The race atop the Eastern Conference is shaping up to be a wild one in the NBA’s second half.
The Miami Heat are the current leaders after their win over the Los Angeles Lakers combined with the Brooklyn Nets’ loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, but plenty of contenders are right behind.
Six teams — Miami, Brooklyn, the Chicago Bulls, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Philadelphia 76ers — are separated by just 2.5 games. Chicago and Cleveland, two teams decimated by guard injuries, will have their work cut out as they look to stay among the East leaders.
In the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns are starting to gain some distance from the Golden State Warriors, thanks to an NBA-leading six-game active win streak. But Phoenix’s run could be in danger, as the Suns face the Utah Jazz in a home-and-home series starting Monday.
Check out where the Suns, the East contenders and every team check in this week.
Note: Throughout the regular season, our panel (Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Nick Friedell, Andrew Lopez, Tim MacMahon, Dave McMenamin and Ohm Youngmisuk) is ranking all 30 teams from top to bottom, taking stock of which teams are playing the best basketball now and which teams are looking most like title contenders.
1. Phoenix Suns
2021-22 record: 36-9
Previous ranking: 1
One of the biggest beneficiaries of the 10-day hardship contracts this season has been veteran big man Bismack Biyombo. In eight games with Phoenix, Biyombo is averaging 10.1 points and 6.9 rebounds on 70.2% shooting. On Saturday night, the 29-year-old Biyombo tied his career high with 21 points and chipped in 13 rebounds in the Suns’ win over the Pacers. — Lopez
2. Golden State Warriors
2021-22 record: 34-13
Previous ranking: 3
Draymond Green is still dealing with a disk issue in his back, while Klay Thompson sat out the game Sunday with soreness in his surgically repaired knee. But the larger issue in the short term is that Stephen Curry is in the midst of a shooting…
Source : espn
