Power Rankings, Week 6: Celtics take over No. 1 spot; Magic, Clippers enter Top 10

Record: 14-3

OffRtg: 120.5 (3) DefRtg: 111.1 (10) NetRtg: +9.5 (3) Pace: 97.7 (25)

The Celtics won the first meeting of the two best teams in the Eastern Conference and handed the Cavs their first loss. They also picked up another quality win by holding off the Wolves on Sunday afternoon.

Three takeaways

• The Celtics had second-half leads of 21 and 19 points against the Cavs and Wolves, only for both games to go down to the wire. Over their eight home games, they’ve allowed 108.5 points per 100 possessions before halftime and 125.6 per 100 in the second half.

• The Celtics, of course, dominated both opponents from beyond the arc, even outscoring Washington from 3-point range on Friday when they shot just 11-for-46 (24%) from deep. Their record differential from 3-point range (plus-20.3 points per game) is as much about defense as it is offense, with the Celtics one of two teams — the Rockets are the other — that rank in the top five in both opponent 3-point percentage (34.3%, fourth) and the percentage of their opponents’ shots that have come from 3-point range (38.7%, lowest).

• With those big leads (almost) disappearing, eight of the Celtics’ last nine games have been within five points in the last five minutes. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White are a combined 10-for-17 on clutch 3-pointers after they each hit big ones on Sunday, while Jayson Tatum (just 4-for-16 on clutch 3-pointers) ranks second in total clutch points (44).

The Celtics have still played just three games (the fewest in the league) against the 14 teams that currently have winning records, though they’re responsible for the Wolves (9-8 prior to Sunday) losing their spot in that group. They’ll face the 11-7 Clippers and 17-1 Cavs this week, with those also being just their third and fourth games against teams that currently rank in the top 10 defensively.

Week 6: vs. LAC, @ CHI*, @ CLE

Record: 17-1

OffRtg: 122.8 (1) DefRtg: 110.9 (9) NetRtg: +11.8 (1) Pace: 100.3 (12)

Not too surprisingly, the Cavs’ winning streak ended in Boston on Tuesday. They were somewhat shorthanded, but they showed some fight in cutting a 21-point deficit down to two in the second half.

Three takeaways

• While the Cavs’ 3-point shooting (league-best 41.5%) is probably unsustainable, the same could probably be said about how well their opponents have shot (37.8%, second-highest mark) from beyond the arc. According to Second Spectrum tracking, Cleveland ranks fifth regarding opponent shot quality, but their opponents have exceeded expectations in how well they’ve shot in 12 of their 18 games, with the Boston loss (when the Celtics shot 22-for-41 from 3-point range) being the biggest such differential.

• With Darius Garland out against New Orleans on Wednesday, Ty Jerome started and scored a career-high 29 points. Garland was back in the lineup over the weekend, but Jerome still scored another 26 points in 28 minutes off the bench against Toronto. Jerome now has an incredibly effective field goal percentage of 84% on pull-up jumpers, having shot 14-for-19 (74%) on pull-up 2-pointers and 17-for-28 (61%) on pull-up 3-pointers.

• The Cavs didn’t get their first multi-day break of the season until after the Boston loss and their win over the Pelicans the following night. Their win over the Raptors on Sunday was their only game in six days, a good thing considering that they’ve been missing key pieces in their rotation. (Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade all missed the Boston game.) Max Strus still hasn’t played all season, but his original injury timeline had him scheduled to be re-evaluated this week.

The Cavs will get another shot at the Celtics on Sunday, and this time they’ll be at home, where they’ve outscored their opponents by an amazing 40.5 points per 100 possessions in the first quarter and led all 10 of their games by at least 15 points.

Week 6: vs. ATL, @ ATL*, vs. BOS

Record: 12-4

OffRtg: 115.0 (7) DefRtg: 106.2 (4) NetRtg: +8.7 (5) Pace: 101.7 (5)

The Warriors remain at the top of the Western Conference, though they doubled their loss total last week.

Three takeaways

• The Warriors were 12-0 when leading by double digits and 12-0 when leading after the third quarter before Saturday. Then they blew a 17-point lead in San Antonio by scoring just 13 points over the final 13 1/2 minutes (27 offensive possessions), with 11 players contributing to the collapse.

• That’s not really about the absence of De’Anthony Melton (they scored just 90.1 per 100 in 74 minutes with Melton on the floor without Curry), but the 26-year-old will miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury … and will be missed. He was asked to defend some of the league’s best guards, and the Warriors had allowed less than a point per possession in his 121 minutes over six games.

The Warriors are the only team to have clinched a spot in the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals and won’t have any Cup games this week. Instead, they’ll have two regular Western Conference tests, hosting the Thunder on Wednesday and visiting the Suns three nights later. Melton scored a season-high 19 points when they won in Oklahoma City earlier this month.

Week 6: vs. BKN, vs OKC, @ PHX

Record: 12-4

OffRtg: 113.1 (12) DefRtg: 102.7 (1) NetRtg: +10.4 (2) Pace: 100.9 (7)

The Thunder had some success with small ball, but after losing two straight games, were happy to have Isaiah Hartenstein make his season debut on Wednesday.

Three takeaways

• The Thunder have outscored their opponents by almost 12 points per 100 possessions in 162 minutes with Jalen Williams at the five, and Williams ranks as one of the league’s best rim protectors, with opponents having shot just 48.4% at the rim when he’s been there.

• But the Thunder were outscored by 26 points on second chances as they lost consecutive games to the Mavs and Spurs. Oklahoma City ranks 29th in defensive rebounding percentage (66.4%) and last in second chance points allowed, both per game (17.3) and per 100 possessions (17.1). That last number would be the highest opponent mark for any team in the last 20 seasons.

• They allowed 10 second-chance points in Hartenstein’s 29 minutes off the bench on Wednesday but still outscored the Blazers by 14 points overall with the big man on the floor. And he was on the floor down the stretch, picking up a big block on Shaedon Sharpe as the Thunder finally took control with a 10-1 run. With the win, they’re 4-0 in the second game of back-to-backs.

Having had four days off, the Thunder will now embark on a pretty tough, four-game trip. Depending on the Emirates Cup schedule, they’ll play 10, 11 or 12 of their next 14 games on the road.

Week 6: @ SAC, @ GSW, @ LAL*, @ HOU

Record: 12-6

OffRtg: 112.5 (15) DefRtg: 103.7 (2) NetRtg: +8.8 (4) Pace: 100.6 (9)

The Rockets suffered a couple of tough, late-game losses last week and their loss Saturday to the Blazers ended their seven-game home winning streak.

Three takeaways

• The Pacers shot more effectively than the Rockets on Wednesday, but Houston won by 17, because (thanks to turnovers and offensive rebounds) it had 23 more shooting opportunities, tied for the biggest differential in any game this season. The Rockets’ season-long average (7.7 more shooting opportunities per game than their opponents) would be the second biggest differential in the last 52 years. Fred VanVleet was also on the only team (the 2022-23 Raptors) with a better mark (+9.1 per game).

• With their two losses last week, the Rockets are 1-3 in the second games of back-to-backs (with the only win coming against the Wizards) and 11-3 otherwise. They’ve scored just 104.1 points per 100 possessions over those four games without rest, with four of their five starters (all except Alperen Sengun) having shot below 40%. Their Saturday loss to the Blazers (who they played the night before, to be fair) was their worst offensive performance of the season (98 points on 99 possessions).

• The loss to Portland was the second time the Rockets have been outscored on fast break points. They had almost doubled up their opponents (172-87) on the break over their previous seven games.

The next two weeks should be one of the Rockets’ toughest stretches of the season. Five of the six games are on the road, with the one home game (Sunday) coming against the Thunder. The previous meeting (in Oklahoma City earlier this month) was the Rockets’ only double-digit loss of the season and the only other time they’ve been outscored on the break.

Week 6: @ MIN*, @ PHI, vs. OKC

Record: 9-8

OffRtg: 115.5 (6) DefRtg: 110.1 (7) NetRtg: +5.4 (7) Pace: 100.0 (13)

Luka Dončić has missed three of the last four games with knee and wrist injuries, but the Mavs have won in Oklahoma City and Denver without him. They came one stop short of winning in Miami on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• The two wins without Dončić have been two of the Mavs’ five best offensive games of the season. P.J. Washington led them with 27 points in Oklahoma City and had seven on the 9-0 run that turned a five-point deficit into a four-point lead with less than a minute left in Denver on Friday.

• The leading scorer against the Nuggets was Naji Marshall, who has somehow seized a portion of the Dallas offense from Dončić and Kyrie Irving. The Mavs’ two stars have both seen drops in the percentage of their minutes that they have the ball from last season, with Marshall averaging a career-high 2.0 minutes of possession.

• With both of the weekend games going down the wire, Marshall was on the floor instead of Klay Thompson for most of the clutch minutes. Thompson didn’t take a shot in the 4.3 clutch minutes he played, while the Mavs shot 1-for-16 on clutch 3-pointers, including 1-for-13 in the overtime loss in Miami. They’re now 3-7 in games that were within five points in the last five minutes and 6-1 otherwise.

The Mavs have already had three rest-disadvantage games, and they’ll have two more this week. The first (Monday) is in Atlanta, and the second (Sunday) is more than 2,000 miles away in Portland.

Week 6: @ ATL, vs. NYK, @ UTA, @ POR

Record: 9-6

OffRtg: 114.5 (8) DefRtg: 112.0 (12) NetRtg: +2.5 (11) Pace: 101.1 (6)

The Nuggets got a win without Nikola Jokić, and then got the Kia VP back in time to dominate the Lakers once again.

Three takeaways

• The Jokić-less win over Memphis came with the 200th career (regular-season) triple-double for Russell Westbrook, who also made a big contribution (14 points, four assists, 6-for-7 shooting) in their huge second half in L.A. on Saturday. That was just the second game in which the Nuggets outscored their opponents with Westbrook on the floor.

• They beat the Grizzlies without him, but the Nuggets were outscored by 21 points in 20 minutes with Jokić off the floor over the weekend, with their three-point loss to the Mavs on Friday being their third defeat in which he recorded a positive plus-minus. His on-off differential for the season (30.5 points per 100 possessions) remains absurd.

• Jamal Murray might be getting his legs back under him. He shot just 16-for-53 (30%) from 3-point range over the Nuggets’ first 12 games, but is 11-for-25 (44%) over the last three, with his five 3s in the Memphis win being a season high. He continues to struggle inside the arc, though. Murray (43.5%) and Westbrook (38.5%) rank 128th and 133rd in 2-point percentage among 133 players with at least 75 2-point attempts.

Their win in L.A. this past weekend was the Nuggets’ third rest-disadvantage game of the season. After Monday, they’ll be one of two teams that haven’t played with a rest advantage, with their first advantage game coming Wednesday in Utah. Their first game against the Jazz (at home earlier this month) was both their biggest win and best defensive game (statistically) of the season.

Week 6: vs. NYK, @ UTA, @ LAC

Record: 11-7

OffRtg: 110.9 (20) DefRtg: 107.3 (5) NetRtg: +3.6 (10) Pace: 98.4 (20)

The Clippers remain more than competitive, and they’ve won five straight games to climb into the top five in the West.

Three takeaways

• They continue to get it done with defense, allowing just 98.4 points per 100 possessions over the winning streak. Some of that, of course, is bad 3-point shooting, with the opponents having shot just 26.9% from beyond the arc over the five games. For the season, LA has the league’s fourth-highest opponent 3-point rate (44% of shots coming from 3-point range), but ranks second in opponent 3-point percentage (33.4%).

• James Harden is registering the lowest marks of his career in both 2-point percentage (41.7%) and 3-point percentage (31.7%), but his free throw rate (47.7 attempts per 100 shots from the field) ranks third among 68 players with at least 200 field goal attempts and is his highest rate in the last three seasons. He’s 39-for-41 (95%) from the line over the winning streak.

• The Clippers are the only team with multiple wins over one of the top five teams in the league, having handed the Warriors two of their four losses. The Clips were at a rest disadvantage last Monday when they held Golden State under a point per possession, though they certainly benefitted from the Warriors shooting 9-for-19 from the free throw line in the three-point win.

The Clippers’ win in Philadelphia on Sunday came with their largest margin of victory (26 points) this season and was the start of a four-game trip. Both teams will be playing the second game of a back-to-back in Boston on Monday night.

Week 6: @ BOS, @ WAS, @ MIN*, vs. DEN

Record: 11-7

OffRtg: 109.8 (25) DefRtg: 105.4 (3) NetRtg: +4.4 (9) Pace: 97.6 (26)

The Magic have won eight of their last nine games, a stretch highlighted by Franz Wagner’s game-winning 3-pointer in L.A. on Thursday.

Three takeaways

• Wagner has averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists (with just 1.8 turnovers) over the 8-1 stretch. He’s had the ball in his hands for 5.5 minutes per game over Paolo Banchero’s 13-game absence, up from just 2.5 minutes per game over the Magic’s first five games.

• The Magic’s current starting lineup — with Tristan da Silva and Goga Bitadze in place of Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. — has been outscored by 1.2 points per 100 possessions in its 145 minutes. But bench minutes (though they weren’t great on Thursday) have generally been terrific, with the Magic outscoring their opponents by 13.9 per 100 (allowing just 91.9 per 100) in 119 minutes with Wagner on the bench over the 8-1 stretch.

• Mo Wagner has been a big part of that bench’s success and is the Magic’s second-leading scorer (14.6 points per game) in the last nine games. He’s one of eight players who’ve played at least 200 minutes this season and averaged at least 24 points and eight rebounds per 36, with the other seven being Victor Wembanyama and six guys with at least four All-Star appearances.

Jalen Suggs missed the second half of the Magic’s win over the Pistons with a hamstring issue but isn’t on the injury report for their game in Charlotte on Monday. Carter Jr. is listed as questionable to make his return from an 11-game absence. Orlando is 2-0 in the NBA Cup with East Group A games remaining in Brooklyn (Friday) and New York.

Week 6: @ CHA, vs. CHI, @ BKN*, @ BKN

Record: 10-7

OffRtg: 115.7 (5) DefRtg: 109.8 (6) NetRtg: +6.0 (6) Pace: 103.7 (3)

Ja Morant has now missed the last eight games, but the Grizzlies have won five of the eight to remain in the top seven in the West.

Three takeaways

• The Grizzlies have scored more efficiently in their nine games without Morant (116.0 points scored per 100 possessions) than they have in the eight games he’s played (115.4 per 100). Scotty Pippen Jr. had a career-high 30 points and 10 assists in their win in Chicago on Saturday, with 16 of the 30 coming (on 8-for-8 shooting) in the paint. Morant (13.9) and Pippen (9.0) rank second and ninth in points in the paint per 36 minutes among 56 players under 6-4 who’ve played at least 100 minutes.

• But over these last eight games without Morant, the Grizzlies have scored much more efficiently with Pippen off the floor (121.7 points per 100 possessions) than they have with him on the floor (106.8 per 100). For the season, they have the league’s fifth-ranked bench.

• There were only three possessions of clutch time in the Grizzlies’ win over the Sixers on Wednesday (when Philly cut a 19-point, fourth-quarter lead down to four), but that ended their five-game losing streak in games that were within five points in the last five minutes, while also taking them to 3-0 in the second games of back-to-backs.

They don’t have any back-to-backs this week, but they do have a four-game homestand with all four opponents at least three games below .500. The Grizzlies already have a 45-point win over the Blazers, who will be in Memphis on Monday, with Morant listed as questionable to make his return.

Week 6: vs. POR, vs. DET, vs NOP*, vs. IND

Record: 9-7

OffRtg: 120.9 (2) DefRtg: 115.7 (21) NetRtg: +5.2 (8) Pace: 97.2 (28)

The Knicks won four straight games to give the Eastern Conference a fourth team with a winning record, but they stumbled in Utah on Saturday afternoon.

Three takeaways

• Their five starters all made more than half of their shots over the four games. Josh Hart has an effective field goal percentage of 66.3% this season, the fifth-best mark among 190 players with at least 100 field goal attempts and up from just 49.3% last season. His 61-for-83 (73%) shooting in the paint is tied with Victor Wembanyama for the best mark among 109 players who’ve taken at least 75 shots in the paint.

• The offense cooled off on Saturday when the Knicks allowed the Jazz to shoot 19-for-34 (56%) from 3-point range. New York is now one of three teams that rank in the bottom six in both opponent 3-point percentage (37.5%, 25th) and the percentage of their opponents’ shots that have come from 3-point range (45.6%, second highest).

Having split the first two games of their five-game trip, the Knicks are 1-2 against the Western Conference, with all three games having come on the road. The trip continues through Denver and Dallas, with the Knicks 0-4 against the Mavs since Jalen Brunson left Dallas for New York (0-2 with Brunson in uniform, 0-2 without him).

Week 6: @ DEN, @ DAL, @ CHA*, vs. NOP

Record: 10-6

OffRtg: 117.1 (4) DefRtg: 117.9 (27) NetRtg: -0.8 (17) Pace: 99.3 (16)

After winning six straight games, the Lakers suffered their first two home losses of the season.

Three takeaways

• The two losses came with the Lakers allowing Orlando and Denver to score more than 124 points per 100 possessions. Though four of their last five games have come against teams that currently rank in the bottom 10 offensively, the Lakers still rank in the bottom five on defense. They rank 28th in opponent field goal percentage in the paint (60.1%) and 26th in defensive rebounding percentage (68.0%).

• The Lakers continue to rank near the top of the league (second) in free throw differential, but they lost to Orlando because they shot 2-for-8 from the line in the final four minutes, with Anthony Davis missing two free throws with less than 20 seconds left and L.A. up two. They lead the league in clutch 3-point percentage (10-for-19, 53%), but are 29th in clutch free throw percentage (16-for-27, 59%).

• Rui Hachimura returned from a four-game absence on Saturday and was back in the starting lineup. Rookie Dalton Knecht had a huge game (37 points, 9-for-12 from 3-point range) in Hachimura’s absence on Tuesday, but since D’Angelo Russell was moved to the bench eight games ago, the Lakers’ two starting lineups (with Hachimura or Knecht at the four) have been outscored by 14.3 points per 100 possessions in 94 total minutes.

The Lakers remain undefeated (9-0) in NBA Cup play all-time, but have a pair of tough Cup games this week. Their visit to Phoenix on Tuesday is also the start of their first stretch of five games in seven days.

Week 6: @ PHX*, @ SAS, vs. OKC*, @ UTA

Record: 9-8

OffRtg: 110.8 (21) DefRtg: 110.6 (8) NetRtg: +0.2 (15) Pace: 98.9 (17)

The Spurs have won three straight games, with wins over the two best teams in the Western Conference, to climb over .500 for the first time.

Three takeaways

• The first two wins came without Victor Wembanyama as the Spurs held the Thunder and Jazz to just 106.7 points per 100 possessions. This winning streak has also come with Harrison Barnes’ three highest-scoring games of the season, and Barnes had a pair of big buckets down the stretch against the Warriors on Saturday, helping the Spurs complete a crazy comeback against his former team.

• The Spurs have trailed each of their last four games by double-digits, but now have four wins (they’re 4-7) after trailing by 10 points or more. Last season, they won only two of the first 33 games that they trailed by 10 or more (finishing 8-53). They were down 17 late in the third quarter on Saturday before outscoring the Warriors, 40-13, over the final 13 minutes.

• The Spurs’ total point differential over their last four games is just plus-7. But they’re a plus-38 (89-51) at the free throw line over that stretch, with their opponents attempting just 16.5 free throws per 100 shots from the field. With that, they’re a hair ahead of the Celtics for the lowest opponent free throw rate (20.4 per 100) for the season.

The top two teams in free throw rate (on offense) are the Lakers and Jazz, who the Spurs will face this week. Two of the three times they’ve been outscored at the line are losses to Utah (by one point, minus-8 at the line) and L.A. (by five points, minus-6 at the line) in the last 16 days.

Week 6: @ UTA*, vs. LAL, @ SAC

Record: 8-8

OffRtg: 114.2 (9) DefRtg: 112.2 (14) NetRtg: +2.0 (12) Pace: 98.1 (23)

A two-point loss in Boston on Sunday isn’t one to worry too much about. But it dropped the Wolves back to .500 because they had a more troublesome loss (the franchise’s 20th straight defeat in Toronto) three nights earlier.

Three takeaways

• The Wolves have seen the league’s second biggest jump in points allowed per 100 possessions from last season (only the Pelicans have seen a bigger drop-off defensively), but the bigger difference between their wins (121.0 points scored per 100 possessions) and losses (107.1) has been on offense. With the two losses this week, they’re 2-7 when Anthony Edwards has had an effective field goal percentage below 60%.

• The Wolves scored just five points on seven clutch possessions on Sunday, but that wasn’t as bad as their clutch performance (zero points on eight possessions) in Toronto. That was the only time this season that a team has gone scoreless on more than three clutch possessions, with the Wolves also one of two teams that went scoreless on at least eight clutch possessions in a game last season. They were 2-for-2 over the two games on clutch 2-pointers but had four turnovers and were 0-for-5 on clutch 3s, with that not including Naz Reid’s attempt that came a split second after the buzzer on Sunday.

• With the two losses, the Wolves are 0-3 (the other loss came in Portland) without Mike Conley, who’s dealing with a toe sprain. Nickeil Alexander-Walker got the start in his hometown (Donte DiVincenzo started in Boston) and shot 2-for-13 over the two games, though the Wolves have still been at their best (plus-9.1 points per 100 possessions) with him on the floor.

The Wolves are in fourth place in West Group A, but can still win their group with wins over the Rockets and Clippers this week. Even without the NBA Cup designation, those are two big games in the Western Conference.

Week 6: vs. HOU*, vs. SAC, vs. LAC*

Record: 8-9

OffRtg: 112.6 (14) DefRtg: 112.6 (17) NetRtg: +0.0 (16) Pace: 99.8 (15)

The Bucks have won four straight games and their only loss in the last seven came via a call that was deemed incorrect in the Last Two Minute Report. They avenged that loss (to the Hornets) on Saturday, even though they almost blew a 20-point, fourth-quarter lead.

Three takeaways

• Damian Lillard returned from a three-game absence last week and had the game-winning bucket against the Rockets on Monday, but Giannis Antetokounmpo remains the Bucks’ dominant force. Two days before recording a 37-point triple-double against the Pacers, he outscored the Bulls in the restricted area (28-24) by himself. His 18.8 points per game in the restricted area would be the most for any player in the 29 seasons for which we have shot-location data, topping his record of 18.1 per game last season.

• The bigger difference between the Bucks’ 2-8 start (115.7 points allowed per 100 possessions) and their last seven games (108.1 allowed per 100) has been on defense, though they’ve only climbed from 22nd to 17th. None of the seven opponents rank higher than 15th offensively.

• It’s also been a home-heavy stretch, and the Bucks’ only road win remains their opening-night victory in Philadelphia. They’re one of two teams – the Magic are the other – that have been at least seven points per 100 possessions better, both offensively and defensively, at home than they’ve been on the road.

Not including their two unscheduled games for Week 8, the Bucks are playing eight of their next 12 on the road. They can end their six-game road losing streak and improve to 3-0 in the NBA Cup with a win in Miami (where Antetokounmpo is 9-13 all-time) on Tuesday.

Week 6: @ MIA*, vs. WAS

Record: 9-7

OffRtg: 112.6 (13) DefRtg: 115.3 (20) NetRtg: -2.7 (19) Pace: 98.1 (22)

The Suns have been without both Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant for the last five games, and they’ve lost them all.

Three takeaways

• The Suns aren’t such a bad fourth-quarter team this season, but over the five-game losing streak, they’ve been outscored by 28.4 points per 100 possessions in the first quarter, with the total points in the paint over those 60 minutes being 78-34 in favor of their opponents. They’ve trailed four of the five games by 19 points or more.

• Tyus Jones has 40 assists and just three turnovers over the five games, taking his season-long assist/turnover ratio to 6.47. That would be the fourth-highest mark in NBA history (Jones holds the other three top spots).

The Suns will have had five days off when they host the Lakers on Tuesday, their third NBA Cup game, their third game against the Lakers, and the third game of their six-game homestand. The hope is that both Beal and Durant (who scored 30 points in each of the previous two meetings) will be back in the lineup.

Week 6: vs. LAL*, vs. BKN, vs. GSW

Record: 7-7

OffRtg: 112.0 (18) DefRtg: 111.1 (11) NetRtg: +0.9 (14) Pace: 98.2 (21)

After a 2-4 road trip, the Heat got Jimmy Butler back and got two wins at home to climb back to .500.

Three takeaways

• With Terry Rozier out, Butler started at point guard the last two games. He totaled 11 assists in the two wins, but his scoring efficiency (63 points on 19-for-29 from the field and 24-for-29 from the line) was the big boon. The Heat scored just 54 points on 65 offensive possessions (83 per 100) in his 29 minutes off the floor over the two games.

• Butler somehow did not get a foul call on his game-tying dunk at the end of regulation against Dallas on Sunday, the second time in 15 days the Heat used a back-screen action to tie the game in the closing seconds. He still has a free throw rate of 71.4 attempts per 100 shots from the field, which would be the highest rate for somebody his size (or shorter) in the last 18 seasons (since Corey Maggette in 2006-07).

• The Heat are back to within just a hair of ranking in the top 10 defensively again. But they benefitted from facing the struggling Sixers (without Tyrese Maxey) and shorthanded Mavs (no Luka Dončić) last week, and they haven’t been very good defensively (122 points allowed per 100 possessions) in 168 minutes with Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro on the floor together.

The Heat had five days off before their win over the Mavs on Sunday, but the end of their three-game homestand (Tuesday vs. the streaking Bucks) is the start of their first stretch of five games in seven days.

Week 6: vs. MIL*, @ CHA, vs. TOR*, @ TOR

Record: 8-9

OffRtg: 113.9 (11) DefRtg: 112.2 (15) NetRtg: +1.7 (13) Pace: 98.7 (18)

The Kings just can’t seem to put it all together, and they’ve lost three straight games to drop below .500 (for the first time since they were 1-2) and into 12th place in the West.

Three takeaways

• With DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis back from three and two-game absences, respectively, the Kings’ starting lineup was reunited over the weekend. De’Aaron Fox totaled 60 points over the two games and the starters outscored the Clippers and Nets by 15 points in their 37 minutes on the floor together. But the Kings (still missing Malik Monk) were outscored by 36 points (scoring just 90 per 100 possessions) in 57 minutes with at least one reserve on the floor over the two losses.

• The Kings are 8-9 with their four most-used lineups having outscored their opponents by 18.6 points per 100 possessions in 263 total minutes.

• That doesn’t mean that the starters have been great. The losing streak has been just the third, fourth and fifth times that the Kings have scored less than 110 points per 100 possessions, with three of the starters — DeRozan, Kevin Huerter and Keegan Murray — having combined to shoot just 6-for-39 (15%) from 3-point range over the three games. Huerter and Murray have gone from a combined 40.7% from beyond the arc two seasons ago to 35.9% last season and just 29.5% this season, with both seeing very similar drops.

The Kings will now play five of their next seven games against teams that rank in the top eight defensively. That stretch starts with a rest-disadvantage game against the top-ranked Thunder on Monday.

Week 6: vs. OKC, @ MIN, @ POR*, vs. SAS

Record: 7-10

OffRtg: 112.1 (16) DefRtg: 116.1 (23) NetRtg: -4.0 (21) Pace: 100.7 (8)

The Pacers have lost their last five road games, including three last week that they trailed by more than 20 points. But they returned home to get a win over the last-place Wizards on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• That win over the Wizards wasn’t a guarantee, because the Pacers were previously 1-3 in games played between the nine Eastern Conference teams that are currently at least three games below .500. That includes a loss in Toronto last Monday in which the Raptors became the second team to make at least 10 corner 3-pointers in a game this season. Indiana still has two more wins against the two more wins against the top six teams in the East (4-5) than they do against the bottom nine (2-3).

• The Pacers have scored just 101.6 points per 100 possessions over the five straight road losses, with Tyrese Haliburton having shot just 17-for-64 (27%) over the five games. That includes 8-for-20 in the paint and 0-for-8 from mid-range. Overall, his 2-point percentage (47.6%) and 3-point percentage (30.7%) are both the lowest marks of his career by wide margins.

• They never made it a one-possession game, but the Wizards were within five points in the last five minutes on Sunday. So the Pacers remain the only team without a non-clutch win, with all seven having been within five in the last five.

The win over the Wizards began a stretch where the Pacers are playing eight of nine games against teams that are currently (like themselves) at least three games below .500. But they are one of the four teams that the Pelicans (who are in Indiana on Monday) have beat, having been on the other side of New Orleans’ best offensive performance of the season.

Week 6: vs. NOP, vs. POR, vs. DET*, @ MEM

Record: 7-10

OffRtg: 105.0 (30) DefRtg: 112.3 (16) NetRtg: -7.3 (26) Pace: 100.6 (11)

After losing the first two games of a five-game trip, the Blazers got a clutch win in Houston on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• Four of the Blazers’ last five games have been within five minutes, and they’ve scored 41 points on 28 clutch possessions (1.46 per) over that stretch, with Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant shooting a combined 10-for-14 on clutch shots. Simons’ go-ahead bucket with 28 seconds left in Houston on Saturday was a rather audacious step-back 3 over Fred VanVleet.

• Of course, while four of the Blazers’ seven wins have been by single digits, they have five losses by 23 points or more. Portland is 7-10 with the point differential (-7.5 points per game) of a team that’s 4-13.

Two of the teams with the biggest discrepancies in the other direction (fewer wins than expected from their point differential) are the Grizzlies and Mavs. The Blazers will face both of them this week, also completing a five-game trip with just their second game against the Eastern Conference. Clingan (knee sprain) is out for their game in Memphis on Monday.

Week 6: @ MEM, @ IND, vs. SAC*, vs. DAL

Record: 7-10

OffRtg: 114.1 (10) DefRtg: 117.0 (25) NetRtg: -2.9 (20) Pace: 95.9 (30)

The Nets helped the Sixers end a five-game losing streak, but they picked up wins against the Hornets and Kings and are one of six Eastern Conference teams with seven wins.

Three takeaways

• Cam Thomas remains the Nets’ leading scorer, but they wouldn’t have a top-10 offense if other guys weren’t putting the ball in the basket. Cameron Johnson had 71 total points against Charlotte and Philly last week and is registering career-high marks in 2-point percentage (60.7%), 3-point percentage (42.6%) and free throw percentage (90.6%).

• The Nets’ biggest on-off differentials belong to Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schröder, and they’ve outscored their opponents by 9.9 points per 100 possessions in 312 total minutes with both on the floor. But they won in Sacramento on Sunday without both of them, and with Ben Simmons and Nic Claxton starting together. The victory was just the fifth time they’ve allowed fewer than 110 points per 100 possessions.

• The rest of the Eastern Conference is just 21-43 (.328) against the West, but the Nets are 4-1, with the only loss having come (to the Nuggets) in overtime. Of course, the four wins have also come by a total of just 22 points.

The second half of the Nets’ four-game trip will be tougher than the first half, especially if Kevin Durant is available for the Suns on Wednesday. That’s the second half of a back-to-back for Phoenix (and a rest-advantage game for the Nets), so maybe not. Brooklyn will be at a disadvantage in San Francisco on Monday night.

Week 6: @ GSW, @ PHX, vs. ORL*, vs. ORL

Record: 7-11

OffRtg: 112.0 (17) DefRtg: 118.2 (28) NetRtg: -6.2 (25) Pace: 104.8 (1)

The Bulls are 1-7 against the Western Conference, but have the best record (3-1) in games played between the nine East teams that are at least three games below .500.

Three takeaways

• Last week brought the Bulls’ three most efficient offensive performances of the season, wins over the Pistons and Hawks and a rest-disadvantage loss to the Grizzlies. Nikola Vučević is never going to get to the line much, but he has the highest effective field goal percentage (65.3%) among 68 players with at least 200 field goal attempts. He’s taken 59% of his shots in the paint, his highest rate in the last six seasons.

• The Bulls are one of two teams — the Pelicans are the other — in the bottom five in both opponent field goal percentage in the paint (60.5%, 29th) and the percentage of their opponents’ shots that have come in the paint (51%, highest in the league).

Tuesday will bring the first of four meetings with the Wizards, but the Bulls will play two of the three best teams in the East after that, and they’ll be at a rest disadvantage in Orlando on Wednesday night.

Week 6: @ WAS*, @ ORL, vs. BOS*

Record: 7-10

OffRtg: 110.4 (24) DefRtg: 115.7 (22) NetRtg: -5.3 (23) Pace: 104.4 (2)

The Hawks got healthier last week, with Bogdan Bogdanović playing for the first time since opening night. They beat his former team (the shorthanded Kings) in his return, but that was their only victory on a four-game trip.

Three takeaways

• Overall, the Hawks have lost five of their last seven games, with four of the five losses coming vs. the Bulls (x 2), Pistons and Blazers. They’ve played the league’s fifth easiest schedule in regard to cumulative opponent winning percentage, but are just 5-7 against other teams that currently have losing records.

• De’Andre Hunter has been back for four of the last five games, but he continues to come off the bench behind No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher. The Hawks have outscored their opponents by 6.0 points per 100 possessions in 223 total minutes with the other four starters on the floor, but have been outscored by 9.8 per 100 in 593 minutes with at least one of the four off the floor.

• Trae Young shot just 2-for-16 from 3-point range over the last three games of the road trip. His value has always been about his playmaking and free throws more than his shooting from the field and the Hawks have still been at their best offensively with him on the floor. But that on-court mark (112.4 points scored per 100 possessions) is below the league average and Young’s effective field goal percentage of 46.6% would be the lowest mark of his career.

At 2-1 in the NBA Cup with a win over the Celtics, the Hawks are in first place in East Group C, though they’ll need to beat the Cavs (in their second of two meetings this week) to ensure a trip to the quarterfinals.

Week 6: vs. DAL, @ CLE, vs. CLE*, @ CHA

Record: 6-10

OffRtg: 110.8 (22) DefRtg: 115.1 (19) NetRtg: -4.4 (22) Pace: 98.7 (19)

With an overtime victory over the Pistons on Thursday, the Hornets have won four straight games at home. But they’ve lost seven straight on the road, and they’ve also lost another big man to injury.

Three takeaways

• With Miles Bridges missing the last two games, both Brandon Miller (38 points vs. Detroit) and LaMelo Ball (50 in Milwaukee) registered career-highs. Miller was 8-for-12 from 3-point range, but that was also the only game this season that he’s taken less than half of his shots from beyond the arc. He attempted more 2-pointers than 3-pointers in 45 (61%) of his 74 games last season.

• Ball had never had a 40-point game before, but his usage rate this season (37.4%) would be the sixth highest for any player in the 29 seasons for which we have play-by-play data, and it’s at 39.2% over the Hornets last eight games. He also had 10 assists on Saturday, but his assist ratio for the season (18.5 per 100 possessions used) would be the lowest mark of his career by a wide margin.

• Grant Williams tore his ACL late in the fourth quarter on Saturday, leaving Moussa Diabaté and Taj Gibson as the Hornets’ only healthy bigs. They had outscored their opponents by 15.1 points per 100 possession in 222 minutes with Williams at the four (alongside Diabaté, Gibson or Nick Richards), but struggled (minus-9.7 per 100) in his minutes at the five.

The good news is that the Hornets now begin a five-game homestand. One of their three home losses this season was to the Heat, but they’ll have a rest advantage against Miami on Wednesday.

Week 6: vs. ORL, vs. MIA, vs. NYK*, vs. ATL

Record: 7-11

OffRtg: 110.7 (23) DefRtg: 112.1 (13) NetRtg: -1.4 (18) Pace: 97.7 (24)

At 7-8 with games against the Bulls and Hornets early last week, the Pistons had a great opportunity to climb over .500. But they’ve lost three straight to fall from fifth to 11th in the East.

Three takeaways

• The three-game losing streak has been the Pistons’ worst three-game stretch of defense (120.7 points allowed per 100 possessions) by a healthy margin, even though the three opponents — Chicago, Charlotte and Orlando — rank no higher than 17th offensively. The Bulls and Hornets combined to shoot 43-for-90 (48%) from 3-point range, while the Magic clobbered the Pistons on the offensive glass.

• Detroit still ranks as the league’s fifth most-improved defensive team, having allowed 5.9 fewer points per 100 possessions than it did last season. They’re one of five teams that have ranked in the bottom 10 defensively in each of the last three years.

• Cade Cunningham (left hip injury) missed overtime in Charlotte and the Pistons’ loss in Orlando, exposing the fact that Marcus Sasser is the only other point guard on the roster. Malik Beasley started at the point on Saturday and the Pistons have scored just 104.7 points per 100 possessions in Cunningham’s 261 minutes off the floor.

The Pistons are one of four teams that haven’t had a rest-advantage game, with their first on Monday (with Cunningham listed as doubtful) against the Raptors. They’re still undefeated in the NBA Cup, set to visit the 0-2 Pacers (to whom they lost on opening night) on Friday.

Week 6: vs. TOR, @ MEM, @ IND*, vs. PHI

Record: 4-13

OffRtg: 111.2 (19) DefRtg: 116.8 (24) NetRtg: -5.6 (24) Pace: 99.8 (14)

The Raptors doubled their win total last week, beating the Pacers and Wolves at home behind 70 total points from RJ Barrett.

Three takeaways

• With those two big games last week, Barrett has as many games of at least 30 points on a true shooting percentage of 70% or better in less than a year with the Raptors (five) as he had in four-plus seasons with the Knicks (five). His efficiency is still down dramatically from last season, but maybe Scottie Barnes can help.

• Barnes returned from an 11-game absence on Thursday, and he had a solid line (18 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals and 12 free throw attempts) in the Raptors’ loss in Cleveland over the weekend. But Toronto was outscored by 20 points in 51 minutes with Barnes and Barrett on the floor together over the two games.

• Ochai Agbaji leads the league with 24 corner 3-pointers on 55% shooting, but the Raptors have outscored their opponents with him off the floor. He was in the starting lineup for the 12th straight game on Sunday, but the Raptors fell into a double-digit deficit early and Davion Mitchell (with Immanuel Quickly missing his sixth straight game) started the second half instead of Agbaji. Barnes, Barrett and Quickley sill haven’t played together this season.

The Raptors’ loss in Cleveland on Sunday was the start of a four-game trip, and they’ll be at a rest disadvantage in Detroit on Monday night. They lost their first meeting with the Pistons when Gradey Dick missed two 3-pointers in the final 24 seconds.

Week 6: @ DET, @ NOP, @ MIA*, vs. MIA

Record: 3-13

OffRtg: 105.6 (28) DefRtg: 114.1 (18) NetRtg: -8.6 (27) Pace: 97.3 (27)

The Sixers got a win over Ben Simmons and the Nets on Friday, but still can’t get all three of their stars on the floor together and still have the second worst record in the league.

Three takeaways

• After playing four out of five games, Joel Embiid has missed the last two with his lingering left knee issue. When Tyrese Maxey returned from a six-game absence on Wednesday, Paul George re-injured his left knee in the first minute of the third quarter. Through their first 16 games, the Sixers’ three stars have played a total of six minutes and seven seconds together.

• Maxey scored 26 points in the win over Brooklyn, with 14 of those coming at the rim. Jared McCain added 30 and has now averaged 25.1 over the last eight games. But the Sixers scored just 104.7 points per 100 possessions in 42 total minutes with their three healthy starters — Maxey, McCain and Caleb Martin — on the floor last week.

• Prior to this season, eight (6%) of the 125 teams to lose at least 13 of their first 16 games went on to make the playoffs. That includes the 2010-11 Sixers, who finished as the No. 7 seed at 41-41. The last team to do it was ’21-22 Pelicans, who were 2-14 after 16 games, finished 36-46 (ninth in the West), and qualified via the Play-In.

The good news is that the Sixers have just two games over the next eight days, and they’re both rest-advantage games, though they went 0-2 with rest advantages (and Embiid in the lineup) last week.

Week 6: vs. HOU, @ DET

Record: 4-12

OffRtg: 108.9 (26) DefRtg: 117.8 (26) NetRtg: -8.9 (28) Pace: 100.6 (10)

After an 0-4 road trip, the Jazz returned home and ended the Knicks’ four-game winning streak on Saturday afternoon.

Three takeaways

• After shooting just 31% from 3-point range over their previous three games, the Jazz were 19-for-34 (56%) on Saturday. Eleven of those 19 3s came from Collin Sexton (6-for-8) and Lauri Markkanen (5-for-8), who have now shot a combined 45% from beyond the arc for the season (while the rest of the Jazz have shot 31%). The Jazz have scored a pretty potent 120.4 points per 100 possessions in 131 minutes with Sexton and Markkanen on the floor with John Collins.

• The Jazz continue to give up a ton of points in transition, with the Knicks scoring 38 of their 106 points in transition on Saturday. The 31.8 transition points per game they’ve allowed would destroy the Rockets’ record (in 21 seasons of Synergy tracking) of 27.2 two seasons ago.

• What’s wild is that, overall, only 48% of their opponents’ shots (the league’s 12th-lowest opponent rate) have come in the paint. According to Second Spectrum tracking, the Jazz have allowed a league-low 41.5 drives per 100 possessions.

Jazz players not named Sexton or Markkanen were a combined 5-for-27 from 3-point range when they lost their lone rest-disadvantage game of the season (eight days ago against the Clippers). They’ll have rest disadvantages against the Nuggets and Lakers as they finish up a five-game homestand this week.

Week 6: vs. SAS*, vs. DEN, vs. DAL, vs. LAL

Record: 4-13

OffRtg: 106.8 (27) DefRtg: 118.8 (29) NetRtg: -12.0 (29) Pace: 97.0 (29)

The Pelicans remain depleted, starting Elfrid Payton at point guard just hours after he was signed on Wednesday (when Brandon Ingram missed a game for the first time).

Three takeaways

• After getting clobbered by the Mavs and Cavs, the Pelicans went down to the wire against the Warriors on Friday. But Ingram missed a pair of critical free throws and then passed up a seemingly open corner 3 with a chance to tie in the final seconds. Only six of the Pelicans’ 17 games have been within five points in the last five minutes, but they’ve used 13 different players in clutch time and have had more guys play at least 25 total minutes for them (19) than they did all of last season (16).

• The loss to Golden State did end a streak of seven straight games in which the Pelicans registered an effective field goal percentage no better than 50%. Trey Murphy III missed a 3 for the tie after Ingram passed up that look from the corner, but had his best offensive game of the five he’s played, scoring 24 points on 9-for-17 shooting.

• Rookie Antonio Reeves scored 34 points (more than he has in his other nine games combined) in Cleveland on Wednesday. The 47th pick in last year’s Draft is just 8-for-28 (29%) from 3-point range, but a solid 13-for-22 (59%) in the paint, with some deft finishes inside against the Cavs.

The Pels have a league-low four rest-advantage games this season, with the first coming on Monday in Indiana, where the Pacers beat the Wizards on Sunday night. CJ McCollum (out the last 13 games) and Dejounte Murray (out since opening night) are listed as questionable and doubtful, respectively, so even if they don’t play, they’re getting close to a return.

Week 6: @ IND, vs. TOR, @ MEM*, @ NYK

Record: 2-13

OffRtg: 105.5 (29) DefRtg: 118.8 (30) NetRtg: -13.3 (30) Pace: 103.2 (4

The Wizards were competitive with the Celtics for about 45 minutes on Friday, but their losing streak is at 11 games.

Three takeaways

• Malcolm Brogdon has played in the last four games, starting the last three. But the veteran point guard hasn’t sparked much improvement, with the Wizards scoring just 96.9 points per 100 possessions in his 92 minutes on the floor.

• They have outscored their opponents by 11 points in 31 minutes (small-sample-size alert) with Brogdon on the floor with fellow vet Jonas Valančiūnas, but the big man continues to come off the bench behind Alex Sarr. The rookie did have one of his better games (17 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks) in Indiana on Sunday.

• Only three of the Wizards’ 13 losses have been within five points in the last five minutes and in none of those three games did they have a clutch offensive possession, because every time they got within five, the other team scored. Overall (including a clutch win over the Hawks), they’ve allowed 21 points on 14 clutch defensive possessions.

The Wizards are the only team that hasn’t played a rest-disadvantage game, and their first is Wednesday, when they complete a home back-to-back with a visit from the Clippers. They have a 20-game losing streak in the second games of back-to-backs, with the last win having come (behind a big game from Kristaps Porzingis) in February of 2023.

Week 6: vs. CHI*, vs. LAC, @ MIL