1
Raptors
To those who do not think about the defending champs a genuine danger to repeat, they sent a loud caution shot with Saturdays excellent win over the Lakers. Now fully healthy, the Raptors sent waves of knowledgeable, solid bodies at LeBron James and Anthony Davis, with Kyle Lowry plainly the very best gamer on the floor on Saturday. Toronto has a rough bubble schedule, however it left to the finest start possible by taking down the Lakers.
2
47-18
2
The Bucks got a good win over the Celtics to open their bubble schedule, however then were suppressed by the Rockets small-ball defense late in a loss on Sunday. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been dominant hence far, balancing 36 points, 16.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists in the 2 games. The Bucks lacked Eric Bledsoe this week, but the Rockets video game is rather concerning because it reveals what takes place when Giannis and Khris Middleton play well, however their shooters are not able to deliver– outside of those 2, the Bucks shot 4 for 23 from 3-point variety in the loss.
Bucks
1
54-13
3
Lakers
The Lakers opened their bubble experience with a clutch win over the Clippers, and then were smothered by a wild Raptors defense on Saturday in a double-digit loss. LeBron James was the hero on Thursday with Anthony Davis supplying most of the offense during a huge third-quarter run, however Davis was held to just 2-for-7 shooting by Toronto on Saturday. The Lakers must lock up the No. 1 seed soon, and Saturdays loss could actually assist them in terms of determining what they need to deal with before the playoffs start.
1
50-15
4
—
45-21
The Clippers lost to the Lakers at the buzzer on resuming night, not a bad result given they lacked Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams, and Patrick Beverley just played 16 minutes as he gets back into shape. Whatever sting that loss caused, they took it out on the Pelicans on Saturday, making a franchise-record 25 3-pointers in an outright blowout. Paul George looked significant in both video games, and the Clippers must be confident that theyll return to top type with all their pieces back.
Clippers
5
The small-ball Rockets proved they could win in two very different methods this week, very first outgunning the Mavericks by scoring 153 points, then by securing defensively in the last minutes of the 4th quarter to finish a return versus the Bucks. Harden and Westbrook havent missed a beat, and the supporting cast, especially Danuel House and Ben McLemore, have stepped up in the absence of Eric Gordon. Nobody desires to play the Rockets in a seven-game series if Harden and Westbrook remain in top type, and this week they showed why.
Rockets
4
42-24
6
The Celtics kept things close with the Bucks despite a horrendous offending night for Jayson Tatum and a minutes limit for Kemba Walker, then staved off a crazy resurgence effort from the Blazers to hold on for the win on Sunday. Tatum got better in a substantial method, dropping 34 points and 8 assists, while Jaylen Brown added 30 points and strike some clutch buckets down the stretch.
Celtics
1
44-22
7
—
42-24
The Heat had a little trouble getting utilized to the gigantic Nuggets lineup in their opener, however they figured things out in the third quarter to ultimately get the blowout win. Miami has a full lineup at its disposal for the very first time in a while, so it will be fascinating to see how Erik Spoelstras rotations shake out throughout the seeding games. Scoring was well dispersed on Saturday, led by 22 points each from Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
Heat
8
Thunder
—
41-24
The Thunder looked excellent in their very first bubble game, taking it to the Jazz on both ends of the court. Andre Roberson just played 5 minutes, however made an instant effect defensively.
9
Pacers
No Malcolm Brogdon? No Domantas Sabonis? Myles Turner in nasty trouble? As long as the Pacers have TJ Warren, apparently it doesnt matter. The veteran bucket-getter went off for 53 points to will the shorthanded Pacers to a win over the 76ers on Saturday. Indiana now holds the tiebreaker over Philly, and received contributions up and down the lineup, consisting of 15 points and 10 assists for spot-starter Aaron Holiday. Another good indication: Victor Oladipo looked solid with 15 points in 31 minutes. Big win for the Pacers.
6
40-26
10
Magic
The Magics offense has actually looked remarkable in their first two bubble video games, albeit versus two shabby defenses, going from 107.5 points per 100 ownerships (24th in the NBA) before the reboot to 124.4 (second in the NBA) up until now at Disney. The hot start was overshadowed, however, by the destructive news that Jonathan Isaac is out for the foreseeable future with a torn ACL after playing in simply his 2nd video game since a previous knee injury on New Years Day. This is a significant blow for Orlando, who went 6-4 with the leagues best offensive ranking after the All-Star break, and were looking like a frisky first-round opponent with a healthy Isaac.
7
32-35
11
Spurs
Look whos right back in the thick of the playoff race. After beating the Kings and Grizzlies to open their bubble experience, the Spurs now sit in play-in position at No. 9, just two video games back of Memphis for the No. 8 area.
9
29-36
12
Suns
Think whos 2-0 in the bubble? The Suns dispatched the Wizards and picked up a big win over the Mavericks, and hold the leagues sixth-best net score after two games. Cam Johnson has looked great, averaging 15.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and three assists on 46 percent 3-point shooting as the groups freshly minted starting power forward. Devin Booker hasnt found his 3-point stroke yet, however hes gone 18 for 19 from the totally free toss line in two games.
9
28-39
13
Utah revealed its veteran moxie by returning from 16 down on opening night to beat the Pelicans, however were not able to pull off the same accomplishment after trailing by as numerous as 29 against the Thunder on Saturday. As expected, the Jazz are having some problem scoring without Bojan Bogdanovic in the lineup, running a great deal of offense through Jordan Clarkson– constantly a hit-or-miss method. All five beginners plus Clarkson scored in double figures in the opener, however thats basically where the depth ends.
Jazz
1
42-24
14
Trail Blazers
The Blazers resisted from 11 points down to get a huge overtime win over the Grizzlies in the opener, then nearly managed the supreme resurgence versus the Celtics on Sunday, but fell simply short. Seeing Jusuf Nurkic back in action (averaging 24 points, nine rebounds, 5 assists, 3.5 blocks in 2 games) makes you wonder what might have been for this group if he were healthy all season, but they still have an opportunity to capture Memphis or enter into a play-in series. So far it appears like Portland is starving for the playoffs, with a visible uptick in energy.
4
30-38
15
76ers
Regardless of a beast efficiency from Joel Embiid (41 points, 21 rebounds, 3 blocks), the 76ers lost to a Pacers team missing Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis. Shake Milton was unimpressive as beginning point guard, attempting one field objective and turning the ball over 3 times in 19 minutes, and got in a visible argument with Embiid on the sidelines.
9
39-27
16
The Mavericks obviously forgot to pack their defense when they headed to Orlando, allowing 120.5 points per 100 belongings up until now in 2 bubble losses. First they permitted James Harden to score 49 points on 20 shots, then Devin Booker set up 30 points on 20 shots against them on Sunday. These are both great scorers, but Dallas requires to make things a little harder on them, particularly with the playoffs right around the corner. Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis have both averaged over 34 points in the two games, but that undoubtedly doesnt matter if they cant get stops.
Mavericks
5
40-29
17
Considering they were missing three starters– Jamal Murray, Gary Harris and Will Barton– it wasnt much of a surprise that the Nuggets wound up being blown out by the Heat in their bubble opener. Nikola Jokic did all he could with 19 points, 7 rebounds and six assists, however it was just a matter of time up until their absence of punch caught up to them. Denver might continue to have a rough start to the seeding games as it gradually gets players back in shape and healthy for the postseason.
Nuggets
7
43-23
18
Grizzlies
Both games came down to the wire, however losing two games to groups chasing you in the standings is the last way the Grizzlies wished to begin in the bubble. Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. have actually been outstanding, but the Grizzlies are now simply two video games ahead of the Spurs for the No. 8 seed, with all however among their upcoming games versus playoff challengers. A play-in series is looking a growing number of most likely.
4
32-35
19
The Pelicans went into the bubble as some peoples preferred to make the No. 8 seed– not looking fantastic today. Their youth revealed as they blew a 16-point result in lose to allure in their very first video game, then came out with no energy in a blowout loss to the Clippers on Saturday. Zion Williamson is on a “burst limit” strategy for the foreseeable future, so suddenly things arent looking fantastic for the Pelicans. The good news is, their schedule should allow them to go on a good streak if they begin playing better.
Pelicans
6
28-38
20
Internet
In spite of a lack of skill, the Nets play smart and difficult, so they should not get blown out too often. Caris LeVert scored 34 points against Washington as the clear focal point of the offense, while Jarrett Allen added 22 points and 15 rebounds.
1
31-35
21
Kings
The Kings obviously lost whatever momentum they had constructed as one of the NBAs hottest groups prior to the shutdown, and have actually looked terrible in their first 2 bubble games. They lost easily to the LaMarcus Aldridge-less Spurs, then were absolutely blown off the court by the Magic on Sunday. Sacramento has actually fallen towards the bottom of the pack of groups going after the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, and sit simply a half video game up on the No. 13 Suns.
5
28-38
22
—
24-42
The Wizards solidified themselves as the worst team in the bubble by losing to maybe the other two worst teams– the Suns and Nets– in successive games. Thomas Bryant (30 points, 13 rebounds) and Troy Brown (22 points, 10 rebounds 8 helps) were both excellent on Sunday, so that at least shows why the Wizards time in Orlando can be advantageous from a development standpoint. Rui Hachimura performed well in the opener (21 points, 8 rebounds), but struggled as the Nets typed in on him.
Wizards
23
Hornets
—
23-42
The Hornets season is over, however they can take solace in the fact that they developed and surpassed expectations three gamers– Devonte Graham, Miles Bridges and PJ Washington– who could be legitimate franchise foundations moving on. Theyll expect lottery game luck and continued growth this offseason, however the rebuild in Charlotte has just started.
24
It was a frustrating season for the Bulls, who lastly provided in and revamped the front office after years of speculation. Chicago has skill– Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, Coby White, Wendell Carter Jr.– however it has yet to find a method to translate it to wins. If the new brass opts to shuffle the deck this offseason, well see.
Bulls
—
22-43
25
The Hawks were really bad this year, just behind Cleveland for the third-worst net score in the NBA, however theres reason to be confident with the development of Trae Young and John Collins, plus the addition of Clint Capela to possibly support their defensive concerns. They have a promising young crop of wings with Kevin Huerter, DeAndre Hunter and Cam Reddish, and will likely get another high draft choice this offseason. Eventually, though, you have to in fact begin winning video games.
—
20-47
Hawks
26
Timberwolves
DAngelo Russell balanced almost 22 points per video game after coming by from the Warriors, but shot simply 41 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3-point variety. Hell undoubtedly gain from the existence of Karl-Anthony Towns, and the franchise depends upon the duos success. Now its time to start putting quality pieces around them.
—
19-45
27
—
21-45
We didnt learn much about the future of the Knicks this season– were still unsure how great RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson are, and we dont understand whether Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina will be part of the teams plans. After a front office overhaul, the highest priority this offseason was discovering a coach, and they finally zeroed in on Tom Thibodeau after interviewing several prospects. Well see how he finishes with a restoring Knicks roster.
Knicks
28
Cavaliers
The Cavs would have loved to have actually gotten a much better look at Andre Drummond, however just got 8 games out of him after trading for him at the deadline. Offered the financial landscape of the league, hell practically certainly exercise his $29 million option for next season, so the choice wasnt actually in Clevelands hands anyhow. Collin Sexton made a big leap towards completion of the season, so the Cavs will hope he can build off of that while they continue to look for a trade location for Kevin Love.
—
19-46
29
Warriors
The long, unusual journey is lastly over, as one of the most strange seasons in NBA history concerns an end. The Warriors gained important understanding this year, particularly that DAngelo Russell didnt fit and that Eric Paschall is quite good, however all eyes immediately move to next season, when a healthy Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins, plus whatever they leave their high draft choice, must make Golden State a title competitor as soon as again.
—
15-50
30
The Magics offense has actually looked remarkable in their very first 2 bubble video games, albeit against two shabby defenses, going from 107.5 points per 100 belongings (24th in the NBA) before the restart to 124.4 (2nd in the NBA) so far at Disney. Seeing Jusuf Nurkic back in action (averaging 24 points, nine rebounds, five helps, 3.5 blocks in two games) makes you question what might have been for this team if he were healthy all season, however they still have a chance to catch Memphis or get into a play-in series. They allowed James Harden to score 49 points on 20 shots, then Devin Booker put up 30 points on 20 shots against them on Sunday. Caris LeVert scored 34 points against Washington as the clear focal point of the offense, while Jarrett Allen added 22 points and 15 rebounds.
Thomas Bryant (30 points, 13 rebounds) and Troy Brown (22 points, 10 rebounds eight assists) were both excellent on Sunday, so that at least programs why the Wizards time in Orlando can be advantageous from an advancement viewpoint.
—
20-46
In regards to NBA futures, it does not get much bleaker than the Detroit Pistons. Blake Griffins beast contract will run through 2022 when he chooses up the choice, and the most appealing young gamers on the roster are Luke Kennard and Bruce Brown. Christian Wood probably did enough to get the Pistons to make him a great offer this summer season (who else are they going to spend money on?), but Detroit may be the leader in the clubhouse to go into next season with the leagues most affordable win total projection.
Pistons
