As we approach the NBA All-Star break, there have been some shake-ups near the top of the standings in both conferences. Some teams are surging, with three different teams going 9-1 over their last 10, and others are dropping thanks to injuries and general production slumps.
NBA: West Standings Bunched Up Heading Towards All-Star Break
Updated West Standings ‼️
Kawhi Leonard and James Harden combine for 66 PTS to give the Clippers their 4th-straight win!
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📲 https://t.co/oRfhdB8ZfO pic.twitter.com/L45Q7bhnPW— NBA (@NBA) February 6, 2024
And while there are hotly contested races on both sides, things are seriously bunched up atop the standings in the West.
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder have been, surprisingly, the two best teams in the conference so far this NBA season. And while they’ve remained at the top, there have been teams like the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers who have threatened their standing at certain points.
And as it stands the week leading up to the All-Star break, there is just a half-game that separates the four teams.
The Thunder and Timberwolves share identical records. Both have posted a 35-15 mark through the first 50 games, but a tie-breaker due to head-to-head matchups currently gives OKC the edge when it comes to first place. And while they’ve played an uneven number of games, the Nuggets and Clippers are both technically a half-game back.
Things Taking Shape Quickly In The East
The East:
Magic win their 3rd in a row!
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📲 https://t.co/oRfhdB8ZfO pic.twitter.com/QOwRYjkvDw— NBA (@NBA) February 5, 2024
Los Angeles is currently 34-15 and Denver is 35-16, giving the Clippers the slight edge when it comes down to winning percentage. They are currently holding on to the #3 seed, while the Nuggets sit in 4th.
There isn’t much of a threat to the top four at the current moment. While the top teams are wildly bunched up, a full five games separates the Nuggets from the 5th-seeded Sacramento Kings. There is still plenty of season left to be played, but a few more games at the same pace, and we’ll start to have the top-4 in the West wrapped up heading into the home stretch.
Things are far different out East. The Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers made threats on the top of the standings throughout the first half of the NBA season, but they have both dropped off recently, leaving the Boston Celtics alone at the top. Not only are they in first place, but five games separate them from the #2 seed. While the 6th seed in the West in 6 games back, that number is 10.5 in the other conference.
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