Record: 20-5

OffRtg: 118.2 (6) DefRtg: 109.2 (3) NetRtg: +9.0 (2) Pace: 98.6 (23)

The Celtics continue to dominate at home. Two good teams came to Boston for two games apiece last week, and the Celtics swept them both, improving to 14-0 at TD Garden.

Three takeaways

• The Celtics are now 14-4 in games played between the 19 teams that currently have winning records. That’s the best mark within the group and the 14 wins are four more than any other team has against the top 19 teams in the league.

• The five-game homestand that just concluded was the Celtics’ best five-game stretch of offense (124.4 points scored per 100 possessions) since the first five games of the season, and the last four were against teams — the Cavs and Magic — that rank in the top 10 defensively. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each had 30-point games against Orlando, but neither has been on a huge tear and the top eight guys in their rotation have all contributed.

• The Sunday win over Orlando came with the Celtics’ second-lowest 3-point rate of the season (36 of 95 field goal attempts). They still outscored the Magic by 18 points from beyond the arc and improved to 12-0 when they’ve shot the league average (36.5%) or better from deep. Eleven of those 12 games have been at home.

One reason why the West has won 55% of inter-conference games is that the two East teams that have played the fewest are the Celtics (2) and Bucks (3). The Cs are about to add to that total, visiting all four California teams on the four-game trip that begins Tuesday. They’ll be at a rest disadvantage in Sacramento the following night, the end of their first of three stretches of five games in seven days.

It’ll be Celtics-Lakers in L.A. on Christmas. Boston won both meetings in overtime last season, and Jayson Tatum’s 44 points last December were the most any player scored against the Lakers (before the playoffs).

Week 9 + Christmas: @ GSW, @ SAC, @ LAC, @ LAL

Record: 19-5

OffRtg: 113.9 (17) DefRtg: 106.6 (1) NetRtg: +7.3 (3) Pace: 99.1 (18)

The Wolves’ top-ranked defense couldn’t stop Zion Williamson on Monday, but it held up against two top-five offenses later in the week, and this team remains comfortably atop the Western Conference.

Three takeaways

• Prior to last week, the Wolves ranked third in opponent free throw rate (22.3 attempts per 100 shots from the field). Then the Pelicans went 31-for-40 (and outscored Minnesota by 17 points) from the line on Monday. The Wolves have still seen the league’s biggest drop in opponent free throw rate from last season (29.3 attempts per 100 shots from the field, 28th).

• The Wolves beat the Mavs and Pacers on Thursday and Saturday, holding the two top-five offenses to just 104.5 points per 100 possessions. But Dallas was without Kyrie Irving, Indiana was without Tyrese Haliburton, and there may have been some 3-point luck involved, with the two opponents combining to shoot 13-for-53 (25%) from deep. The Wolves rank second in opponent 3-point percentage (33.1%), having seen the league’s third biggest drop from last season. But the percentage of their opponents’ 3-point attempts that have been open or wide open is right around the league average.

• Anthony Edwards missed the New Orleans game and scored just nine points (on 3-for-19 shooting) in Dallas. But his 11 assists (including a couple of sharp skip passes to open shooters) tied his career high and he dropped 37 on the Pacers two nights later. He’s seen jumps in assists per game and assist rate each season he’s been in the league.

The Wolves’ Week 9 will take them from Miami to Sacramento, but they’ll have a rest advantage against the Kings on Saturday. They’ve already had the biggest differential between their number of rest-advantage games (seven with their win over the Pacers on Saturday) and rest-disadvantage games (one), and their next disadvantage game isn’t until Jan. 10.

Week 9: @ MIA, @ PHI, vs. LAL, @ SAC

Record: 18-7

OffRtg: 121.9 (2) DefRtg: 109.8 (5) NetRtg: +12.1 (1) Pace: 100.6 (12)

The Sixers have cruised through one of the easiest stretches of schedule any team will have this season, winning six straight games by an average of 27.3 points.

Three takeaways

• They trailed each of the first two games of the winning streak in the fourth quarter, but the last four have been stress-free. They never trailed in three of them and led all four by at least 30 points. For the season, they’ve led six games by at least 30 points, having done so five times last season and just three times the season prior.

• When you dominate four games like that, the numbers are going to be good on both ends of the floor, and the Sixers are now the only team that ranks in the top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency. They’ve climbed from 15th to fifth defensively in the last seven days, while also coming within a hair of having the league’s No. 1 offense. Their current point differential (plus-11.9 points per game) would be the best for any team since the 1995-96, 72-10 Bulls (plus-12.2 per game).

• The Sixers are 18-4 (with eight straight wins) in games that Joel Embiid has been available. He’s averaged 40.0 points in 32.3 minutes per game over the six-game winning streak, his 34.2 for the season would be the sixth-highest scoring average in the 48 seasons since the NBA-ABA merger, and he’d be the first player in NBA history to average at least 32 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

The Sixers are now 12-0 against the 11 teams that currently have losing records, and they’ll have two more games against that group this week. But in between, they’ll host the West-leading Wolves on Wednesday, having lost in Minnesota without Embiid last month.

Week 9 + Christmas: vs. CHI, vs. MIN, vs. TOR, @ MIA

Record: 16-8

OffRtg: 117.7 (7) DefRtg: 110.9 (6) NetRtg: +6.8 (4) Pace: 101.5 (6)

The Thunder shot just 18-for-57 (32%) from 3-point range over their two big games within the top six in the West last week. But they managed to split the two, coming back from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to win in Denver on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has shot just 1-for-11 from 3-point range over the last five games. But, he continues to lead the league in drives per game by a wide margin, ranks sixth in assists per game on 3-pointers (3.8) and is the only player who’s shot better than 50% on at least 75 mid-range attempts. With the Thunder down one in Denver on Saturday, Gilgeous-Alexander got Peyton Watson on his heels and calmly drained a turnaround jumper for the win.

• Oklahoma City almost doubled up Denver in transition points (29-15), according to Synergy tracking. The Thunder rank first in transition points per game (27.2) and second in opponent transition points per game (17.5), with their differential (+9.7) being the league’s largest by a wide margin.

• Chet Holmgren had eight blocks (tied for the most for any player this season) on Saturday. Players have now shot just 43.8% when Holmgren has been the closest defender. The difference between that and their expected field goal percentage on those shots (49.8%) is the fifth biggest among 60 players who’ve defended at least 300 shots.

The Thunder are still just 4-6 against the other Western Conference teams that have winning records, and the five-game homestand that begins Monday includes a few more big games within the West. They’ll have a rest advantage when they host the Clippers on Thursday.

SGA CLUTCH! ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/F05NxjS8f9

— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 17, 2023

Week 9: vs. MEM, vs. LAC, vs. LAL

Record: 17-10

OffRtg: 117.3 (9) DefRtg: 112.9 (12) NetRtg: +4.4 (7) Pace: 98.0 (27)

Statistically, the Nuggets are a better team than they were last season, when they outscored their opponents by just 3.3 points per 100 possessions, the lowest regular-season mark for an eventual champion in the 27 full seasons for which we have play-by-play data. But they’re in fourth place, not first, having dropped a big game (at home) to the second-place Thunder on Saturday.

Three takeaways

• The Nuggets have been the league’s second-best first-quarter team, outscoring their opponents by 16.4 points per 100 possessions in the opening period. They haven’t been so good (especially defensively) after that, and they lost two double-digit leads against Oklahoma City.

• The Nuggets used a five-man bench unit in Atlanta on Monday, and it (not surprisingly) got outscored by six points in a little more than seven minutes. The following night in Chicago, they were without Jamal Murray and were only up four when Nikola Jokic was ejected late in the second quarter. But they managed without the two stars, getting big games from Reggie Jackson and Julian Strawther.

• They’ve become more of a half-court team this season, getting just 17.9 points per game in transition. That ranks 28th in the league and is down from 23.4 (seventh) last season, with the Nuggets having seen big drops in both the percentage of their possessions that have been in transition and their efficiency when they’ve run.

The Nuggets did get three straight wins, all against Eastern Conference teams, before the OKC loss. They’ll have a three-game trip through the East this week, but will first play the Mavs for third place in the West on Monday.

Week 9 + Christmas: vs. DAL, @ TOR, @ BKN, @ CHA, vs. GSW

Record: 19-7

OffRtg: 120.5 (3) DefRtg: 115.6 (21) NetRtg: +4.9 (6) Pace: 102.4 (5)

If Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn’t at or near the top of your list of Kia MVP candidates before last week, he is now. The 29-year-old scored 32 points as the Bucks beat the Bulls in overtime on Monday, and two nights later, he doubled that, dropping a franchise-record 64 points on the Pacers.

Three takeaways

• All 20 of Antetokounmpo’s field goals on Wednesday came in the restricted area. His 40 points in the paint were the most for any player in a single game in more than 23 years, since Shaquille O’Neal had 46 (of 61 total) in March of 2000. Antetokounmpo’s 21.2 points in the paint per game would be the second-highest average in the 28 seasons for which paint points have been tracked, topped only by O’Neal’s 22.5 that same season.

• Antetokounmpo was also 24-for-32 from the line on Wednesday, and the Bucks have attempted 45 more free throws than their opponents over their four-game winning streak. They still rank just eighth in points-per-game differential at the free throw line (plus-2.7), with their opponents having shot much better at the line than they have.

• Damian Lillard had a rough shooting night (3-for-17) on Monday, but the Bucks’ two weekend games came with his eighth and ninth 30-point games of the season. Despite the Chicago game, he has an effective field goal percentage of 57.4% in December, up from 50.4% in November and 47.8% in October.

The Bucks have won their last 13 games at Fiserv Forum and scored more than 131 points per 100 possessions over the last six of those. Their six-game homestand concludes with two fun matchups: the first meeting between Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama, and then a big game against the fourth-place Magic. The first meeting (in Orlando and without Lillard) was the only time this season that the Bucks have scored less than a point per possession.

GIANNIS JUST MADE HISTORY.

64 PTS is a career-high and a Bucks franchise record 💪 pic.twitter.com/x7xnMrUi9U

— NBA (@NBA) December 14, 2023

Week 9 + Christmas: vs. SAS, vs. ORL, @ NYK, @ NYK

Record: 15-10

OffRtg: 116.5 (11) DefRtg: 111.0 (7) NetRtg: +5.5 (5) Pace: 98.8 (22)

The Clippers had a close call against the shorthanded Blazers on Monday, but they remain perfect in December, with their seven straight victories being the league’s longest active winning streak.

Three takeaways

• The Clippers’ initial success after their 0-5 start with James Harden was more about defense, but the offense has now really picked up. The last five games (127.9 points per 100 possessions) has easily been their best stretch of offense this season, highlighted by 144 points on 102 possessions against the Knicks on Saturday.

• Kawhi Leonard has led the way, averaging 33.8 points over the five games, shooting an amazing 66% on 2-pointers, 62% on 3-pointers and 95% from the line. His season-long marks for effective field goal percentage (58.4%) and true shooting percentage (62.7%) are now the best of his career.

• The Clippers’ starting lineup continues to be strong, but Norman Powell has also been a big contributor off the bench. The Clippers have been at their best (plus-23.8 per 100 possessions) with him over the winning streak, and he’s scored in double-figures in all seven games.

Six of the seven wins on this streak have been at home, and four of the seven have come against teams below .500. The Clippers now head out on a trip in which all three opponents have winning records. They’re currently 4-3 (with three straight wins) against the five teams ahead of them in the West standings, set to play a back-to-back in Dallas and Oklahoma City.

Week 9: @ IND, @ DAL, @ OKC, vs. BOS

Record: 15-9

OffRtg: 115.2 (14) DefRtg: 114.5 (14) NetRtg: +0.7 (17) Pace: 100.9 (9)

The Kings keep on beating the best teams in the league, which might mean that they’re one of the best teams in the league, though their point differential (that of a 12-12 team) doesn’t match their record.

Three takeaways

• With their win over the Thunder on Thursday, the Kings are 5-0 against the four teams ahead of them in the West standings, with at least one win against all four. It’s helped that the opponents have shot just 30.4% from 3-point range over those five games, but they’ve also outscored those opponents by 11.2 second-chance points per game. The Kings have been a little worse than average defensively this season, but they’re No. 1 in defensive rebounding percentage (74.1%), up from sixth (73.1%) last season.

• With their loss in LA to the Clippers (who were also playing the second game of a back-to-back) on Tuesday, the Kings are 0-3 in the second game of back-to-backs, having been outscored by an average of 23.3 points and having shot 28% from 3-point range in those three games.

• They shot well in their other three games last week and are one of two teams — the Celtics are the other — that haven’t lost (they’re 9-0) when they’ve shot the league average (36.5%) or better from 3-point range.

The Kings’ six-game homestand will conclude with another game against one of those top-four teams in the West, and this one — vs. Minnesota on Saturday — will be the second game of a back-to-back, so something has GOT to give. The Kings will have rest advantages against the Wizards and Celtics earlier in the week.

Week 9: vs. WAS, vs. BOS, vs. PHX, vs. MIN

Record: 16-9

OffRtg: 118.8 (5) DefRtg: 116.2 (23) NetRtg: +2.6 (11) Pace: 100.8 (10)

The Mavs have lost home games against the first and second-place teams in the Western Conference this month, but they remain in third, having won five of their last six overall.

Three takeaways

• The Mavs are one of two teams (the Bucks are the other) with three rest-disadvantage wins, improving to 3-2 in rest-disadvantage games with their win over the Lakers on Tuesday. They were outscored by 32 points (56-24) in the restricted area, but were 21-for-43 (49%) from 3-point range, with Dante Exum going 7-for-9. Five in those seven makes came in the fourth quarter as the Lakers suffered their first loss (they were previously 11-0) when leading after the third.

• The Mavs are now 6-2 without Kyrie Irving, having scored pretty efficiently (120.1 points per 100 possessions) over those eight games. They’ve still been much better with both Irving and Luka Doncic on the floor (plus-6.0 per 100) than they’ve been with either on the floor without the other.

• Doncic has scored at least 30 points in 10 straight games, the longest streak of his career. He’s still registering the highest true shooting percentage of his career (61.6%), even though he’s seen a pretty big drop in free throw rate from last season and he’s cooled off a bit with his pull-up 3s (31.5% over these last 10 games).

The Mavs are one of seven teams with a better record on the road (9-4) than they have at home (7-5), and their win in Portland began a stretch where they’re playing seven of 10 on the road. That stretch includes big games at Denver, Houston, Phoenix, Minnesota and Golden State.

WHAT A DIME FROM LUKA 🔥 pic.twitter.com/90jnErhjzp

— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 13, 2023

Week 9 + Christmas: @ DEN, vs. LAC, @ HOU, vs. SAS, @ PHX

Record: 16-9

OffRtg: 113.2 (18) DefRtg: 109.7 (4) NetRtg: +3.5 (8) Pace: 100.1 (15)

The Magic are good, but not “can beat the Celtics in Boston” good. Neither of their weekend games at TD Garden were close, they’ve now lost four straight on the road and they’ve slipped from second to fourth place in the East.

Three takeaways

• The Magic have scored just 105.3 points per 100 possessions over those four December losses on the road. On Friday, they committed a season-high 21 turnovers. Two days later, they shot a season-low 38%.

• Paolo Banchero has had a couple of huge games in the last couple of weeks, but Franz Wagner has been struggling a bit. He’s shot just 3-for-22 from 3-point range over the last five games and his effective field goal percentage for the season (49.3%) is the lowest mark of his three-year career. He has averaged 5.7 assists in December, up 3.2 in October/November.

• The last time a team had a free throw rate greater than 30 attempts per 100 shots from the field was five years ago. The Magic lead four teams eclipsing that mark this season, and 6-2 Cole Anthony has the highest rate (40.4 per 100) among the five Magic players with at least 150 field goal attempts.

The Magic’s set of Eastern Conference tests continues this week. They’ve already beaten the Bucks and Pacers, with those games being the worst and fourth-worst offensive games of the season for those teams, respectively. They’ll face the Heat for the first time on Wednesday.

Week 9: vs. MIA, @ MIL, @ IND

Record: 15-11

OffRtg: 112.2 (20) DefRtg: 111.7 (8) NetRtg: +0.4 (18) Pace: 100.8 (11)

The In-Season Tournament champs are just 9-11 in non-tournament games, but all their losses were against good teams … until they lost in San Antonio on Friday.

Three takeaways

• The difference between the Lakers’ tournament games and non-tournament games has been about even on both ends of the floor, but their two losses last week were the second and third times that their top-10 defense has allowed more than 130 points per 100 possessions. They allowed 55 3-pointers over their three games last week after allowing just 54 over their previous five (including the tournament final).

• They continue to have first-quarter issues. They trailed by eight after the opening period in Dallas on Tuesday, and they were in a 20-point hole in their second of two games in San Antonio. They came back both nights, but couldn’t finish the job either time. The Dallas loss was the Lakers’ first in a game they led after the third quarter.

• Counting the In-Season Tournament final, Anthony Davis has averaged 38.3 points on 65% shooting over his last three games, with 83% of those points coming in the paint or at the free throw line. But he did make as many 3-pointers in two games last week (3-for-5) as he’s made all season before that (3-for-13). Davis missed the second game in San Antonio and the Lakers fell to 0-2 without him.

After three games in Texas, the Lakers are back home for just one game before heading back to the Central time zone for another three-game trip that includes big games against the Wolves and Thunder. They’re currently 7-7 in games played between the 10 Western Conference teams that have winning records, having lost by 23 in Oklahoma City less than three weeks ago.

Week 9 + Christmas: vs. NYK, @ CHI, @ MIN, @ OKC, vs. BOS

Record: 16-11

OffRtg: 114.9 (15) DefRtg: 112.6 (10) NetRtg: +2.3 (12) Pace: 101.0 (8)

Anthony Edwards was out on Monday, but a victory over the Wolves is still a quality win. The Pelicans are now 8-4 (with five straight wins) against the six teams ahead of them in the Western Conference standings.

Three takeaways

• Zion Williamson heard the critics and scored a season-high 36 points against the Wolves’ big frontline. Tracking data had home 6-for-8 against Karl-Anthony Towns, 4-for-5 against Naz Reid and 2-for-3 against Rudy Gobert. His effective field goal percentage for the season (61.2%) is still the lowest of his career, but over his last eight games, Williamson has shot 69% in the paint, up from 56% before that.

• The rest of the Pels’ four-game winning streak has come against the Wizards, Hornets and Spurs, but all three games were on the road and, before that, they were just 3-5 against the 11 teams that are currently below .500. Having allowed just 107.5 points per 100 possessions over the winning streak, they’ve climbed from 16th to 10th in defensive efficiency in seven days.

• The Pelicans’ 3-point rate (3PA/FGA) hasn’t budged much since Trey Murphy III made his season debut on Dec. 1. But they have shot 38.7% (10th best) from beyond the arc this month, up from 35.5% (19th) through Nov. 30. Murphy and CJ McCollum (a combined 41-for-93, 44%) have accounted for a large portion of that success.

The Pelicans are three games into a stretch of eight straight against teams that currently rank in the bottom 10 offensively, and they’ll have a rest advantage in all three of their games this week.

Week 9: vs. MEM, @ CLE, vs. HOU

Record: 13-11

OffRtg: 121.9 (1) DefRtg: 120.4 (28) NetRtg: +1.5 (14) Pace: 104.6 (1)

The Pacers avoided a loss in Detroit on Monday, getting 30 points off the bench from Bennedict Mathurin. But the post-In-Season-Tournament hangover eventually came, and they’ve lost three straight games for the first time this season.

Three takeaways

• The losing streak has been the Pacers’ worst three-game stretch of offense (110.8 points scored per 100 possessions) since early November. They’ve been without Tyrese Haliburton for the last game and a quarter, but they also scored just 104.4 per 100 in his 58 total minutes against Milwaukee and Washington.

• The Pacers still rank fourth in transition differential (plus-4.5 points per game), according to Synergy tracking. But they allowed 30 or more transition points in three of their four games last week, with the Wizards’ 40 transition points on Friday being their most since Nov. 1.

• The Wolves had only five transition points the following night, but they outscored Indiana (without Haliburton) by 36 points from 3-point range. The Pacers’ 21 3-point attempts were 10 fewer than they’ve attempted in any other game, and it was just the fourth time this season that they’ve been outscored from beyond the arc. They still lead the league in 3-point differential at plus-11.1 points per game.

Haliburton is listed as questionable for the Pacers’ game against the Clippers on Monday. Their loss to the league’s No. 1 defense on Saturday began a stretch where they’re playing five of six against defenses that rank no worse than 11th.

Week 9: vs. LAC, vs. CHA, @ MEM, vs. ORL

Record: 14-12

OffRtg: 111.8 (23) DefRtg: 111.9 (9) NetRtg: -0.1 (20) Pace: 99.0 (21)

The Cavs have had their four returning starters together for just 11 games, they’ve been one of the league’s most disappointing teams to date, and now Darius Garland (fractured jaw) and Evan Mobley (knee surgery on Monday) are both out for a month or more.

Three takeaways

• The Cavs dropped to 5-7 against the eight other Eastern Conference teams that currently have winning records, going 0-3 against the Magic and Celtics last week. Their perimeter players not named Garland or Donovan Mitchell struggled against two top-five defenses and they’ve scored just 109.1 points per 100 possessions over those 12 games overall.

• For the season, the Cavs have seen the league’s fourth biggest drop in points scored per 100, going from eighth (last season) to 23rd on that end of the floor. Their drop in effective field goal percentage has been bigger in the paint than from outside the paint, and they’ve also seen a drop in free throw rate, along with a jump in turnover rate.

• The Cavs got to play the Hawks’ defense on Saturday, and the result was their most efficient scoring game of the season (127 points on 97 possessions). Mitchell shot just 7-for-21 but tied his career high with 13 assists (while turning the ball over just once). The Cavs have played eight games against the league’s top 10 defenses, but that was just their sixth against a team that currently ranks in the bottom 10 defensively.

A lot more games against bad defenses are coming up … after the Cavs host the second-ranked Rockets on Monday. Ten of their next 13 games after that will be against defenses that rank in the bottom 10.

Week 9: vs. HOU, vs. UTA, vs. NOP, @ CHI

Record: 14-11

OffRtg: 117.4 (8) DefRtg: 114.5 (15) NetRtg: +2.9 (10) Pace: 97.6 (29)

Jalen Brunson (career-high 50 points) and the Knicks tore through the Suns in the second half on Friday, picking up their best win of the season. But that was preceded by a loss in Utah, and their defense has taken a big step backward over their last six games.

Three takeaways

• Over the last two weeks, the Knicks have allowed 131.3 points per 100 possessions, 6.9 more than any other team. And that slide began before they lost Mitchell Robinson to an ankle injury that will keep him out for at least two months. In fact, they allowed 144 points on 93 possessions (155 per 100) with Robinson on the floor in the last two games he played.

• Their opponents have shot much better from 3-point range, but the Knicks also rank 29th in opponent turnover rate and 26th in defensive rebounding percentage over the last two weeks, down from 10th and first.

• Quentin Grimes scored a season-high 19 points in the Knicks’ win over Toronto on Monday and has a usage rate of 19.0% (fifth on the team) over his five games coming off the bench, up from 11.4% (eighth) as a starter. Both Brunson and Julius Randle have been on the floor for only 22% of his minutes over these last five games, down from 93% when he was a starter.

The Knicks are still sixth in the Eastern Conference, but there are now five East teams with 11 or 12 losses. They’ll face one of the others (Brooklyn) for the first time on Wednesday before facing the Bucks twice at Madison Square Garden.

Week 9 + Christmas: @ LAL, @ BKN, vs. MIL, vs. MIL

Record: 13-10

OffRtg: 111.9 (22) DefRtg: 108.4 (2) NetRtg: +3.5 (9) Pace: 97.6 (28)

Eleven of the Rockets’ 13 wins have come as part of two winning streaks. The latter of those (five games) included their first two road wins and had them in sixth place in the West, but it came to an end with some poor shooting in Milwaukee on Sunday.

Three takeaways

• The Rockets won five straight games while scoring just 107.4 points per 100 possessions. On Monday, they had the least efficient offensive performance (93 points on 101 possessions) for a winning team this season. Two nights later, they won while committing eight more turnovers (19) than the Grizzlies. And Friday in Memphis, they won despite shooting 17-for-47 (36%) in the paint, the third worst paint-shooting performance for any team this season.

• The offense was uglier on the other end of the floor, with Houston holding its opponents under a point per possession over the streak. They’ve now allowed 10.2 fewer points per 100 possessions than they did last season, which is pretty incredible.

• Tari Eason has been big off the bench, averaging 16.3 points over the last four games. He remains a terror on the break and on the offensive glass, but he’s been doing more than that, including shooting 44% on 34 3-point attempts in 16 games. Last season, 49.7% of Eason’s points came on fast breaks or second chances. This season, that rate is just 38.9%.

Their rest-advantage loss in Milwaukee on Sunday (both their best offensive and worst defensive game of December) was the start of the Rockets’ only stretch of five games in seven days. They’ll be at a rest disadvantage in Cleveland on Monday and again in New Orleans on Saturday.

Week 9: @ CLE, vs. ATL, vs. DAL, @ NOP

Record: 14-12

OffRtg: 116.3 (12) DefRtg: 115.0 (18) NetRtg: +1.3 (16) Pace: 98.0 (26)

The Suns got 24 minutes of Bradley Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant on the floor together before Beal sprained his right ankle against New York on Friday. And they now have to wait a few more weeks before trying again.

Three takeaways

• In the one game all three guys were healthy (Wednesday), the Suns outscored the Nets by 12 points in 19.3 minutes with all three on the floor. But bench minutes were brutal, with Brooklyn going on a 19-0 run spanning the first and second quarters and an 18-6 run spanning the third and fourth. The Suns’ bench ranks 25th (and not close to 24th) in December.

• All three guys were healthy at the start of their game against the Knicks on Friday, and the Suns assigned Grayson Allen to defend Jalen Brunson, who eventually scored a career-high 50 points. Allen wasn’t the nearest defender for much of that and Josh Okogie wasn’t available, but there remains a question about who’s going to guard the opponents’ best perimeter scorer(s) come April and May.

• Without Beal on Sunday, the Suns came back from 16 points down to beat the Wizards. But they probably shouldn’t have been 16 points down against the Wizards and, with their losses to Brooklyn and New York, they’re now just 2-9 against (other) teams that currently have winning records. Those 11 total games against the top 19 teams in the league are two fewer than any other team has played.

That record includes a 1-6 mark against the other Western Conference teams with winning records, with the most recent of those losses having come against the Kings 10 days ago. They’ll be in Sacramento on Friday before facing the Mavs for the first time on Christmas.

Week 9 + Christmas: @ POR, @ SAC, vs. DAL

Record: 13-12

OffRtg: 117.1 (10) DefRtg: 115.4 (20) NetRtg: +1.7 (13) Pace: 99.0 (20)

The Nets spoiled the debut of the Suns’ big three on Wednesday, but they’re 1-3 on the five-game trip that concludes on Monday, having allowed almost 124 points per 100 possessions over the four games.

Three takeaways

• Mikal Bridges had a somewhat underwhelming game (21 points on 7-for-19 shooting) in his return to Phoenix, and he missed a layup to tie the Nets’ game at Golden State with 25 seconds left on Saturday. But he’s one of three players who’ve shot better than 50% (29-for-57) on at least 50 3-point attempts since Thanksgiving.

• Cam Thomas outscored Stephen Curry (41-37) on Saturday, and now has as many 40-point games as Curry (six) in the calendar year. The Nets are 1-5 (with five straight losses) in those six games, and they’ve been better both offensively and defensively with Thomas off the floor this season. After shooting 52% on pull-up 2-pointers as a rookie, he’s shot 39% on them over the last two seasons.

• The Nets still rank as the league’s most improved defensive rebounding team, but they’ve grabbed just 67.5% of defensive boards (26th in the league) over their last five games, down from 72.4% (ninth) through their first 20. They were outscored by 11 points on second chances in their four-point loss to the Warriors.

Both the Nets and Knicks will be coming back from West Coast trips when they play in Brooklyn (their first meeting of the season) on Wednesday. After the Nets won nine straight against the team from the other borough, the Knicks won their two post-deadline meetings by a total of 42 points last season.

Week 9: @ UTA, vs. NYK, vs. DEN, vs. DET

Record: 15-11

OffRtg: 115.3 (13) DefRtg: 114.0 (13) NetRtg: +1.3 (15) Pace: 98.2 (25)

The Heat have now been without Bam Adebayo for the last seven games. But they’ve played their last four against the Hornets and Bulls, winning three of the four thanks, in part, to Jimmy Butler’s heroics.

Three takeaways

• Two seasons ago, the Heat led the league in 3-point percentage (37.9%). Last season, they ranked 27th (34.4%), having seen the league’s biggest drop. And this season, they rank first again (39.1%), having seen the league’s biggest jump by a healthy margin.

• Among 98 players with at least 100 3-point attempts in each of the last two seasons, Duncan Robinson (from 32.8% to 43.6%) and Kyle Lowry (from 34.5% to 43.9%) have seen the biggest and fifth biggest jumps in 3-point percentage. Robinson has already played 22 more minutes, made 12 more 3s, and registered 27 more assists than he did all of last season.

• Orlando Robinson has been starting in Adebayo’s place, but the Heat’s offense has been sub-par (109.4 points scored per 100 possessions) in his minutes, which have been limited over the last few games. Kevin Love has been the backup center, was on the floor down the stretch of all three of the Heat’s close games last week, and scored 22 points (his high in 63 total games with the Heat) in their win over the Bulls on Saturday. Miami has outscored its opponents by 14.5 points per 100 possessions in 256 total minutes with its UCLA duo — Love and Jaime Jaquez Jr. — on the floor.

Tyler Herro (who has missed the last 18 games) could be back this week, but there’s no indication of when Adebayo will return and the Heat’s schedule is about to get tougher. They’re just 4-9 against the other 18 teams that currently have winning records, with three games against that group in the next eight days.

JIMMY BUCKETS FOR THE WIN 🚨 pic.twitter.com/UQLZugptWd

— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 17, 2023

Week 9 + Christmas: vs. MIN, @ ORL, vs. ATL, vs. PHI

Record: 12-14

OffRtg: 114.7 (16) DefRtg: 114.6 (16) NetRtg: +0.1 (19) Pace: 100.2 (13)

Stephen Curry’s record streak of 268 straight regular season games with a 3-pointer came to an end on Sunday. But its demise coincided with the Warriors’ first winning streak since Nov. 1 and 3. Draymond Green is suspended indefinitely, but the Warriors have managed to find two ways to win over the weekend.

Three takeaways

• Klay Thompson had his biggest game of the season on Thursday, going 8-for-12 from 3-point range and scoring 30 points … and the Warriors still lost, allowing LA to score 121 points on just 95 possessions. The Warriors’ defense hasn’t been good with Green on the floor, but four of the five times they’ve allowed more than 122 points per 100 possessions have been when he’s been unavailable.

• It seemed like Curry was going to have to carry this team on his back, as he did against Brooklyn on Saturday, when he scored 16 of the team’s 29 fourth-quarter points. But Curry scored just seven points on 2-for-12 shooting (0-for-8 from deep) in Portland on Sunday, and the Warriors won, getting big games from Thompson and reserve Andrew Wiggins.

• Each of the Warriors’ last 13 games have been within five points in the last five minutes and determined by single digits, with their 22 total clutch games being five more than any other team has played. They’re an even 11-11 in those games and, appropriately, Curry has shot 50% on clutch shots.

The Warriors will play 10 of their next 11 games at home, which would be great news if this were last season, when they were 33-8 at Chase Center. This season, they’re 6-6 (with a negative point differential), and that stretch begins with their first game against the Celtics.

Week 9 + Christmas: vs. BOS, vs. WAS, vs. POR, @ DEN

Record: 10-15

OffRtg: 118.9 (4) DefRtg: 119.3 (27) NetRtg: -0.4 (21) Pace: 102.5 (4)

The Hawks have been playing a pretty tough stretch of games, with losses to the Celtics, Bucks, Sixers and Nuggets in the last few weeks. But they couldn’t take advantage of a little dip in the strength of schedule, going 1-2 on a trip through Toronto (x 2) and Cleveland.

Three takeaways

• The Hawks have been dealing with absences beyond that of Jalen Johnson (last 10 games). Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela, AJ Griffin and De’Andre Hunter all missed games last week. But it’s not like they’ve been great when they’ve been healthy. Their two most-used lineups (with Johnson or Saddiq Bey at the four) have been outscored by 2.6 points per 100 possessions with worse-than-average offense (113.7 scored per 100).

• After trying a Mathews and a Matthews in the starting lineup in their previous two games, the Hawks started Onyeka Okongwu and Clint Capela together for the first time in the former’s four seasons in the league. (They’d played less than 10 minutes together total over the first three seasons combined.) And with the big lineup, they dominated the glass, registering the fourth highest rebounding percentage (63.8%) for any team in a game this season, outscoring the Raptors by 21 points (24-3) on second chances, and ending their five-game losing streak.

• Bogdan Bogdanovic was the first player to make 10 3s in a game this season (he was joined by Keegan Murray later in the week), going 10-for-17 from deep on his way to a career-high 40 points against the Nuggets on Monday. Of course, the Hawks’ defense wasn’t good enough to take advantage, and it allowed more than 130 points per 100 possessions three times last week, having done so just once before that.

The Hawks have had just one rest-advantage game, and they dropped to 2-3 in rest-disadvantage games with their loss in Cleveland on Saturday. They get to play Detroit and Memphis this week, but they’ll be at another disadvantage against the Grizzlies, who should be getting a boost to their 30th-ranked offense.

Week 9: vs. DET, @ HOU, @ MIA, vs. MEM

Record: 10-17

OffRtg: 112.1 (21) DefRtg: 116.2 (22) NetRtg: -4.0 (23) Pace: 96.4 (30)

After winning their first four games without Zach LaVine, the Bulls have lost three of four. But those were all single-digit losses to the Bucks, Nuggets and Heat.

Three takeaways

• The much bigger difference between the 5-3 Bulls without LaVine and the 5-14 Bulls with LaVine has been on offense, where they’ve scored 119.8 points per 100 possessions over the last eight games, up from 108.9 per 100 through their first 19. They’ve shot much better from 3-point range, while also getting to the line more and grabbing a much higher percentage of offensive rebounds.

• Coby White continues to look like a Kia Most Improved Player candidate. He’s averaged 17.3 points per game, up from 9.7 last season, and that’s about more than just a big jump in minutes. He had 26 points and 11 assists (his first career game of at least 25 and 10) in the Bulls’ win in Miami, not turning the ball over once and making some tough drives against a tough defensive team.

• Six of the Bulls’ eight games without LaVine have been within five points in the last five minutes, and they’ve scored 75 points on 60 clutch possessions (125 per 100), with White shooting 9-for-13, over that stretch. But they blew a shot at winning the season series against the Heat on Saturday. They were up two in the final minute, but DeMar DeRozan turned the ball over and Nikola Vucevic forced a tough, lefty hook shot (with time left on the shot clock) before Jimmy Butler’s game-winner.

The Bulls’ schedule remains pretty tough for the rest of this month, but their longest homestand of the season (six games over 11 days) begins Wednesday and includes their second of three games against the Spurs.

Week 9: @ PHI, vs. LAL, vs. SAS, vs. CLE

Record: 10-15

OffRtg: 112.7 (19) DefRtg: 114.9 (17) NetRtg: -2.2 (22) Pace: 99.0 (19)

Sweeping a two-game series against the Hawks might have been a sign that the Raptors could really rise above the bottom five in the East and maybe catch a team or two ahead of them. But their offense just wasn’t good enough to win two straight games against a bad defense.

Three takeaways

• Before his team’s loss in New York on Monday, Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic talked about developing Scottie Barnes into a player that can be used in a myriad of ways offensively. “When we build our team in the future around Scottie, it’s going to be a headache for teams to have to guard [him],” he said. “So I’m taking an approach that’s going to take more time.”

• Those words make it clear that this is a multi-year process, and the 10-15 record (with the Raptors having been pretty healthy) confirms as much. There’s overlap in the skill sets of Barnes, OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam, and the latter two can both be unrestricted free agents at the end of this season. So one would think, with most of the league now trade-eligible, that the Raptors are open for business.

• On the floor, defense has been a bigger issue than offense. The Raptors rank 29th defensively this month, having allowed 124.0 points per 100 possessions as they’ve lost five of their six December games.

Four of those six games have come against teams — New York and Atlanta — that rank in the top 10 offensively. They’ll face two more top-10 offenses — those of the Sixers and Nuggets — this week, having already lost two games to Philly.

Week 9: vs. CHA, vs. DEN, @ PHI, vs. UTA

Record: 9-17

OffRtg: 110.3 (26) DefRtg: 118.5 (25) NetRtg: -8.2 (26) Pace: 100.1 (14)

The Jazz got Lauri Markkanen back last week and have shown some signs of life. Five of their nine wins have come against the Blazers and Grizzlies, but they got a good win over the Knicks as Markkanen made his return.

Three takeaways

• According to Synergy tracking, the Jazz now lead the league in total zone possessions (259), with almost 60% of those having come in their last three games. And a lot of that was a box-and-1 zone focused on the opponents’ lead playmaker. They had Collin Sexton and Kris Dunn chasing around Jalen Brunson and Anfernee Simons, and then (with De’Aaron Fox out) had Simone Fontecchio fronting Domantas Sabonis with the other four guys in a zone on Saturday.

• The Jazz allowed 118.9 points per 100 possessions over the three games, so the zone wasn’t totally successful, and they still gave up a lot of points in transition. But the Knicks’ 113 points on 103 possessions was their least efficient offensive performance since Thanksgiving and, most important, the Jazz won two of the three games.

• With Jordan Clarkson out, Collin Sexton got his first three starts and had his three highest-scoring games of the season, averaging 27 points on an effective field goal percentage of 65.1%. A lot of that damage (22-for-30 shooting) came in the paint

The Jazz don’t get to play the Blazers again, but they will face the Pistons, Spurs and Pelicans (whom they’ve beaten twice) on a five-game trip that begins Wednesday in Cleveland.

Week 9: vs. BKN, @ CLE, @ DET, @ TOR

Record: 7-17

OffRtg: 111.3 (25) DefRtg: 121.1 (30) NetRtg: -9.7 (28) Pace: 99.6 (16)

The Hornets were without LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, Cody Martin, P.J. Washington and Mark Williams on Saturday. And then Terry Rozier left early in the third quarter after running into Joel Embiid’s elbow. That’s the injury. The insult was the worst loss for any team this season (53 points).

Three takeaways

• Through Thanksgiving, the Hornets ranked 10th in rebounding percentage at 51.3%, and they still have the highest single-game offensive rebounding percentage this season (53.1% in Washington on Nov. 10). But since Thanksgiving, they rank last in rebounding percentage by a healthy margin at just 44.5%, and the drop-off has been about equal on both ends of the floor.

• They shot well in their two games against the Heat last week, and they committed just eight turnovers against the Pelicans on Friday. But they got beat at the free throw line at home against Miami, and the next two games were two of their three worst rebounding games of the season.

• With the Spurs’ comfortable, streak-ending victory over the Lakers on Friday, the Hornets are the only team without a non-clutch win. They’re 7-7 in games that were within five points in the last five minutes and 0-10 otherwise.

The Hornets will play eight of their next nine games on the road, and only two of those nine (the first and the last) are against teams (Toronto and Chicago) that currently have losing records. They got a win over the Raptors (despite getting beat on the glass) 10 days ago.

Week 9: @ TOR, @ IND, vs. DEN

Record: 6-19

OffRtg: 108.0 (27) DefRtg: 115.0 (19) NetRtg: -7.0 (25) Pace: 98.4 (24)

The Blazers are as healthy as they’ve been all season, but they’ve lost seven straight games. And with San Antonio having won last week, that’s the league’s second-longest active losing streak.

Three takeaways

• It was probably too good to be true. A week ago, the Blazers had a top-10 defense. Now, they rank 19th on defense, having allowed 128 points per 100 possessions over their last four games, two of which were against teams that rank in the bottom half of the league offensively.

• The good news is that the Blazers have climbed out of the basement in offensive efficiency. The last four games (though they’ve lost them all) have been, by far, their most efficient stretch of offense this season (121.2 points scored per 100). Anfernee Simons scored 38 points against the Clippers, Scoot Henderson had career highs for both points (23) and assists (10) against the Jazz, and Jerami Grant totaled 57 points over the weekend upon returning from a four-game absence.

• That top-10 defense was built on some 3-point luck and the Blazers had outscored their opponents from beyond the arc in seven straight games … until the Mavs (16-for-47) made nine more 3s than they did (7-for-32) on Saturday.

The Blazers are just 2-9 at home and just three games into a stretch where they’re playing eight of nine at the Moda Center. They’re 1-0 against the Pistons, but have yet to play the other two teams — San Antonio and Washington — that have worse records than they do. They’ll face them both in this home-heavy stretch, with the Wizards in town on Thursday.

Week 9: vs. PHX, vs. WAS, @ GSW

Record: 6-18

OffRtg: 106.5 (30) DefRtg: 112.7 (11) NetRtg: -6.2 (24) Pace: 99.1 (17)

The Grizzlies have just one more game without Ja Morant, but he hasn’t been the only guy they’ve been without. Desmond Bane missed a game for the first time last week, and Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard have each missed the last 13.

Three takeaways

• Jaren Jackson went off offensively last week, recording the third and fourth 40-point games of his career, with his 44 in Houston on Wednesday being a career high. He made six 3s two nights earlier against Dallas, but scored 23 of the 44 on post-ups and drives, with one tough, lefty floater coming after a ball-screen from Jacob Gilyard.

• Despite Jackson’s outburst, the Grizz have scored just 105.9 points per 100 possessions as they’ve lost four straight games. They’ve now seen the league’s biggest drop in points scored per 100 possessions from last season (114.7, 11th).

• Their almost-top-10 defense kept them competitive in their second game against the Rockets (Friday in Memphis), with both teams shooting well below 50% in the paint. It was just the third time the Grizz led by more than 15 points this season, but also their third loss in a game they led by double-digits.

That loss dropped them to just 1-11 at home, so it might be a good thing that six of the Grizzlies’ next seven games are on the road. That stretch begins with a tough back-to-back against the Thunder and Pelicans, but Morant will be able to play in New Orleans on Tuesday.

Week 9: @ OKC, @ NOP, vs. IND, @ ATL

Record: 4-21

OffRtg: 111.5 (24) DefRtg: 120.9 (29) NetRtg: -9.3 (27) Pace: 104.4 (2)

The good news is that the Wizards have led each of their last three games (all of them against teams with winning records) by at least 15 points, and they got a win over a team that’s not the Pistons. The bad news is that they lost the other two of those three games.

Three takeaways

• In the previous 27 seasons for which we have play-by-play data, only one team — the 2004-05 Hawks (4-5) — had a losing record in games it led by at least 15 points. With this season 30% complete, both the Spurs (2-5) and Wizards (4-5) have losing records in games they led by 15-plus. The Wizards (4-7), Pistons (2-4), and Spurs (2-9) also have what would be three of the four worst records in games led by double-digits over these last 28 seasons.

• The Wizards still had a chance (after blowing a 16-point lead) in Phoenix on Sunday, but couldn’t get the stop they needed down the stretch and fell to 0-8 (the only team without a win) in games that were within five points in the last five minutes, having scored just 42 points on 66 clutch possessions (64 per 100).

• The Wizards’ starting lineup has outscored opponents by 3.7 points per 100 possessions, a better mark (in a similar number of minutes) than the Thunder’s starters (plus-1.4 per 100). But the Thunder are 16-8, while the Wizards are 4-21.

The Wizards’ game in Sacramento on Monday (when they’ll be at a rest disadvantage) is the end of a stretch of nine straight games against teams that currently have winning records. But their four-game trip concludes with a couple of winnable games in Portland and San Francisco.

Week 9: @ SAC, @ POR, @ GSW

Record: 4-21

OffRtg: 106.8 (29) DefRtg: 118.1 (24) NetRtg: -11.3 (29) Pace: 102.7 (3)

The Spurs put an end to their 18-game losing streak, beating the Lakers pretty handily behind a career-high 36 points from Devin Vassell. They almost lost all of a 25-point lead, but never trailed, and, while they’re still just 2-9 in games they led by double-digits, half of their wins have been wire-to-wire victories.

Three takeaways

• The Spurs have now scored more than 130 points per 100 possessions as many times as the Celtics (two) and more times than the Warriors (one). They also have three of the four least efficient offensive performances in the league this season, having scored just 82 points on 102 possessions in Houston on Monday.

• Vassell has seen a jump in effective field goal percentage every season he’s been in the league, with this being the first (of his four) that he’s been above the league average. He’s seen a huge jump in his field goal percentage in the paint (65.3%) from last season (49.7%), but he remains a jump-shooter, with 74% of his shots having come from outside the paint.

• All four of the Spurs’ wins have come against teams – the Rockets, Suns (x 2) and Lakers – that currently have winning records, and they’re 0-5 against the other 10 teams that are currently below .500. Only the Warriors (4) have played fewer games against the bottom 11.

The Wemby Show is coming to a city near you, as the Spurs will play 13 of their next 18 games on the road. Two of their four wins have come on the road, and they’ll have rest advantages in Chicago and Dallas this week.

Week 9: @ MIL, @ CHI, @ DAL

Record: 2-24

OffRtg: 106.9 (28) DefRtg: 118.7 (26) NetRtg: -11.8 (30) Pace: 101.4 (7)

The Spurs’ losing streak is over, but the Pistons’ streak is still going strong, now at 23 games, tied for the third-longest single-season losing streak in NBA history.

Three takeaways

• The Pistons’ game against the Pacers on Monday was their most efficient offensive performance (123 points on 104 possessions) since their last win (Oct. 28), with Cade Cunningham (23 points and seven assist) leading six guys in double-figures. They only made 10 3s, but shot 67% inside the arc and had their second highest free throw rate of the season.

• But they couldn’t get enough stops against the league’s No. 1 offense. The Pistons have still seen the league’s second biggest jump in defensive rebounding percentage, but they’ve allowed at least 20 second-chance points in each of their last four games (all played without Jalen Duren), having done so just twice previously.

• The Pistons haven’t held a lead in their last 142 minutes and 21 seconds of basketball, with their weekend losses in Philly and Milwaukee being their second and third wire-to-wire defeats of the season.

The two longest single-season losing streaks in league history — from the 2010-11 Cavs and ’13-14 Sixers — were both 26 games long. The Pistons will get there if they can’t get a win this week. It’s certainly an easier week than the one they just had, and they’ll have rest advantages against the Jazz on Thursday and in Brooklyn two nights later.

Week 9: @ ATL, vs. UTA, @ BKN