NBA Standings Update at All-Star Break
The NBA is officially at the All-Star Break, which means it's effectively the second half, the stretch run for contenders. It comes past the halfway mark, but everything beyond here for anyone in remote contention is very meaningful basketball. For some, it's time to hunker down and hoard losses for the draft lottery.
NBA Eastern Conference Standings
Here's how the Eastern Conference looks right now:
- Detroit Pistons, 40-13
- Boston Celtics, 35-19
- New York Knicks, 35-20
- Cleveland Cavaliers, 34-21
- Toronto Raptors, 32-23
- Philadelphia 76ers, 30-24
- Orlando Magic, 28-25
- Miami Heat, 29-27
- Charlotte Hornets, 26-29
- Atlanta Hawks, 26-30
- Chicago Bulls, 24-31
- Milwaukee Bucks, 22-30
- Brooklyn Nets, 15-38
- Indiana Pacers, 15-40
- Washington Wizards, 14-39
Everyone below the Milwaukee Bucks is pretty much out of it. The Wizards continue to lose while their trade acquisitions (Trae Young and Anthony Davis) sit with injuries.
The Indiana Pacers have suffered a ton of injuries, including Tyrese Haliburton in the NBA Finals, and are struggling. The Brooklyn Nets are just devoid of legit NBA talent as of now.
The Chicago Bulls sold at the deadline, so they're likely going to fade from Play-In contention. The Milwaukee Bucks are dealing with a Giannis Antetokounmpo injury, but when he returns, they might be capable of making a run.
The Charlotte Hornets surged into the Play-In conversation with a streak of 10 wins in 11 contests. The rest of the teams involved have been in for a while, and none of them seem poised, except maybe the Atlanta Hawks, to drop any.
The conference remains dominated by the Detroit Pistons, the one team the Hornets lost to during that aforementioned stretch. And despite the Boston Celtics not having Jayson Tatum, they're in second.
It's very muddled in the middle of the playoff range, with just five games separating the Philadelphia 76ers (sixth) and the Boston Celtics (second). Detroit leads the Celtics by a wider margin (5.5 games).
NBA Western Conference Standings
In the Western Conference, here's the NBA standings as of the All-Star Break:
- Oklahoma City Thunder, 42-13
- San Antonio Spurs, 38-16
- Denver Nuggets, 35-20
- Houston Rockets, 33-20
- Minnesota Timberwolves, 34-22
- Los Angeles Lakers, 32-21
- Phoenix Suns, 32-23
- Golden State Warriors, 29-26
- Los Angeles Clippers, 26-28
- Portland Trail Blazers, 26-29
- Memphis Grizzlies, 20-33
- Dallas Mavericks, 19-34
- Utah Jazz, 18-37
- New Orleans Pelicans, 15-41
- Sacramento Kings, 12-44
Everyone not in the Play-In range right now is all but eliminated. The Memphis Grizzlies are the closest team to it, but they're five games out and just traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz.
The Dallas Mavericks traded Anthony Davis, too, so they're not going to make a push. The Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans, and Sacramento Kings are shamelessly compiling losses for the draft lottery this summer.
Within the Play-In range, there's not a ton of variety. The Golden State Warriors (eighth), Los Angeles Clippers (ninth), and Portland Trail Blazers (10th) are all separated by three games, but three games also separate the Warriors from the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns have been surprisingly good after trading Kevin Durant, and they're only three games back of the three seed, the Denver Nuggets. In between them are the Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Houston Rockets.
It is feasible for any one of those teams to jump in the standings and catch the Nuggets. The Nuggets are seven games back of first, which is going to be a hard mountain to climb.
The conference is not being dominated by the Oklahoma City Thunder as badly as expected. They're 42-13, but they are clinging to a 3.5-game lead over the San Antonio Spurs, a team that has had OKC's number this year. Detroit's lead in the East is bigger.
The Spurs, led by Victor Wembanyama, have been surprisingly good at stopping the Thunder, who were previously seen as nearly unbeatable. They represent the best threat to dethroning them.
