The Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers still have the three highest winning percentages in the NBA, which doesn't come as a surprise. What may come as a surprise to some, especially when thinking back to preseason prognostications, is the team in hot pursuit of those three expected title contenders. The Houston Rockets, winners of ten straight games, are now the hottest team in the NBA after sharing that label with the Memphis Grizzlies last week. It can be argued that Houston's win streak should have been done at nine, with the Timberwolves seemingly having control of their game Saturday night in Minnesota. But James Harden and company erased a 12-point deficit in the final 2:19 of regulation to force overtime, where they pulled out a 121-119 victory.
Much has been made of the Rockets' offense and rightfully so, as with Harden leading the way in Mike D'Antoni's system they're second in the NBA in scoring (113.1 ppg) and fourth in offensive rating (114.3). But this is also a team that's made strides defensively, especially with the return of guard Patrick Beverley to the lineup. While they are giving up 105.8 points per game, which ranks 20th, Houston is 16th in defensive rating. Is that "great?" No, but it is respectable, and the Rockets have the ability to get better on that end of the floor. And during their current win streak, they've been able to get stops when needed. Hot right now, Houston has the look of a team with staying power when it comes to the Western Conference race.
Here are this week's power rankings, with the Chicago Bulls dropping out after a week in which they lost three consecutive games. (Getty)
10. Oklahoma City
Record: 16-11
Last week: 10th
Russell Westbrook made history Saturday in the Thunder's 114-101 win over the Suns, tallying his 50th career triple-double with 26 points, 22 assists and 11 rebounds. Per ESPN only three other players in the history of the NBA have managed to post a triple double with at least 25 points and 20 assists: Oscar Robertson (three times), Magic Johnson (twice) and Isiah Thomas (once). Oklahoma City dropped consecutive road games to Northwest Division foes Portland and Utah last week, and they enter a stretch in which four of their next six games are on the road. And in order to get through that period in good shape, Westbrook will need consistent help from his supporting cast. (Getty)
9. Boston
Record: 15-12
Last week: Unranked
After slipping out of the power rankings last week the Celtics make their return, as they managed to pick up wins over Charlotte and Miami after losing the Spurs in San Antonio. Isaiah Thomas missed four games due to a strained groin, with the Celtics losing three of them, and while other options saw an increase in their shot attempts the stretch simply reinforced just how important Thomas is to the Celtics. Now that he's back Boston will look to continue its winning ways with games at Memphis (Tuesday) and Indiana (Thursday). And it should be noted that while Boston still isn't defending at the level they did last season, they're trending in the right direction as they're now 13th in defensive rating after a slow start. (Getty)
8. Memphis
Record: 18-11
Last week: 6th
The Grizzlies went 1-3 last week, with the lone victory coming over a Cleveland team that left LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love home in the second game of the teams' home-and-home. Not the best week for Memphis in the results department, but starting point guard Mike Conley made his return to the lineup after suffering a back injury that was expected to sideline him until January. Memphis will look to break even on their four-game home stand when they host the Celtics Tuesday night, and a win there would also be their first with Conley back in the fold after losing to Sacramento and Utah. (Getty)
PG: Chris Paul, LA Clippers
Opponent: vs. Orlando
Price: $9,200
Upon his return to the lineup Paul has dished out a total of 30 assists over the last two games, while also 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. That bodes well for the Clippers going into their matchup with Orlando, as Paul accounted for 16 points and ten assists in the first meeting between the two teams this season. Look for CP3 to continue on his recent run, especially with the Magic in the midst of a six-game road trip. (Getty)
6. Utah
Record: 18-10
Last week: 8th
Speaking of the Jazz, they've won four straight and seven of their last eight games despite still not having starting point guard George Hill (toe). Guard Rodney Hood and forward Gordon Hayward get the majority of the opportunities to make things happen offensively, and defensively Utah has held three of its last four opponents to fewer than 90 points. Hayward and Rudy Gobert blocked three shots apiece in Utah's 82-73 win in Memphis Sunday, with Derrick Favors racking up four blocks in 13 minutes, and the Jazz limited Memphis to an effective field goal percentage of 31.2 percent. Quin Snyder's team is defending at a high level this season, and as a result they lead the Northwest Division. (Getty)
5. Toronto
Record: 19-8
Last week: 5th
Sandwiched in between road wins over Philadelphia and Orlando was a home loss to the Hawks Friday night, with Atlanta scoring 125 points in a game it needed to win to avoid drifting further back in the Eastern Conference standings. Dwane Casey's team is still tops in the NBA in offensive efficiency, but the loss to Atlanta serves as a reminder of the works that needs to be done defensively. Toronto's ranked 21st in the NBA in defensive rating, and on Friday Atlanta was led offensively by Dwight Howard (27 points on 10-for-13 shooting, 15 rebounds) and Dennis Schröder (24 points, six assists). The Hawks finished the game with shooting percentages of 62.5 (true shooting) and 59.9 (effective FG), and as the Raptors look to put themselves in position to dethrone Cleveland in the East they have to tighten things up defensively. (Getty)
Once again the pickings are slim for FanDuel participants, with there being just five games on the NBA schedule for Tuesday. And the unquestioned top option is Houston guard James Harden, who has a value of $12,300 and is the only player with a five-figure salary cap number. Harden's averaging 53.7 FanDuel points per game on the season, and in the Miami Heat he'll be up against a team that's done a solid job defensively this season. Ranked ninth in scoring defense and 14th in defensive rating, the Heat have allowed just 29.3 FanDuel points per game to opposing shooting guard (Harden's listed position) units over their last five according to Rotowire.
But when evaluating how teams defend Harden, one has to consider the defending of the point guard position. Over their last five games, Miami has allowed opposing point guard units to score an average of 52.2 FanDuel points per game. That bodes well for Harden, given the aforementioned average and the fact that he runs the show in Mike D'Antoni's offense. With that being the case, it wouldn't come as a surprise if Harden tallied his 14th triple-double of the season Tuesday night. Here are our picks for Tuesday's games, using a nine-player roster and a $60,000 salary cap. (Getty)
3. San Antonio
Record: 22-5
Last week: 3rd
Sunday was a big day for the Spurs franchise, as they retired the number of all-time great Tim Duncan. Preceding the ceremony was a 113-100 win over New Orleans, a game in which San Antonio won despite Kawhi Leonard scoring just 13 points. LaMarcus Aldridge led a balanced effort with 22 points to go along with seven rebounds, and Manu Ginobili scored 17 off the bench as San Antonio's reserves combined to score 48 points. San Antonio's depth is one reason why they're ranked fourth in defensive rating and have the second-fewest losses in the NBA. (Getty)
2. Cleveland
Record: 19-6
Last week: 2nd
Cleveland went 2-1 last week, picking up home wins over Memphis and the Lakers and losing at Memphis with head coach Tyronn Lue leaving LeBron, Kyrie and Kevin home to rest. Now comes a home-and-home against Milwaukee, which beat the Cavaliers by 17 back on November 29. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the player Cleveland had no answer for on that night, as he finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and five steals. Milwaukee's still six games back due to their slow start to the season, but another win over the Cavs would boost their confidence at this early point in the season. (Getty)
1. Golden State
Record: 24-4
Last week: 1st
The Warriors continue to roll along, with their current four-game win streak tied for the second-longest in the NBA. Saturday night the Warriors were dominant in their 135-90 win over Portland, combining a ruthlessly efficient offense with one of their best defensive efforts of the season. Ian Clark scored 23 points off the bench Saturday, shooting 9-for-11 from the field, and this was after he scored a total of 15 points in the three games prior. Zaza Pachulia made his return to the lineup Saturday, and center JaVale McGee (11 points, five rebounds) remained effective despite the move back to the bench. (Getty)
NBA Power Rankings: Heavy’s Top 10 for December 19