Record: 30-13

OffRtg: 117.5 (1) DefRtg: 113.4 (18) NetRtg: +4.2 (4) Pace: 99.2 (20)

The Nuggets have won six straight games and 16 of their last 19. They’re in first place in the Western Conference and have the No. 1 offense in the league. They have six other guys who’ve averaged double-figures in scoring and they even got a road win without their MVP on Friday, when they held the Clippers to just 45 points on 48 possessions in the second half. Three of the other five wins on the streak have come with Nikola Jokic registering a usage rate below 25%, and he scored 14 points (and registered a triple-double) against the Lakers on Monday while taking just five shots from the field.

But when a player is having the most efficient scoring season (true shooting percentage of 69.1%) for anybody in NBA history who’s averaged at least 20 points in at least 25 games (1,519 total instances), you can’t help but wonder if he should shoot more. Jokic didn’t take any shots through the first 11 minutes and 55 seconds of the fourth quarter against Orlando on Sunday, and with the game tied in the closing seconds, the ball was in Jamal Murray’s hands. But when Murray drew a second defender, he got the ball to Jokic, who calmly assessed the situation before stepping back and draining the game-winning 3-pointer over a 6-foot-10 defender (Franz Wagner). He’s now 24-for-48 on shots to tie or take the lead in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime over the last five seasons, tied with Marcus Morris (10-for-20), for the best mark among 63 players with at least 20 attempts.

The Nuggets are 3-1 in rest-disadvantage games this season, with the one loss (the end of a stretch of five games in seven nights) having come in Minnesota earlier this month. They’ll have another disadvantage against the Wolves on Wednesday, Game 3 of a five-game homestand.

Week 14: vs. POR, vs. MIN, vs. IND, vs. OKC

NIKOLA JOKIC FOR THE WIN! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/PuaDSUivvU

— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 16, 2023

Record: 32-12

OffRtg: 117.4 (2) DefRtg: 110.8 (7) NetRtg: +6.6 (1) Pace: 100.1 (16)

The Celtics are back in clear control of the Eastern Conference, now three games ahead of everybody in the loss column and 4-0 against the Nets, Bucks and Sixers after their rest-disadvantage win in Brooklyn on Thursday. The opponent was obviously without its best player, but the Celtics were without both Jaylen Brown and Al Horford, and they’re now responsible for two of the Nets’ five worst offensive games of the season. And with the Bucks’ loss in Miami on Thursday, the Celtics (7-0) are the only undefeated team in the second games of back-to-backs.

The Celtics have won six straight games overall, scoring more than 120 points per 100 possessions over the winning streak, even though Brown (53% from mid-range this season) has missed the last two games. Malcolm Brogdon has been big off the bench, averaging 19.2 points on an effective field goal percentage of 69.3% over the six games. Derrick White injured his neck early in Charlotte on Saturday, but Brogdon scored a season-high 30 points (on 11-for-17 shooting) and the Celtics came back from a 16-point deficit to win easily.

The Celtics haven’t had to be a big comeback team (they’re only 4-11 in games they’ve trailed by double-digits), because they’ve been at their best (plus-10.4 points per 100 possessions) in the first quarter. Brogdon (27-for-46, 58.7%) and Horford (24-for-41, 58.5%) have been the two best first-quarter 3-point shooters among 181 players with at least 25 attempts, while White (26-for-52) is also at 50%.

The Celtics never fully recovered from a rough first quarter (without Horford) in San Francisco last month. The second Finals rematch is Thursday in Boston, the lone home game in a stretch where the Celtics are playing six of seven on the road.

Week 14: @ CHA, vs. GSW, @ TOR

Record: 29-13

OffRtg: 114.3 (11) DefRtg: 109.0 (1) NetRtg: +5.3 (2) Pace: 102.0 (4)

Twenty-eight of the league’s 30 teams have at least four losses in games they led by double-digits, while the Oklahoma City Thunder have three. The Grizzlies lost a couple of double-digit leads last week and had a 19-point lead cut to three by the Spurs (who are 0-29 in games they’ve trailed by double-digits) late on Wednesday, but the Grizz remain *undefeated (29-0) in games they’ve led by at least 10 points.

* In the previous 26 years of play-by-play data, no team has gone a full season without a loss in a game it led by double-digits. Four teams have had just one such loss, with the 2015-16 Warriors (67-1) having the best mark among those four.

Overall, the Grizz have won nine straight games, tied for the second longest winning streak for any team this season. Defense has been the Grizzlies’ calling card for much of the season, but they also rank fourth offensively over the course of the streak, with Ja Morant averaging 28.9 points on 53% shooting over the seven games in which he’s played. He hasn’t been shooting well from beyond the arc, but has shot 63.5% in the paint (featuring some ridiculous poster dunks) over those seven games, up from just 50.4% prior to the winning streak. Tyus Jones totaled 45 points, 12 assists and seven steals over the two games that Morant missed and the Grizz are now 4-3 (with four straight wins) without their star.

The team with the best record (10-14) in games it trailed by double-digits is the Cavs, who will be in Memphis on Wednesday for the first meeting of the season between the league’s top two defenses. After that, the Grizz will begin their longest road trip of the season (five games over eight nights) with their first game against either of the L.A. teams.

Week 14: vs. PHX, vs. CLE, @ LAL, @ PHX

JA. MORANT. 😱 pic.twitter.com/FbnYVd7gDI

— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 15, 2023

Record: 27-15

OffRtg: 115.1 (5) DefRtg: 111.6 (9) NetRtg: +3.6 (7) Pace: 98.8 (22)

There was some thought that the Nets’ defense would suffer more than their offense without Kevin Durant. So far, that thought has been way off. They still have the league’s third-ranked defense in January, but the Nets’ two games since Durant’s injury have been just the fourth and fifth times this season that they’ve scored less than 105 points per 100 possessions (and the first time they’ve done it twice in a row). Kyrie Irving shot just 16-for-44 (36%) and attempted just four free throws over the two games, and the Nets were outscored by 14 points in his 20 minutes off the floor.

The Nets trailed the Celtics by just two points early in the fourth period on Thursday. And they led the Thunder by five entering the fourth on Sunday. But they were outscored by 24 points over the two fourth quarters, scoring just 38 points on 47 offensive possessions (81 per 100). They took a greater percentage of their shots from outside the paint than they did earlier in the two games and made just six (22%) of their 27 outside shots over those two fourth quarters.

The Nets still have the league’s best record (18-4) against the 16 teams that are currently at or below .500. But they’ve lost their last two to those teams, with the OKC loss on Sunday being the start of a stretch of five straight games against that group.

After a two-game homestand, the Nets are back on the road (where they’re 9-1 since Dec. 1) for a five-game trip that begins (on Tuesday) with a game against the league’s worst defense and a team that Brooklyn beat by 36 points two weeks ago. The Nets are 1-3 in rest-disadvantage games, but haven’t played one since Thanksgiving. They have six remaining and the first of those is Friday in Utah, another game against a bottom-five defense.

Week 14: @ SAS, @ PHX, @ UTA, @ GSW

Record: 27-16

OffRtg: 114.4 (10) DefRtg: 110.5 (4) NetRtg: +3.9 (6) Pace: 98.4 (25)

Joel Embiid’s foot issue only cost him three games this time around, and he’s scored 30 points or more (with double-digit free throw attempts) in each of his four games back, even though he played fewer than 28 minutes in two of the four. Embiid has taken 57% of his shots, a career-high rate, in the paint this season. And that rate has been 68% over these last four games.

Thirty points from Embiid wasn’t nearly enough against Oklahoma City on Thursday, when the Sixers had their second worst offensive performance (114 points on 105 possessions) since Dec. 1, allowed the Thunder to score 21 fast break points (tied for their second highest total of the season), and fell victim to a 30-7 run in the second half. It was Philly’s first home loss with Embiid in uniform since before Thanksgiving.

In Embiid’s first game back, the Sixers went with their original starting lineup, with Tyrese Maxey alongside James Harden in the backcourt. But Sunday in L.A., De’Anthony Melton start and Maxey came off the bench. The two lineups have had remarkably similar numbers on both ends on the floor, with the Melton lineup having played 83 more minutes. The Sixers tried even more options (Shake Milton on Saturday, Georges Niang on Sunday) as the first two games of their five-game trip both went down to the wire. They won them both and are now 13-8 (including 10-5 with Embiid) in games that were within five points in the last five minutes

The Sixers’ first meeting with the Clippers (Dec. 23 in Philadelphia) was pretty eventful. The Sixers came back from a 20-point deficit to win, Embiid scored 44 points, and James Harden dished out a career-high 21 assists. The two teams will meet again in L.A. on Tuesday, Game 3 of the Sixers’ five-game trip.

Week 14: @ LAC, @ POR, @ SAC

Record: 27-17

OffRtg: 113.8 (13) DefRtg: 109.3 (2) NetRtg: +4.5 (3) Pace: 96.3 (30)

The Cavs have been the league’s best fourth quarter team, outscoring their opponents by 9.1 points per 100 possessions over the final 12 minutes of regulation. But they also lead the league with seven losses in games they led by more than five points in the fourth. The latest of those losses came Tuesday in Utah, when they led by seven in the fourth and went from up five to down two in the span of a single defensive possession, because Caris LeVert fouled Jordan Clarkson on two straight 3-point attempts. The last three of those seven points gave the Jazz 27 second-chance points for the game, both their season high and the most the Cavs (who rank second in defensive rebounding percentage) have allowed.

The Cavs led by only three at the start of the fourth quarter in Minnesota on Saturday, but then allowed the Wolves to go on a 24-10 run, a rough end to a 2-3 road trip. The good news is that Ricky Rubio made his season debut in Portland on Thursday, when the Cavs came back from a six-point, fourth-quarter deficit, holding the Blazers to just nine points on their final 12 possessions. The Cavs also lead the league with seven wins (they’re 7-15) after trailing by more than five points in the fourth quarter.

With their loss in Minnesota last week, the Cavs are just 2-3 in rest-advantage games this season, but all five of those have come on the road. Their first home rest-advantage game is Friday, when they host the Warriors, against whom the Cavs have lost 15 straight games (going back to Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals).

Week 14: vs. NOP, @ MEM, vs. GSW, vs. MIL

Record: 26-17

OffRtg: 114.8 (6) DefRtg: 110.8 (5) NetRtg: +4.0 (5) Pace: 100.8 (11)

There are 26 active players who’ve averaged 18 points or more over at least 300 career games, and the only one of the 26 that hasn’t been an All-Star is CJ McCollum. But as the Pelicans hang in the top four in the West without both Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, McCollum is certainly making a case for his first selection. He’s averaged 29.4 points on an effective field goal percentage of 60% over his five games in this last stretch without both of those guys, he had 34 in an easy win in Washington on Monday, and he almost single-handedly kept the Pelicans competitive in Boston two nights later.

McCollum’s efficiency is down from last season, however. His field goal percentage in the paint (49.4%) is his lowest mark in the last five seasons and his mid-range field goal percentage (40.2%) is the lowest of his career. But he’s one of seven players who’ve shot 40% or better on at least 100 pull-up 3-point attempts.

The Pelicans actually have a better record without both Ingram and Williamson (7-4) than they do with both of them in the lineup (7-5), and they’ve scored a solid 114.5 points per 100 possessions (getting outscored by just two total points) in McCollum’s 594 minutes on the floor without either of them. Trey Murphy III and Naji Marshall continue to play well in place of the other stars, and 19-year-old rookie Dyson Daniels has flashed some potential on both ends of the floor as he’s started the last couple of games. This team is young and it’s deep.

The Pelicans are three games into a stretch where they’re playing seven straight against the Eastern Conference, with six of those seven on the road and two games this week against the improving Heat. New Orleans has lost four straight (and six of its last seven) against Miami.

Week 14: @ CLE, vs. MIA, @ ORL, @ MIA

Record: 27-16

OffRtg: 110.5 (26) DefRtg: 109.6 (3) NetRtg: +0.9 (12) Pace: 100.2 (15)

The Bucks rank 28th in clutch offense, having scored just 92.9 points per 100 possessions with the score within five in the last five minutes. But they have the league’s third best clutch record (14-6), with five straight wins in games that were within five in the last five minutes. They’ve held their opponents to just 29 points on 32 clutch possessions over that stretch, they got two huge shots from Jrue Holiday in New York on Monday, and they got big 3-pointers from Brook Lopez in that game and again in Atlanta two nights later. Lopez is one of 11 players who’ve shot 50% or better on at least 25 clutch shots and nine of his 13 makes have actually come inside the arc.

The New York win also came with a breakout from Joe Ingles, who shot 5-for-11 from 3-point range and teamed up with Giannis Antetokounmpo for a handoff action that the Knicks couldn’t stop as the Bucks came back from 17 down. With or without Khris Middleton, the Bucks could certainly use another guy who can pass the ball to their MVP candidate, but they also need Antetokounmpo himself. He missed both of their games in Miami last week with left knee soreness, and the Bucks lost both games, getting outscored by 68 points (112-44) in the paint over 96 minutes. They won four of their first five games without Antetokounmpo this season, but they’re 0-3 without him in January.

The Bucks still have two games left on their first stretch of five games in seven nights, but their Monday-Tuesday back-to-back is at home, with the Monday game (vs. Indiana) in the afternoon and with the Raptors also playing the second game of a back-to-back on Tuesday night. Just a half game separates the third-place Bucks from the fifth-place Cavs, who the Bucks will visit on Saturday. The home team has won the first three meetings between the top two teams in the Central Division, but the Bucks will have a rest advantage (the Cavs host Golden State the night before) on the road this weekend.

Week 14: vs. IND, vs. TOR, @ CLE

Record: 24-18

OffRtg: 117.3 (3) DefRtg: 114.6 (24) NetRtg: +2.7 (9) Pace: 102.0 (5)

You don’t get many easier weeks than the one that the Kings just played: four games against the Magic, Rockets (x 2) and Spurs. They trailed in the fourth quarter of their first game against Houston, but the Kings ultimately took care of business, winning the four games by an average of 20.8 points. They’ve scored an amazing 134.5 points per 100 possessions over the winning streak, shooting 46.3% from 3-point range (Harrison Barnes is 18-for-28) and with seven guys averaging double-figures over the four games.

The Kings are one of three teams — the Warriors and Pacers are the others — that rank in the top five in both ball movement (357 passes per 24 minutes of possession, third) and player movement (11.7 miles traveled per 24 minutes of possession, fourth). With two of those wins last week, they’ve recorded assists on at least 70% of their field goals seven times, having done so just five times last season. Domantas Sabonis leads them with 7.1 per game and his 22nd career triple-double (Friday against Houston) came with a career-high 16 assists. It also came with just two turnovers, and Sabonis’ assist/turnover ratio of 2.74 this season would be a career-best mark by a wide margin.

The Kings are now just a game in the loss column behind the third-place Pelicans. Games against the Lakers and Thunder this week are the end of a stretch where they will have played nine straight against teams that currently have losing records. They’ve yet to face OKC, but Game 3 of that stretch (eight days ago) was a loss to the Lakers and the Kings’ worst defensive game of the season (136 points allowed on 101 possessions).

Week 14: @ LAL, vs. OKC, vs. PHI

Record: 25-19

OffRtg: 114.5 (9) DefRtg: 111.7 (10) NetRtg: +2.8 (8) Pace: 98.4 (24)

The Knicks have played one of the league’s easiest schedules in regard to opponent strength, and they’ve been one of the league’s best teams in regard to taking care of business. With wins against the Pacers, Wizards and Pistons last week, the Knicks are 21-8 (with seven straight wins) against the 18 teams that are currently no more than two games over .500. They went 4-0 against the Pistons, with the two games in Detroit (in which Julius Randle averaged 39 points) being two of the Knicks’ three most efficient scoring games of the season.

The Pacers were 23-18 before the Knicks beat them on Wednesday, and New York was up 15 when Tyrese Haliburton left the game after a hard fall. That was a quality (and important) win that moved the Knicks into sixth place in the East, and it came with 34 points from Jalen Brunson, who’s averaged 32.4 (on 52/50/82 shooting splits) in January. He scored a career-high 44 against the Bucks on Monday, but Randle was 9-for-29, taking a bunch of questionable shots (early in the clock and with no ball movement) as he went 1-for-12 (including 0-for-8 from 3-point range) in the first quarter. The Knicks survived all those shots, but blew a 17-point lead in the second half.

While the Knicks have played an easy schedule in regard to the opponents, they’re the only team that hasn’t yet had a rest-advantage game. Every other team had one by Dec. 10 and through Sunday, 17 teams have had at least five. The Knicks’ first of five rest-advantage games is Sunday in Toronto, but they’ll be at a disadvantage (coming back from a Sunday matinee in Detroit) when the two teams meet at Madison Square Garden on Monday afternoon. The schedule will start to get tough in regard to opponent strength next week.

Week 14: vs. TOR, vs. WAS, @ ATL, @ TOR

Julius Randle with authority! 😤 pic.twitter.com/ZCBzuD5Zrg

— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 14, 2023

Record: 24-20

OffRtg: 111.0 (23) DefRtg: 110.9 (8) NetRtg: +0.1 (17) Pace: 97.2 (28)

The Bucks were without Giannis Antetokounmpo (and Khris Middleton) for both of their games in Miami over the last four days, but the Heat probably weren’t shedding any tears for their Eastern Conference rivals. They’ve had their preferred starting lineup for just 14 of their 44 games this season, and they were without their starting backcourt for all three of their games last week. The Heat won all three, outscoring Milwaukee by 68 points (112-44) in the paint over the two wins on Thursday and Saturday, with Bam Adebayo (38) scoring nearly as many paint points as the Bucks.

The Heat are 12-5, with the league’s second-ranked defense, over the last five weeks, climbing to four games over .500 for the first time this season and to within a game of the sixth-place Knicks. And as this season has gone on, they’ve become less dependent on their preferred starters. The Heat had the league’s 25th-ranked bench through Dec. 14 (Victor Oladipo’s fifth game), but have had its sixth-ranked bench since then.

Oladipo has averaged 17.1 points, 4.9 assists and 1.9 steals over the last eight games. He’s shot 40% from 3-point range over that stretch and had a huge transition 3 in the final minute of the Heat’s win over Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Gabe Vincent has started the last three games and totaled 55 points on 21-for-31 shooting in the two wins over the Bucks. Max Strus was a plus-minus sinkhole for much of the season, but the Heat have been at their best (plus-11.8 per 100 possessions) with him on the floor over the last eight games

Winning the division still matters, because it can be a tie-breaker if two teams were even head-to-head. The Heat are now in control of the worst division in the league, but they’re just two games in the loss column ahead of the Hawks, who they’ll visit on Monday afternoon. The first meeting, a Miami win on Nov. 27, was one of the four times this season that the Hawks have been held under a point per possession.

Week 14: @ ATL, @ NOP, @ DAL, vs. NOP

JIMMY BUTLER'S AND-1 WINS THE GAME AND GIVES THE @MiamiHEAT A NEW NBA-RECORD OF 40 FREE THROWS WITHOUT A MISS 🤯 pic.twitter.com/AZMDhUbWf8

— NBA (@NBA) January 11, 2023

Record: 24-21

OffRtg: 114.8 (7) DefRtg: 114.7 (25) NetRtg: +0.1 (16) Pace: 96.5 (29)

We can lament the Mavs’ inability to hold onto Jalen Brunson, point to the lack of talent around Luka Doncic, and believe that his team needs to lessen his burden in the offense. But the Mavs rank seventh offensively, up from 14th last season and having scored *2.2 more points per 100 possessions than they did in ’21-22. And it’s on defense where the Mavs have been much worse than they were last season, allowing 5.6 more points per 100 possessions (only the Spurs, Warriors and Suns have seen bigger jumps) and falling from seventh to 25th on that end of the floor.

* The league average has seen a jump of 1.7 per 100.

As the Mavs have lost four of their last five games (somewhat fortunate to pull out a double-OT win in L.A. on Thursday), they’ve allowed their opponents to score 132.6 points per 100 possessions over the four losses. Prior to Saturday, they were 13-0 when they scored at least 120 possessions. But after their two-game series in Portland (over which Spencer Dinwiddie totaled 53 points on 15-for-27 shooting), they’re 13-2. The Mavs have seen the league’s third biggest jump in opponent free throw rate, from 24.1 attempts per 100 shots from the field (10th) last season to 29.2 per 100 (29th) this season. And on Sunday, the Blazers were 37-for-42 from the line.

Having sat that Sunday game, Doncic has now rested in the second game of the Mavs’ last four back-to-backs. Their next one (another two games series) isn’t until Feb. 10 and 11, and the Mavs now have a couple of days off before they begin a four-game homestand in which all four opponents – the Hawks, Heat, Clippers and Wizards – have bottom-10 offenses. Of course, three of those four teams should probably rank higher offensively than they currently do, and the Clippers’ win over the Mavs last week was one of their most efficient offensive games of the season.

Week 14: vs. ATL, vs. MIA, vs. LAC

Record: 21-22

OffRtg: 112.7 (17) DefRtg: 113.4 (19) NetRtg: -0.7 (21) Pace: 103.3 (1)

The Warriors are the team for which location has meant the most: they’re 17-5 at home and now 4-17 on the road after losing in Chicago on Sunday. They’re also the team for which the first quarter has meant the most. They’re 18-6 (11th best) when they’ve won the first quarter and just 2-15 (third worst) when they’ve lost it. Only the Spurs (3-26) and Rockets (3-24) have worse records after losing the first quarter, and the Warriors’ two wins are the fewest in the league. They did come back from a 35-20 first quarter on Sunday and took the lead by halftime, but then allowed the Bulls to go on a 26-9 run in the third.

The Warriors’ bench has been better of late, but upon being reunited (with the return of Stephen Curry), their starting lineup was outscored by 12 points (scoring just 52 on 57 offensive possessions) in its 25 minutes last week. Andrew Wiggins has shot just 20-for-58 (34%), including 6-for-27 from 3-point range, in his four games back from a month-long absence. The Warriors did have their most efficient offensive game of the season (144 points on 110 possessions) at the Alamodome on Friday, so maybe they should petition to play all their road games inside of domes … or against the Spurs’ defense.

The last three games of the Warriors’ road trip are two rest-disadvantage games (in Washington and Cleveland) sandwiching a game against the best team in the league (Boston). They’re 2-5 (2-0 at home, 0-5 on the road) in rest-disadvantage games thus far, though they’ve had Curry for only two of those five road losses.

Week 14: @ WAS, @ BOS, @ CLE, vs. BKN

Record: 21-22

OffRtg: 111.5 (22) DefRtg: 112.7 (14) NetRtg: -1.3 (24) Pace: 101.7 (8)

At home against the Bucks on Wednesday, the Hawks were outscored by 20 points in the first quarter. They came back and had a two-point lead with three minutes left, but ultimately lost by nine. And at that point, they were the league’s eighth-worst first-quarter team (minus-7.1 per 100 possessions).

But they’re off to a good start on a stretch where they’re playing five of seven games within the 6-11 group in the Eastern Conference. They’re off to a good start, in part, because they’ve gotten off to good starts, outscoring the Pacers and Raptors by 18 points (70-52) in the first quarter over their Friday-Saturday, road back-to-back. Trae Young has seemingly found his shot (he’s 42% from 3-point range over the last month), and he totaled 19 points (shooting 4-for-5 from 3-point range) and eight assists (with zero turnovers) over those two first quarters. The Hawks were outscored by 50 points (100-50) in the restricted area over the two games, but were a plus-69 from outside the paint, with Indiana and Toronto shooting 14-for-59 (24%) from beyond the arc. Those were just the fifth and sixth times this season that the Hawks have more four or more 3-pointers than their opponents.

The Hawks have lost three straight games at home, but they’ll play a couple of big ones at State Farm Arena this week, with visits from the Heat and Knicks on Monday and Friday, respectively. They’re 1-2 against those teams thus far, with the two losses being the last two times the Hawks have scored less than a point per possession.

Week 14: vs. MIA, @ DAL, vs. NYK, vs. CHA

JOHN COLLINS ON THE FOLLOW WITH 0.7 REMAINING.

HAWKS WIN. pic.twitter.com/SE4mwwRktV

— NBA (@NBA) January 14, 2023

Record: 23-21

OffRtg: 112.9 (15) DefRtg: 113.5 (21) NetRtg: -0.6 (19) Pace: 102.0 (6)

The Pacers’ game in New York on Wednesday looked important because of where the two teams stood in the Eastern Conference standings. It turned out to be critical for a more unfortunate reason, with Tyrese Haliburton suffering knee and elbow injuries in a third-quarter fall. The Pacers were already down big to the Knicks when Haliburton was hurt, but with Myles Turner having missed that game plus the last two, they’ve dropped three straight for just the second time this season.

With all three games against better-than-averaged defenses, it’s been the Pacers’ worst three-game stretch of offense (107 points scored per 100 possessions) since early December. Rookie Andrew Nembhard has moved to point guard and shot just 8-for-35 (23%) over the three games, while Pacers not named Buddy Hield have shot 18-for-86 (21%) from 3-point range. The Pacers have scored 115.4 points per 100 possessions in 1,108 minutes with Haliburton and Hield on the floor together, but just 105.0 per 100 in 295 minutes with Hield on the floor without Haliburton. (That represents only 21% of Hield’s total minutes.) The Pacers actually came back against the Knicks after Haliburton’s injury, but Hield forced a leaning 3 when they were down three with a little less than a minute left and they never had another chance to tie or take the lead.

The Pacers are now just 1 1/2 games ahead of the ninth-place Hawks, and Haliburton will miss at least another six games. They’ll face three more better-than-average defenses on a four-game trip that begins Monday afternoon with their first meeting with the Bucks. They’ve lost eight straight (and 12 of their last 13) games against Milwaukee.

Week 14: @ MIL, @ OKC, @ DEN, @ PHX

Record: 21-23

OffRtg: 112.5 (19) DefRtg: 111.9 (11) NetRtg: +0.6 (14) Pace: 102.3 (3)

The Thunder had their game in Miami on Tuesday in the bag. And then, up two with 21 seconds left, Kenrich Williams went 0-for-2 at the line, opening the door for Jimmy Butler’s game-winning 3-point play. With that, OKC had the league’s sixth-worst road record (5-14, with six straight losses) and its fifth-worst road offense (109.2 points scored per 100 possessions).

But the Thunder won the last three games of their road trip, scoring more than 120 per 100 as they beat the Sixers, Bulls and Nets. Josh Giddey recorded his sixth career triple-double (18, 15 and 10) in Miami, and the winning streak has been the highest scoring three-game stretch (24.3 points per game) of his two seasons. Fifty of his 73 points over the three games have come in the paint, where he’s shot 25-for-38 (66%). He was relentless in attacking the Nets on Sunday, when he had a season-high 21 drives, but also polite enough to help them up after he scored over them.

If Williams had made those two free throws, the Thunder would have a six-game winning streak and they’d be 22-22, in eighth place in the West. Instead, they’re in 12th, but they’re just still a game and a half out of sixth and they have an easier remaining schedule than most of the teams in front of them.

Monday and Tuesday are the first of six two-day breaks that the Thunder have over the next four weeks, a stretch that includes only one back-to-back. They’ll play the Pacers and Kings for the first time this season on Wednesday and Friday, a fun pair of games against two other teams that have made a leap. The three most improved teams from last season in regard to winning percentage are Indiana (+.218), Sacramento (+.206) and Oklahoma City (+.185).

Week 14: vs. IND, @ SAC, @ DEN

Record: 23-22

OffRtg: 110.1 (28) DefRtg: 110.8 (6) NetRtg: -0.7 (22) Pace: 98.8 (21)

Kawhi Leonard has played in four straight games for the first time this season, and he’s averaged 29 points on 51/47/97 shooting splits over that stretch. In an important win over the Mavs on Tuesday, Leonard scored 33 points with just 12 field goal attempts, going 4-for-5 on pull-up 2s and 12-for-12 at the line. Against Houston on Sunday, he had 30 as the co-star to Terance Mann, who had a career-high 31.

But Paul George has missed the last five games, and the Clippers have won just two of the four straight games (all at home) that Leonard has played. They lost to the Nuggets (without Nikola Jokic) on Friday, scoring just 45 points on 48 possessions in the second half. And despite Leonard’s efficiency of late, this team still ranks 28th offensively, below the Pistons, Magic and Spurs and lower than they ranked (when Leonard didn’t play a single game) last season (25th). There’s hope with Mann’s promotion to the starting lineup (the Clips have scored 116.7 points per 100 possessions in 191 minutes with Mann and Leonard on the floor together), but he’s there because Reggie Jackson lost the job and because John Wall (who’s now out with an abdominal strain) can’t shoot from the outside.

The last game of the Clippers’ five-game homestand (vs. Philadelphia on Tuesday) is also the first game of their 10th back-to-back, so Leonard’s consecutive games streak is about to come to an end. Their visit to Utah on Wednesday is the start of a stretch where they’ll play 10 of 11 games on the road (though one of those “road” games is against the Lakers). The Clippers have lost four straight road games and their previous visit to Utah (Nov. 30, when they had neither Leonard nor George) was one of their worst defensive games of the season.

Week 14: vs. PHI, @ UTA, @ SAS, @ DAL

Record: 22-22

OffRtg: 112.6 (18) DefRtg: 112.7 (13) NetRtg: -0.1 (18) Pace: 101.8 (7)

The Timberwolves have something in common with the defending champion Warriors in that they both got swept by the Pistons. The Wolves’ loss in Detroit on Wednesday was the Pistons’ most efficient offensive performance of the season (135 points on 101 possessions), with Minnesota allowing 54 points on 35 possessions with Rudy Gobert off the floor.

But that’s the only loss in the Wolves’ seven January games, and they’ve allowed just 108.6 points per 100 possessions over the six wins. As they won both games of a weekend back-to-back, their starting lineup (with Kyle Anderson and Jaden McDaniels at the forward spots) registered a plus-23 in its 31 minutes and allowed just 59 on 67 (88 per 100). The Wolves were without Gobert (who suffered a groin injury in the first half) and down 14 midway through the third quarter against Cleveland on Saturday, but turned things around with a 46-21 run (with no Wolf scoring more than nine points) spanning the third and fourth. Through December, they were 1-17 in games they trailed by double-digits. But they’re 2-1 after falling into double-digit holes in January.

The Wolves’ January schedule hasn’t been too strong in regard to opposing offense. They faced the league’s top-ranked offense two weeks ago, but that was the end of a five-in-seven stretch for the Nuggets. Now, the Wolves will play nine of their next 16 games against teams that rank in the top seven offensively, and they still have three games left on their only stretch of five games in seven days. The end of that stretch (a rest-disadvantage game against Toronto) is their first of only two Thursday games this season.

Week 14: vs. UTA, @ DEN, vs. TOR, vs. HOU

Record: 22-24

OffRtg: 115.9 (4) DefRtg: 114.9 (26) NetRtg: +1.0 (11) Pace: 100.8 (12)

The Jazz have played 11 games since Christmas, and all 11 (including a 17-point win in Houston) have been within five points in the last five minutes, giving them a league-high 31 clutch games for the season. They also have a league-high 18 clutch losses, having gone 3-8 over this post-Christmas stretch. The Jazz scored more efficiently than the Sixers in the clutch on Saturday, but entered clutch time down five and had no answer for Philly’s double-team of Jordan Clarkson on the final possession.

The Jazz did get two clutch wins last week, taking the lead against Cleveland on Clarkson’s seven-point possession and taking the lead against Orlando on Clarkson’s last-minute drive. Clarkson leads the league with 13 clutch 3-pointers and is 4-for-13 (1-for-7 from 3) on shots to tie or take the lead in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime. (Only DeMar DeRozan has attempted more.) The Cavs (11-6) and Jazz (9-6) are actually tied for the fewest losses in games that weren’t within five points in the last five minutes.

The Orlando win came despite 24 turnovers, including seven from Clarkson. With their inability to force turnovers (they rank 21st in opponent turnover rate), the Jazz have committed 35 more turnovers than their opponents (73-38) over their last four games.

The Jazz have now played 12 back-to-backs, two more than any other team (only three other teams have played more than eight), and they’re 4-8 without rest. They have just three back-to-backs remaining, with the next one not until Feb. 10 and 11. They’re just three games into a stretch where they’re playing 11 of 13 at home, and they’ll have rest advantages against both the Clippers and Nets this week.

Week 14: @ MIN, vs. LAC, vs. BKN

Record: 21-22

OffRtg: 114.5 (8) DefRtg: 113.8 (22) NetRtg: +0.7 (13) Pace: 98.4 (23)

At one point this season, the Blazers were 5-1 in clutch games, with game-winners in the final 10 seconds of four of those five wins. But clutch is fleeting, and Portland has lost its last eight games that were within five points in the last five minutes, falling to 9-14 in the clutch for the season. Over those eight close losses over the last four weeks, the Blazers have scored a paltry 34 points on 53 clutch possessions (64.2 per 100), with Damian Lillard and Jerami Grant a combined 6-for-23 on clutch shots, including 0-for-12 on clutch 3-pointers. Grant, Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons all missed 3s for the tie on the Blazers’ final possession against Orlando on Tuesday, and the Blazers had as many turnovers (3) as scores (3) on a nine-possession stretch that turned a late, five-point lead into an eight-point deficit against Cleveland two nights later.

The offense was good over the weekend, when the Blazers registered two of their three most efficient offensive performances of the season, scoring an amazing 141 points per 100 possessions as they swept a two-game series with Dallas. Lillard (who had 50 in the loss to the Cavs) totaled 76 points over the two wins, shooting 21-for-37 (57%) from the field and 26-for-26 from the line.

The two wins have the Blazers back within a game of .500 and also with a game in the loss column of the fifth-place Mavs. The lone road game on this stretch where they’re are playing 10 of 11 at home is Tuesday in Denver. Prior to Saturday, the Blazers’ most efficient offensive game of the season (135 points on 96 possessions) was against the Nuggets, back in October. But the Nuggets have won the last two meetings, even though the Blazers led both at the half.

Week 14: @ DEN, vs. PHI, vs. LAL

Record: 20-24

OffRtg: 112.8 (16) DefRtg: 113.4 (20) NetRtg: -0.7 (20) Pace: 100.4 (14)

Prior to Sunday, the Bulls were 0-2 without DeMar DeRozan, 3-11 against the Western Conference and 0-5 on Sundays. But on this particular Sunday (and without DeRozan), they got to play the Road Warriors, and they put an end to a three-game losing streak with a win in which they outscored the league’s best starting lineup by nine points in less than 10 minutes. Nikola Vucevic tied a career high with 43 points on 18-for-31 shooting, with 11 of those 18 buckets coming in the paint.

Vucevic’s previous 43-point game came against the Bulls about seven weeks before they traded for him, and that trade doesn’t look so great these days. Wendell Carter Jr. has played well for the Magic, one of the picks the Bulls dealt became Franz Wagner, and the other (protected 1-4 this year) could also be pretty good. But Vucevic has been remarkably consistent over the last couple of months, and he’s registering a career-high mark in effective field goal percentage (58.9%).

Statistically, the Bulls (minus-0.7 points per 100 possessions for the season) have only been a tick worse than they were last season (minus-0.5). But they’re 8-15 in games that were within five points in the last five minutes after narrow losses in Boston and Washington last week.

The Bulls now head to Paris, where they’ll face the Pistons on Thursday. It’s the fourth game on a stretch where they’re playing 10 of 12 against teams that currently have losing records. Some of those teams have given them issues, but their first meeting with the Pistons (16 days ago in Chicago) was their second most efficient offensive game this season, featuring 43 points (on 15-for-20 shooting) from Zach LaVine.

Week 14: @ DET (Paris)

Record: 19-24

OffRtg: 112.3 (20) DefRtg: 113.2 (17) NetRtg: -0.9 (23) Pace: 102.6 (2)

Over the month (15 games) that Anthony Davis has been out, the Lakers have been 22.0 points per 100 possessions better with LeBron James on the floor (plus-7.5) than they’ve been with him off the floor (minus-14.5). And their five-game winning streak came to an end last Monday, when James missed their game in Denver with ankle soreness.

James returned later in the week, and the Lakers went down to the wire (at home) against Dallas and Philadelphia. But in the position that they’re in, they need real victories and not moral ones. James was 0-for-8 on clutch shots as they lost to the Mavs in double-overtime, and nobody called timeout when they saw Russell Westbrook isolating against Joel Embiid in the closing seconds on Sunday.

Westbrook’s playmaking has been great, but his 0.83 points per possession on isolations rank 37th among 39 players with at least 75 isolation possessions, according to Synergy tracking. Embiid’s 0.69 points allowed per isolation possession, meanwhile, rank third among 93 players who’ve defended at least 35. Heck, that situation didn’t pass the eye test, and was seemingly begging for a mid-possession timeout that never came.

The Lakers are four games into a stretch where they’re playing seven of eight against teams that currently rank in the top 11 offensively. They’ll host the Kings on Wednesday, with the two teams having combined to score 123.5 points per 100 possessions over their three meetings thus far. If the Lakers still aim on competing for a playoff spot, their visit to Portland on Sunday is one of the most important games remaining on their schedule.

Week 14: vs. HOU, vs. SAC, vs. MEM, @ POR

Record: 21-23

OffRtg: 114.0 (12) DefRtg: 112.6 (12) NetRtg: +1.4 (10) Pace: 98.3 (26)

The Suns remain one of nine teams with better-than average marks on both ends of the floor. They have the point differential (plus-1.1 points per game, fifth best in the West) of a team that’s 24-20. They’re now 3-0 against the Warriors, beating the nearly full-strength champs with Mikal Bridges (who still hasn’t missed a single game in his five seasons) being the only Suns starter available on Tuesday. Bridges has shot 56% over the last four games, recovering from a three-game stretch in which he went 9-for-36 (25%).

But the Suns have still lost 11 of their last 13 games to fall from third place to 11th in the Western Conference. They rank 29th offensively (107.5 points scored per 100 possessions) over that stretch, in the bottom five in effective field goal percentage (28th), free throw rate (27th) and turnover rate (30th). They were 29-for-31 from the line in the win over the Warriors (Damion Lee was 14-for-14 and is now 62-for-65 on the season), but had more turnovers (39) than free throw attempts (38) as they lost in Denver and Minnesota on Wednesday and Friday.

It’s still another nine days before before Devin Booker’s groin strain is set to be re-evaluated (according to his Dec. 28 timeline). Deandre Ayton returned from a two game-absence on Friday, but shot just 5-for-18 against Rudy Gobert and the Wolves. Chris Paul (last four games), Cameron Payne (last five) and Landry Shamet (last three) have all been out, and Jae Crowder is still just chillin’.

The Nets and Pacers will each be without their best player when they visit Phoenix this week (the first two games of a five-game homestand), but it’s probably not a good time for the Suns to be playing the Grizzlies twice in seven days.

Week 14: @ MEM, vs. BKN, vs. IND, vs. MEM

Record: 19-24

OffRtg: 113.1 (14) DefRtg: 112.8 (15) NetRtg: +0.3 (15) Pace: 98.1 (27)

The Raptors got to play the Hornets twice last week, and they had two of their five most efficient offensive games of the season, scoring 132 points per 100 possessions over the two-game series. Pascal Siakam totaled 63 points over the two games, shooting 13-for-15 in the paint and getting to the line for 21 free throw attempts. And Nick Nurse didn’t have to lean too heavily on his starters, because the bench’s minutes weren’t so bad.

The bench gave the Raps some good minutes against the Hawks on Saturday as well. But the starters came out flat, the Raps had just three points in the first six minutes (three more than they had against Milwaukee 10 days earlier, but still bad), and they fell into a hole that they could never climb out of. The start of the third quarter was better than the first, but it included one brutal transition-defense sequence, which probably had something to do with Gary Trent Jr. and Fred VanVleet sitting the entire fourth quarter (until Siakam fouled out and VanVleet replaced him). The Raptors do some good things defensively, but preventing transition opportunities isn’t one of them. Only three teams — Houston, Utah and Philadelphia — have allowed their opponents to get a higher percentage of their possessions in transition.

Through December, the Raptors were 5-4 against the five teams that are now between them and sixth place. But they’re 0-3 against that group — losses to Indiana, New York and Atlanta — in January, set to play the Knicks twice more this week. Those games are the start and finish of the Raptors’ second (and final) stretch of five games in seven days. Siakam scored a career-high 52 points the last time they played at Madison Square Garden, and he’ll make his return on Monday afternoon.

Week 14: @ NYK, @ MIL, @ MIN, vs. BOS, vs. NYK

Record: 18-25

OffRtg: 111.7 (21) DefRtg: 113.1 (16) NetRtg: -1.4 (25) Pace: 99.5 (18)

The Wizards’ season has been a bit of a roller coaster, from a 10-7 start to a 1-13 stretch. Then there was a 6-1 run, and now they’ve lost four out of their last five. Their offense has actually been a tick more efficient over those two bad stretches (111.8 points scored per 100 possessions) than it’s been over the two good ones (111.6), but their defense has been much worse.

Washington actually ranks in the top 11 in three of the four factors on defense, but is 28th in opponent turnover rate, with three of the 42 players — Kyle Kuzma, Corey Kispert and Kristaps Porzingis — who’ve played at least 750 minutes and averaged fewer than 1.5 deflections per 36. The Wizards have forced just 10.2 turnovers per 100 possessions over this 1-4 stretch, despite Delon Wright totaling 10 steals over the first four of those games. With the lack turnovers combined with a lack of offensive rebounds, the Wizards rank 27th in shooting opportunity differential (-2.9 per game) and their loss to the Pelicans on Monday came with their second worst differential of the season (-17).

The Warriors are only one spot ahead of the Wizards (-2.6 per game), mostly because they’re 29th in turnover rate (16.2 per 100 possessions). The Wizards will have a rest advantage when they face the champs for the first time on Monday, the final game of a four-game homestand. Their worst shooting opportunity differential of the season (-21) actually came in a win in Orlando (in which the Magic shot 5-for-27 from 3-point range) on Dec. 30, and the Wizards will have another rest advantage when the two teams meet again on Saturday.

Week 14: vs. GSW, @ NYK, vs. ORL

KUZMA FOR THE WIN 🚨 pic.twitter.com/MYLHEF5lEq

— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 12, 2023

Record: 16-28

OffRtg: 110.8 (25) DefRtg: 114.3 (23) NetRtg: -3.6 (26) Pace: 99.4 (19)

The Magic rank 25th offensively, but they have eight players (more than any other team) who’ve averaged double-figures in at least 20 games this season. They’re all under the age of 25, and the Magic’s two top scorers are a 20-year-old rookie and a 21-year-old second-year player. Of course, five of those eight have played in no more than 26 games, which helps explain why they rank 25th offensively and why there have been scoring opportunities for so many guys.

Franz Wagner is the one player who has been healthy all season, only missing a game for his leaving-the-bench suspension. He averaged a team-high 22.8 points on an effective field goal percentage of 62% over the Magic’s 2-3 road trip, going for 29 in Portland on Tuesday, when the Magic got their first win (they were previously 0-7 without rest) in the second game of a back-to-back. For much of the fourth quarter, the Magic played pick-and-roll with Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr., which has been a pretty strong combination this season. According to Second Spectrum tracking, Orlando has scored 1.12 points per chance when a Wagner/Carter pick-and-roll has led directly to a shot. That’s the 11th best mark among 58 combinations with at least 150 direct pick-and-roll actions and it’s up from 0.98 points per chance for the Wagner/Carter combo last season.

With their five-game trip in the books, the Magic now have their second four-day break this month. They’ll then play a home-road back-to-back, with the second game being a visit to Washington. Orlando’s worst offensive game of the season (100 points on 107 possessions) was against the Wizards less than three weeks ago.

Week 14: vs. NOP, @ WAS

Record: 13-31

OffRtg: 110.4 (27) DefRtg: 119.5 (30) NetRtg: -9.1 (30) Pace: 101.7 (9)

The Spurs set an attendance record on Friday, but the cavernous Alamodome and it’s non-standard shooting background didn’t help their defense, which allowed the Warriors to register their most efficient offensive performance of the season (144 points on 110 possessions), topping the mark (132 on 101) from their first game against the Spurs. The Kings’ performance (back at the AT&T Center) on Sunday was even more efficient (132 on 97) and made the Spurs 0-3 in their three best offensive games of the season.

You read that right: the Spurs have scored at least 124 per 100 in three games, and they’ve lost all three. Their defense has now allowed 6.5 more points per 100 possessions than the league average (113.0), what would be the eighth biggest differential in the 27 seasons for which we have play-by-play data.

The offense hasn’t been as bad, but it certainly hasn’t been very potent, especially because the Spurs don’t shoot many 3s. They’ve taken 34.5% of their shots, the league’s fourth lowest rate, from 3-point range. That rate is below 30% over their last 14 games, and they’ve been outscored by 12.4 points per game from beyond the arc over that stretch.

The Spurs have two more high-profile opponents in town as they wrap their four-game homestand this week. The Nets and Clippers are responsible for two of the (league-leading) seven games this season in which the Spurs have never held a lead.

Week 14: vs. BKN, vs. LAC

Record: 12-35

OffRtg: 110.8 (24) DefRtg: 118.0 (29) NetRtg: -7.2 (28) Pace: 100.6 (13)

The Pistons have been without Cade Cunningham for more than two months, and their preferred, post-Cunningham starting lineup hasn’t been together in the last five games. Jalen Duren (ankle) has missed all five of those, while Bojan Bogdanovic and Isaiah Stewart have each missed multiple games in that stretch. Of course, that starting lineup hasn’t been very good, getting outscored by 10.4 points, the second worst mark among the 33 lineups that have played at least 150 minutes.

With the absences, Saddiq Bey has started eight of the last 10 games, and he scored a season-high 31 points as the Pistons completed a season sweep of the Wolves on Wednesday, registering their most efficient offensive performance of the season (135 points on 101 possessions). The Detroit bench has also been solid, ranking sixth (in regard to aggregate NetRtg) since Christmas. Alec Burks has averaged 15.3 points over those three weeks, while Hamidou Diallo has averaged 12.1 ppg on 68% shooting. Diallo hasn’t shot much from the perimeter, but he’s 48-for-68 (70.6%) in the paint over that stretch. His 19 points against the Pelicans on Friday included a fast-break windmill that he made look easy, as well as some nifty drives to the cup as the Pistons made things interesting late (after trailing by as many as 17 points).

The Pistons now head to Paris to face the Bulls. Their first meeting was one of the six times this season that Detroit has allowed at least 130 points per 100 possessions.

Week 14: vs. CHI (Paris)

Record: 11-33

OffRtg: 108.9 (29) DefRtg: 115.6 (27) NetRtg: -6.8 (27) Pace: 101.3 (10)

The Hornets have climbed out of the basement in offensive efficiency after ranking 30th for the last eight weeks. They only rank 27th offensively over the 17 games (they’re 4-13) since LaMelo Ball returned to the lineup, but most of their rotation guys have shot more effectively since they got their point guard back. Jalen McDaniels, Mason Plumlee and P.J. Washington have combined for an effective field goal percentage of 61.2% over the last 17 games, up from just 51.4% prior. Plumlee has seen the biggest jump of that frontcourt trio and shot 29-for-35 (83%) over the Hornets’ recent four-game road trip, with more assists from Ball (12) than he got from every other teammate combined (9). (The Hornets are also out of the offensive-efficiency basement because the Rockets have just been worse on that end of the floor.)

Of course, the Hornets also rank in the bottom five on defense. With Plumlee going 15-for-16 and Terry Rozier shooting 22-for-35 (63%), they registered two of their four highest effective field goal percentage marks of the season (63.4% and 61.7%) in Toronto on Tuesday and Thursday. But they lost both games, allowing the Raptors to score 132 points per 100 possessions. In total, teams are 198-40 (.832) when registering an effective field goal percentage above 60% this season.

The league’s two lowest-ranked offenses will face each other for the first time on Wednesday in Houston. The Hornets are 1-1 within the bottom four in the league, having beat the Spurs on opening night and lost to the Pistons in Ball’s first game back last month.

Week 14: vs. BOS, @ HOU, @ ATL

Record: 10-33

OffRtg: 108.7 (30) DefRtg: 116.7 (28) NetRtg: -8.0 (29) Pace: 99.8 (17)

The Rockets’ losing streak has hit double-digits, though it’s still shy of their two longest losing streaks of last season (15 and 12 games). Alperen Sengun recorded his first career triple-double (10, 10 and 10) on Wednesday, and Jabari Smith Jr. scored a career-high 27 points (with Kevin Porter Jr. out of the lineup) two nights later. But the Rockets have taken over the basement in offensive efficiency (bumping the Hornets out of there), having been held under a point per possession in three of their last eight games.

They also have the 30th-ranked defense in 2023 after allowing more than 134 points per 100 possessions in a two-game series in Sacramento last week. The Kings had 73 transition points, 39 (made) 3-pointers, 60 free throw attempts and just 23 turnovers over the two games.

The Rockets have been playing a pretty tough schedule, with eight of the 10 losses on the streak having come against teams that currently have winning records. The schedule is easier over the next few weeks, with nine of their next 10 games against teams that are currently at or below .500. They’ll host the Hornets (the first meeting of the season between the two conferences’ last-place teams) on Wednesday, when the 30th spot in offensive efficiency will be on the line.

Week 14: @ LAL, vs. CHA, @ MIN