Pistons, Rockets and Thunder have been one of the best in large video games

The Golden State Warriors climbed again over .500 with a win in Brooklyn on Dec. 29. Since then, we’ve had 16 groups (eight within the East, eight within the West) with successful information.

A 3-game successful streak has the Portland Trail Blazers (22-22) threatening to affix the membership, and so they can achieve this with a win over the Miami Heat on Thursday.

For now, now we have 16 groups over .500, and there have been 174 video games performed between them. Here are their information in these 174 video games …

Games performed between groups at the moment over .500

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Eastern Conference notes

1. Detroit Pistons (12-4)

• The Pistons have one of the best file within the high 16, which features a 7-1 mark since Nov. 29. They’re 4-1 throughout the high 4 within the East, taking three out of 4 in opposition to the Celtics and beating the Knicks by 31 factors of their solely assembly. Defense has been their calling card, and so they held New York’s third-ranked offense underneath a degree per possession within the blowout.

• But they’ve performed the fewest video games throughout the group. The Pistons have but to face any of the highest three groups within the West (the Thunder, Spurs and Nuggets), so there are many checks forward.

Up subsequent is a matchup with the Rockets on Friday (7 p.m. ET, Prime Video). The Pistons gained the primary assembly (in Houston) again in October when the Rockets scored simply six factors on 10 clutch possessions.

5. Boston Celtics (13-11)

• The Celtics’ 13-11 file breaks down this manner: 1-6 in opposition to groups (Denver, Detroit, Houston and San Antonio) with higher general information than the Celtics have themselves and 12-5 in opposition to the groups beneath them.

• Nine of their 11 losses (together with all three to the Pistons) have been inside 5 factors within the final 5 minutes. Overall, they’ve performed 16 clutch video games (most of any group) inside this group and have allowed 126 factors on 99 clutch defensive possessions in these 16 video games.

The Celtics are two video games right into a stretch of eight straight in opposition to groups at the moment at or beneath .500. So their subsequent sport inside this group isn’t till Feb. 4, after they go to the Rockets.

9. Orlando Magic (10-12)

• The Magic offense has been extra environment friendly in opposition to the opposite 15 groups with successful information than it has been in any other case. Franz Wagner has averaged 23.2 factors on a real taking pictures share of 60.3% (higher than his general mark) within the 15 video games he’s performed inside this group.

• The Magic are 9-6 inside this group with Jalen Suggs within the lineup and 1-6 with out him.

After the Magic host the Hornets on Thursday, they’ll play six straight video games in opposition to groups at the moment above .500. That stretch begins with an enormous home-and-home set with the Cavs, beginning with a sport in Orlando on Saturday (7 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass).

9. Toronto Raptors (10-12)

• The Raptors are 7-4 in clutch video games in opposition to the opposite 15 groups that at the moment have successful information, having allowed simply 66 factors on 78 clutch defensive possessions (85 per 100).

The Raptors have two video games left on a five-game journey that can conclude in Oklahoma City on Sunday. Then, after a few days off, they’ll play two large video games throughout the 3-8 tier within the East, internet hosting the Knicks and visiting the Magic.

12. New York Knicks (10-13)

• In video games in opposition to the opposite 15 groups with successful information, the Knicks are 8-4 at residence, 1-0 at a impartial web site (NBA Cup semis) and 1-9 on the highway. The lone highway win was within the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals in Toronto. They’re additionally 0-6 inside this group since beating the Cavs on Christmas.

Two of these 4 residence losses got here to the Sixers, with each being rest-disadvantage video games for the Knicks, who had performed the day earlier than. They’ll end the season collection with two video games in Philly earlier than the All-Star break, and the primary of these is Saturday afternoon (3 p.m. ET, ABC).

14. Cleveland Cavaliers (10-14)

• The Cavs are 2-10 in video games inside this group that had been inside 5 factors within the final 5 minutes, having scored simply 76 factors on 74 clutch possessions over these 12 video games. They’re 8-4 throughout the group in any other case.

The Cavs will host the Kings on Friday after which have a giant home-and-home set with the Magic, taking part in with a relaxation drawback in Orlando on Saturday evening.

15. Philadelphia 76ers (9-14)

• As they do general, the Sixers have a successful file on the highway (5-4) and a shedding file at residence (4-10) in opposition to the opposite 15 groups at the moment over .500.

The Sixers have two video games left on a six-game homestand and a stretch the place they may have performed 10 of 12 in opposition to groups at the moment over .500. They’ll host Houston on Thursday (7 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass) and New York on Saturday (3 p.m. ET, ABC), at the moment two video games behind the third-place Knicks.

16. Miami Heat (9-18)

• The Heat have performed three extra video games inside this group than any of the opposite 15 groups. But, they’re going to have some critical schedule reduction within the subsequent 5 weeks. Their win in Sacramento on Tuesday begins a stretch the place they play solely three of 16 video games in opposition to groups which might be at the moment over .500.

But that win was the second sport within the first of two straight stretches of 5 video games in seven days. The Heat at the moment are tasked with retaining the 22-22 Portland Trail Blazers out of the above-.500 membership, as they’ll go to the Blazers on Thursday (10 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass) for what’s the third sport of a five-game journey that concludes in Phoenix on Sunday evening.

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Western Conference notes

1. Houston Rockets (13-6)

• Since shedding to the Thunder and Pistons by a complete of 5 factors of their first two video games of the season, the Rockets are 13-4 in opposition to different groups which might be at the moment over .500. They’re simply 13-9 in opposition to groups at the moment at or beneath .500.

• That Oct. 24 loss to Detroit is the one one inside this group that wasn’t in opposition to the highest three groups within the West. The fourth-place Rockets are 0-2 in opposition to Oklahoma City, 1-1 in opposition to San Antonio and 1-2 in opposition to Denver.

The Rockets received an amazing win over the Spurs on Tuesday, and now have a tricky back-to-back, visiting the Sixers on Thursday (7 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass) and the Pistons on Friday (7 p.m. ET, Prime Video). They’re 7-3 on the highway in opposition to different successful groups, tied with the Nuggets (7-4) for probably the most highway wins throughout the group.

2. Oklahoma City (13-6)

• The Thunder protection has held their opponents underneath a degree per possession in 5 of their 19 video games throughout the high 16. They’re accountable for the worst offensive video games of the season for the Cavs, Warriors, Rockets and Suns.

• Four of their six losses have come by 5 factors or much less, whereas eight of their 13 wins have been decided by 20 factors or extra.

Having gained in Milwaukee on Wednesday, the Thunder will now have a three-game homestand that features a go to from the Raptors on Sunday (7 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass). Starting subsequent Wednesday, they’ll play seven straight video games in opposition to groups at the moment over .500, with 5 of these seven video games on the highway.

4. Denver Nuggets (13-7)

• The Nuggets are 3-2 in opposition to different successful groups with out Nikola Jokić, with the three wins having come by a complete of eight factors.

• They’ve scored greater than 125 factors per 100 possessions in six of their 20 video games throughout the group, together with losses to the Spurs and Magic.

The Nuggets are within the midst of a stretch the place they’re taking part in 11 of 14 video games in opposition to groups at the moment beneath .500. They’re additionally about to start a visit the place they play in Washington, Milwaukee and Memphis. Their subsequent sport inside this group is in opposition to the Pistons on Tuesday, and so they’ll face the Thunder for the primary time on Feb. 1.

5. San Antonio Spurs (13-11)

• Ten of the Spurs’ 24 video games inside this group have come in opposition to the Thunder (3-1), Lakers (2-1) and Wolves (1-2). They’re 13-2 in opposition to the Eastern Conference (each losses had been to Cleveland), however gained’t play the Pistons or Sixers till after the All-Star break.

The Spurs will end their week with video games in opposition to the Jazz and Pelicans, however they’ll have an opportunity to avenge their Tuesday loss to the Rockets after they return to Houston subsequent Wednesday. They’ll end their five-game season collection with the Thunder on Feb. 4.

7. Los Angeles Lakers (9-9)

• As they do general, the Lakers have a a lot better file than level differential in these video games. All 9 of their losses throughout the group have come by double-digits, with seven of the 9 decided by greater than 15 factors. They’re 5-0 in video games that had been inside 5 factors within the final 5 minutes vs. the opposite 15 groups that at the moment have successful information

The Lakers are one sport right into a stretch of eight straight highway video games, set to go to the Clippers on Thursday (10 p.m. ET, Prime Video). Their subsequent sport inside this group is subsequent Wednesday, after they play in Cleveland.

8. Phoenix Suns (11-13)

• The Suns’ video games inside this group have been probably the most road-heavy, with solely 10 of their 24 having are available Phoenix. They’re 7-3 at residence and 4-10 on the highway in opposition to the opposite groups which might be at the moment over .500.

The Suns will full a six-game journey in Atlanta on Friday. They’ll then play 16 of their subsequent 19 video games at residence, a stretch that begins with a go to from the Heat on Sunday evening.

9. Golden State Warriors (10-12)

• The Warriors had been 9-6 in opposition to groups at the moment over .500 with each Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler within the lineup, however simply 1-6 when one or each have been unavailable. Butler is now out for the season after struggling a knee harm vs. Miami on Monday.

Having simply accomplished an eight-game homestand (the longest within the league this season), the Warriors now embark on a four-game journey that begins in Dallas on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET, Prime Video). The first of two straight video games in Minnesota is Saturday (5:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

13. Minnesota Timberwolves (9-12)

• Anthony Edwards has averaged 32.4 factors on a real taking pictures share o4 64.4% in 17 video games in opposition to different groups which might be at the moment over .500. He’s averaged 27.6 factors on 61.2% in 18 video games in opposition to groups at the moment at or beneath .500. He’s additionally an unbelievable 19-for-27 (70%) on clutch photographs in opposition to successful groups.

The Wolves host the Bulls on Thursday and can then play two straight video games in opposition to the eighth-place Warriors, whom they at the moment lead by 2 1/2 video games. The first of that two-game set is Saturday (5:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

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John Schuhmann has lined the NBA for greater than 20 years. You can e-mail him right here, discover his archive right here and follow him on Bluesky