Record: 18-3

OffRtg: 120.8 (2) DefRtg: 111.7 (11) NetRtg: +9.1 (3) Pace: 100.9 (7)

The Cavs lost two games to the Hawks last week but avenged their other loss (to the Celtics) with a furious finish on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• The two losses to the Hawks were different. The first was the Cavs’ worst defensive game of the season (135 points allowed on 105 possessions), while the second was their worst offensive game (101 scored on 103). One issue in both games was corner 3-pointers, with the Hawks shooting 15-for-27 (56%) from the corners over the home-and-home set. Only three teams have allowed more corner 3-pointers per game than the Cavs (4.2).

• Donovan Mitchell shot just 15-for-47 (6-for-24 from 3-point range) over the two losses but went nuts down the stretch on Sunday. He drained three straight 3-pointers to tie the game, hit a floater to put the Cavs up two, and then drew two to the ball, allowing a rolling Isaac Okoro to assist Evan Mobley for another huge bucket. The Cavs are now 13-0 when Mitchell has had an effective field goal percentage higher than 50% (and 4-3 when he hasn’t).

• The Cavs trailed the Celtics by 12 at the end of the third quarter, but scored 43 points on 26 possessions (1.65 per) in the fourth, going 10-for-10 at the free throw line in the final 22 seconds. They’re now 4-3 (every other team has a losing record) when trailing after the third period.

The Cavs have two games left on a stretch where they will have played eight of 10 at home. They’re 4-0 against the Western Conference and will face another West test when the Nuggets come to Cleveland on Thursday.

Week 7: vs. WAS*, vs. DEN, @ CHA, @ MIA

Record: 16-4

OffRtg: 120.7 (3) DefRtg: 111.1 (8) NetRtg: +9.6 (2) Pace: 98.3 (21)

Kristaps Porziņģis made his season debut last week and the Celtics ran their winning streak to seven games before suffering a fourth-quarter collapse in Cleveland on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• Porziņģis averaged 19.3 points and 7.3 rebounds (in 26.6 minutes) over his first three games back. The Celtics increasingly worked him into the offense, posting him up once in his debut against the Clippers, five times in Chicago, and then nine times in Cleveland.

• Their win in Chicago on Friday was the Celtics’ first (and only) game with their entire rotation, with both Derrick White and Jaylen Brown missing the loss in Cleveland. They played nine guys, though Neemias Queta got just 6:35 of playing time off the bench. The starting lineup was solid, but Payton Pritchard had an incredible game (29 points, 7-for-11 from 3-point range) off the bench. Pritchard (64.8%) and Derrick White (61.8%) rank third and fourth in effective field goal percentage among 90 players with at least 200 field goal attempts, with only a pair of centers – Domantas Sabonis and Nikola Vučević – ahead of them.

• Despite Pritchard’s potent shooting, the Celtics’ bench hasn’t been quite as good as it was last season when it was the highest-rated bench in the 28 years for which we have play-by-play data. It still ranks fourth this season, but Boston has been outscored by 1.3 points per 100 possessions with Jayson Tatum off the floor. Other teams would probably love to be so mediocre with their best player on the bench, but last season, the Celtics were plus 12.4 per 100 with Tatum off the floor.

The Celtics’ loss in Cleveland on Sunday was the start of their first stretch of five games in seven days, though the next four are all at home. They’re done with Emirates NBA Cup pool play, but have a shot at the East wildcard, depending on the point differentials of the losers of Magic-Knicks and Bucks-Pistons on Tuesday.

Week 7: vs. MIA, vs. DET, vs. MIL, vs. MEM

Record: 15-6

OffRtg: 112.5 (16) DefRtg: 104.3 (2) NetRtg: +8.2 (4) Pace: 100.4 (10)

The Rockets are heading to the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals, having clinched West Group A with their overtime win in Minnesota on Tuesday. They’re now 12-3 since their 3-3 start to the season, picking up a huge win over Oklahoma City on Sunday. That puts them just a half-game behind the first-place Thunder in the Western Conference.

Three takeaways

• All three of their games last week went down to the wire, even though the Rockets had double-digit leads in each. They’ve been the league’s third-best first-quarter team (plus 15 per 100 possessions), having won the opening period in 15 of their 21 games. That includes a 33-28 first quarter against the Thunder (one of two teams that have been better in the first quarter overall) on Sunday.

• On Wednesday, Jalen Green scored 18 of the team’s 35 first-quarter points in Philadelphia, finishing with 41. It was a nice response after he played 23 minutes the night before in Minnesota, though the fourth-year guard is still registering a career-low true shooting percentage of 52.1% and the Rockets have still been at their best (plus-14.8 per 100 possessions) with him off the floor.

• With the back-to-back, overtime wins in Minnesota and Philly, the Rockets are 6-3 on the road, with two of the three losses having come by three points or fewer. Last season, they didn’t get their sixth road win until March 2.

That road success will be tested this week as the Rockets take a three-game trip through California. They’re 2-1 against the Pacific Division, with the one loss (to the Warriors without Stephen Curry) having come in overtime after they erased a 31-point deficit.

Week 7: @ SAC*, @ GSW, @ LAC

Record: 15-5

OffRtg: 113.7 (11) DefRtg: 103.6 (1) NetRtg: +10.1 (1) Pace: 100.4 (11)

After allowing just 102.3 points per 100 possessions over a four-game winning streak, the Thunder couldn’t get the stops they needed down the stretch in Houston on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• Isaiah Hartenstein has started the last four games after coming off the bench in his first game. Though the loss on Sunday was one of their worst defensive games of the season, the Thunder have allowed less than a point per possession with Hartenstein on the floor and have outscored their opponents by 17.6 per 100 in his 86 total minutes alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.

• Hartenstein has helped exactly where he was supposed to. He’s grabbed 19.8% of available rebounds when he’s been on the floor, the highest rate of his career by a healthy margin and the fourth-highest rate among 296 players who’ve averaged at least 15 minutes per game. Last week’s wins over the Kings and Lakers were two of the Thunder’s three best rebounding games of the season.

• Cason Wallace got two straight starts over the weekend, though Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins were both in the starting lineup earlier in the week. Wiggins has the worst on-court numbers of the three (minus-1.0 per 100 possessions) in minutes alongside Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams (though he’s also the only one of the three that’s shot more effectively as a starter than as a reserve).

The Thunders’ three opponents this week are a combined 14-48, and they’re 6-0 (the only undefeated team) against the 15 teams that are currently at or below .500, with all six wins having come by double-digits.

Week 7: vs. UTA*, @ TOR, @ NOP

Record: 13-8

OffRtg: 116.7 (4) DefRtg: 110.5 (7) NetRtg: +6.3 (7) Pace: 100.4 (9)

The Mavs have won eight of their last nine games and are currently 5-1 on a wild, nine-game, 16-day stretch that’s taking them from the West to the East … twice.

Three takeaways

• The first five games of that West-to-East-to-West-to-East stretch came without Luka Dončić, and the Mavs have more wins without their star (5-1) than they had all of last season (4-8). Three of those five wins have come against the Thunder, Nuggets and Knicks, and the Mavs have scored more efficiently in those six games (117.7 points per 100 possessions) than they have in the 15 with Dončić in uniform.

• Dončić’s absence created more playing time for Spencer Dinwiddie, who has taken advantage. The 10-year vet had three games of 20 points or more last week and has registered an assist/turnover ratio of 40/6 over the last eight games. Dončić returned on Sunday, but Kyrie Irving was out and Dinwiddie played more than 34 minutes off the bench, including almost 23 with Dončić on the floor as well.

• Klay Thompson has also been out, missing the last four games with plantar fasciitis. Though Thompson has taken a career-high 65.1% of his shots from 3-point range, the Mavs (38.8%, 24th) have seen the league’s biggest drop in 3-point rate from last season (44.1%, second). They’ve still outscored their opponents by 69 points from beyond the arc over their four-game winning streak.

The Mavs are making another brief stop at home before heading back East to visit the Wizards and Raptors. With a strong point differential (and with the Warriors having already won their group), they’ll likely be the Western Conference wildcard in the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals if they beat the Grizzlies (the first meeting between the two teams) on Tuesday.

Week 7: vs. MEM*, @ WAS, @ TOR

Record: 13-9

OffRtg: 110.6 (23) DefRtg: 107.7 (4) NetRtg: +2.9 (10) Pace: 98.6 (20)

After a 2-2 trip, the Clippers returned home and got a big win over the Nuggets on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• The Clippers’ top-five defense met some regression to the mean on Monday when the Celtics made 22 3-pointers after the Clippers’ previous three opponents made just 24 total. The Clippers and Grizzlies both rank in the top five in opponent 3-point percentage while having one of the league’s five highest opponent 3-point rates (3PA/FGA).

• Norman Powell returned from a six-game absence on Sunday and gave the Clippers’ offense a huge lift, scoring 28 points in less than 25 minutes. The offense has been at its best at 113.4 points scored per 100 possessions with Powell on the floor, though the six games without him were a strong stretch defensively (100.7 allowed per 100), despite the 22 3-pointers from the Celtics.

• Ivica Zubac picked up some of the offensive slack in Powell’s absence and has seen an increase in scoring each of the last five seasons. But this season’s jump is more about minutes (career-high 32.7 per game) than efficiency, as Zubac’s 60.7% shooting is his lowest mark in the last six years, while he’s also shooting a career-low 53.7% from the free throw line. James Harden’s 59 assists to Zubac are the most from any player to a single teammate.

After an 0-4 start, the Clippers have won eight straight at the Intuit Dome, and the rest of their four-game homestand includes big games against the Wolves (who they just lost to in Minnesota on Friday) and Rockets. They scored just 101.5 points per 100 possessions, with Powell shooting just 8-for-29 and Zubac scoring just 14 total points, as they lost two games in Houston in November.

Week 7: vs. POR*, vs. MIN, vs. HOU

Record: 15-7

OffRtg: 110.7 (22) DefRtg: 104.5 (3) NetRtg: +6.3 (8) Pace: 97.8 (26)

After losing their first four games without Paolo Banchero, the Magic have gone 12-1, with two six-game winning streaks sandwiching a (road) loss to the Clippers.

Three takeaways

• The last five wins have come against the bottom half of the Eastern Conference. The Magic have played a league-high 15 games against the 15 teams currently at or below .500. Their only two losses against that group (at Chicago and Indiana) came during the 0-5 road trip in which Banchero was injured.

• Wendell Carter Jr. returned from a 12-game absence on Wednesday and (with Banchero still out) has been starting alongside Goga Bitadze for the last three games. The two bigs played just 17 minutes together all of last season, but are an amazing plus-54 in 56 total minutes together this season, with the Magic having allowed just 89.2 points per 100 possessions in those minutes.

• Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s shots are finally starting to fall. He’s made almost as many 3s in the last three games (14-for-24, 58%) as he had made prior (17-for-76, 22%). Orlando ranks fifth in the percentage of their 3-point attempts that have come off the catch (76%) and Caldwell-Pope’s shooting will gain importance as the Magic face tougher competition.

The Magic are almost guaranteed a spot in the NBA Cup quarterfinals. They play the Knicks for first place in East Group A on Tuesday, but (with a plus-60 point differential through their first three games) would certainly get the wildcard spot if they were to lose.

Week 7: @ NYK*, @ PHI, @ PHI, vs. PHX

Record: 12-7

OffRtg: 114.0 (9) DefRtg: 107.7 (5) NetRtg: +6.3 (9) Pace: 101.3 (5)

After a 12-3 start to the season, the Warriors have lost four straight games.

Three takeaways

• All four losses have been within five points in the last five minutes, though the Warriors only got to within five after trailing by 17 in the fourth quarter in Phoenix on Saturday. During the losing streak, the Warriors have scored just six points on 18 clutch possessions (shooting 2-for-21), though most of that anemia (five points on 13 possessions) came in the one game (Wednesday vs. Oklahoma City) that Stephen Curry missed.

• Curry returned on Saturday, when the Warriors made another lineup change, with Brandin Podziemski taking the spot previously occupied by Lindy Waters III. Of course, the new lineup played less than six minutes together and the Warriors still played 13 guys in the loss to the Suns.

• The time to shorten the rotation may be right now (or three weeks ago). Over their last nine games, the Warriors have outscored their opponents by 14.5 points per 100 possessions in 220 minutes with Curry and Draymond Green on the floor together, but have been outscored by 4.6 per 100 in 80 minutes with one on the floor without the other and are a minus-21.5 per 100 in 132 minutes with neither on the floor.

It might also be time to shorten the rotation because the Warriors have four more big games within the Western Conference this week. The Nuggets swept the season series in each of the last two seasons (seven total games), and their first meeting this season is their Emirates NBA Cup finale in Denver on Tuesday.

Week 7: @ DEN*, vs. HOU, vs. MIN, vs. MIN

Record: 14-7

OffRtg: 116.7 (5) DefRtg: 108.7 (6) NetRtg: +8.0 (5) Pace: 104.1 (3)

The Grizzlies have a six-game winning streak, climbing to third place in the Western Conference.

Three takeaways

• It’s been a soft stretch of schedule, with each of the six games coming against teams that are currently at least three games under .500 (and five of the six coming at home). Overall, the Grizzlies have played the league’s most home-heavy schedule (13 of 21 at FedExForum) and the second easiest regarding cumulative opponent winning percentage (.432).

• Ja Morant has been back (from an eight-game absence) for three of the last four games. He’s averaged just 26.1 minutes since his return, but nobody on the Grizzlies has played big minutes, as they’ve gone 11 deep in the rotation. Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. have still played just 63 total minutes together, with the Grizzlies having outscored their opponents by 29 points per 100 possessions in those minutes.

• Marcus Smart has been back for four games and continues to come off the bench, with Jaylen Wells in the starting lineup. The situation seems to work well for both guys, as they’ve combined for an effective field goal percentage of 68.1% over the winning streak. The Grizzlies have had the league’s most efficient offense (122.8 points scored per 100 possessions) over these last 12 days.

The Grizzlies have played a league-high 11 interconference games and are 8-3 (2-1 on the road) against the East. They’ll play two more this week and have a rest advantage when they visit the Celtics on Saturday. They’re 1-2 in rest-advantage games thus far, with both losses coming to Brooklyn.

Week 7: @ DAL*, vs. SAC, @ BOS, @ WAS

Record: 12-8

OffRtg: 121.1 (1) DefRtg: 114.6 (22) NetRtg: +6.5 (6) Pace: 97.3 (29)

The Knicks still can’t beat the Mavs, but they’ve won seven of their last nine games and now have the league’s No. 1 offense.

Three takeaways

• The Mavs were without Luka Dončić on Wednesday, but still had their most efficient offensive game of the season (129 points on 98 possessions) against the Knicks’ bottom-10 defense. Jalen Brunson scored an efficient 37 points against his old team, but the Knicks are 0-5 (and 0-3 when Brunson plays) against the Mavs since he arrived from Dallas.

• Mikal Bridges had his best offensive game of the season on Sunday, scoring 31 points on 12-for-19 shooting (7-for-12 from 3-point range) against the Pelicans, and he’s back in the league lead with 31 corner 3-pointers. But OG Anunoby has finally cooled off, shooting 0-for-15 from beyond the arc (and just 8-for-21 inside it) over the last three games. He’s still one of only two players – Victor Wembanyama is the other – with at least 30 dunks and 30 3-pointers this season.

• The Knicks — for a second straight season — are one of the teams most dependent on a strong start. Their win in Charlotte on Friday was just their second in a game (they’re now 2-8) where they didn’t win the first quarter, but after winning the first period vs. the Pelicans by 23 points on Sunday, they’re 10-0 when they’ve held the lead after 12 minutes.

The Knicks’ only regular-season home loss with Anunoby in the lineup last season was to the Magic, who are back at Madison Square Garden for a big Emirates NBA Cup game on Tuesday. The winner wins East Group A, while also getting an important win in regard to the overall Eastern Conference standings.

Week 7: vs. ORL*, vs. CHA, vs. DET

Record: 10-8

OffRtg: 115.7 (6) DefRtg: 114.2 (18) NetRtg: +1.5 (11) Pace: 100.8 (8)

The Nuggets are still two games over .500, but it’s been three weeks since they won two straight.

Three takeaways

• The Nuggets got Aaron Gordon back from a 10-game absence on Sunday. He came off the bench (as part of an eight-man rotation) and the Nuggets outscored their opponent with Nikola Jokić off the floor for just the second time (in the 15 games Jokić has played) this season. But they blew a 10-point, second-half lead to the Clippers and scored just seven points (with Jokić shooting 0-for-2 and committing a turnover) on nine clutch possessions.

• Christian Braun is benefitting from playing alongside Jokić more than he did last season. If you take away the three games that Jokic has missed, the reigning Kia MVP has been on the floor for 92% of Braun’s minutes. But the third-year guard also deserves some credit for having seen a huge leap in efficiency, registering a true shooting percentage of 68.2%, up from 55.4% last season. Braun has seen a big drop in 3-point rate (3PA/FGA) but improved in 2-point percentage, 3-point percentage and free throw rate (FTA/FGA).

• The Knicks scored 145 points on 100 possessions, the second most efficient performance for any team this season, last Monday. Then the Clippers had their third most efficient game of the season (126 on 102) over the weekend. With those losses, the Nuggets are 4-6 (2-4 at home) in games played between the 15 teams that currently have winning records.

They’ll face two more top-tier teams for the first time this week. The Nuggets are back home for just one game, hosting the Warriors (against whom they’ve won seven straight) on Tuesday. Then they begin a three-game (or four-game) trip in Cleveland two nights later.

Week 7: vs. GSW*, @ CLE, @ WAS, @ ATL

Record: 11-8

OffRtg: 113.4 (13) DefRtg: 114.3 (19) NetRtg: -0.9 (17) Pace: 98.6 (19)

The Suns ended their five-game losing streak with the returns of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal last week. They got important wins over the Lakers and Warriors, though they also fell to the Nets in between.

Three takeaways

• The Suns are now 10-2 with Durant and 1-6 without him, with the much bigger difference (10.7 points per 100 possessions) continuing to be on defense. Even in his three games back, they’ve allowed 9.7 fewer points per 100 possessions with him on the floor (104.7) than they have with him on the bench (114.4).

• Opponents have shot just 38.4% on shots that Durant has defended, with the expected field goal percentage on those shots being 46.9%. That’s the fifth-biggest differential among 261 players who’ve defended at least 100 total shots this season.

• Beal was back for less than two games, turning his ankle in the fourth quarter of the loss to Brooklyn and missing the Suns’ win over the Warriors over the weekend. The Suns are 7-2 when they’ve had all three of their stars, but have outscored their opponents by just 0.8 points per 100 possessions in their 169 minutes on the floor together. That number was plus 6.6 per 100 last season.

The Suns are the only Western Conference team that made the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals last year and is still alive with one night of Cup action remaining. (The Lakers, Pelicans and Kings have all been eliminated.) Even if they beat the Spurs on Tuesday, they’ll need some help elsewhere to win Group B or to qualify as the wildcard for a second straight season.

Week 7: vs. SAS*, @ NOP, @ MIA, @ ORL

Record: 12-8

OffRtg: 115.3 (7) DefRtg: 116.9 (26) NetRtg: -1.6 (18) Pace: 98.7 (18)

The Lakers will not be defending their Emirates NBA Cup title in Las Vegas, having suffered their first two Cup losses ever last week. But they did get an important win in San Antonio (ending a three-game losing streak) in between.

Three takeaways

• The Lakers made another change to their starting lineup last week, replacing Cam Reddish with rookie Dalton Knecht (averaging 18 points on an effective field goal percentage of 64% in eight total games as a starter). The new starting lineup was outscored by 14 points by the Spurs and Thunder in 18 minutes last week, with Austin Reaves suffering an injury and missing the Lakers’ win in Utah on Sunday.

• While the most recent starting groups haven’t had much success, the Lakers have seen dramatic improvement from their bench. They had the league’s 24th-ranked bench at the point (Nov. 8) that D’Angelo Russell was taken out of the starting lineup. Since then, their bench ranks fourth, with Russell having shot a little more effectively as a reserve (51.8%) than he did as a starter (45.5%). He scored 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting in the San Antonio win.

• They also got good bench minutes without Russell in Utah on Sunday, when the Lakers won despite shooting 7-for-33 (21%) from 3-point range. There have been only seven games this season where a team has won while making fewer than eight 3-pointers, with the Lakers (two), Rockets (two) and Raptors (two) accounting for six of those seven wins.

The win in Utah on Sunday started a four-game trip that will take the Lakers to Miami and Atlanta. They’re 3-3 (1-2 on the road) against the Eastern Conference.

Week 7: @ MIN, @ MIA, @ ATL, vs. POR

Record: 11-9

OffRtg: 112.2 (19) DefRtg: 112.2 (13) NetRtg: -0.0 (16) Pace: 98.9 (16)

The Spurs appear legit, having climbed above .500 and staying there with a comeback win in Sacramento on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• The Spurs are a second-half team, 18.3 points per 100 possessions better after halftime (plus-9.2, fourth best) than before halftime (minus-9.1, third worst). They’ve lost the first quarter in each of their last six games (and by double-digits three times in that stretch), but have won five of the six.

• The bigger difference between the first-half Spurs and the second-half Spurs has been on offense and has been as much about free throw rate and turnover rate as it’s been about shooting. Among the six Spurs with at least 50 field goal attempts before and after halftime, Julian Champagnie has the biggest differential in effective field goal percentage (51.0% in the first half, 62.5% in the second half).

• Overall, the Spurs rank as the league’s second-most-improved team regarding winning percentage and its fifth-most-improved team regarding point differential per 100 possessions.

The Spurs will win West Group B if they win their NBA Cup finale in Phoenix on Tuesday. It’s their first meeting with the Suns, who they beat three times last season. It’s also an opportunity for Victor Wembanyama to go head-to-head with Kevin Durant, the Suns’ primary defender on Wembanyama in the three games the reigning Kia Rookie of the Year played against the Suns in 2023-24.

Week 7: @ PHX*, vs. CHI, vs. SAC, vs. NOP

Record: 10-9

OffRtg: 113.4 (12) DefRtg: 112.7 (14) NetRtg: +0.8 (14) Pace: 99.3 (15)

The Bucks have won six straight games to climb over .500 and into the top six in the Eastern Conference.

Three takeaways

• The Bucks have scored more than 120 points per 100 possessions in each of their last five games, with Giannis Antetokounmpo averaging 38 points and nine assists (in less than 35 minutes) in the four that he played. His 33.7 points per 36 minutes would be the 10th-highest mark in NBA history (minimum 500 minutes played) and make Antetokounmpo the only player with three spots in the top 10.

• The Bucks’ Emirates NBA Cup win in Miami on Tuesday came without Antetokounmpo and was also their first road win since opening night (in Philadelphia). It was the second slowest-paced game of the season, but Damian Lillard scored 37 points, shooting 8-for-13 from 3-point range, including 6-for-11 on pull-up 3-pointers. The 1.11 points per possession he’s scored as a pick-and-roll ball-handler this season is up from 0.99 last season and ranks third among 41 players who’ve averaged at least five ball-handler possessions per game, according to Synergy tracking.

• The win in Miami was also a reminder that if Antetokounmpo isn’t scoring in the paint, the Bucks aren’t scoring in the paint. The points in the paint total was 46-18 in favor of the Heat, who were also a plus-9 at the free throw line. Antetokounmpo’s 22.1 points in the paint per game are 5.2 more than any player has averaged this season (and would be the most for any player in the last 25 years), but as a team, the Bucks rank 25th with 43.9 points in the paint per game.

The Bucks are one of three Eastern Conference teams — the Celtics and Knicks are the others — with a chance to make the NBA Cup quarterfinals for a second straight year. They’ll play the Pistons for first place in East Group B on Tuesday, having edged Detroit in overtime (with Antetokounmpo scoring 59 points) in their first meeting.

Week 7: @ DET*, vs. ATL, @ BOS, @ BKN

Record: 9-10

OffRtg: 112.3 (18) DefRtg: 111.4 (9) NetRtg: +0.9 (13) Pace: 97.9 (24)

The Wolves are three games into a pretty big stretch of seven straight against teams within the top 12 in the Western Conference. After dropping games to the Rockets and Kings, they got a much-needed (and narrow) win over the Clippers on Friday.

Three takeaways

• The Timberwolves were up 12 with a little more than seven minutes to go on Wednesday, having gone on a 28-9 run that felt bigger than just those 11 last minutes like it could be the spark that turns their season around. Then, that 12-point lead turned into an 11-point loss (at home) to the Kings, with Sacramento scoring (26 points) on 11 straight possessions at one point. Each of the Wolves’ last eight games (3-5) have been within five points in the last five minutes.

• While that was a brutal defensive stretch against the Kings, the Wolves’ larger issues have been on offense, with the last five games (105.9 points scored per 100 possessions) being their worst stretch of the season on that end of the floor. Four of their top eight guys combined to shoot 19-for-82 (23%) from 3-point range over the losing streak.

• Their win over the Clippers on Friday wasn’t pretty overall (they committed 22 turnovers), but the Wolves did shoot 15-for-39 (38%) from beyond the arc, improving to 9-3 when they’ve shot 36% or better from 3-point range. They’re 0-7 when they haven’t. The Wizards (0-14) are the only other winless team when shooting below 36% from deep.

This big stretch of games within the West continues this week, and the Wolves will have a rest advantage in each of their next three. They’re 2-1 (1-1 at home) in rest-advantage games thus far.

Week 7: vs. LAL, @ LAC, @ GSW, @ GSW

Record: 9-9

OffRtg: 112.8 (15) DefRtg: 111.6 (10) NetRtg: +1.2 (12) Pace: 97.5 (28)

The Heat had a brief stay in the land above .500 by winning four out of five, but couldn’t complete and home-and-home sweep of the Raptors, getting outscored by 22 points in the paint (68-46) as they fell in Toronto on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• The Heat are in the middle of the pack offensively and need to get stops to get wins. They’re 9-0 when they’ve allowed fewer than 116 points per 100 possessions and 0-9 when they’ve allowed 116 or more.

• After missing two games, Terry Rozier has come off the bench for the last four (he started the first 12). But he was on the floor down the stretch of the three games that were within five points in the last five minutes last week. He was officially 3-for-3 in the clutch, but his long 3 to tie the Heat’s game against the Bucks on Tuesday was both off the mark and a little bit late. At 83-for-206 (40.3%), Rozier is still one of only three players — Mike Miller and Ben Gordon are others — who’ve shot 40% or better on at least 200 clutch 3-point attempts (including playoffs) over the 29 seasons for which we have clutch data.

• The Heat still needs more from Rozier in his reserve role. Jimmy Butler has played the last six games and the Heat have scored 26.4 more points per 100 possessions in Butler’s 202 minutes on the floor (119.6) than they have in his 91 minutes on the bench (93.2).

The Heat are the only East team that has yet to face the Celtics or Cavs, and they’ll face them both this week, visiting Boston on Monday and hosting Cleveland over the weekend. Both games will be the second games of back-to-backs for both the Heat and the opponents.

Week 7: @ BOS, vs. LAL, vs. PHX, vs. CLE

Record: 10-11

OffRtg: 111.1 (21) DefRtg: 114.4 (21) NetRtg: -3.3 (21) Pace: 104.4 (2)

The Hawks have won three straight games for the first time, beating the Cavs twice and clinching East Group C along the way.

Three takeaways

• De’Andre Hunter has scored a team-high 67 points in just 83 minutes off the bench over the three-game winning streak. For the season, he’s shot a career-best 40.4% from 3-point range while also registering a career-best free throw rate of 37.1 attempts per 100 shots from the field.

• Despite Hunter’s scoring binge, the Hawks still have the league’s 26th-ranked bench, having been outscored by 14.2 points per 100 possessions in Jalen Johnson’s 279 total minutes off the floor. They lost a rest-advantage game to the Mavs last Monday when they were outscored by 13 in Johnson’s 11 minutes on the bench.

• Zaccharie Risacher might be starting to figure things out, having shot 16-for-28 (57%) over the winning streak. He flourishes in transition (where 15 of his 42 points over these three games have come) and moves well without the ball, fitting in well with an offense that ranks in the top seven in both ball and player movement. One bucket against the Cavs on Friday was an impressive display of patience in the face of multiple defenders.

The Hawks have a great opportunity to extend the winning streak and return to .500 for the first time since they were 2-2, hosting the Pelicans on Monday. That’s one of three games this week in which they’ll have a rest advantage, with a visit from the Lakers on Friday being the lone exception.

Week 7: vs. NOP, @ MIL, vs. LAL, vs. DEN

Record: 9-12

OffRtg: 113.8 (10) DefRtg: 116.8 (24) NetRtg: -3.0 (20) Pace: 96.6 (30)

The Nets went 3-0 out West, knocking off the Warriors and Suns last week. Unfortunately, the schedule didn’t allow for them to keep on beating up on the Western Conference, and they returned home to lose two games to the Magic.

Three takeaways

• The Nets are now 6-1 (with the only loss having come in overtime) against the West and 3-11 against the East, a remarkable split given the state of the two conferences. They had just eight wins against the West last season.

• Cam Thomas is out for at least a few weeks with a hamstring strain. That hurts the Nets’ shot creation and while the Nets’ got a surprise, 30-point performance from Tyrese Martin (who had 33 total points in 21 career games prior) in Phoenix on Wednesday, their two losses to the Magic over the weekend were two of their three least efficient offensive performances of the season. Dennis Schröder missed the first one and shot just 6-for-19 (with six turnovers) on Sunday.

• The Nets are the only team that ranks in the bottom five in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage. They’ve grabbed no more than 50% of available boards in each of their last 10 games.

More Eastern Conference games are coming this week, though two of the three are against two of the three East teams — the Bulls and Bucks — that the Nets have beaten. They’ll have a rest advantage against Indiana on Wednesday.

Week 7: @ CHI, vs. IND, vs. MIL

OffRtg: 114.2 (8) DefRtg: 113.6 (17) NetRtg: +0.6 (15) Pace: 98.7 (17)

The Kings got a (seemingly) good win in Minnesota on Wednesday, but that’s their only victory in their last seven games.

Three takeaways

• That game in Minnesota was a wild, back-and-forth affair in which the Kings blew a 14-point lead, but then came back from 12 points down in the fourth quarter with a 29-6 run to close the game. They’re one of two teams with multiple wins (they’re 2-8) when trailing by more than 10 points in the fourth.

• Malik Monk was the leading scorer (11 points) in that 29-6 run, two nights after he returned from a seven-game absence. And on Sunday (when DeMar DeRozan returned from two games out), Monk was in the starting lineup for the first time in 170 career games with the Kings. The Kings got off to a great start, but eventually blew a 17-point lead and couldn’t get stops down the stretch, allowing the Spurs to score 16 points on nine clutch possessions. There hasn’t been much beam lighting with the Kings now 4-7 (with four straight losses) at home.

• Now 2-7 in games decided by five points or fewer, the Kings are 9-12 with a positive point differential (better than those of the Lakers and Suns).

It would have been nice to get that win against the Spurs, because the Kings will now face the second-place Rockets and third-place Grizzlies for the first time, seeing the Spurs again in San Antonio on Friday.

Week 7: vs. HOU*, @ MEM, @ SAS, vs. UTA

Record: 9-12

OffRtg: 112.4 (17) DefRtg: 116.9 (25) NetRtg: -4.5 (23) Pace: 100.9 (6)

The Pacers won the first three games of their four-game homestand, but lost the finale to the Pistons (without Cade Cunningham) and, after a loss in Memphis on Sunday, they’ve now lost six straight (and nine of the last 10) on the road.

Three takeaways

• The three straight wins came over Washington, New Orleans and Portland, so they didn’t exactly signal a breakthrough for the Pacers. The Portland win was slow-paced and their second-most efficient offensive performance of the season, but the offense was worse than average again in the two losses over the weekend. Plus, the Pacers aren’t very good at winning ugly. Over the last two seasons, they’re 6-35 when scoring less than 115 points per 100 possessions.

• Aaron Nesmith and Ben Sheppard remain out, but the Pacers did get Andrew Nembhard back from a 12-game absence on Sunday. He played less than 15 minutes but managed to register 14 points, four assists and two steals in that time. The Pacers have outscored their opponents by 8.9 points per 100 possessions in 141 minutes with their four currently healthy starters on the floor together.

• The flip side of that is that the Pacers have had the league’s 24th-ranked bench, having been outscored by 14.4 points per 100 possessions with Pascal Siakam off the floor.

The Pacers will try to resolve their road woes as their four-game trip takes them through Toronto, Brooklyn and Chicago. They were in Toronto two weeks ago and allowed the Raptors to shoot 59% in a double-digit defeat.

Week 7: @ TOR*, @ BKN, @ CHI, vs. CHA

Record: 8-13

OffRtg: 113.0 (14) DefRtg: 118.4 (29) NetRtg: -5.4 (25) Pace: 104.9 (1)

The Bulls’ fast pace continues to make it tough for them to keep up with the best teams in the league. They got a win in Washington on Tuesday but then allowed almost 130 points per 100 possessions in losses to Orlando and Boston.

Three takeaways

• The Bulls are one of two teams that rank in the top six in both 3-point percentage (38.3%, sixth) and the percentage of their shots that have come from 3-point range (47.2%, fifth). Their 16.4 made 3-pointers per game would be the fifth most in NBA history. But on Friday, they ran into the team — the Celtics — that would have the record by a huge margin and got outscored, 69-60, from beyond the arc in a nine-point loss.

• With that loss to the Celtics, the Bulls are just 2-7 (only the Jazz and Wizards have been worse) at home, having allowed more than 120 points per 100 possessions over those nine games. Those nine opponents have a cumulative winning percentage of .650, and the Bulls have only once had two straight home games.

• Talen Horton-Tucker has been the 11th man (sixth reserve to see minutes) of late but has scored 59 points (on 22-for-28 shooting) in less than 61 minutes over the last four games. For the season, the Bulls have the league’s 22nd-ranked bench, having been outscored by 10.2 points per 100 possessions in Zach LaVine’s 400 minutes off the floor.

The loss to the Celtics was the start of a stretch where the Bulls are playing four of five at home, with three teams with losing records coming to the United Center this week.

Week 7: vs. BKN, @ SAS, vs. IND, vs. PHI

Record: 8-13

OffRtg: 106.9 (27) DefRtg: 114.3 (20) NetRtg: -7.5 (27) Pace: 100.3 (12)

The Blazers keep picking up some unexpected victories, though their four-game home winning streak ended with a loss to the Mavs on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• The Blazers lost Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III to injury before getting Deandre Ayton back from a seven-game absence on Wednesday. They’ve only twice had all three centers available. Ayton shot 26-for-40 (65%) in his three games back last week, with almost all of that production (24-for-31) coming in the paint. Ayton was a good mid-range shooter (51.2%) last season but hasn’t taken as many shots (and hasn’t shot as well) from mid-range this year.

• The Blazers should hope that one of their two as-yet-unscheduled games isn’t against the Grizzlies, who they’re only scheduled to play three times total as of now. They did not avenge their 45-point loss from earlier in November when they visited Memphis last Monday. Instead, they lost by 25, never holding a lead and shooting just 8-for-46 (17%) from 3-point range.

• For the season the Blazers rank 24th in 3-point percentage, having shot below 20% from deep a league-high three times (including both games against Memphis). Over the weekend, they somehow won a game shooting 11-for-37 (30%) and lost a game shooting 18-for-31 (58%) from deep.

Overall, they’re 6-4 when they’ve shot 36% or better from 3-point range and 2-9 when they haven’t. One of those wins where the Blazers shot well from beyond the arc was in L.A. against the Clippers in late October, and their second meeting is back at the Intuit Dome on Tuesday.

Week 7: @ LAC*, vs. UTA, @ LAL

Record: 9-13

OffRtg: 110.5 (24) DefRtg: 112.2 (12) NetRtg: -1.7 (19) Pace: 98.1 (22)

The Pistons remain undefeated in the Emirates NBA Cup, but their Cup win in Indiana on Friday was the only game in the last five for which they’ve had Cade Cunningham.

Three takeaways

• Malik Beasley had a terrific game (25 points on 10-for-14 shooting) off the bench in Indiana, but the Pistons’ lineup with him in place of Cunningham has been outscored by 17 points in 52 total minutes this season, having allowed 124.5 points per 100 possessions. They scored just seven points on 10 possessions before making a sub in their loss in Philadelphia on Saturday, the second game this season in which they never held a lead.

• Overall, that game was the Pistons’ worst offensive performance (96 points on 99 possessions) of the season. They’ve scored less than 110 points per 100 possessions in all four games without Cunningham.

• The Pistons did get a win without Cunningham, beating the Raptors last Monday on Jaden Ivey’s floater at the buzzer. Ivey’s effective field goal percentage (52.0%) is still below the league average, but he’s seen a small jump for the second straight year. The improvement from last season is mostly about his shooting outside the paint: 42.4% from mid-range and 38.3% from beyond the arc, up from 37.9% and 33.6%.

The Pistons will host the Bucks on Tuesday for first place in Group B and they can still qualify for the NBA Cup quarterfinals with a loss by less than five and if the Magic win in New York.

Week 7: vs. MIL*, @ BOS, @ NYK

Record: 6-15

OffRtg: 111.9 (20) DefRtg: 115.6 (23) NetRtg: -3.6 (22) Pace: 99.4 (14)

The Raptors remain shorthanded, now playing without Gradey Dick in addition to Immanuel Quickley, Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk. But they got a couple of wins last week, taking advantage of the more depleted Pelicans and splitting a home-and-home with the Heat.

Three takeaways

• The Raptors rank 26th in 3-point differential, having been outscored by 6.7 points per game from beyond the arc. They were a minus-45 from deep over the two weekend games against the Heat, even though they didn’t shoot that poorly (21-for-58, 36.2%), because Miami attempted 36 more 3-pointers over the 96 minutes. Toronto remains last in 3-point rate (35.1% of their total field goal attempts).

• While they were outscored by 45 points from deep, the Raptors were a plus-48 in the paint (130-82) over the two games, with RJ Barrett (40), Jakob Poeltl (30) and Scottie Barnes (22) combining for 92 of the 130. Toronto has taken 56.1% of its shots in the paint, the highest rate for any team in the last three seasons.

• The Raptors went on a 14-2 run late in the second quarter on Sunday, taking a five-point lead into the half. They lost that lead briefly, but are also the only team without a win (they’re 0-11) when they didn’t have a lead at halftime. Statistically, only the Pelicans have been (a hair) worse in the fourth quarter than Toronto (minus 11.7 points per 100 possessions).

The Raptors have won three straight at home, and their win over the Heat on Sunday was the start of their longest homestand of the season. It’ll be five or six games, depending on their two unscheduled games (which will be announced late Tuesday night).

Week 7: vs. IND*, vs. OKC vs. DAL

Record: 4-14

OffRtg: 105.8 (28) DefRtg: 112.9 (15) NetRtg: -7.1 (26) Pace: 97.6 (27)

Joel Embiid remains out, but Paul George returned on Saturday and the Sixers got a win in Detroit.

Three takeaways

• Through their first eight games, the Sixers ranked 25th defensively. But over their last 10, they rank eighth (109.7 points allowed per 100 possessions). They’re defending the paint better while fouling less than they did those first few weeks.

• The 76ers are continue to turn teams over, ranking second in opponent turnover rate this season. Tyrese Maxey is averaging 2 steals per 36 minutes (more than double his rate from the last three seasons). George’s 4.2 deflections per 36 would be his highest rate in the nine seasons for which deflections have been tracked.

• Offense remains a struggle. Maxey had a pretty ridiculous game against the Rockets on Wednesday, but the Sixers still scored just 115 points on 112 possessions (103 per 100) as they lost in overtime (Maxey and Jared McCain combined to shoot 0-for-6 in the extra period). Only the Pelicans have seen a bigger drop in offensive efficiency from last season.

The Sixers are the only team with just a single two-game series (two straight games against the same opponent) on the schedule this season. Their only one is Wednesday and Friday, when they’ll host the Magic, who they lost to in Orlando 16 days ago. The Sixers are 0-12 (the Wizards are the only other winless team) against the 16 teams that are currently at or above .500.

Week 7: @ CHA*, vs. ORL, vs. ORL, @ CHI

Record: 6-14

OffRtg: 108.8 (25) DefRtg: 113.5 (16) NetRtg: -4.7 (24) Pace: 97.8 (25)

The Hornets have lost five straight games and have lost LaMelo Ball (calf strain) for at least two weeks.

Three takeaways

• The Hornets have allowed just 106.4 points per 100 possessions over the first four games of their five-game homestand. But they’ve scored just 100.5 per 100, sliding into the bottom-six in offensive efficiency for the season. Turnovers have been an issue: Ball had 14 (with his 14 assists) in the two games he played, while Brandon Miller has 17 turnovers (with 14 assists) over the four games total.

• Four of the five games in this losing streak have been within five points in the last five minutes, but the Hornets have allowed 51 points on 34 clutch defensive possessions over those four close games. Cody Martin also went 0-for-2 from the line with the team down two in the final seconds against Miami, and then he missed an open corner 3 for the tie against the Knicks two nights later.

• While registering the fourth-highest usage rate (38.5%) in the 29 seasons for which we have play-by-play data, Ball has also had the most efficient scoring season of his career (true shooting percentage of 56.4%). The Hornets have scored just a point per possession in 356 total minutes with him off the floor.

The Hornets did get Nick Richards back from a 16-game absence on Saturday, so they’re a little healthier up front as they finish the five-game homestand with a visit from the Sixers on Tuesday. The first meeting (in Philadelphia last month) was won by the Sixers in overtime when Miller missed a pretty good look at a go-ahead 3.

Week 7: vs. PHI*, @ NYK, vs. CLE, @ IND

Record: 4-16

OffRtg: 108.7 (26) DefRtg: 118.1 (28) NetRtg: -9.5 (28) Pace: 99.7 (13)

Collin Sexton had Lakers’ Rui Hachimura beat for the go-ahead bucket in the closing seconds on Sunday … but Jazz coach Will Hardy called timeout just as Sexton was heading toward the basket. After the timeout, Sexton couldn’t get a shot off, and the Jazz have now lost eight of their last nine games.

Three takeaways

• Lauri Markkanen and John Collins missed the Jazz’s loss to the Nuggets on Wednesday but were both back for their two games over the weekend. Utah’s current starting lineup — with Markkanen, Collins and Walker Kessler on the frontline — had a rough night against the Mavs on Saturday, but has still outscored opponents by 15.5 points per 100 possessions in 67 total minutes. The rebounding numbers have been pretty incredible, but some of that success also comes from the opponents shooting just 18-for-60 (30%) from 3-point range in those minutes.

• The Jazz are still leaning on Keyonte George to run the offense, and the second-year guard has had at least five turnovers in four of the last five games, with a couple of costly ones down the stretch against the Lakers on Sunday. The Jazz have also allowed 123.8 points per 100 possessions with George on the floor, the worst on-court mark (by a healthy margin) among 268 players who’ve averaged at least 15 minutes per game.

• Though he shot 1-for-8 against Dallas on Saturday, George has scored more efficiently over the last 10 games (true shooting percentage of 56.3%) than he did over the first 10 (45.8%).

The Jazz have played just three games (they’re 1-2) against the other 13 teams currently below .500, while every other team has played at least six games against the bottom 14. They’ll get two more games against that group this week, visiting the Blazers and Kings. They’ve lost their last four on the road, though they did have a nine-point, fourth-quarter lead in Sacramento before coming up short down the stretch in mid-November.

Week 7: @ OKC*, @ POR, @ SAC

Record: 4-17

OffRtg: 105.0 (29) DefRtg: 118.0 (27) NetRtg: -13.0 (29) Pace: 98.0 (23)

The Pelicans got both CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray back from extended absences last week, but their losing streak has hit eight games, and they’re 2-17 since a 2-0 start.

Three takeaways

• The Pelicans are still missing some talented players, with Herb Jones having missed the last 17 games, Zion Williamson having missed the last 12 and Brandon Ingram having missed the last four. They still don’t have a lineup that’s played more than 44 minutes together.

• But even the talent that’s been playing hasn’t been playing well. McCollum and Murray combined for an effective field goal percentage of just 44.8% last week, and the Pelicans scored an anemic 90.4 points per 100 possessions in their 61 minutes on the floor together. Trey Murphy III has shot just 20-for-66 (30.3%) from 3-point range over his eight games.

• The Pelicans are now 17.6 points per 100 possessions worse than they were last season. That would be the biggest season-to-season drop-off for any team since the Bulls were 18.2 per 100 worse in the season (1998-99) after the Last Dance.

Murray wasn’t available when the Pelicans lost to the Hawks a month ago, so he’ll face his former team for the first time in Atlanta on Monday. That’s one of two rest-disadvantage games for New Orleans this week.

Week 7: @ ATL, vs. PHX, vs. OKC, @ SAS

Record: 2-16

OffRtg: 104.8 (30) DefRtg: 118.9 (30) NetRtg: -14.1 (30) Pace: 103.3 (4)

The Wizards’ losing streak is at 14 games, and they now rank last on both ends of the floor.

Three takeaways

• The Wizards’ best strategy for ending this losing streak would probably be to lean on their vets. Jonas Valančiūnas got his third start of the season in Milwaukee on Saturday and the Wizards outscored the Bucks by six points in his 21 minutes alongside Malcolm Brogdon, who scored a season-high 29 points. But they struggled, especially defensively, when both of those guys weren’t on the floor.

• Valančiūnas was in the starting lineup in place of Kyle Kuzma, who suffered a rib sprain when the Wizards got clobbered by the Clippers on Wednesday. Brogdon, Kuzma and Valančiūnas have played just 16 total minutes together over the six games in which all three have been available.

• The Wizards are the only team that’s never won an Emirates NBA Cup game, now 0-7 over two years of Cup play after their loss to the Bulls last week. That was the third time during this losing streak that they had a double-digit lead, but they were outscored by 22 points in the second quarter. They’ve lost the third period in all 14 games during the streak.

The Wizards’ last chance to get an Emirates NBA Cup win this season is Tuesday in Cleveland, when they’ll likely be without Kuzma again. They’ll have a chance to end their 21-game losing streak in the second games of back-to-backs when they host the Grizzlies (who will also have played the night before) on Sunday.

Week 7: @ CLE*, vs. DAL, vs. DEN, vs. MEM