Power Rankings, Week 8: Lakers, Celtics make their presence felt

Record: 23-1

OffRtg: 120.0 (5) DefRtg: 104.1 (1) NetRtg: +15.9 (1) Pace: 100.9 (15)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed a game for the first time on Sunday, but it didn’t matter to the Thunder, who beat the Jazz by 30 points and have now won 15 straight.

Three takeaways

• Before Jalen Williams made his season debut 10 days ago, the Thunder had scored just 105.4 points per 100 possessions with Gilgeous-Alexander off the floor, 19.4 fewer than with him on the floor. But they’ve scored 120.1 per 100 in the 69 minutes that Williams has played without the MVP, and the five games that he’s played have, overall, been their best stretch of offense (122.7 scored per 100) in the last month.

• The Thunder also played much faster (104.8 possessions per 48 minutes) with Williams on the floor than they have otherwise. They lead the league in effective field goal percentage in the first six seconds of the shot clock (69.2%), but have taken only 13.9% of their shots in that time (the league’s second-lowest rate). That’s down from 17.4% last season.

• Isaiah Hartenstein has missed the last five games, Alex Caruso has missed the last four and Lu Dort has missed the last three. So, while Williams has played in the last five, the Thunder have yet to have all of their top seven guys available. They’ve had six of the seven available for only eight of their 24 games.

Coming up: The Thunder will take their winning streak into the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday, when they’ll host the Suns for the second time in the span of 13 days. They almost blew a 15-point, fourth-quarter lead in the first meeting (which determined the winner of West Group A), but held on for the win, with Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 10 of their last 11 points.

Week 8: vs. PHX*, vs.LAL/SAS

Record: 17-6

OffRtg: 124.0 (1) DefRtg: 115.4 (18) NetRtg: +8.6 (3) Pace: 100.4 (20)

After a 2-3 stretch in which they lost to the Kings and Mavs, the Nuggets went on the road and swept a three-game trip — one that included a 23-point comeback in Atlanta.

Three takeaways

• The Nuggets have still been outscored with Nikola Jokić off the floor, but that off-court mark (minus-2.8 per 100 possessions) would be their best in the last five seasons by a healthy margin. On Friday, they won a game in which they were outscored by 15 points with Jokić on the floor, his worst plus-minus in the 542 wins he’s played in over his career (including postseason). Jonas Valančiūnas scored just eight points, but he made all four of his shots and the Nuggets scored 41 on 25 possessions in his 12 minutes.

• That was also just the Nuggets’ third clutch win of the season. They rank last in clutch defense (109 points allowed on 76 possessions), but Jamal Murray had a terrific defensive possession (with the Nuggets up three) to close out the Atlanta win, first preventing Kristaps Porziņģis from getting off a shot and then blocking Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s attempt for the tie. With the Rockets’ loss in Dallas on Saturday, Denver (14-0) and Oklahoma City (14-0) are the only teams that haven’t lost a game that wasn’t within five points in the last five minutes.

• The Nuggets have lost their last four games at Ball Arena, but they’ve won 10 straight on the road.

Coming up: That road winning streak began (on Nov. 11) in Sacramento, though the Nuggets also lost to the Kings at home 15 days ago. Their fourth and final meeting is back at the Golden 1 Center on Thursday.

Week 8: @ SAC

Record: 17-6

OffRtg: 118.3 (6) DefRtg: 116.2 (20) NetRtg: +2.0 (14) Pace: 100.0 (23)

The Lakers are 2-2 on a stretch of six straight games against teams with winning records, staying perfect in the clutch with narrow wins in Toronto and Philadelphia last week.

Three takeaways

• LeBron James assisted Rui Hachimura on the game-winning 3-pointer in Toronto on Thursday, a shot that ended James’ streak of 1,297 straight games scoring 10 points or more. He started a new streak in Philly on Sunday, capping his 29-point performance with the Lakers’ last four field goals, including a catch-and-shoot 3 that put them ahead for good and a step-back 2 that put the Sixers away. The Lakers are now 8-0 in games that were within five points in the last five minutes, with the league’s top-ranked clutch defense (36 points allowed in 42 possessions).

• The Lakers have been outscored by 8.9 points per 100 possessions in 108 minutes with James, Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić on the floor together, but have outscored their opponents by 13.9 per 100 in 418 total minutes with two of the three on the floor without the other. Dončić and James (who both missed games last week) have played just 35 total minutes without Reaves, but all three of the two-man combinations have worked thus far, and the bigger difference has been on offense, where the Lakers have scored 124.7 points per 100 possessions in those 418 two-of-the-three minutes.

• They got clobbered without Dončić in Boston on Friday, but the Lakers are still 4-2 in games he’s missed. Reaves has averaged 40 points on a true shooting percentage of 71.4% in five of those six games that he’s been available. He’s seen an increase in points per 36 minutes every season, from 11.3 per 36 as a rookie to 27.8 per 36 this (his fifth) season, with this year’s jump being the biggest.

Coming up: The Lakers have played just two games within the top five in the West, with one of them being a two-point win (without Reaves or James) over San Antonio. The Spurs are back in L.A. for the NBA Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Week 8: vs. SAS*, vs. OKC/PHX

Record: 15-6

OffRtg: 121.4 (4) DefRtg: 110.7 (2) NetRtg: +10.8 (2) Pace: 98.2 (27)

The Rockets got a quality win without Alperen Sengun (illness) on Friday, shooting 59% as they improved to 2-0 against the Suns. But they had their worst defensive game of the season the following night (without Sengun and Steven Adams) in Dallas.

Three takeaways

• Though they continue to have the best offensive rebounding percentage in the last 30 years, the Rockets aren’t winning the possession battle by as much as they did last season. Turnovers were an issue (43 total) in the two weekend games without Sengun and the Rockets have now committed 1.9 fewer turnovers per 100 possessions with him on the floor (15.2 per 100) than they have with him off the floor (17.1).

• The Rockets continue to rank last in 3-point rate (32.7%) and their win over the Kings on Wednesday was the only time this season that a team took less than 20% of its shots from beyond the arc. The loss in Dallas was just the second time (the first was their loss to the Nuggets) that they’ve been outscored on both 2-point shots and free throws.

• The 13-point loss in Dallas was also the Rockets’ first defeat in a game that wasn’t within five in the last five minutes. They remain in the top five on both ends of the floor and still have the league’s second-best point differential (plus-10.6 per game), that of a team that’s 17-4.

Coming up: The loss in Dallas was also the end of the Rockets’ first stretch of five games in seven days. They lost the back end of their first two back-to-backs of the season, but are now playing just twice over the next 11 days, with their first meeting with the Clippers coming on Thursday night.

Week 8: vs. LAC

Record: 19-5

OffRtg: 116.7 (9) DefRtg: 111.3 (4) NetRtg: +5.4 (6) Pace: 101.3 (12)

The Pistons blew a double-digit, second-half lead in Milwaukee on Wednesday (the game in which Giannis Antetokounmpo was injured in the first quarter). Detroit, however, remains in first place in the East, having avenged that loss to the Bucks with a comfortable home win on Saturday night.

Three takeaways

• Cade Cunningham had a bad turnover late in that loss in Milwaukee, and then airballed a 3-point attempt for the tie in the closing seconds. But he had the two biggest buckets of the night as the Pistons edged the Hawks two nights earlier and scored six points on the Pistons’ 14-2 run down the stretch of their six-point win over Portland on Friday. He now ranks second (behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) in total clutch points for the season, with 20 of his 79 having come in Detroit’s three clutch games last week. He’s shot 53% in the clutch, with his 24 clutch buckets being two more than he had all of last season (22-for-64, 34%).

• The Pistons’ win over the Bucks on Saturday ended a streak of seven straight games that were within five points in the last five minutes. Their 13 clutch wins are three more than any team has, though they’re also 6-1 in games that weren’t within five in the last five.

• Duncan Robinson returned from a two-game absence and hit two huge 3s on that 14-2, fourth-quarter run against Portland. He continues to start, and Jaden Ivey’s minutes remain limited (13.9 per game) off the bench. Ivey has been relatively efficient (true shooting percentage of 58.6%) and totaled 25 points in the two games against the Bucks last week, shooting 3-for-3 from 3-point range on Saturday.

Coming up: The Pistons are one of three teams that got two NBA Cup fill-in games against teams – Atlanta and Boston – with winning records. Their 8-3 record in games played between the 17 teams that are currently over .500 includes a 2-0 mark against the Hawks, who they’ll visit on Friday.

Week 8: vs. ATL

Record: 15-9

OffRtg: 122.0 (2) DefRtg: 114.8 (17) NetRtg: +7.2 (5) Pace: 96.2 (30)

The Celtics are rolling, having won 10 of their last 12 games to climb to third place in the Eastern Conference. At one point on Sunday, they had gone a remarkable 162 minutes and eight seconds of game time without trailing their opponent.

Three takeaways

• The Celtics lead the league with nine wins against the 17 teams that currently have winning records. They’re 9-7 within the group, including 6-1, with wins over the Magic, Pistons, Cavs, Knicks, Lakers and Raptors, over the last 15 days.

• Their offense remains on fire. They lead the league in efficiency (128.6 points scored per 100 possessions) by a healthy margin over their 10-2 stretch, and their 146 points on 97 possessions (150.5 per 100) in Washington on Thursday is tied for the 10th most efficient performance for any team in the 30 years of play-by-play data. That performance also came without Jaylen Brown, who continues to have the most efficient scoring season of his career (true shooting percentage of 58.9%) while ranking third in usage rate (35.2%).

• The defense ranks just 19th over this 10-2 stretch, but the Celtics’ current starting lineup has allowed just 102.1 points per 100 possessions, the second-best mark among 21 lineups that have played at least 100 minutes. Opponents have shot just 41.8% on 2-point shots against it.

Coming up: The Celtics still have four games left on a stretch where they’re playing 10 of 12 against teams with winning records, though their only game this week (in Milwaukee on Thursday) is one of the two exceptions.

Week 8: @ MIL

Record: 16-7

OffRtg: 121.7 (3) DefRtg: 113.5 (14) NetRtg: +8.2 (4) Pace: 99.1 (26)

The Knicks got OG Anunoby back from a nine-game absence over the weekend and they’ve won seven of their last eight games, picking up their first win (in three tries) against the Magic on Sunday afternoon.

Three takeaways

• The Knicks won the first quarter by more than 10 points in four straight games, with their 23-0 lead over the Jazz on Friday being the largest lead built by any team before its opponent scored in the 30 seasons for which we have play-by-play data. The Knicks have won the first quarter in only 12 of their 23 games, but still rank as the league’s second-best first-quarter team (plus-16.2 points per 100 possessions), because they’ve won it by double-digits eight times.

• The win over the Jazz was the Knicks’ best offensive game of the season (146 points on 103 possessions), but they also rank sixth defensively (110.8 allowed per 100) over this 7-1 stretch. They held their opponent under 50% shooting in the paint in just one of their first 13 games (the season opener vs. Cleveland), but have done so in five of their last 10, including each of their last three.

• Their big first-quarter lead didn’t hold up in Boston on Tuesday, when the Celtics answered with a 31-10 run in the second. The Knicks cut an 18-point deficit down to three in the closing minutes, but couldn’t get the one or two additional stops they needed to complete the comeback. They’re just 3-5 in games that were within five points in the last five minutes, ranking last in clutch offense (27 points on 34 clutch possessions), with some rough clutch-shooting numbers (in very small sample sizes) among their regulars.

Coming up: The Knicks’ first meeting with the Raptors (a 22-point win eight days ago) was the only time they’ve held their opponent under a point per possession. Their second of five meetings will be on Tuesday in Toronto, with a trip to Las Vegas on the line.

Week 8: @ TOR*, vs. MIA/ORL

Record: 13-10

OffRtg: 115.5 (12) DefRtg: 113.4 (13) NetRtg: +2.0 (13) Pace: 100.1 (22)

The Suns got a quality win in L.A. on Monday, ending the Lakers’ seven-game winning streak. But they lost Devin Booker to a groin injury in the first quarter and have now lost three of their last four games.

Three takeaways

• The Suns have been slightly better with Booker off the floor (plus-2.7 points per 100 possessions) than with him on it (plus-1.9). But in their first full game without him, they scored just a point per possession in their loss in Houston on Friday. Their 5-for-36 (14%) from 3-point range was the second-worst 3-point shooting game for any team this season.

• The poor shooting negated the fact that the Suns dominated the possession game, with 24 more shooting opportunities than the Rockets, the second biggest differential in any game this season. They had nine more than the Lakers earlier in the week and now rank second in shooting-opportunity differential (plus-3.5 per game) after ranking 28th (minus-4.3 per game) last season. That improvement is more than double that of any other team.

• The Suns got off to a good start before getting clobbered in the second and third quarters in Houston on Friday, their first loss (they were previously 10-0) after winning the first quarter. They still have the league’s biggest differential between their record in games they led after the first period (10-1) and their record when they’ve trailed after one (2-8).

Coming up: The Suns are now 4-5 against the six teams ahead of them in the Western Conference standings, with three more games against that group in the next seven or eight days, depending on NBA Cup results. It seems doubtful that Booker will be available for their quarterfinal game in Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

Week 8: vs. MIN, @ OKC*, vs. LAL/SAS

Record: 15-7

OffRtg: 117.7 (8) DefRtg: 113.9 (16) NetRtg: +3.8 (9) Pace: 100.3 (21)

Victor Wembanyama has now missed the last 10 games, and the Spurs continue to survive (7-3) without both him and Stephon Castle (who’s missed the last nine games). It has been a tough schedule of late, with six of the Spurs’ last seven games on the road and six of the last eight against teams currently over .500.

Three takeaways

• Luke Kornet has started in Wembanyama’s place and preserved the Spurs’ win in Orlando on Wednesday by blocking Franz Wagner at the buzzer. Opponents have shot 37-for-87 (42.5%) at the rim when Kornet has been there, the best rim protection mark among 145 players who’ve defended at least 50 shots at the rim. But he missed the Spurs’ loss in Cleveland on Friday, when the Cavs scored 62 points in the restricted area, 14 more than they’ve scored in any other game.

• With the win in Orlando, the Spurs are 10-3 (with four straight wins) in games that were within five points in the last five minutes and have the league’s second-ranked clutch offense. De’Aaron Fox scored their last 11 points against Memphis on Tuesday after first creating the corner 3-pointer that Keldon Johnson drained to put the Spurs ahead with a little more than three minutes to go.

• The Spurs have suffered on the glass (on both ends of the floor) without Wembanyama. They rank 24th in total rebounding percentage (48.2%) over his absence, down from fourth (53.4%) over the 12 games that he was in uniform.

Coming up: The Spurs will finish their pre-Cup schedule in New Orleans on Monday before flying to L.A. for the NBA Cup quarterfinals two nights later. One of their three clutch losses came at Crypto.com Arena in early November.

Week 8: @ NOP, @ LAL*, vs. OKC/PHX

Record: 15-8

OffRtg: 118.2 (7) DefRtg: 113.3 (11) NetRtg: +4.8 (7) Pace: 100.7 (16)

The Wolves have been healthy, and they’ve won five straight games for the first time, climbing into the top six in the West and now trailing the second-place Lakers by just two games.

Three takeaways

• After scoring just 105.4 points per 100 possessions during the three-game losing streak that preceded it, the Wolves have scored 124.4 per 100 during the winning streak. Donte DiVincenzo, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid are a combined 62-for-131 (47%) from 3-point range over the five games, and the Wolves have outscored their opponents from beyond the arc in seven straight. For the season, they’ve outscored their opponents by 7.6 points per game, the league’s second-best differential, from 3-point range.

• The Wolves have generally closed with their starters, but Mike Conley has been on the floor in clutch time in four of their last five games that were within five points in the last five minutes. He made two free throws to tie their game with the Clippers in the final minute on Saturday, and then created Reid’s game-winning 3-pointer by attacking a close-out and getting into the paint. The Wolves are now 6-4 (with three straight wins) in the clutch.

• Reid now has an effective field goal percentage of 63.0% over the last 11 games, up from 50.4% through the first 12.

Coming up: It was less than three weeks ago when the Wolves blew an eight-point lead with less than a minute left in Phoenix. They’ll host the Suns on Monday, currently just 1-6 in games played between the eight Western Conference teams that have winning records.

Week 8: vs. PHX, @ GSW, vs. SAC

Record: 14-10

OffRtg: 115.7 (11) DefRtg: 111.8 (5) NetRtg: +3.9 (8) Pace: 101.3 (12)

The Magic got Paolo Banchero back from a 10-game absence on Friday, but Franz Wagner suffered a scary-looking, left-knee injury in New York on Sunday afternoon. So as they prepare for their second straight appearance in the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals, they anxiously await the results of Wagner’s MRI.

Three takeaways

• The Magic scored 128.4 points per 100 possessions over their last five games before Thanksgiving, their best stretch offense this season. They’ve scored just 107.6 per 100 over their five games since Thanksgiving, their worst stretch of offense this season. And the one guy who had been shooting rather well since the holiday was Wagner, who had effective field goal percentage of 57.5% over the five games. Everybody else: 46.5%.

• Over their 24 games total, the Magic’s offense has been slightly better with Wagner off the floor (114.4 points scored per 100 possessions) than it’s been with him on the floor (114.2 scored per 100). But he’s been the leading clutch scorer for what has been the league’s fifth-ranked clutch offense. He went 3-for-3 at the line to tie their game against the Spurs with 7.7 seconds left, but Jonathan Isaac then fouled De’Aaron Fox on the other end.

• Banchero played just 45 total minutes and shot just 7-for-19 over his first two games back. Only four of those 19 shots came in the paint.

Coming up: Wagner totaled 56 points on 54% shooting as the Magic won their first two games against the Heat, including a one-point win on Friday. Of course, those wins were more about the defense, with the two teams combining to score just 107.3 points per 100 possessions. The third meeting will be in the NBA Cup quarterfinals in Orlando on Tuesday.

Week 8: vs. MIA*, vs. NYK/TOR

Record: 14-10

OffRtg: 115.4 (13) DefRtg: 111.8 (6) NetRtg: +3.5 (10) Pace: 105.4 (1)

The Heat are hanging on to a top-six spot in the East, but they’ve lost three straight games for the first time, with two of the losses coming to the Mavs and Kings.

Three takeaways

• The losing streak has been both the Heat’s slowest-paced stretch and worst offensive stretch of the season. They’ve averaged just 100.7 possessions per 48 minutes and 106.9 points per 100 possessions over the three games. Their 3-point volume has been low, they’ve shot just 27-for-87 (31%) from deep, and they’ve been outscored by 45 points from beyond the arc. The offense hasn’t been great with Tyler Herro on the floor, but it hasn’t helped that he’s missed the last two games with a toe injury.

• Before the losing streak, Norman Powell had himself a revenge game last Monday, scoring 30 points on 12-for-18 shooting as the Heat clobbered the Clippers. Those 30 points included 11 on an incredible, 30-2 run in the second quarter and Powell has now scored more than 20 points in 14 of his 19 games with the Heat. The Miami offense has been at its best (119.5 points scored per 100 possessions) with him on the floor.

• Their game in Orlando on Friday was just the second time the Heat lost after leading at halftime. They still have the league’s biggest differential between their record when taking a lead into the half (13-2) and their record when trailing at the break (1-8).

Coming up: The Heat have scored just 106.1 points per 100 possessions over their two losses to the Magic, who they’ll visit again on Tuesday, with a trip to Las Vegas on the line.

Week 8: @ ORL*, vs. NYK/TOR

Record: 15-10

OffRtg: 115.3 (14) DefRtg: 112.8 (8) NetRtg: +2.6 (12) Pace: 100.5 (17)

The Raptors have come back down to Earth, losing five of their last six games, including two to the Hornets.

Three takeaways

• After ranking fifth offensively (119.2 points scored per 100 possessions) through their first 17 games, the Raptors rank 29th (107.0 per 100) over their last eight. They’ve shot much worse in the last two weeks, but have also seen a big drop in free-throw rate and a big jump in turnover rate.

• That drop-off coincides with RJ Barrett’s absence, who has a much higher free-throw rate (33.8 attempts per 100 shots from the field) than the Raptors’ other three perimeter starters. Ja’Kobe Walter has started seven of the eight games in Barrett’s place, but has a much lower usage rate (13.6%) than Barrett (23.6%) and has an effective field goal percentage of just 44% over the eight-game stretch. He was 0-for-7 against the Hornets on Friday, when the Raptors scored just 86 points on 103 possessions, the second-worst offensive game for any team this season.

• The two losses to Charlotte also bookended the Raptors’ only stretch of five games in seven days. They’re now 1-4 in the second games of back-to-backs, having scored just 102.2 per 100 possessions over those five games. Scottie Barnes has a free-throw rate of just 9.1 attempts per 100 shots from the field over those five games and 29.8 per 100 otherwise.

Coming up: That stretch of five in seven also included a loss in New York eight days ago, when the Raptors also scored less than a point per possession. They’ll have a chance at redemption (along with a trip to Las Vegas) when they host the Knicks in the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday.

Week 8: vs. NYK*, vs. MIA/ORL

Record: 14-11

OffRtg: 114.8 (15) DefRtg: 113.3 (10) NetRtg: +1.5 (16) Pace: 102.0 (6)

The Hawks lost three straight games for the first time, though it was two narrow losses to the Pistons and Nuggets, with a Jalen Johnson absence (against the Clippers) in between. They put an end to the losing streak in Washington on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• Johnson has recorded triple-doubles in three of his last five games and is one of two players (Nikola Jokić is the other) averaging at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. His 5 minutes of possession over Trae Young’s 20-game absence is up from 3.4 minutes over the first five games of the season, but still ranks just 27th in the league over that stretch.

• Offensive consistency remains elusive. The Hawks are one of five teams with at least three games (including two last week) where they scored less than a point per possession and at least three (including two last week) were they scored more than 125 per 100. Zaccharie Risacher and Vít Krejčí have combined for an effective field goal percentage of 66.2% in wins and just 47.9% in losses.

• The Hawks are the only team with a losing record (4-6) at home and a winning record (10-5) on the road. They have played a much tougher schedule at State Farm Arena (cumulative opponent winning percentage of .610) than they have elsewhere (.394).

Coming up: The Hawks are one of three teams that got two NBA Cup fill-in games against teams that currently have winning records. The first is Friday in Detroit, where they lost by a single point last Monday. This time, they’ll be playing after five days off instead of after playing two overtimes the night before.

Week 8: @ DET, vs. PHI

Record: 13-10

OffRtg: 114.3 (17) DefRtg: 113.5 (15) NetRtg: +0.8 (17) Pace: 100.5 (18)

The Sixers had their first winning streak (three games) since their 4-0 start to the season, taking advantage of the shorthanded Warriors and Bucks last week. They also had a double-digit lead against the Lakers on Sunday, but had another brutal third quarter and fell short in the clutch.

Three takeaways

• The last two Sundays marked the two times that Paul George and Joel Embiid have both been in the lineup. They’ve lost both games, with Embiid shooting 4-for-21 (3-for-11 in the paint, 1-for-10 outside it) against the Lakers this weekend. He still registered a plus-11 in his season-high 30 minutes, but for the season, the Sixers have been better (especially defensively) with Adem Bona or Andre Drummond on the floor.

• The game turned with a 23-7 Lakers run in the third quarter. The Sixers have lost the third quarter in 18 of their 23 games, and this was the ninth time that they’ve lost it by double-digits. In total, they’ve been outscored by 23.7 points per 100 possessions in the third period and have outscored their opponents by 8.9 per 100 otherwise. The bigger difference (98.5 vs. 119.6 scored per 100) has been on offense, with Sixers not named Tyrese Maxey having shot 44-for-154 (28.6%) on third-quarter 3-pointers.

• While the offense hasn’t been very good over the last couple of weeks, the Sixers now rank as a better-than-average defensive team, having allowed just 105.1 points per 100 possessions (second best) over their last six games. Three of those games came against teams in the bottom 10 offensively, but they also held the Lakers’ sixth-ranked offense in check on Sunday.

Coming up: After they host the Pacers on Friday, the Sixers will have played 15 of their 24 games at home. They’ll then play 10 of their next 14 on the road, a stretch that begins with a rematch of their double-OT loss to the Hawks eight days ago.

Week 8: vs. IND, @ ATL

Record: 13-12

OffRtg: 112.7 (22) DefRtg: 110.7 (3) NetRtg: +2.0 (15) Pace: 100.4 (19)

Stephen Curry has missed the last five games, Draymond Green has missed all but nine minutes of the last three and Jimmy Butler had a two-game absence before returning on Sunday. The Warriors dropped below .500 for the first time with a 2-6 stretch, but climbed back above by winning both ends of their weekend back-to-back in Cleveland and Chicago.

Three takeaways

• The Warriors held both the Cavs and Bulls under a point per possession and now rank third defensively, just a hair behind the second-ranked Rockets. The Warriors have played a tougher schedule than Houston regarding opposing offenses, with nine of their 25 opponents currently in the top 10 offensively (vs. 6/21 for the Rockets).

• Despite the injuries, the bench runs deep. The Warriors played 14 guys in their one-point loss in Philadelphia on Thursday, when De’Anthony Melton (making his season debut) was one of the first two subs. It seems like they’re eternally in search of the right combination, but they may have found something with Pat Spencer, who averaged a team-high 16 points on an effective field goal percentage of 66% in four games last week. The Warriors outscored their opponents by more than 25 points per 100 possessions in his 102 minutes.

• One guy who didn’t play on Sunday was Jonathan Kuminga, who was in the starting lineup the night before, but shot 1-for-10. Kuminga has had some good minutes alongside the Warriors’ stars, but they’ve been outscored by 14 points per 100 possessions (allowing more than 120 per 100) in his 205 minutes on the floor without Green.

Coming up: A four-day break could allow for Curry to return on Friday for the Warriors’ first meeting with the Wolves. He was absent for the final four games of their conference semifinals loss to Minnesota, over which the Warriors scored just 104.6 points per 100 possessions.

Week 8: vs. MIN, @ POR

Record: 14-11

OffRtg: 115.9 (10) DefRtg: 113.0 (9) NetRtg: +3.0 (11) Pace: 101.8 (9)

The Cavs got one of their best wins of the season on Friday, beating the Spurs with a 39-12 run to start the third quarter. But that was sandwiched by a rest-advantage loss to the Blazers and a rest-disadvantage loss to the Warriors, who were without Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.

Three takeaways

• Before Wednesday, the Cavs were 9-0 against the 14 teams that have worse records than they do right now, having scored 122.3 points per 100 possessions over those nine games. But they struggled offensively against Portland and Golden State last week and have shot just 26% from 3-point range over their last three games. Darius Garland played against the Warriors on Saturday, but the Cavs scored just 15 points on 23 offensive possessions (65 per 100) in Donovan Mitchell’s 11 minutes off the floor.

• The Cavs did dominate the Spurs inside on Friday, outscoring them by 36 points (62-26) in the restricted area. The Cavs rank third in 3-point rate (47.7%) of their shots, but the win over San Antonio came with their lowest rate of the season by a wide margin.

• The Cavs still rank last in the percentage of their *road field goal attempts (21%) that have come in the restricted area, having seen the biggest drop from last season (30.5%, 15th). Though Jarrett Allen has missed eight of the last nine games overall, he’s still played in eight of the Cavs’ 10 road games. But Evan Mobley has taken just 27% of his (road) shots in the restricted area, down from 44% last season.

* Using only road numbers to account for shot-charting discrepancies from arena to arena.

Coming up: The Cavs got one of the league’s easiest pair of NBA Cup fill-in games, a trip to Washington on Friday and a home game vs. the Hornets two days later. They’re 7-0 against the six Eastern Conference teams currently below .500, with a 33-point win in their previous visit to Washington.

Week 8: @ WAS, vs. CHA

Record: 11-13

OffRtg: 111.5 (25) DefRtg: 113.4 (12) NetRtg: -1.9 (18) Pace: 101.3 (11)

The Grizzlies continue to beat their fellow residents of the land below .500 and, with a soft schedule, have won seven of their last nine games.

Three takeaways

• The Grizzlies (10-0) and Spurs (9-0) are the only teams that haven’t lost to the 13 teams that currently have losing records. The Grizzlies lost to the Spurs themselves on Tuesday and are 1-13 against the 17 teams currently above .500, with the one win (at Phoenix) coming in October. The bigger difference for the Grizzlies continues to be on defense, with their weekend wins over the Clippers and Blazers being the second and third times they’ve allowed a point per possession or less.

• The Grizzlies have been without Ja Morant for all but six minutes of their last 12 games, and have averaged 383 passes per 24 minutes of possession over that stretch, a big jump in ball movement from their first 12 games (342 passes per 24). Seven Grizzlies have averaged double-figures over these last 12, with a range of just 11.2-16.8 points per game.

• The Grizzlies’ current starting lineup eclipsed the 100-minute mark over the weekend and has allowed just 98.6 points per 100 possessions, the best mark among 21 lineups that have played at least 100 minutes. But it was outscored on Sunday and bench minutes were key as the Grizzlies ended a streak of seven straight clutch games with a comfortable win over the Blazers. They had four reserves on the floor down the stretch of their nine-point win on Friday, in which they outscored the Clippers 9-0 in the final three and a half minutes.

Coming up: If the Grizzlies can stay perfect against other teams below .500 over the next eight days, they won’t be below .500 anymore, because their two NBA Cup fill-in games are against the Jazz and Clippers.

Week 8: vs. UTA

Record: 9-16

OffRtg: 108.6 (28) DefRtg: 112.3 (7) NetRtg: -3.7 (21) Pace: 101.9 (8)

Anthony Davis has played in four straight games (including both ends of a back-to-back this weekend), and the Mavs have won four of their last five. The last three wins came against the Nuggets, Heat and Rockets.

Three takeaways

• The Mavs have climbed out of the basement in offensive efficiency, with the last five games being, easily, their best stretch on that end of the floor (119.9 points scored per 100 possessions) this season. Cooper Flagg still isn’t connecting from beyond the arc, but he’s averaged a team-high 23.2 points over the five games, shooting 9-for-18 from mid-range and 65% in the paint.

• The Mavs’ win in Houston on Saturday was the Rockets’ first loss in a game that wasn’t within five points in the last five minutes. The Mavs have still played the most clutch games in the league (18), and Flagg is now 16-for-27 (59%) on clutch shots, the second-best mark among 28 players who’ve attempted at least 20. He’s also 19-for-21 (90%) on clutch free throws.

• Dereck Lively II has missed the last eight games, and Daniel Gafford has missed all but 14 minutes of the last five after re-aggravating his ankle injury on Wednesday. So Davis has played 90% of his minutes (in his 10 total games) at center. The percentage of his shots that have come in the paint (63%) is higher than his rate (55%) in nine games with the Mavs last season, but still down from his 72% over his last 2 1/2 seasons with the Lakers.

Coming up: The Mavs’ nine games (they’re 4-5) against the East are tied for the most among Western Conference teams thus far, and they were given an extra game against the Nets, who they’ll host on Friday.

Week 8: vs. BKN

Record: 9-15

OffRtg: 113.3 (20) DefRtg: 116.2 (19) NetRtg: -2.9 (20) Pace: 103.3 (3)

The Blazers have remained pretty competitive and got a rest-disadvantage win in Cleveland on Wednesday, but they’re now 4-12 over the last month.

Three takeaways

• Only the Kings (17/23) have played a higher ratio of their games against teams that currently have winning records than the Blazers, who’ve played 17 of their 24 against those 17 teams above .500. But Portland is also just 3-4 against the other teams currently below .500 after a 23-point loss in Memphis on Sunday. Yang Hansen got his first career start (both Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III were out), and they were down 20 after the first quarter.

• According to Synergy tracking, the Blazers are one of three teams – the Knicks and Clippers are the others – that have already played more zone than they did all of last season. They like to put one of their rangy wings at the top of a 3-2 zone, and it had some success (eight points allowed on 15 possessions) in Toronto on Tuesday. Overall, the 1.00 points per possession that the Blazers have allowed in zone ranks eighth among the 17 teams that have played at least 50 total zone possessions.

• Deni Avdija (19.5) is in position to end Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s streak of five straight seasons as the league leader in drives per game. His 23.2 drives per 36 minutes are a jump from 12.7 per 36 last season, and his assist/turnover ratio on drives (1.84) is also the highest of his career. He’s passed on 51.4% of his drives, the fourth-highest rate among 44 players with at least 200 drives total.

Coming up: The Blazers’ road trip was extended from four to five games, though they’ll have a three-day break before finishing the trip Thursday in New Orleans, where they had their most efficient offensive game of the season. They’ll then play seven of their next eight games at home.

Week 8: @ NOP, vs. GSW

Record: 10-15

OffRtg: 114.3 (16) DefRtg: 117.0 (22) NetRtg: -2.7 (19) Pace: 99.9 (24)

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s long-term future in Milwaukee is tenuous. Short-term, he’s on the shelf with a calf strain suffered on Wednesday, making it even tougher for the Bucks to look like a team that can compete with the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

Three takeaways

• The Bucks came back to beat the Pistons on the night that Antetokounmpo was injured in the first quarter, getting 48 combined points from Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins. They’re still 2-8 in games their star has missed or played fewer than 15 minutes, scoring just 108.9 points per 100 possessions in those 10 games, compared to 117.9 in the 15 games (8-7) for which Antetokounmpo has been fully available.

• Jericho Sims had the go-ahead 3-point play with 1:34 left in the win over Detroit, when he finished with 15 points (on 7-for-7 shooting) and 14 rebounds. He’s started the last two games in Antetokounmpo’s place, but the Bucks have scored less than a point per possession in Sims’ 272 minutes on the floor, and the defense hasn’t been very good (120.9 allowed per 100) in his 86 minutes alongside Myles Turner.

• Porter has given the Bucks an offensive lift over his five games back from a 19-game absence, averaging 24.2 points on an incredible true shooting percentage of 72.9%. He’s still taking tough shots, but his shot quality would be the highest mark in his six seasons.

Coming up: The Bucks are in the middle of a stretch where they’re playing six of seven games against teams with winning records, and they’ll face the red-hot Celtics for the first time on Thursday. They were swept by Boston last season, with Antetokounmpo playing all three games.

Week 8: vs. BOS, @ BKN

Record: 7-17

OffRtg: 113.5 (18) DefRtg: 117.5 (24) NetRtg: -4.0 (22) Pace: 99.8 (25)

The Hornets are 2-12 against the 17 teams that currently have winning records, with both wins having come against the Raptors. The second (in Toronto on Friday) was also their second road win of the season.

Three takeaways

• LaMelo Ball finally saw an increase in playing time last week, logging almost 37 minutes (a season high) in New York on Wednesday. But he suffered another ankle injury two nights later in Toronto, and the Hornets have also been playing without Collin Sexton and Tre Mann. Two-way guard K.J. Simpson got his first start against the Nuggets on Sunday and offense continues to be an issue when Ball isn’t on the floor.

• Brandon Miller returned from a two-game absence for that win in Toronto, and (even with their loss to Denver on Sunday) the Hornets have a winning record (4-3) when he’s played at least 10 minutes. But Miller (44.2%), Mann (44%) and Ball (45.7%) are three of the 16 players with an effective field goal percentage below 46% on at least 100 shots.

• The Raptors (who were finishing a stretch of five games in seven days) scored just 86 points on 103 possessions on Friday, the second-worst offensive performance for any team this season. The Hornets’ defense has still been a little bit worse (even when you take the league average into account) than it was last season, but they lead the league in opponent free throw rate (22.7 attempts per 100 shots from the field), one of only five teams with a lower rate than they had in 2024-25 (24.0 per 100, 12th). Toronto had just 13 free-throw attempts on Friday.

Coming up: The Hornets are in the middle of a stretch where they’re playing seven of eight games against teams with winning records. The one exception is a second visit from the Bulls in the span of 15 days, with the first having ended Charlotte’s seven-game losing streak.

Week 8: vs. CHI, @ CLE

Record: 8-15

OffRtg: 112.8 (21) DefRtg: 120.8 (29) NetRtg: -7.9 (26) Pace: 102.8 (4)

The Jazz can look pretty good on some nights, and they won two straight games for the first time last week, with their win over the Rockets on Monday being their best of the season. But the weekend brought losses to the Knicks and Thunder by a combined total of 64 points.

Three takeaways

• The Jazz scored more than 120 points per 100 possessions in three of their first four games after Thanksgiving, a stretch that concluded with their double-digit win in Brooklyn on Thursday. The following night at Madison Square Garden, they went scoreless on their first 13 possessions and fell into a 23-0 hole, the largest deficit a team has faced before scoring its first points in the 30 years for which we have play-by-play data.

• Lauri Markkanen missed a game for the first time on Sunday, sitting out the Jazz’s loss to the Thunder with an illness. He’s already played more than half as many minutes as he did all of last season (1,476), but the Jazz have been outscored by 14.8 points per 100 possessions in his 346 minutes off the floor.

• Rookie Walter Clayton Jr. has been getting some regular playing time (he’s sixth on the team in total minutes) over the last five games, and he had his career highs for both points (20) and assists (nine) against the Thunder on Sunday. He’s mostly backing up Keyonte George, but the two guards have played 97 minutes together, with the Jazz and their opponents having combined to score an amazing 132.5 points per 100 possessions in those minutes.

Coming up: The Jazz are 2-2 in games played between the seven Western Conference teams that are currently below .500, and their two NBA Cup fill-in games will come against the Grizzlies and Mavs, their first meetings with both.

Week 8: @ MEM

Record: 6-18

OffRtg: 113.4 (19) DefRtg: 118.6 (25) NetRtg: -5.2 (23) Pace: 97.6 (29)

The Clippers ended a five-game losing streak after sending Chris Paul home in the middle of the night last week. But they then dropped the next two (and more important) games of their road trip.

Three takeaways

• Their win in Atlanta on Wednesday (when the Hawks were without Jalen Johnson) was the first time that the Clippers held their opponent under a point per possession. Only the Thunder (22) held their opponent under a point per possession more times than the Clippers (18) last season. The Clippers have allowed 9.2 more points per 100 possessions than they did in ’24-25, which would be the biggest season-to-season jump in the last 19 years.

• The Hawks shot just 13-for-39 (33%) from 3-point range on Wednesday, and the Clippers limited their opponents’ 3-point attempts (53 total) over the next two games. But they’re still a league-worst 1-15 (with 13 straight losses) when their opponent has shot the league average (36.0%) or better from beyond the arc.

• Paul’s dismissal was reportedly more about what was said (or unsaid) off the floor, but the Clippers were also outscored by a brutal 17.3 points per 100 possessions in his 228 minutes on the floor. It was a remarkable downturn for a guy whose teams have been better with him on the floor in 17 of the previous 18 seasons for which we have on-off data. That includes three of the 10 biggest on-off differentials for any player in that time.

Coming up: The defense isn’t getting many breaks in the next few weeks, with the Clippers’ loss in Minnesota over the weekend being the start of a stretch in which they’re playing five of six games against teams that rank in the top seven offensively. Up next is their first meeting with the second-ranked Rockets on Thursday.

Week 8: @ HOU

Record: 6-17

OffRtg: 112.3 (23) DefRtg: 119.8 (27) NetRtg: -7.6 (25) Pace: 97.7 (28)

The Nets have won as many games in December (3-1) as they had won through Nov. 30 (3-16), taking advantage of a soft stretch of schedule, but also just playing a lot better.

Three takeaways

• Playing without Michael Porter Jr. on Thursday, the Nets lost to the Jazz, getting outscored 44-17 over 12 minutes spanning the third and fourth quarters. But they’ve won their last three games with Porter in uniform, with the forward averaging 34.3 points on an effective field percentage of 67.9% over that stretch. Porter has obviously seen a huge jump in usage rate (from 19.7% last season to 28.6% this season), and his true shooting percentage of 62.4% would be his highest mark in the last five years.

• The bigger difference between the December Nets (108.0 points allowed per 100 possessions) and the Nets of the first 19 games (122.4 allowed per 100) has been on the other end of the floor. It certainly helps that their four December opponents all rank in the bottom half of the league offensively, but they held Chicago, Charlotte and New Orleans to an average of 9.5 fewer points per 100 possessions than they’ve scored otherwise. The Nets rank second in opponent field goal percentage in the paint (51.7%) this month.

• The Nets are now playing four of their five first-round picks, with Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf having joined Egor Dëmin and Drake Powell in the rotation over the last five games. As a 6-foot-11 player who can pass and shoot, Wolf is an intriguing piece. He’s averaged 19.1 points (shooting 12-for-26 from 3-point range), 8.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per 36 minutes over the last five games, with a highlight dunk on Miles Bridges’ head capping the Nets’ win over the Hornets last Monday. That was both their first win at home and their first win (they were previously 0-15) after trailing by double-digits.

Coming up: Before they beat the Pelicans over the weekend, the Nets were the only team without a win against the opposite conference. For the second straight season, they’re getting an extra game against the West, heading to Dallas for one of their NBA Cup fill-in games on Friday.

Week 8: @ DAL, vs. MIL

Record: 6-17

OffRtg: 109.2 (27) DefRtg: 119.2 (26) NetRtg: -10.0 (28) Pace: 102.0 (7)

The Kings remain near the bottom of the Western Conference, but they beat the Heat in Miami on Saturday, their first victory in a game that wasn’t within five points in the last five minutes. (They were the only team without a non-clutch win before that.)

Three takeaways

• Having a rest advantage (rested vs. an opponent that played the day before) matters, and after the win in Miami, the Kings are 3-1 in rest-advantage games. (Their only loss came by just six points — in Oklahoma City.) They’re 3-16 otherwise and the bigger difference has been on offense, where they’ve scored 117.8 points in the rest-advantage games. Zach LaVine led the way with 42 points on Saturday, when the Kings totaled 127 on 101 possessions, the second-best offensive game for any team against the Heat this season.

• Domantas Sabonis has missed the last nine games, and the Kings are 4-8 without him. Drew Eubanks started the first 11 games that Sabonis missed, but rookie Maxime Raynaud got his first start on Saturday, scoring 25 points off the bench three nights earlier in Houston. Nique Clifford had his career-high (15 points on 7-for-8 shooting) in the win over the Heat, though the two young Kings rank just 17th and 24th in total minutes played among rookies. The door is still wide open for the Kings to climb into the top 10 in the West, but giving Clifford and Raynaud consistent minutes should seemingly be the plan.

• Keegan Murray had two steals and two blocks (with just two fouls) in the Miami win, which was his eighth game of the season. His 1.87 steals + blocks per personal foul is the highest rate among 326 players who’ve played at least 200 minutes and up from his rate of 0.70 last season.

Coming up: The Kings have played the league’s toughest schedule thus far, and they got the toughest pair of NBA Cup fill-in games, a visit from the Nuggets and a trip to Minnesota. But those were the last two teams they beat before the win in Miami on Saturday.

Week 8: @ IND, vs. DEN, @ MIN

Record: 5-18

OffRtg: 108.3 (29) DefRtg: 116.5 (21) NetRtg: -8.2 (27) Pace: 101.6 (10)

The Pacers are just 1-13 against teams that are currently over .500, and they were the last team without a road win. But they’re 4-1 within the bottom five in the Eastern Conference, with three wins over the Bulls (x 2) and Wizards over the last 10 days, getting a comfortable victory in Chicago on Friday.

Three takeaways

• The Pacers had scored at least 120 points per 100 possessions just twice through November, but have done so in all three of their December games. Pascal Siakam has averaged 28.3 points and combined with Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard to shoot 23-for-43 (53%) from 3-point range over the three games.

• The Pacers continue to rank in the top five in both ball and player movement, but they’ve averaged just 335 passes per 24 minutes of possession over these last three games, down from 373 per 24 over their first 20. Siakam has averaged more than twice as many isolations per 100 possessions this season (15.1) as he did last season (7.2).

• Of course, the Pacers lost the first two of those December games, allowing the Cavs and Nuggets to score almost 136 points per 100 possessions on Monday and Wednesday. The Indiana defense has seen the league’s second-biggest jump in opponent free-throw rate and its fourth-biggest drop in opponent turnover rate from last season. In short, they’re fouling a lot more without turning teams over nearly as much.

Coming up: The Pacers are just 1-9 against the Western Conference, but will have one of their best chances at an interconference win when they host the Kings on Monday.

Week 8: vs. SAC, @ PHI, vs. WAS

Record: 9-14

OffRtg: 111.9 (24) DefRtg: 117.3 (23) NetRtg: -5.5 (24) Pace: 103.7 (2)

The Bulls could not have played a much easier schedule over the last 16 days, but they’ve somehow lost seven straight games. They hit a new low on Sunday with a 32-point, rest-advantage loss to the Warriors (who were without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green).

Three takeaways

• The defensive numbers haven’t been too bad for most of these games. But the Bulls rank last offensively (106.2 points scored per 100 possessions) during the losing streak. Coby White missed three of the seven games (the Bulls have been better offensively with him on the floor) and has shot just 5-for-25 (20%) from 3-point range in the other four.

• The Bulls had 13 more shooting opportunities than the Nets on Wednesday, but didn’t take advantage of them and got outscored by 36 points from 3-point range. They still rank 27th in possessions, averaging 3.9 fewer shooting opportunities than their opponents.

• The streak now includes losses to the Pelicans, Hornets, Pacers (twice) and Nets. The Bulls have twice as many wins (they’re 6-7) against teams currently above .500 as they have (3-7) against teams currently below. Only the Wizards (2-6) have been worse in games played between the bottom 13 teams in the league.

Coming up: So maybe it doesn’t matter that the Bulls got the easiest pair of NBA Cup fill-in games, a trip to Charlotte and a visit from the Pelicans. It’s the second time in the three years of the Cup that they’re playing an extra game against the Western Conference.

Week 8: @ CHA, vs. NOP

Record: 3-19

OffRtg: 108.3 (30) DefRtg: 123.8 (30) NetRtg: -15.6 (30) Pace: 102.7 (5)

The Wizards began December with a win, coming back from a 13-point, second-half deficit to beat the Bucks (with a healthy Giannis Antetokounmpo) last Monday. But with a couple of rough offensive games since then, they’ve fallen into Charlotte Bobcats territory.

Three takeaways

• CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton hit the three biggest shots of the night and were a combined 7-for-8 from mid-range in the win over the Bucks. Middleton is now 28-for-50 (56%) from between the paint and the 3-point line in 2025-26, the best mark among 28 players with at least that many attempts and in line with his incredible mid-range shooting over the last two seasons. His 58.5% two seasons ago was the best mark for a player with at least 150 mid-range attempts in the 30 seasons of shot-location data.

• Alex Sarr has missed the last four games, with Marvin Bagley III starting in his place. Bagley had 22 points in the win over Milwaukee last Monday, when the Wizards won the possession battle for the first time in a month. Their rebounding has, generally, been better with Bagley at the five, but they were destroyed on the glass by the Hawks on Saturday and have committed 17 more turnovers than their opponents over their three-game losing streak.

• The Pacers have scored 108.31 points per 100 possessions. The Wizards: 108.27. So they’re, once again, in position to be just the third team in the 30 years of play-by-play data – joining the 2011-12 Bobcats and 2017-18 Suns – to rank last on both ends of the floor. They ranked last on both ends at this point last season, having just ended a 16-game losing streak (by beating the Nuggets) and having been outscored by 15.2 points per 100 possessions.

Coming up: The bottom two teams in the Eastern Conference will meet for the second time in 17 days when the Wizards visit the Pacers on Sunday. Their previous visit to Indiana (Nov. 28) was their worst offensive game of the season (86 points on 101 possessions).

Week 8: vs. CLE, @ IND

Record: 3-21

OffRtg: 110.0 (26) DefRtg: 120.4 (28) NetRtg: -10.3 (29) Pace: 100.9 (14)

Zion Williamson is out for an extended period (again), and the Pelicans have the league’s worst record with 15 losses in their last 16 games.

Three takeaways

• The Pelicans shot 57% from 3-point range against Minnesota on Tuesday, but that was 12 makes on only 21 attempts in 53 minutes. In an overtime loss, they were outscored by 24 points from 3-point range. They had the same discrepancy in a nine-point loss to the Wolves two nights later and have now been outscored by 12.4 points per game from beyond the arc, which would be the worst discrepancy in the 47 seasons of the 3-point line.

• Their offense has been a little more efficient in 12 games with James Borrego as the interim coach (111.9 points scored per 100 possessions) than it was in 12 games under Willie Green (108.1 per 100). Their 3-point rate has been much lower since the coaching change (32.2%, 29th) than it was prior (39.2%, 22nd).

• At one point on Saturday, the Pelicans trailed the Nets by 28 points. With Brooklyn picking up a comeback win earlier in the week, New Orleans is the only team without a win (they’re 0-18) after trailing by double-digits. When you struggle to come back from big deficits, you need to be better than the league’s worst first-quarter team (minus-13.4 per 100 possessions).

Coming up: For the second straight season, the Pelicans got an extra game against the Eastern Conference. Last year, they made an extra trip to Indiana and this time, they’re heading to Chicago, with their only win in this 1-15 stretch having come against the Bulls two weeks ago.

Week 8: vs. SAS, vs. POR, @ CHI