NBA Heat Check 🔥

December 13, 2022 NBA Heat Check 🔥

By: Carlos Alvarez

Pelicans & Grizzlies Taking Over the West; Nets Finding Their Stride After Rocky Start

The 2022-23 NBA season is more than six weeks old, and we’re getting a clearer picture of who’s real and who’s not. A few teams have been early-season surprises, like the Pelicans and Cavaliers, but the Eastern Conference powerhouses are still atop the power rankings. And as much as the Nets’ tumultuous start looked like a blowup in the making, Brooklyn appears to have righted the ship. Let’s take a look at our latest NBA heat check.

 

NBA Power Rankings

1. Celtics (21-7)

2. Bucks (19-7)

3. Pelicans (18-8)

4. Grizzlies (18-9)

5. Nets (17-12)

6. Nuggets (16-10)

7. Cavaliers (17-11)

8. Suns (16-11)

9. 76ers (14-12)

10. Blazers (15-12)

 

Teams 11-20: 11. Hawks (14-14) | 12. Kings (14-11) | 13. Knicks (14-13) | 14. Clippers (16-13) | 15. Warriors (14-13) | 16. Jazz (15-14) | 17. Mavericks (14-13) | 18. Pacers (14-14) | 19. Raptors (13-14) | 20. Heat (13-15)

 

Teams 21-30: 21. Timberwolves (13-14) | 22. Bulls (11-15) | 23. Lakers (11-15) | 24. Wizards (11-17) | 25. Thunder (11-16) | 26. Magic (8-20) | 27. Hornets (7-20) | 28. Spurs (9-18) | 29. Pistons (7-22) | 30. Rockets (8-18)

 

NBA Highlights

 

Durant’s 30 Powers Nets: Kevin Durant dropped a 30-9-6 stat line last night to lead the Nets over the Wizards (112-100). It was Brooklyn’s fourth straight win, and they’ve won eight of their last nine.

 

SGA & Luka Put On A Show: The Mavericks and Thunder went blow-for-blow with a pair of superstars showing out. Luka Doncic (38-11-8) led Dallas to the win (121-114), and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a 42-point night himself.

 

Welcome Back, Kawhi: Clippers’ star Kawhi Leonard has been slowly working his way back from last year’s knee injury with limited minutes, but the Klaw shined for the first time in a while last night (25-9-6) as L.A. took down the Celtics (113-93).

 

Photo: Adam Hunger / Getty Images