Updated: 4:51 p.m.
Every team in the Eastern Conference besides the Cavs, Pistons and Bulls is at least a quarter of the way through the season. Here are our power rankings:
1. Toronto Raptors (19-4) Last week: 1
Toronto survived Kevin Durant's 51 points and clutch shot-making to beat the Warriors in overtime Thursday night. Yes, the Warriors were without Stephen Curry, but that's a great win for the Raptors. By net rating, the Raptors have the six best two-man lineups in the NBA.
2. Milwaukee Bucks (15-6) Last week: 2
The Bucks' level has dropped a touch since their 43-point blowout over Phoenix on Nov. 11 - they're 2-2 since that game, with losses to the Suns and Hornets, and are shooting 32.1 percentage from three-point range over that span.
3. Philadelphia 76ers (15-8) Last week: 3
There are plenty of reasons for the Sixers to feel good about themselves - they're 6-2 with Jimmy Butler; Ben Simmons is already working together well with his new teammate; Joel Embiid is still dominant just about every night; they may have even found their solution for backing up Embiid in Mike Muscala. But the Sixers' bench is still thin, and they're still letting inferior opponents hang around, with the exception of Wednesday's win over the Knicks. And even though Butler's two game-winners are undoubtedly positives, the reality is the Sixers could easily be 4-4 with Butler and feeling significantly worse about where they stand if he hadn't made those shots.
4. Boston Celtics (11-10) Last week: 4
The Celtics still have the best defensive rating in the conference; it's just that their offense has been pretty bad (fourth-worst in the East). Maybe their decisive win over the Pelicans on Monday and a soft schedule over the next nine games (they have games against the Cavs, Knicks, Hawks, Bulls and Suns in that stretch) will help Boston get on track.
5. Indiana Pacers (13-9) Last week: 5
The Pacers announced Friday that Victor Oladipo is out indefinitely. He's been sidelined by right knee soreness the past five games, during which Indiana has gone 2-3. Can they hold things together until Oladipo returns, whenever that is?
Philadelphia 76ers
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6. Charlotte Hornets (11-10) Last week: 6
Charlotte is 2-7 in games decided by four or fewer points and beat the Bucks on Monday despite a 3 for 12 night from Kemba Walker. They're better than their record.
7. Detroit Pistons (11-7) Last week: 7
The Pistons' three straight wins have come against opponents with a combined record of 20-44.
8. Orlando Magic (10-12) Last week: 9
Nikola Vucevic is playing like an All-Star, averaging 20.8 points, 11.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. His 14 double-doubles are tied for fifth most in the league.
9. Washington Wizards (8-13) Last week: 10
Dwight Howard will reportedly undergo surgery and likely miss two to three months. Washington has been starting Thomas Bryant at center, a 2017 second-round pick with 26 games of NBA experience. As NBC Sports Washington's Chase Hughes notes, the Wizards are 4-8 this season without Howard and have been out-rebounded in all eight of those losses.
10. Brooklyn Nets (8-14) Last week: 9
D'Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris are all having career years, as was Caris LeVert before his injury, yet the Nets have lost four in a row and are falling in the standings.
11. Miami Heat (7-13) Last week: 11
Losing to the Hawks, as the Heat did Tuesday, is never a great sign, even if your best player, Josh Richardson, had a chance to win it on a last-second three-pointer. Miami has lost eight of their last 10 games.
12. New York Knicks (7-16) Last week: 12
The Knicks aren't as bad as they looked in Wednesday's 26-point loss to the Sixers on the second night of a back-to-back, but they're not very good either. New York's 43.4 field goal percentage is the lowest in the NBA.
13. Chicago Bulls (5-17) Last week: 13
Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn and Bobby Portis are all a week or two away from returning. In the meantime, former Villanova guard Ryan Arcidiacono posted a career-high 22 points in two straight games.
14. Atlanta Hawks (5-17) Last week: 14
Atlanta picked up two good wins this past week, over the Heat and Hornets. At some stage, you'd expect Trae Young to start shooting a little better. He's made 25.4 percent of his three-pointers, the worst mark of any player with at least 80 attempts, and has only shot over 50 percent in a game twice this season.
15. Cleveland Cavaliers (4-16) Last week: 15
The Cavs followed their first winning streak of the season by reverting to form with losses to the Timberwolves and Thunder. Collin Sexton is averaging 21 points on 48.7 percent shooting and 6.5 rebounds over the past four games. Cleveland is quietly threatening to climb out of the basement.
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