Group play for the 2024 NBA Cup ended Tuesday, with the knockout spherical matchups set to start subsequent week.
Quickly, a group will declare the title because the second in-season event champion, becoming a member of final season’s winners, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Nevertheless, the common season pushes on, as groups look to finish their 2024 campaigns on a excessive word and enter the New 12 months with intentions locked on the postseason.
It is a battle of defenses within the West because the Houston Rockets path solely the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder within the convention standings, every boasting the No. 2 and No. 1 protection within the league, respectively.
Within the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics proceed to duke it out for the No. 1 spot within the convention, separated by one recreation and a mixed six video games forward of the Orlando Magic. The Milwaukee Bucks additionally look as if they’ve hit their stride after a rocky begin, occurring a seven-game win streak to begin the vacation season.
Be aware: Workforce rankings are primarily based on the place members of our panel (ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Michael Wright, Tim MacMahon, Dave McMenamin, Ohm Youngmisuk, Chris Herring and Kevin Pelton) suppose groups belong this season.
Earlier rankings: Preseason| Oct. 30| Nov. 5| Nov. 13| Nov. 20| Nov. 27
Soar to a group:br/>ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLEbr/>DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | INDbr/>LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MINbr/>NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHXbr/>POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WAS
Boston needs to be thrilled with Kristaps Porzingis‘ return following offseason surgical procedure. Regardless of not taking part in in a number of months, Porzingis has seemed like he hasn’t missed a beat, averaging 19 factors on 50% capturing whereas offering the Celtics with much-needed rim safety. He additionally gives the membership one other high quality long-range shooter to a group already launching greater than 50 3s per recreation. — Tim Bontemps
Cleveland responded to back-to-back losses to the Hawks with a revenge win towards the Celtics — taking down the defending champs with a 43-27 run within the fourth quarter Sunday, lower than month after Boston handed the Cavs their first defeat of the season on Nov. 19. The Cavs beat the Celtics at their very own recreation, hitting the identical variety of 3s (17) on 13 fewer makes an attempt. — Dave McMenamin
3. Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder
Third-year ahead Jalen Williams is constructing a powerful early case for his first All-Star choice, as his manufacturing has elevated in all 5 of the key classes (21.5 factors, 6.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.0 block per recreation). The one gamers to common at the very least 21 factors with that stage of manufacturing within the different classes for a whole season: Michael Jordan in 1990-91 and Scottie Pippen in 1994-95. — Tim MacMahon
Houston hits its three-game street journey out West using a three-game profitable streak, capped by a signature victory at residence Sunday over the Thunder. The Rockets aren’t resting on their 19-win enchancment from final season. As a substitute, they’ve turned up the warmth defensively, competing with a desperation that has vaulted Houston to the No. 2 protection. For coach Ime Udoka, consistency is vital. He’d prefer to see the group proceed to construct habits that it could possibly lean on as soon as competitors ratchets up throughout the stretch run heading into the playoffs. — Michael Wright
Depend it. Six wins in a row earlier than dropping Tuesday’s recreation at Dallas, and Memphis captured half of these with Ja Morant out. It isn’t a stretch to say the Grizzlies boast one of many league’s deepest rosters. After accidents to Morant, Desmond Bane, Zach Edey, Marcus Good and different necessary contributors, they’ve leaned on promising kids corresponding to Scotty Pippen Jr., Jaylen Wells and Jay Huff. Eight Grizzlies common double figures in scoring and 4 (Morant, Bane, Pippen and Jaren Jackson Jr.) are succesful on any given evening to tackle a star function. — Wright
The Magic entered Tuesday’s NBA Cup contest in New York as one of many league’s hottest groups, having sandwiched a pair of six-game profitable streaks round their solely loss since Nov. 6 towards the Clippers. That put Orlando in place to advance to the quarterfinals regardless of a lopsided loss to the Knicks. Though the Magic performed a seven-game playoff sequence towards Cleveland final spring, an extended NBA Cup run will present helpful big-game expertise for a youthful roster. Orlando additionally shined in our latest under-25 rankings, with two of the highest 4 gamers (Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner) and a 3rd within the high 25 (Jalen Suggs). — Kevin Pelton
Steve Kerr had greater issues Tuesday than attempting to determine whether or not to shorten his deep rotation. Draymond Inexperienced missed his first recreation of the season with left calf tightness, and Kerr had to determine a solution to decelerate MVP Nikola Jokic and halt the longest dropping slide of the season. The Warriors did neither. Jokic had 38 factors, 10 rebounds, six assists and 5 steals and the Warriors blew a seven-point lead within the remaining 2:32 to drop their fifth straight recreation. Inexperienced will endure an MRI on Wednesday and his availability is unsure for Thursday’s recreation at residence towards Houston.— Ohm Youngmisuk
Dallas’ depth allowed the Mavs to win the 5 of six video games not too long ago missed by Luka Doncic, which is a drastic distinction from latest seasons. The Mavs had been a mixed 9-19 in video games missed by Doncic the previous two seasons. Offseason additions Naji Marshall (19.0 PPG, 68.5 eFG%) and Quentin Grimes (15.8 PPG, 62.0 eFG%) helped fill the offensive void throughout Doncic’s five-game absence whereas he recovered from a proper wrist sprain and labored on his conditioning. — MacMahon
Twenty-one video games in, the revamped Knicks personal probably the most environment friendly offense, boasting the affiliation’s greatest assist-to-turnover ratio and its second-best 3-point mark. An enormous a part of what’s fueling the advance: The five-out spacing, courtesy of Karl-Anthony Cities, which has helped the group discover beauty extra shortly than a season in the past. The distinction is refined — with New York taking the league’s highest share of pictures within the remaining 4 seconds of the clock final season, versus taking the fifth-highest share at the moment. However marginal variations matter, particularly because the membership continues to work out kinks on the defensive finish, the place it ranks simply nineteenth via the primary quarter of this marketing campaign. — Chris Herring
10. Denver Nuggets
Michael Malone did not like the best way his protection performed within the 5 video games coming into Tuesday’s recreation towards the Warriors. “I do not know if it is guys are simply type of caught up in themselves proper now,” Malone mentioned earlier than dealing with Golden State. “We’ve too many individuals worrying about why am I popping out of the sport? What number of my pictures am I getting?” His group responded with a detailed win over the Warriors due to a 38-point double-double from Jokic.— Youngmisuk
11. LA Clippers
When Norman Powell went down with a hamstring harm, the Clippers may have been watching a tough stretch of their schedule. Powell has been on hearth on offense for a group that desperately wants it. However throughout Powell’s six-game absence, the Clippers solely bought grittier. They gained 4 of these six video games, with losses to the Celtics and Wolves. James Harden has been sensational, scoring in 20 or extra factors in six of seven video games coming into Tuesday evening, together with a 43-point explosion towards Washington and a 39-point efficiency in a win over Denver. And Powell picked up the place he left off with 28 factors in his return towards Denver. — Youngmisuk
12. Phoenix Suns
Following a uncommon five-day break within the schedule, Phoenix’s playmaking duties shifted again towardsDevin Booker. And wins got here with it. The Suns went 2-1 final week and Booker averaged 9.5 assists throughout the victories. Phoenix is now 6-1 on the season when Booker tallies 8 or extra assists. — McMenamin
JJ Redick not too long ago likened his expertise as a first-year coach to taking part in whack-a-mole and that is been illustrated by him utilizing his mallet to hammer residence defensive enchancment as L.A. has held every of its previous 4 opponents below 110 factors. Within the meantime, the Lakers’ offense, which had been ranked fifth in effectivity, has plummeted to No. 9, with Redick’s group topping 110 themselves simply as soon as up to now six video games. — McMenamin
14. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks secured a spot within the NBA Cup event for a second straight season, after dropping within the semifinals final yr. The Bucks have formally rebounded from a 2-8 begin to climb again over .500. Milwaukee’s resurgence has been led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who averaged 22.8 paint factors in November — probably the most in a calendar month by any participant since Shaquille O’Neal in March 2000. — Jamal Collier
Since his arrival in San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama has cautioned towards placing him in a field. On any given evening, he is able to flashing the talent set of a guard, ahead, middle, slasher, dunker, shooter and shot blocker. You identify it, Wembanyama can do it. That is why San Antonio is so supportive of the 20-year-old phenom’s progress coming off his third profession triple-double in Sunday’s win over Sacramento. Wemby’s deep bag makes San Antonio a tough and unpredictable matchup for groups, which proceed to strive alternative ways to reduce his impression. — Wright
16. Miami Warmth
Whereas Jimmy Butler is coping with a knee harm that pressured him to sit down out Monday’s loss to Boston, he is seemed like a unique participant since a shift to a extra on-ball function and Terry Rozier again to the bench. And but, the Warmth nonetheless discover themselves below .500 and in a play-in spot within the East. That is not the place they anticipated to be in a weak convention. — Bontemps
Lower than every week after star Anthony Edwards referred to as the Wolves out for his or her lack of communication, Minnesota responded with consecutive wins. Monday was its greatest defensive efficiency of the season, holding the Lakers to a season-low 80 factors whereas getting again to .500. It is nonetheless a far cry from the place the Wolves wish to be — they’re nonetheless on the surface of the Western Convention play-in image –but coach Chris Finch acknowledged it was a step in the fitting route. — Collier
18. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks, winners of a season-high 4 video games in a row and again at .500, have discovered a pleasant groove since getting beforehand injured wings Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter again within the rotation. Each present outdoors capturing and secondary playmaking, which makes life a bit simpler on Trae Younger, who early on confronted extra defensive strain due to their absences. Instantly, Atlanta has a powerful quantity of depth on each ends; a uncommon trait for the membership since its shock journey to the 2021 Jap Convention finals. — Herring
19. Indiana Pacers
Indiana hopes the return of guard Andrew Nembhard can present a spark for its struggling group. Nembhard returned Sunday from a 12-game absence with a knee harm and scored 14 factors in quarter-hour whereas offering a defensive increase for a Pacers group in want of it. Indiana is hoping to get him on top of things with a slate of Jap Convention foes upcoming, together with Brooklyn, Chicago and Charlotte to spherical out the week. — Collier
20. Sacramento Kings
The Kings snapped a four-game dropping streak final Wednesday in Minnesota, however losses at Portland and at residence to San Antonio left Sacramento persevering with to tumble down the West standings. The Kings are actually twelfth within the convention, with a number of different postseason-worthy groups forward of them within the play-in spots. The scenario is dire sufficient that journeyman ahead Jae Crowder went from unsigned free agent this time final week to beginning two video games for Sacramento instead of injured DeMar DeRozan. — Pelton
21. Brooklyn Nets
With high scorer Cam Thomas sidelined for three to 4 weeks, the injury-plagued Nets will seemingly be turning a bit extra to ahead Cameron Johnson, who’s quietly within the midst of a profession season in scoring and effectivity. Johnson, 28, who made his identify as a job participant in Phoenix, is averaging 18 factors in Brooklyn. He is taking extra pictures from shut vary, whereas nonetheless knocking 42.2% of his 3. Johnson flashed his scoring potential most final month when he erupted for 34 and 37 factors in back-to-back video games towards the Hornets and Sixers, respectively. — Herring
22. Detroit Pistons
The truth that the Pistons entered Tuesday’s NBA Cup group stage finale towards Milwaukee with an opportunity to win their group is a measure of their enchancment this season. Regardless of the loss to the Bucks, Detroit completed 3-1 in group play, having blown out the Pacers by 24 on the street Friday. That is extra wins within the NBA Cup alone than the Pistons had in all video games final season earlier than Christmas. Moreover, the 24-point margin in Indiana was Detroit’s largest victory since April 2021.— Pelton
23. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls’ protection has been a significant problem. They’re twenty seventh in defensive effectivity this season, surrendering greater than 135 factors 4 occasions up to now two weeks. It is the principle cause — regardless of a fast-paced, efficient offense — they’re 9-13 and in eighth place within the Jap Convention. — Collier
The Blazers stored their slim hopes of advancing within the NBA Cup alive Friday by beating the slumping Kings earlier than seeing their four-game residence profitable streak ended Sunday by the Mavericks. Aggressive losses are an excellent signal for Portland, which entered Tuesday with the league’s largest common margin of defeat (18.4) regardless of having extra wins than six different groups. The Blazers’ depth — significantly backup level guard Dalano Banton — has been a plus as they handle accidents to latest lottery picks Donovan Clingan (MCL sprain) and Scoot Henderson (quadriceps contusion). — Pelton
25. Toronto Raptors
Whereas Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley have missed massive chunks of this season with accidents, RJ Barrett has stepped up, averaging greater than 23 factors, 6 rebounds and 6 assists whereas capturing 45.7% from the sphere and 35.7% from 3. If Barrett can up his effectivity as Barnes works himself again into the lineup and when Quickley finally returns, he’ll match properly on the wing shifting ahead. — Bontemps
The most important information out of Charlotte over the previous week is LaMelo Ball‘s calf pressure, which the group mentioned would preserve him out for at the very least two weeks. The membership, which has performed with out Ball for the overwhelming majority of the previous two seasons due to accidents, hopes for a speedy return, if solely due to the large impression the guard has on the Hornets’ offense. The membership’s offense is 12 factors higher per 100 possessions — basically the identical margin between the first-ranked Knicks and Twenty fifth-ranked Charlotte — when Ball and his 31 factors per recreation are on the courtroom. — Herring
An already small 76ers group took one more hit Saturday, when middle Andre Drummond suffered a sprained ankle that may sideline him for at the very least three video games. That led the 76ers to signal 6-10 ahead Pete Nance — brother of Hawks ahead Larry Nance Jr. — to a two-way contract. The massive man Philly hopes to get again quickly, Joel Embiid, continues to sit down with each left knee harm administration and private causes. — Bontemps
28. Utah Jazz
The Jazz have decided that it is best for Cody Williams to get his taking part in time within the G League at this level within the rookie lottery choose’s improvement, opening some rotation minutes for second-year wing Brice Sensabaugh. Sensabaugh has averaged 12.0 factors and shot 42.9% from 3-point vary coming into Tuesday evening, however the defensive finish has been a wrestle. The Jazz have allowed 125.3 factors per 100 possessions with Sensabaugh on the courtroom in that span. — MacMahon
The Pelicans obtained a much-needed break popping out of Monday’s loss at Atlanta that ended a three-game street journey. However a break in play will not rescue the wounded Pels. Over its subsequent 5 video games, New Orleans hosts Phoenix and Oklahoma Metropolis forward of matchups at San Antonio and Houston, adopted by a Dec. 21 conflict with the Knicks. In the meantime, Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Jose Alvarado, Jordan Hawkins and Herbert Jones stay out. By now, David Griffin is probably going pondering pulling the plug on the season to work towards acquiring a high choose in a loaded draft. — Wright
Washington’s sink to the abyss of the standings continued with a 31-point loss at Cleveland. The Wizards now have misplaced 15 straight video games, the final 9 by 10 or extra factors every. Making issues worse, Malcolm Brogdon, Kyshawn George and Corey Kispert all left the loss in Cleveland with accidents. And Kyle Kuzma is already sidelined with a rib harm. Washington’s subsequent 9 video games do not get any simpler, both. — Youngmisuk
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