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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Last Week:2↑
Record: 23-11
OffRtg: 119.3 (4) DefRtg: 111.7 (7) NetRtg: +7.6 (3) Pace: 101.5 (6)
The Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team had a mixed week recently. They secured an impressive win against the Boston Celtics, thanks in part to an excellent performance by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. However, this victory was followed by two losses in a row as the team began a challenging stretch of playing 11 out of 14 games on the road.
The Thunder had initially been performing well this season, with only two of their first 32 games featuring a deficit of 20 points or greater. However, this changed when they fell behind by 21 points during a game against the Atlanta Hawks, followed by a 32-point deficit during a match against the Brooklyn Nets. In fact, they lost both of the first two quarters in Brooklyn by a staggering combined score of 78-46. Despite this, the Thunder managed to rally and make it a close game, almost tying the Atlanta game and reducing the deficit in Brooklyn from 32 points to just six. It’s worth noting that teams have only won 17 out of 230 games where they’ve trailed by 20 points or more, making the Thunder’s efforts all the more impressive.
Unfortunately, the Thunder are struggling in some key areas, notably rebounding. They currently rank 29th in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage and have been outrebounded in eight of their last nine games. This was highlighted in their match against Brooklyn, where the Nets scored 30 second-chance points, the most that the Thunder have allowed all season.
#2
BOSTON CELTICS
Last Week:1↓
Record: 28-7
OffRtg: 120.6 (2) DefRtg: 109.9 (2) NetRtg: +10.8 (1) Pace: 99.0 (20)
The Boston Celtics recently faced a tough loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but they still maintain a lead in terms of losses over every other team. The Celtics have been performing exceptionally well since late November with a record of 16-3. However, their offensive and defensive performance varies significantly between wins and losses. Their wins see them scoring an impressive 124.1 points per 100 possessions, while losses see them scoring a lesser 107.5 points per 100 possessions.
In their recent game against the Thunder, the Celtics struggled defensively, especially against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder’s shooting. Additionally, Kristaps Porzingis didn’t seem to be making enough effort to defend against drives or close out on the 3-point line on Chet Holmgren pick-and-pops when they switched matchups in the fourth quarter.
On the other hand, the Indiana Pacers boast a top-ranked offense that has been held to a point per possession or less only twice this season. Interestingly, the Celtics’ defense is responsible for both these instances. However, it’s worth noting that this primarily has to do with Indiana’s poor 3-point shooting, with the team going just 13-for-79 (16.5%) from beyond the arc over these two games. It’s also worth mentioning that Boston’s defense has a below-league-average percentage of contested 3-point attempts, with only 19% of opponent attempts coming from the corners, which is the lowest opponent rate in the league.
#3
DENVER NUGGETS
Last Week:4↑
Record: 26-12
OffRtg: 118.7 (7) DefRtg: 112.9 (9) NetRtg: +5.8 (4) Pace: 97.9 (29)
Over the last 11 days, Nikola Jokic has been on a shooting spree that can only be described as remarkable. However, the Nuggets faced a setback on Friday when they lost a game that they were expected to win, despite Jokic’s impressive performance.
Since Christmas, Jokic has been shooting at an unbelievable 82% rate, having made 54 of his 66 shots. He has predominantly been taking his shots in the paint, with 56 of them coming from there, accounting for an impressive 85% of his overall shots. This is a significant increase from his 69% shooting rate in the Nuggets’ Christmas win over Golden State.
Despite Jokic’s impressive performance, he has only ranked fourth in the team’s usage rate (21.6%) over the last six games, and in the recent game against Detroit, he took just three shots.
It’s worth noting that the Nuggets have had a relatively easy schedule over the past few weeks, and their 18-0 record against the 13 teams with losing records is a testament to their dominance over weaker opponents. However, they will need to step up their game against more formidable teams if they want to maintain their winning streak.
#4
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
Last Week:3↓
Record: 25-10
OffRtg: 113.8 (19) DefRtg: 108.7 (1) NetRtg: +5.1 (5) Pace: 98.9 (21)
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been having a strong season so far, sitting at the top of the Western Conference. However, they have recently hit a rough patch, going 1-3 in their last four games in 2024. Their losses to the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks have been especially concerning as they mark the eighth and ninth times this season that the Wolves have allowed more than 120 points per 100 possessions. The team has struggled with rebounding in both games, which has contributed to their disappointing performance. In fact, the Wolves have a record of 2-7 in games where they have allowed more than 120 points per 100 possessions. Although they started the season with the league’s best defensive rebounding percentage, they have recently dropped to 27th in January, with just 67.5% of available defensive boards secured over their last four games.
Despite their struggles, the Wolves have shown their ability to compete in close games, having gone 11-1 in games that were within five points in the last five minutes at the start of the year. However, in January, the team has lost both of their clutch games, with their latest loss coming against the Mavericks. After going on an 11-0 run to take a six-point lead with less than four minutes left in the game, the Wolves went scoreless and committed three turnovers on their next seven possessions, ultimately losing the game. They currently rank 28th in turnover rate, with an average of 15.5 turnovers per 100 possessions, even though Anthony Edwards has seen a drop from his performance last season. In contrast, Kyle Anderson has seen a significant improvement in his performance this season.
Despite these struggles, the Wolves did manage to secure a 27-point win against the Houston Rockets last Friday. They only needed 24 points from Anthony Edwards to secure the victory, thanks in part to good performances from the bench players, including Jordan McLaughlin, who has recently been added to the regular rotation. The Wolves have a record of 8-6 against the other eight Western Conference teams that currently have winning records, and they are set to face the Los Angeles Clippers for the first time this week.
The Wolves’ schedule has been challenging, with their recent games presenting a rest disadvantage. In their first rest-disadvantage game, they faced the Phoenix Suns, who scored 133 points on 91 possessions, making it the fifth most efficient performance by any team this season. The team’s second rest-disadvantage game is coming up against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, which marks the end of a four-game trip.
#5
LA CLIPPERS
Last Week:5
Record: 22-13
OffRtg: 117.8 (8) DefRtg: 113.0 (10) NetRtg: +4.8 (6) Pace: 98.5 (23)
The Los Angeles Clippers, a professional basketball team in the United States, suffered a significant setback on Sunday when they lost to their crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, in a game that saw them struggle offensively. This loss marked the first time that the Clippers had been defeated with their star player, Kawhi Leonard, in uniform since November 30. Prior to this loss, the Clippers had won an impressive 12 consecutive games with Kawhi in the lineup, which was his longest such streak in almost eight years.
Despite shooting just 6-for-17 from the field, the Clippers managed to outscore the Lakers while Kawhi was on the floor. However, their bench minutes were not as successful, as the Lakers went on a 23-9 run that spanned the third and fourth quarters and ultimately turned the game around in their favor.
It’s worth noting that the Clippers’ two most frequently used lineups – consisting of James Harden, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Ivica Zubac, along with either Terance Mann or Norman Powell – have been incredibly successful this season. In the 366 total minutes that these lineups have played together, they have outscored their opponents by an impressive 19.4 points per 100 possessions. During Sunday’s game, this lineup was a plus-9 in more than 24 total minutes of play.
Prior to Sunday’s loss to the Lakers, the Clippers had been on a roll with two big road wins against teams in the top nine of the Western Conference. In their game against the Phoenix Suns, the Clippers put on an impressive offensive display, which was their third most efficient offensive performance of the season. They also managed to shut down the New Orleans Pelicans in their previous game, limiting them to their fifth least efficient performance of the season.
Despite the setback against the Lakers, the Clippers remain one of only five teams (and three in the Western Conference) that rank in the top 10 on both ends of the floor.
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