point lead with less than two minutes left.The Knicks then went 9-for-14 from the corner in their win at Indiana and 10-for-14 from the corner in Sunday's win over the Heat.The 5.3 3s per game would be the most in 47 seasons from the 3-point line, and they have seven guys with at least 10 field goals, with six of those seven shooting better than 40% from the corners.

Coming soon: This time (Dec. 19) last year, Towns returned to Minnesota and scored 32 points (on 10-12 shooting) in a 26-point win for the Knicks.They return to Target Center on Tuesday and will look for their third straight Christmas win when they host the Cavs two days later.Mikal Bridges had 41 points on 17-25 shooting in last year's top-seeded win over the Spurs.

10-week: @ MIN, vs. CLE, @ ATL

Last week: 4 Record: 22-6

OffRtg: 116.5 (9) DefRtg: 109.7 (2) NetRtg: +6.8 (5) Pace: 101.4 (14)

The Pistons suffered their first loss against the Western Conference on Thursday, falling in overtime at Dallas after erasing an 18-point deficit.But they remain atop the East after a big win in Boston earlier this week (another double-digit comeback).

- In the previous 29 seasons, 12 teams have won the regular season in games they have additional two points, and eight of the 12th (including the national season's Thunder) have gained the funals.The two teams have winning records when separated with at least 10 points.This season, these are the Thunder (6-0) and the Pistons (8-4), with a return to Boston giving Detroit many wins after they are separated with the same two points as last season (8-33).

- It's not necessarily a hit or lose league (from beyond the arc) when the Pistons play.They have been involved in seven of the 25 worst 3-point shooting games (26.5% or worse) for winning teams this season.Two of those (including their game at Dallas on Thursday) were losses where their opponent shot below 20%, but they also won five games while shooting below 27% from beyond the arc.They were 6-for-28 (21%) from deep Saturday, but outscored the Hornets by 45 points (90-45) in the paint or the free throw line.

- The Hornets shot 14-of-45 (31%) in the paint, the worst shooting of any team in the last two seasons.The Pistons have now outscored their opponents by 13.9 points in the paint per game, which would be the third-largest differential in the 30 seasons of shot location data.

Coming soon: The Pistons will spend Christmas out west, and their longest road trip of the season (nine days to five games) begins Monday in Portland.

Week 10: @ POR, @ SAC, @ UTA, @ LAC

Last week: 6↑ Record: 21-7

OffRtg: 118.2 (6) DefRtg: 112.2 (5) NetRtg: +6.1 (7) Hurd: 101.1 (16)

Spurs came up short in Tuesday's Emirates Cup final but have won their last six regular-season matches.They are second in the West and one of three of the top six teams on both sides of the floor.

- The Spurs did not play De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle together during the first three games where all three were available.But when the final couple came in the clutch, it was these three plus Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama who were on the floor together.This group could not do the job (outrebounded, 14-8, in the final 4:09) against the Knicks, but it could be the lineup that the Spurs call in the big moments ahead.

- There were no big moments in the next three games, with the Spurs leading all three by at least 24 points.They had everything going for the two Thursday-Friday back-to-back games, and those were their two biggest wins (a total of 53 points) since opening night in Dallas.

- Wembanyama has only returned for four games (still counting), and he has played just 81 minutes in those four games (all as a substitute).But that's how the Spurs climbed from 16th (before his return) to fifth in points allowed per 100 possessions.They allowed just 88.3 points per 100 minutes in the 81 minutes he was on the court, and 39 of those 81 minutes came against the Wizards.

Coming up: Spurs and Thunder have played five times this season since they met in the Cup semi-finals.All five meetings are in a six-week span (Dec. 13-Feb. 4), with the second and third meetings this week as the Spurs are in Oklahoma City for Christmas.Wembanyama had 42 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks in his Christmas debut in last year's three-point loss at New York.

Settimana 10: vs. OKC, @ OKC, vs. UTA

Last week: 3↓Record: 17-9

OffRtg: 121,0 (4) DefRtg: 112,1 (4) NetRtg: +8,9 (2) Tempo: 97,7 (28)

The Rockets have suddenly lost three of their last four games, dropping from third to sixth in the West.But all three losses came in overtime, leaving them in the top four on both ends of the floor.

- Two of the overtime losses came against the Pelicans and the Kings, with the Rockets suffering a brutal collapse both nights.Their 25-point lead in New Orleans was the largest in the league this season, and they led Sacramento by 14 points with less than 10 minutes left.He scored 16 points in less than 16 minutes, but left Dennis Schröder alone in the left corner for the game-winning 3-pointer.

- It's also two games in which the Rockets have had a bottom-five offense score effectively.They scored more than 120 points in four of their nine games in December and allowed more than zero points in 17 games in October and November.Reed Sheppard is near the top of the league in turnovers per 36 minutes, despite his greatness at every rotation position.The Rockets didn't force many turnovers (just 11.1 per 100 possessions in this 1-3 stretch).

- These last four games have been a wild road where the Rockets went from Denver to New Orleans, back to Denver, then to Sacramento for the second game of a back-to-back, with Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson both playing more than 45 minutes on Sunday.The Rockets have played the toughest schedule in the league so far, with only 10 of 26 games coming at the Toyota Center, and they still have two more games on their road trip.

Upcoming: The Rockets are now 1-4 in the top six in the West, but have just four total points in those five games.Their first game against the Lakers is their first Christmas game since 2019 and the end of their five-game road trip.It's the 44th career meeting between Kevin Durant and LeBron James, with James holding a 24-19 edge thus far.

Iviki 10: @ LAC, @ LAL, vs. CLE

Last week: 7 Record: 19-8

OffRtg : 118,0 (7) DefRtg : 116,9 (23) NetRtg : +1,1 (14) Pace : 100,0 (23)

After closing November with a seven-game winning streak, the Lakers are 4-4 this month, with four wins by a total of 17 points and four losses by a total of 66.

- The Lakers are without Austin Reaves for the last three games, and Luka Dončić (ankle) for the second half of their loss to the Clippers on Saturday.LeBron James is averaging 30 points in the absence of Reaves, but the game at the Intuit Dome marked the second time this season that the Lakers have allowed less than one point per possession.He has now totaled 521 total minutes with Reaves on the floor.4.1 rating from 100 owners.

- Dončić's injury came two nights after one of his best games in a Lakers uniform: 45 points, 11 rebounds, 14 assists and five steals in a comeback win at Utah.His 54.6 points per game via own points or assists would be the fourth-highest mark in 30 seasons of play-by-play data.(His own mark of 57.2 points per game two seasons ago was a record.)

- For the season, 48.4% of Donic's assists, the highest rate of his career, have come on dunks or layups.In the eight-point victory, the Lakers outscored the Jazz by 20 points in the tight end, their best margin of the season.They're still outscored by 1.9 points per game overall, but the last three games are the first time they've had a positive basket differential in three straight.

Coming soon: This will be the 27th consecutive year the Lakers play on Christmas Day, and James will become the first player to play in all 20 Christmas games.

Woche 10: @ PHX, vs. HOU, vs. SAC

Last week: 8 records: 17-11

OffRtg: 121,3 (3) DefRtg: 114,7 (16) NetRtg: +6,6 (6) Tempo: 96,2 (30)

The Celtics appeared to be back down to earth, scoring 124.9 points per 100 possessions against two top 10 defensive teams, the Heat and Raptors.

- The Celtics are currently 12-4 and are outscoring their opponents by 10.1 points per 100 possessions in their last 16 games. Statistically, the Thunder have been the only team that has done better over that span, with eight of their 12 wins coming against teams with the current winning record.

- The Celtics have been without a backup center for the past month, with either Josh Minot or Brown playing at the five when Nemias Cuetta isn't on the court.That worked well for a while, but Kata's on-off differential began to climb again in the four games leading up to Saturday.The Celtics went on a 22-4 run in the third and fourth quarters, and Garza was a plus-22 (and grabbed nine offensive rebounds) in 26 minutes.

Up next: For the first time in 10 years, the Celtics are not playing on Christmas.Their next seven games will be against teams with losing records, and the five-game road trip that begins at Indiana on Friday is the longest of the season.

Week 10: against IND, @ IND, @ POR

Last week: 10↑ Registration: 19-10

OffRtg: 116.7 (8) DefRtg: 112.3 (6) NetRtg: +4.4 (8) Time: 100.8 (17)

Anthony Edwards made a triumphant return from a three-game absence on Friday, making three big plays—a step-back 3 for the lead, a block on a Shai Gilges-Alexander drive and an MVP layup—in the final 40 seconds of the Thunder's win.

- Edwards is 16-for-44 (36), Julius Randle is even worse (7-for-24), and the Wolves are shooting 106.4 per 100 in two games. But they have won both, holding the Thunder and Bucks to 102.5 per 100. In the last 18 days, Minnesota has gone from 13th to sixth in defensedefense. Here's the bottom line: Seven of the Wolves' nine games in December came against teams ranked below 10 in offense.

- Bones started the three games Hyland Edwards missed after Mike Conley left and continued to play ahead of Rob Dillingham in the Wolves' two wins over the weekend.Hyland was 4-for-6 from 3-point range against Oklahoma City and (on 85 field goal attempts and just 18 free throw attempts) is a career-high 64.6 percent.He posted a high shooting percentage.The Colts outscored their opponents by 8.2 points per 100 shots in 244 minutes.

- The Wolves are building on their reserves, with 12 of their last 15 games within five points in the current five minutes. Edwards is 20-for-30 (including 7-for-12 from 3-point range) this season, the best mark among 42 players with at least 20 field goal attempts, scoring in 5 of his last 5 attempts.Not just an ant show, he ranks 17th in clutch percentage (31.1%).

What's on the horizon: Wolves' defense will now be seriously tested over the next four days as they face two of the league's top offenses.Sunday's win over Milwaukee was the start of a stretch of 10-for-11 performance against the East excluding the Christmas Day game in Denver.They are 0-2 against the Nuggets, but both losses were rest games and the first was played without Edwards.

Week 10: NYK, @DEN, vs. BKN

Last week: 9↓Registration: 15-13

OffRtg: 113,7 (17) DefRtg: 113,7 (12) NetRtg: -0,1 (16) Tempo: 100,0 (22)

The seventh-ranked Suns split their home-and-home series with the eighth-ranked Warriors last week, leaving them a game and a half ahead of Golden State, three behind the Rockets for sixth in the West.

- The Suns are averaging 104.5 points per 100 possessions in their last six games.Devin Booker has missed the first three games and has shot just 4-18 from 3-point range in the last three.But they were able to beat the Warriors on Thursday, but went 0-6 when held to less than a point in each game last season.

- The Suns have yet to see the league's biggest improvement in shot-chance differential, going from minus-4.3 per game (28th) last season to plus-2.4 per game (eighth) this season.But they are last in rebounding percentage (45.8%) over their last eight games and were outscored by 17 points (26-9) on second chances in their five-point loss at Golden State on Saturday.

- The Suns trailed by 14 points early in the third quarter in their win over the Warriors, and they led by 14 points early in the second quarter in their loss to Golden State.But they're the dominant team, with the league's largest margin of victory in games they've led by double digits (13-2) and their record in games they've trailed by double digits (4-13).

Upcoming: The Suns host the Lakers for the second time this month on Tuesday, but their post-Christmas schedule will be tough for about four weeks.They begin a four-game road trip with a weekend in New Orleans, after which they play 16 of their scheduled 28 games against the bottom eight teams in the Western Conference.They are 9-5 against this group so far.

Week 10: vs.LAL, @NOP, @NOP

Last week: 11 Notes: 16-12

OffRtg: 115.6 (10) DefRtg: 112.6 (10) NetRtg: +3.0 (9) Pace: 101.4 (13)

The Magic are 1-1 on their four-game Western road trip after blowing a double-digit lead but escaping Utah with an overtime victory on Desmond Bain's scoop shot with 0.6 seconds left.

The game-winner gave Bayne 18 points in the paint (9-for-13) on Saturday, his third-highest career mark in 372 games (including the postseason).His finishing (54.3% in the spray) hasn't been as good as his last two seasons in Memphis (56.6%), but he's now making 53% of his shooting from three-pointers.But his free throw rate is on the rise, and he's now 93-100 (93%) from the line, the second-best mark among 88 players with at least 75 shots.

- The Magic are still the best offensive team in the league, but they also saw their sixth-largest jump in points allowed per 100 possessions since last season (109.1, seconds).They saw the second-largest drop in turnover rate among opponents, from 16.8 per 100 (second) possessions last season to 14.9 per 100 (12th) this season.

- The Magic allowed more than 120 points per 100 possessions just twice last season before Jan. 1, but six times this season.They have played on the road in all six games (including Thursday's loss at Denver) and have allowed 6.9 more per hundred on the road (115.7, 17th) overall than at home (108.8, third).That's the biggest differential in the league on defense.

Upcoming: The Magic will face the league's 21st- and 18th-ranked offenses in the final two games of their four-game road trip, but will face the Nuggets' top-ranked offense again on Saturday.

Week 10: @ GSW, @ POR, vs. CHA, vs. DEN

Last week:15↑Record: 16-11

OffRtg: 114.7 (13) DefRtg: 113.3 (11) NetRtg: +1.4 (13) Speed: 100.4 (19)

The Sixers still have players in and out of the lineup (Joel Embiid missed both of their weekend games), but they are 6-2 in December and five games over .500 for the first time this season.

- The Sixers allowed 116.6 points per 100 possessions (21st) before Thanksgiving, but have allowed just 107.7 (fourth) in the 10 games since.It helped that only two of those 10 opponents shot the league average or better from 3-point range (the Knicks and Mavs were a combined 11-50 last week), but the Sixers also forced more turnovers and defended the score better.

– The Sixers' halftime victory in New York on Friday was their first victory against a team currently above .500 since November 11. They closed out the victory with their young trio of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Jared McCain alongside Paul George and Andre Drummond.The Sixers outscored opponents by 22 points in just 34 minutes with three young guards on the floor together, although it helped that opponents shot just 3 of 16 from 3-point range in those minutes.

Coming up: After Christmas, the Sixers begin the first of two five-game road trips in Chicago, where they lost in early November after blowing a 24-point lead.

Week 10: Vs.BKN, @CHI, @OKC

Last week: 13Record: 17-13

Pitching: 113.4 (19) Pitching: 112.3 (9) Pitching: +1.0 (15) Speed: 99.7 (24)

The Raptors picked up a crucial win in Miami last Monday, but are still 3-8 since Thanksgiving, including three losses to the Hornets (two) and Nets.

- The Raptors have been last in the league in offense (106.1 points per 100) since Thanksgiving, and their loss at Brooklyn on Sunday (the game before the break) was the nadir.They scored just 81 points on 98 possessions, including four points on 12 drives on the ground after taking the lead into the fourth quarter.They shot less than 50% in the paint for the sixth time this season, had just eight free-throw attempts, and recorded just one point for the second time.

- With their wins in Miami and Milwaukee earlier in the week, the Raptors are 10-5 in games within five points in the last five minutes, matching their clutch total from last season (10-22).None of those games were close for more than two possessions and they were also one of seven teams to concede less than one point per possession in the clutch.

- Jakob Poeltl came on and off the rest of the season and was able to play just seven minutes after trying to return in game two on Sunday.So, Sandro Mamukelashvili has been 84% of his career-high total minutes (681 last season), and he scored a season-high 24 points in the Raptors' win over the Celtics on Saturday.In Mamukelashvili, the bench minutes were bad as the Celtics went on a 16-0 run to end the first quarter and a 22-4 run in the third and fourth quarters.

Coming up: The Raptors have another big game in Miami on Tuesday, with their win last week followed by the Heat's worst offensive game of the season.

Week 10: @MIA, @VAS, vs GSV

Last week: 12↓ Record: 15-14

OffRtg: 114.3 (15) DefRtg: 112.3 (7) NetRtg: +1.9 (10) Temp: 104.7 (1)

The Heat ended their five-game losing streak with a win in Brooklyn on Thursday, but they lost the other two big games on their three-game road trip, allowing the Celtics and Knicks to score 127.9 points per 100 possessions over the weekend.

- Kel'el Ware is averaging 24.7 points, 15 rebounds and 1.7 blocks starting the last three games.He ranked fourth in rebounding percentage (19%) among the 290 players who averaged at least 15 minutes in 12 games or more, and the Heat defeated the Celtics and Knicks for the second time last weekend by 30 points (48-18).But more, they're still better in 542 minutes with Bam Adebayo on the floor without Ware (plus-10.9 points per 100 possessions) than in 177 minutes with the two bigs on the floor together (minus-10.6 per 100), with a bigger difference on defense.

- Tyler Herro has only been in six games and has missed the last four with a big toe injury.The Heat missed the mark as they saw the league's fourth-largest drop in 3-point percentage from last season (also tied to their new offense) and have been eliminated from beyond the arc in eight straight games.

- The Heat are currently .500 or better in four of their first seven games against other Eastern Conference teams, but have the worst record (4-9) in the division with six straight losses.

Coming up: The eighth-place Heat have crossed the halfway mark with four straight games out of the top nine in the East, ready to host the Raptors for the second time in nine days.After a two-day break for Christmas, they will face the ninth-placed Hawks, who they lead by half a game, in their first meeting.

Week 10: vs. TOR, @ATL, vs. IND

Last week: 17↑ Record: 14-15

OffRtg: 113.0 (21) DefRtg: 111.5 (3) NetRtg: +1.5 (12) Speed: 100.7 (18)

The Warriors were two games under .500 for the first time in a three-game losing streak.But they came back from an early double-digit deficit on Saturday to win their home-and-home split with the Suns.

- The Warriors are now within a game of .500 after 20 of 29 games, and nine of their last 10 have been within five points in the final five minutes.They've given up 105 points to 81 clutch defenses (130-100) over that stretch, but they scored effectively enough in the final minutes to hold off Saturday's blowout loss to the Suns.Stephen Curry hit a big three with two minutes left, and now has four more clutch 3-pointers than anyone else in the league (11).

- They are still 6-10 in clutch games and 8-5 in other games.The Warriors are six games behind the fourth-place Lakers, but even in terms of point differential (+1.2 points per game).

- The Warriors played 12 players in their two games against the Suns last week.That included Jonathan Kuminga on Thursday, but he made 1 of 5 shots in less than 10 minutes, then missed the home game due to illness.Will Richard replaced him and scored 20 points in less than 20 minutes coming off the bench.This would be the fourth time in the last five seasons that the Warriors finished second in the league in minutes per game thanks to bench players.Stay.

Up next: The Warriors play Christmas for the 13th straight year and host the Mavs (the first of three meetings) in what could ultimately be a pretty big game in the Western Conference Play-In picture.They will then have a second straight two-day break before heading east for a three-game road trip.

Week 10: vs Oral, vs Heart, @tour

Sunday: 14↓Record: 15-15

OffRtg: 114,8 (12) DefRtg: 115,5 (18) NetRtg: -0,7 (17) Tempo: 102,6 (5)

Trae Young returned, but the Hawks lost three straight games and dropped below .500 for the first time since going 5-5.

- The Hawks struggled before Young's return, especially in two of their last three games.They are 2-7 this month and 27th in the league in December.They are dead last in opponents' field goal percentage (59.2%) over the past three weeks.Their 152-150 loss to the Bulls on Sunday afternoon (the highest-scoring game (more than in the league over the last two years)) marked the fourth time this month the Hawks allowed more than 125 points per 100 possessions.

- They had a rough start last week, falling 24-9 at Charlotte, scoring just six points in their first nine possessions against the Spurs and falling behind 21-10 against the Bulls.The Hawks have won five of their first 10 games in which they've trailed by double digits, but are 0-9 when trailing by double digits since mid-November.New Orleans) more this season.

-The Hawks are still the only team with a record of winning on the road (10-7) and losing at home (5-8).Opponents have been tougher at home, but that 5-8 mark includes losses to the Clippers and Bulls this month.

Upcoming: The biggest of the three games is a visit from the eighth-place Heat (who trail the Hawks by half a game) on Friday.It's the start of a seven-game streak against teams with winning records.

Izu 10: vs.CHI, vs.MIA, vs.NYK

Last week: 16↓ Record: 14-15

OffRtg: 115.4 (11) DefRtg: 113.9 (14) NetRtg: +1.6 (11) Ritme: 102.0 (8)

The Cavs are seemingly at the bottom of their season (so far), losing three in a row against the Hornets and Bulls, both losses to Chicago by double digits.

- With Evan Mobley out, the Cavs still have four starters in just four of their 29 games. It's clear at this point that the problems continue with injuries, and they don't pass the test on defense or offensive intent.There were times when the offense looked sharp, but there were also a lot of times where the Cavs didn't focus too much on defense and were quick to shoot 3s.

- After starting his first 23 games, D'yondre Hunter came from the bank for last week's home-and-home series with the Bulls.The Caves have a powerful start, built double-digit leads in the first two quarters, despite missing Donovan Michel (injury) in Cleveland on Friday.But the two leads disappeared quickly, and the Caves have now lost five of their last six games against teams in under .500.(They were 9-0 against the team until December 1.)

- The good news is that Darius Garland has played in five straight games and scored a season-high 35 points on Friday.But the Cavs were still outscored by 13.2 points per 100 possessions in Garland's 169 minutes on the floor without Mitchell.

Coming up: Turns out the Cavs' first night loss in New York was a harbinger of struggles to come.They return to Madison Square Garden on Thursday. It was their first Christmas game without LeBron. James has been on the roster since 1989.

Week 10: vs. CHA, vs. NOP, @ NYK, @ HOU

Last week-18 Notes: 13-15

OffRtg: 112.5 (24) DefRtg: 113.8 (13) NetRtg: -1.3 (18) Speed: 101.4 (12)

The Grizzlies have won nine of their 12 games and have had the right time in the West.They are at least one of the West in the Wizards at the end of the day Wizards - the last 10.

- Brandon Clarke made his season debut on Wednesday and was (along with Zach Edey) immediately in the starting line-up.But he left his second game (Saturday vs. Washington) after four minutes with a calf strain.Despite the absence of Edey and Clarke, Jaren Jackson Jr. played.only 21 (3%) of 770 minutes.They played almost four minutes (75) together.against Santi Aldama and another big man (Edey, Clarke, Jock Landale or Charles Bassey), and the Grizzlies were outscored by 68 points (85.5 per 100 possessions) in those 75 minutes.

- But the Grizzlies ended the game in Minnesota on Wednesday, when Jackson set up Randle (on a sharp left-handed one-handed pass) for a corner layup with 1:09 left to give the Grizzlies their best win of the season.It was the second-worst performance from the Wolves offense (110 points on 107 possessions) as Minnesota made just 23 of 45 shots in the paint (51 percent).

- The Grizzlies are forced to play big because they stay low at guard.Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr.haven't played yet this season, and Ja Morant has now missed 12 of the last 14 games.Memphis is 5-8 when Morant was fully available and 8-7 (with better defensive numbers) in games he missed (8-6) or played less than 10 minutes.

Upside: The Grizzlies will have a chance to avenge two bad losses in the last 10 days this week with visits to the Jazz and Wizards, continuing a seven-of-10 stretch on the road.

Week 10: @ OKC, @ UTA, MIL, @ WAS

Last week: 19 Racket: 11-18

OffRtg: 109,0 (28) DefRtg: 112,3 (8) NetRtg: -3,4 (20) Ritmo: 102,1 (7)

The Mavs have beaten the Nuggets, Rockets and Pistons this month, beating Detroit in overtime on Thursday.But those wins were surrounded by losses at Utah and Philadelphia, and they remained in the bottom five in the West.

- The Mavs have had 22 clutch games, and most of their late-game ones have been passes by Cooper Flagg.He was just 3-13 on clutch shots last week, but that included two big buckets in the final minute of regulation against the Pistons.

- There have been seven games this season in which the team has won by only five points (or less).The Mavs are the only team to win two of those seven, the second being their win over the Pistons on Thursday, when Detroit went 6-for-33 from deep.But they could make three 3s (on 18 attempts) in Philadelphia.those, two nights later.In their last five games, the Mavs have taken 27% of their 3-pointers and shot just 28% from the arc.

- Danté Exum and Dereck Lively II are out for the season, but in the last two games, the Mavs have been as healthy as they'll get until Kyrie Irving returns.The recent lineup — Ryan Nembhard, Naji Marshall, Flagg, PJ Washington and Anthony Davis — has been good (25 total in 21 minutes) in two games, but bench minutes have been an issue.On Thursday, the Pistons led 22-6 in the fourth quarter.After two nights, the Sixers started the fourth with a 24-7 run.

Coming up: The Mavs have won four straight games at home, and will host the Nuggets on Christmas for the sixth straight year.Their win over Denver earlier in the month was one of the more disappointing games of the season.

Week 10: @NOP vs DEN, @GSW, @SAC

Last week: 20 Record: 12-16

OffRtg: 113.5 (18) DefRtg: 116.4 (21) NetRtg: -3.0 (19) Pace: 103.3 (3)

The Blazers lost their first two games in a five-game losing streak against a team with a losing record, but won their last three (by 11 points), sweeping the Kings last week.

- The Blazers did everything they could to win the first of two games against the Kings, going 3-for-10 on free throws in the final minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime combined.They held a 10-point lead with a minute left in regulation and a six-point lead with a minute left in overtime.But Deni Avdija fouled Russell Westbrook (slightly) and made both free throws with 1.5 seconds left to seal the win.Their teammates didn't play well in Thursday's game, but Jerami Grant and Avdija were a combined 39-for-43 (91%) on clutch free throws, ranking third and fifth among the 24 players with at least 15 attempts.

- Avdija ranks seventh in the league in total minutes (971) and for good reason.The Blazers have scored 18.4 more points per 100 possessions (117.1) with him on the floor than with him off the floor (98.7).This is the largest offensive differential among players who have played at least 200 minutes this season.

- The Blazers have played the league's sixth-difficult schedule in terms of cumulative winning percentage (.537) and second-ranked road weight, going just 11 of 28 games.

Coming up: They will now play 13 of their next 18 games at home, starting a five-game homestand away to the Pistons on Monday.They had a five-point lead with a little more than three minutes left in Detroit 17 days ago, but then watched the Pistons go on a 14-2 run.

Week 10: vs DET vs ORL, vs LAC vs BUNCH

Last week: 22 ↑ Record: 9-19

OffRtg: 113.1 (20) DefRtg: 117.1 (24) NetRtg: -4.0 (23) Speed: 100.1 (21)

The Hornets have been competitive over the last few weeks and their win over the Hawks on Thursday was their first back-to-back win of the season.

- Before Thanksgiving, the Hornets are 0-10 against 16 teams currently ranked by or above the Hawks on thinking they were pretty good.LaMelo Ball has been his best offensive game (though he had a quiet night in Detroit on Saturday), shooting 15-of-35 (43%) from 3-point range over his last four games, up from 28% previously.

- The Hornets had their worst offensive performance of the season, holding Detroit to just 86 points (80.4-per-100) on 107 possessions.They still saw the league's third-highest jump field goal percentage per game, but Saturday's 14-for-45 (31%) mark was the best they've had in each of the last two seasons.Which team had the worst shooting game of all time?

- Shooting 31% on goal is a waste of time when you're 21 points ahead of your opponent from 3-point range.The Hornets remain one of three winless teams (0-10), though they have made fewer threes than their opponent, but have outscored their opponent from beyond the arc in each of their last seven games.

Upcoming: The Hornets are tied 2-2 (1-0 at home) with the three teams behind them in the Eastern Conference standings and will be in danger of being eliminated when they host the Wizards on Tuesday.

Week 10: @ CLE, vs ISTE, @ ORL

Last week: 23↑Record: 10-17

OffRtg: 114.3 (14) DefRtg: 121.0 (29) NetRtg: -6.6 (26) Pace: 102.9 (4)

The Jazz played against good teams in two games without Lauri Markkanen last weekend.But they fell out of the top 10 in the Western Conference and lost both.

- Prior to Thursday, the Jazz had been outscored by 16.4 points per 100 possessions in Markkanen's 372 minutes off the floor, and had outscored the Thunder by 30 in the only game he lost.They had one of their best offensive games of the season against the Lakers and then erased a 19-point deficit before losing in the final seconds of overtime to the Magic, but now they have lost 20 of their last 22 games (dating back to March 1) without a seven-footer.

- After Keonte George's stunning four-point play that put them up one in overtime Sunday, the Jazz put Kevin Love on the floor for the ensuing defensive possession.He didn't provide much resistance on Desmond Benn's game-winning drive, and Utah has allowed 134 points per 100 possessions in Love's 273 minutes this season.That's an average of at least 10 minutes in 10 games or more.356 is the highest mark on the field among players by a wide margin.

- Even before Markkanen missed two games, it looked like the Jazz were moving the needle on some more development. In last Monday's win over Dallas (who were down by one game), Bryce Sensabaugh made his first start and Svi Mykhailiuk was DNP. Taylor Hendricks also returned to the rotation and Cody Williams played a season-high 22 minutes. They currently rank fifth in minutes played by rookies or second-year players (35%).

Upcoming: The Jazz have two six-of-seven games against teams ranked in the top 10 in offense.On Monday, they will face the first-ranked Nuggets offense.

Week 10: @ DEN, vs MEM vs DET, @SAS

Last week: 26 ↑ Record: 7-22

OffRtg: 112.1 (25) DefRtg: 118.9 (28) NetRtg: -6.8 (27) Rate: 101.5 (11)

The Pelicans have won four straight games, a streak that includes coming back from a 25-point deficit against the Rockets on Thursday.This was the team's biggest deficit to win a game this season.

- Zion Williamson has come off the bench in all three games after a six-game absence and was not on the floor in the Pelicans' overtime win over Houston on Thursday.Sadiq Bey started in Williamson's place and had two of the biggest hits of the game, a layup in the final minute of regulation and an off-balance layup for a four-point lead with 30 seconds left in OT.didn't play (recovering from a torn ACL), but did play in 28 of 29 games for the Pelicans.

- While Williamson was quiet in the win over Houston, he scored 29 points in less than 24 minutes against the Pacers on Saturday, shooting 9-for-14 from the field and 11-for-13 from the line.His field goal percentage (51.1%) would remain a career low, but both his free throw rate (68 per 100 attempts from the field) and his free throw percentage (74.0%) would be the best mark of his six seasons.

- Last week's win over the Rockets and Pacers was only the sixth and seventh time the Pels outscored their opponent by 3-point range. They are still hitting only 40 3-pointers on a 4-game winning streak for the season. 58.2% of their shots came into the paint, which would be the highest of any team in the past 13 seasons.

Upcoming: The Pelicans don't have a first-round pick for 2026, so they could be in the running for a SoFi play-in tournament spot, and Monday's game against the Mavs could be key to that.They split the first two meetings, both in Dallas and decided by three points or less.

Week 10: DAL, @ CLE, PHX vs. PHX

Last week: 25 ↑ Record: 8-19

OffRtg: 111.6 (26) DefRtg: 116.3 (20) NetRtg: -4.7 (24) Area: 98.0 (27)

The Nets are 5-3 in December, with all five of their wins coming by double digits.They were the last team to win a game with a clock lead, and they made the most of their first, outscoring the Raptors 21-4 in the fourth quarter Sunday.

- The Nets are ranked 29th in defense (just a hair better than the Wizards) as of Nov. 30, but have already managed to fall out of the top 10 in that category.Their last two wins (against the Buccaneers and Raptors) have been the second and third best defenses of any team this season.season) on Sunday.

- Nick Claxton isn't known for his passing, but he leads the Nets with 4.4 assists per game, including 5.8 per game in December.He is one of six players to play at least 500 minutes and average at least 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists.36

- The current Nets lineup has now played 220 minutes, the second most of any lineup in the league.But the return of Cam Thomas (who missed the last 19 games) could be on the horizon, as he was cleared to work five-on-five.The Nets were outscored by 15 points per 100 possessions (allowing 125.6 per 100) in Thomas' 226 minutes before suffering a hamstring strain in early November.

Coming up: Sunday's win was just the Nets' (2-15) second against the 16 teams currently at or above .500, and they have two more games against that group this week.They have scored just 104 points per 100 possessions in their two losses to the Sixers, who they visit on Tuesday.

Week 10: @ PHI, @ MIN

Last week: 27↑ Record: 13-15

OffRtg: 113.9 (16) DefRtg: 117.7 (25) NetRtg: -3.8 (22) Gang: 103.9 (2)

The Bulls rallied, won three straight games for the first time since their 5-0 October streak, and returned to the SoFi Play-In Tournament in the East.

- The Bulls and Falcons needed 48 minutes to register the highest-scoring game of the past two seasons, a 152-150 victory for the Bulls in Atlanta on Sunday afternoon.Both teams have worse offenses coming into the weekend, but both are in the top five in rushing and the defense could be strong on both ends.Double, led by Matas Buzelis with 28 points on 10-for-11 shooting.

- The Bulls took 92 shots Sunday, none of which went between the paint and the 3-point line.It was the first time this season a team had zero mid-range attempts, although the Bulls were held to less than five in 13 of their 28 games.Overall, they made 4.8% of their mid-range shots, which is 30% of the shot location data.That would be the lowest for any team on the season

- The Bulls are healthy as they have been all season and started with the same lineup - Josh Giddy, Kobe White, Isaac Okoro, Bouzelis and Nikola Vucevic - in the last five games.They only played 52 minutes, but they played at a reasonable pace (108.7 possessions in 48 minutes) and scored nearly 134 points per 100 possessions.

Recap: Bull's number went into the Bulls before going on to beat the Sixers in the Chicago Six, New Year's Day.

ವಾರ 10: @ ATL, vs. PHI, Vs. MIL

Last week:21↓Record: 11-18

OffRtg: 112.8 (22) DefRtg: 116.5 (22) NetRtg: -3.7 (21) Speed: 99.6 (25)

The Bucks played back-to-back games against the Raptors and Wolves last week, but lost both and are now seven games under .500 for the first time since early March 2017.

- The Bucks are 2-10 without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is averaging just 106.7 points per 100 possessions in those 12 games.With Antetokounmpo, they are shooting 37.7% (in more attempts per 100 possessions) and second in the league in 3-pointers (39.9%).But all other aspects of the offense (not surprisingly) affect their star.

- Ryan Rollins came off the bench for the first time since the start of last week.During Antetokounmpo's six-game absence so far, Rollins has played 55 minutes less than Kevin Porter Jr., although the Bucks actually outscored their opponents by six points in Rollins' 51 minutes on the floor without Porter.from Porter.)

- If it's not a winning season for the Bucks, it's not a growing season either.The 23-year-old Rollins has reached a new level, but he's gotten 26 more minutes than rookies (Mark Sears) or second-year players (no one).Every other team has received at least 419 minutes from first- or second-year players.

Upcoming: The Bucs' loss at Minnesota on Sunday snaps a stretch that has seen them win 11 of 14 on the road.

Week 10: @ IND, @ MEM, @ CHI

Last week: 24↓Record: 7.-21

OffRtg: 112,7 (23) DefRtg: 118,2 (26) NetRtg: -5,4 (25) Ritmo: 97,4 (29).

The Clippers snapped a five-game losing streak on Saturday by holding the Lakers to one point for the second time this season, but lost Ivica Zubac to a serious ankle injury in the process and could be without their starting center for several weeks.

- Brook Lopez was out of the lineup for most of the last month, but came on for Zubac in the second half Saturday and had one of his best games of the season, scoring 11 points and blocking two shots in less than 25 minutes.The Clippers still scored just 104.1 points per 100 possessions in Lopez's 308 minutes, but that dropped to 120.9 per 100 in 151 minutes with James Harden on the floor as well as an anemic 87.7 per 100 with Harden in 157 minutes.

- Kawhi Leonard has now played in 12 straight games (including both ends of that streak) and the Lakers' win was the second time in 10 days that he has played more than 40 minutes.He hasn't shot beyond the arc either, but he's up to 49% from mid-range and now went 12-12 for 32 points on Saturday after going 90-for-92 (98%) from the free throw line.

- Rebounding may be an issue without Zubak.The clippers were the league's best defensive rebounding team (73.4%) last season, but they are 16th in defensive rybounding percentage (61.6%).

Ahead: The worst defensive rebounding game of any team this season (46.2 percent) was the Clippers' two-point loss in Houston earlier this month, when they trailed 23-12 on their second chance.They face the Rockets again on Tuesday, their second home game in eight games.

Week 10: HOU vs. @POR vs. DET

Last Week:28Record: 5-22

OffRtg: 109.2 (27) DefRtg: 122.7 (30) NetRtg: -13.5 (30) Speed: 102.2 (6)

The Wizards lost to the Spurs in both games last week, but won in Memphis and came back from a 20-point deficit late in the second quarter.

- Before Saturday, the Wizards had lost the last 101 games in which they trailed by at least 20 points.But they scored 77 points on 50 possessions after the break in Memphis, and Keeshon George scored 24 of his 28 points in the third and fourth quarters.Through 27 games, the Wizards actually outscored opponents by 1.6 points per possession.100 possessions in third place.(Otherwise they are minus 18.4 per 100.)

- George (from 50.3% to 59.0%) and Alex Sarr (from 48.2% to 56.5%) have seen the fourth and sixth biggest increases in true shooting percentage among the 131 players with at least 200 field goal attempts in each of the past two seasons.They had nowhere to go but up, but improvement is improvement, and interestingly, both jumps have led to huge drops in their shooting percentages, which come from 3-point range.

- Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly played in Memphis on Saturday, but sat out the next night against the Spurs.The Wizards are still just 1-8 when both Coulibaly and Sarr were available, but have been outscored by just 3.4 points per 100 possessions with both on the floor.

Coming up: The Wizards are 1-3 in the bottom four in the East, losing by 26 points to the Hornets in Week 1. They have a bye advantage tonight and will get it again when they play at Charlotte on Tuesday.

Week 10: @CHA, vs. TOR, vs. MM

Last Week: 30↑ Record: 7-22

OffRtg: 108.8 (29) DefRtg: 118.8 (27) NetRtg: -10.0 (29) Speed: 101.5 (9)

It's been a tough season in Sacramento, but the Kings got a nice win Sunday night, coming back from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to stun the Rockets in overtime on Dennis Schroder's 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left.

- Schröder is still out of the lineup (after starting the first 12 games), but he scored 45 points in 63 minutes in back-to-back weekends against the Kings and was on the floor in both games, along with Russell Westbrook, who had an assist in Game 3 against Houston.The Kings are usually much better with Schröder or Westbrook on the floor (-7.6 points per 100 possessions).(although they are not good), as they play together (minus-16.8 out of 100).

- The Kings remain a mid-range team, having taken 88 more shots than any other team between the paint and the 3-point line.But they shot just 41.5% (16th best) from mid-range, with DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine combining for 46.1% and everyone else 36.2%.DeRozan (5-for-9) beat Kevin Durant (2-for-7) from mid-range on Sunday.

- The Kings lost two games to the Blazers last week by a combined six points, shooting 42 points from three-point range (78-36).In Thursday's overtime loss, their 3-point percentage (19 of 94 attempts) was the third-lowest of any team in the game this season.They played with LaVine (first on the team in 3-point attempts) and DNP without Malik Monk (third).They have now won 17 of their last 20 games from beyond the arc.

Coming Up: The Kings' schedule gets progressively easier in terms of strength of opponents, but their visit from the Mavs on Saturday is the start of their unique five-game streak in seven days.

Week 10: vs. DET, vs. DAL, @ LAL

Last week: 29↓Record: 6-22

OffRtg: 108.1 (30) DefRtg: 116.1 (19) NetRtg: -8.0 (28) Pitch: 101.3 (15)

Rick Carlisle reached 999 career wins two weeks ago, but the Pacers have fallen short of 1,000.They have lost four straight games, a streak that includes 19-point losses to the Wizards and Pelicans.

- Bennedict Mathurin shot just 14-for-44 (32%) in the loss and has no free throw attempts in 65 minutes over the last two games.His free throw rate (40.7 per 100 field goal attempts) is still high from last season (38.9 per 100), although he marked the fourth-highest jump in three-point percentage (33.8% to 47.2% of his shots) among 131 players with at least 200 field goals in the last two seasons.

- With their loss to the Knicks on Thursday, the Pacers became the only team without a win (they are 0-14) against 16 teams currently ranked .500 or above.Their offense hasn't been all that bad (107.6 points per 100 possessions) in their 14 games (108.6).

Coming up: Things will get worse if the Pacers can't find a way to beat one of those good teams, as 16 of their next 19 games are against the top 16. The one exception (Tuesday vs. the Bucks) is a game with a rest disadvantage.

Week 10: @BOS vs.MIL vs.BIM, @MIA