At the halfway point of the NBA season, here is the current standing of all 30 teams. The top of the standings changed little from one week to the next as the best teams in the league largely cruised to victory.
Current Standings of NBA Teams at the Midpoint of the Season
SUMMARY
1. Boston Celtics
2. Brooklyn Nets
3. Denver Nuggets
4. Memphis Grizzlies
5. Milwaukee Bucks
6. Cleveland Cavaliers
7. Philadelphia 76ers
8. New Orleans Pelicans
9. Dallas Mavericks
10. Indiana Pacers
11. New York Knicks
12. Sacramento Kings
13. Miami Heat
14. Los Angeles Clippers
15. Portland Trail Blazers
16. Golden State Warriors
17. Los Angeles Lakers
18. Atlanta Hawks
19. Minnesota Timberwolves
20. Phoenix Suns
21. Chicago Bulls
24. Washington Wizards
22. Utah Jazz
23. Oklahoma City Thunder
24. Washington Wizards
25. Orlando Magic
26. Toronto Raptors
27. San Antonio Spurs
28. Charlotte Hornets
29. Detroit Pistons
30. Houston Rockets
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Let’s devive to it.
1. Boston Celtics
Record: 28–12
Previous ranking: 1
After losing to a depleted Thunder team, the Celtics blew out the Mavericks and beat the Spurs to end their road trip.
2. Brooklyn Nets
Record: 27–13
Previous ranking: 2
Wednesday marked the first Nets loss in a month. After the Bulls ended their 12-game winning streak, they started a new one over the weekend, but Kevin Durant will be out for two weeks.
3. Denver Nuggets
Record: 26–13
Previous ranking: 3
The Nuggets are closing in on the Celtics for the best record in basketball after two more wins last week.
4. Memphis Grizzlies
Record: 26–13
Previous ranking: 4
The Grizzlies tied the Nuggets atop the conference with six straight wins. Last week, they defeated the Hornets, Magic, and Jazz and won over the weekend without Ja Morant or Steven Adams.
5. Milwaukee Bucks
Record: 25–14
Previous ranking: 5
Last week, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 50 points, joining the league-wide scoring trend. He scored 55 against the Wizards and 30-20-10 against the Raptors on the road.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers
Record: 26–15
Previous ranking: 6
Last week, the Cavs defeated the Suns twice—two in Cleveland and 14 in Phoenix. Mitchell’s 71-point night,
7. Philadelphia 76ers
Record: 24–15
Previous ranking: 8
James Harden and Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia to two wins without Joel Embiid (foot). Harden blocked the Pacers in overtime and triple-doubled against the Pistons. Maxey led the team with 23 points in Detroit and 26 in a home loss to the Bulls.
8. New Orleans Pelicans
Record: 24–16
Previous ranking: 7
Zion Williamson suffered a hamstring injury just before Brandon Ingram returned from a month-long absence. The Pelicans are 1–4 in their last five games without either All-Star.
After beating the Rockets, they lost a close home game to the Nets. New Orleans lost in Dallas to start its five-game road trip without CJ McCollum (rest).
9. Dallas Mavericks
Record: 23–18
Previous ranking: 9
The Mavericks lost their seven-game winning streak at home. Boston defeated Dallas by nearly 30 points at American Airlines Center, and league-leading scorer Luka Dončić scored only 23.
The Mavs beat the Pelicans 10–0 at home a few nights later, but they lost to the Thunder on the road Sunday without Dončić (ankle).
10. Indiana Pacers
Record: 23–18
Previous ranking: 10
Last week, without Embiid for a head-to-head matchup, Indiana had a chance to catch up to Philadelphia, but it lost in overtime.
Tyrese Haliburton had at least 12 assists in both Pacers wins over the Trail Blazers and Hornets to improve his league-leading average. Indiana plays the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.
11. New York Knicks
Record: 22–18
Previous ranking: 15
The Knicks ended a five-game losing streak in late December with two clutch wins last week.
Jalen Brunson scored a career-high 38 points at Madison Square Garden to beat the Spurs, and a few nights later Julius Randle scored 32 to beat the Raptors in Canada, a first for the Knicks since 2015. RJ Barrett (finger) may not play Monday against the Bucks.
12. Sacramento Kings
Record: 20–18
Previous ranking: 11
Last week, the Kings lost both by five points. The Hawks swept Sacramento with a three-point win despite four starters scoring 20+ points.
13. Miami Heat
Record: 21–20
Previous ranking: 14
The Heat lost close games last week. They lost to the Lakers and Nets at home. Victor Oladipo’s 26 points off the bench helped them beat the Suns by eight in Phoenix without Tyler Herro (back). Miami hosts Milwaukee twice in three days and plays Oklahoma City on national television.
14. Los Angeles Clippers
Record: 21–21
Previous ranking: 12
After another winless week, the Clippers are falling. After losses to the Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Hawks, they have lost six straight.
Atlanta beat LA by four, but Denver and Minnesota were much closer. Leonard returned Sunday to score 29 while George (hamstring) was out again.
15. Portland Trail Blazers
Record: 19–20
Previous ranking: 13
Last week’s roadless Trail Blazers dropped below.500 for the first time this season. Portland holds the final Western Conference play-in spot after losses to the Timberwolves, Pacers, and Raptors, where the offense was limited. Over the next few days, the Blazers host the Magic, Cavaliers, and Mavericks twice at the Moda Center.
16. Golden State Warriors
Record: 20–20
Previous ranking: 17
Last week’s Warriors home losses were rare. Golden State was 17–2 at the Chase Center before losing to Detroit on a buzzer-beater and Orlando over the weekend.
17. Los Angeles Lakers
Record: 19–21
Previous ranking: 23
Last week’s three wins extended the Lakers’ streak to five, a season high.
18. Atlanta Hawks
Record: 19–21
Previous ranking: 19
Atlanta ended its four-game skid in Sacramento last Wednesday. Four starters scored 20+ points in a three-point road win for a struggling team. A few nights later, the Lakers beat the Hawks 16–8.
19. Minnesota Timberwolves
Record: 20–21
Previous ranking: 21
After four wins, the T-Wolves are one game under.500. Rudy Gobert scored 20-20 against the Clippers, Anthony Edwards scored 32 against the Trail Blazers, and D’Angelo Russell scored 22 against the Rockets on the road. After a six-game losing streak to end December, Karl-Anthony Towns is still weeks away from returning from a calf strain.
20. Phoenix Suns
Record: 20–21
Previous ranking: 16
Phoenix is bleak. Since December, the Suns are 5–15 after starting 15–6. They’re in a six-game skid with a tough schedule without Devin Booker (groin).
Phoenix lost to Miami at home last week and twice to Cleveland by two and four points, both games it needed to stop the bleeding.
Both All-Star guards were out Sunday against the Cavaliers after Paul left the Heat game early with hip soreness. Without Booker since Christmas, Phoenix is 2–10.
21. Chicago Bulls
Record: 19–21
Previous ranking: 22
Three straight eight-point Bulls wins followed two close losses. Chicago ended Brooklyn’s 12-game winning streak, defeated Philadelphia on the road with Zach LaVine’s 41 points, and defeated the Jazz with LaVine’s 36.
The Bulls have moved up to ninth in the East with a 7–3 record in their last 10 games due to teams around them playing poorly. Boston, whom Chicago has defeated twice this season, is next.
22. Utah Jazz
Record: 20–23
Previous ranking: 18
Jazz losses ended with a dominating win in Houston. Lauri Markkanen’s career night of 49 points led them to their first win since Christmas.
Utah lost again this weekend to Chicago and Memphis. The Jazz are out of the play-in tournament after this recent skid, but they return to Salt Lake City this week where things have gone better than on the road.
23. Oklahoma City Thunder
Record: 18–22
Previous ranking: 25
Thunder dominate at home. They improved to 13–9 at Paycom Center with weekend wins over the Wizards and Mavericks. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC with two 30-point games. In an 11-point loss, SGA was the only bright spot. This week, the Thunder begin a four-game East Coast road trip 1.5 games out of the final play-in tournament spot.
24. Washington Wizards
Record: 17–23
Previous ranking: 20
Washington’s two games last week were light. After five wins, it lost both. Bradley Beal (hamstring) returned against the Bucks, but he left after 13 minutes and did not return in the 10-point loss. He missed Friday’s 17-point Thunder loss.
Washington returns to Washington, D.C., where it is 10–7 this season, for three games this week after splitting a four-game road trip.
25. Orlando Magic
Record: 15–25
Previous ranking: 26
Paolo Banchero led the Magic to two more wins last week to maintain their East lead. The No. 1 pick scored a team-high 25 points in double-digit wins over the Thunder at home and Warriors on the road and 30 in a loss to the Grizzlies at the Amway Center.
Banchero and Franz Wagner led the way against an undermanned Golden State team to start a five-game West Coast road trip. Road teams have struggled at the Chase Center this year.
26. Toronto Raptors
Record: 17–23
Previous ranking: 24
The Raptors won Sunday after two close home losses. After losing to the Bucks in overtime, the Knicks won at Scotiabank Arena by four points.
Pascal Siakam led Toronto to its first 2023 win over Portland with 27 points. Raptors finish six-game homestand this week.
27. San Antonio Spurs
Record: 13–27
Previous ranking: 27
San Antonio played well last week despite its injury report. Keldon Johnson, Jakob Poeltl, and Devin Vassell (knee) missed all three games last week.
After beating the Pistons by double digits, the Spurs nearly upset the Celtics on Saturday without three starters.
San Antonio nearly swept New York a few days earlier. A two-game series in Memphis followed by hosting the Warriors and Kings this weekend is daunting.
28. Charlotte Hornets
Record: 11–30
Previous ranking: 29
Last week, the Hornets won one of three games against a tough schedule, but it was a big one. Charlotte won 29 at Milwaukee behind Terry Rozier’s 39 points.
LaMelo Ball scored 23 points and had 12 assists in the Hornets’ first-quarter dominance. Charlotte also lost to Memphis and Indiana. Toronto awaits in a two-game series in Canada.
29. Detroit Pistons
Record: 11–32
Previous ranking: 30
The Pistons became the fastest team to 30 losses, then upset the defending champs on the road. Bojan Bogandovic scored 29 points and rookie center Jalen Duren double-doubled, but Saddiq Bey hit a buzzer-beater to defeat the Warriors.
The Pistons lost to the Spurs and the 76ers in their first games back at Little Caesars Arena. Detroit plays Philadelphia again Monday before starting a homestand.
30. Houston Rockets
Record: 10–30
Previous ranking: 28
Houston is alone at the bottom after its seventh consecutive loss on Sunday. The Rockets lost to the Pelicans and Jazz by double digits despite their 29th-ranked offense.
They lost again Sunday against the Timberwolves after losing a fourth-quarter lead. Houston begins a four-game road trip Wednesday in Sacramento.