The Raptors continued to prove their playoff credentials this week. DeMar DeRozan and Co. now find themselves sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference after going 8-2 over their last 10 contests.
Rudy Gay’s departure certainly helped the team, who’ve gone 13-5 without the gunner. But that oversimplification does a disservice to Patrick Patterson and John Salmons, both of whom have seamlessly slotted into the rotation. After struggling to find his form in Sacramento, Patterson has impressed recently, averaging 14.8 PPG while shooting 46 percent from deep in his last six games.
Can things get any better in Toronto? Well, their next four games are against teams below .500—the Celtics, Timberwolves, Lakers and Bobcats—and DeRozan’s shot at an all-star appearance continues to gain momentum.
Let the good times roll.
| Rank | Team | Previous | |
| 1 |  |
We knew their defence was elite, but still. The Pacers held the Wizards to a ridiculous 66 points at home on Friday night. Frank Vogel will coach the Eastern Conference All Stars and one presumes he’ll play Miami’s Big Three all 48 minutes. |
2 |
| 2 |  |
With one loss in their last 12 contests, the Warriors continue to flash their title credentials. The hot streak is even more impressive considering that prior to their current four-day break, Golden State hadn’t had more than one day of rest since Dec. 6. |
1 |
| 3 |  |
Monday’s win in New Orleans wasn’t easy, especially with Tim Duncan fouling out for the first time since 2010. After five-straight Ws, the Spurs are the first team to win 30 games. Oh, and they’ve been trucking along without key cogs Tiago Splitter, Danny Green and Manu Ginobili. |
4 |
| 4 |  |
Home-court advantage will be huge out West and the Rockets are doing their best to secure it. Keeping Chandler Parsons healthy will be crucial. The criminally underpaid forward balances Houston’s play at both ends of the floor, and it’s no coincidence that his return came in a blowout win against Boston. |
7 |
| 5 |  |
Miami’s recent White House visit should help erase memories of back-to-back losses in the Big Apple. Worryingly, it was the third time the Heat dropped back-to-back games this season, and eight of their 10 losses have come against teams with sub-.500 records. |
3 |
| 6 |  |
A Drake-inspired comeback against the Nets was the highlight of a great week. Fans even got a chance to see Steve Novak and Landry Fields take the court together against the lowly Bucks on Monday—the double human victory cigar. |
10 |
| 7 |  |
Portland is cooling off of late, going 4-4 in their last eight outings. Thankfully, their early season surge means that they are still second in the West. The sooner they can ink LaMarcus Aldridge to an extension, the better. |
5 |
| 8 |  |
A narrow loss in Memphis on Tuesday further proved that Kevin Durant can’t do it all by himself, and upcoming games against the Rockets and Warriors won’t make things easier. Reggie Jackson, still filling in for Russell Westbrook, is trying his best to help KD out. Jackson has improved his scoring average by 7.7 points, the biggest increase in the league over last season. |
6 |
| 9 |  |
Darren Collison continues to do a stand up job in his second stint filling in for an injured Chris Paul (his first came in New Orleans and ended with Collison finishing fourth in Rookie of the Year voting). The 26-year-old point man is averaging 18 points and six assists and shooting 66.7 percent in January. |
8 |
| 10 |  |
Three wins on the bounce have helped create some breathing room for Dallas at the bottom of the West playoff picture. Devin Harris’s return should help. The veteran is practicing again and hopes to make his debut soon, which would spell Monta Ellis from point guard duty. |
12 |
| 11 |  |
The Jazz surprisingly ended the Nuggets’ five-game winning streak, but with Eric Bledsoe’s injury clearly hampering the Suns Denver still has a shot at an eighth seed. The Nuggets should probably avoid playing Utah, however, as they’re 0-2 against the Jazz. |
11 |
| 12 |  |
Could Paul Milsap be an All Star? He’s averaging 19.2 points and nine rebounds a game since Al Horford’s injury. The Hawks recently surrendered the third spot in the East to the Raptors, but at least they seem to be having fun in London. |
14 |
| 13 |  |
No Rose, no Deng, no problem in Chicago, apparently. They’ve won five of six and climbed to sixth place in the Eastern Conference, largely due to the strong play of Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. |
16 |
| 14 |  |
The ghost of Leandro Barbosa nearly willed the Suns to victory at Madison Square Garden on Monday, but the Brazilian is no Eric Bledsoe and Phoenix is really missing their star, having dropped four of their last five games. |
9 |
| 15 |  |
The Timberwolves are 4-14 against teams with winning records and that won’t cut it if they want to make a playoff push. Kevin Love is getting frustrated and who can blame him? Minnesota’s inability to win a close contest is worrying. |
13 |
| 16 |  |
All it took was one full practice and Marc Gasol was deemed fit enough to return to the lineup. The Spaniard’s return inspired a narrow win over the Thunder on Tuesday in which his teammates really benefitted from his presence—none more so than Zach Randolph, who notched 23 points and 13 boards. Finally healthy, can Memphis make a playoff push? |
18 |
| 17 |  |
The Wizards are better on the road (10-10) than they are at home (7-9) this season, and John Wall’s comments after a win in Chicago were troubling. “It’s kind of hurting us that we don’t play as a team at home,” Wall said. Something has to give. |
15 |
| 18 |  |
Owing to their recent hot streaks, Brooklyn and New York are now fighting for the eighth playoff seed. Their meeting at Madison Square Garden on Monday should be nothing like the drab encounter from earlier this season. To the winner, go the spoils (the spoils being a first-round matchup against Indiana). |
22 |
| 19 |  |
Shoelace-gate and J.R. Smith continuing to dominate the headlines shouldn’t bug Mike Woodson too much. His team has won four of its last five and, after starting the season 3-13, could still end up in the playoffs. Oh, the Eastern Conference. |
23 |
| 20 |  |
After losing six games in a row, things got worse for the Pelicans when it was announced that Ryan Anderson would miss at least two months before doctor’s can assess whether he needs season-ending surgery. The injury bug has hit the Pelicans hard as Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday have both also missed time. When all three play together, New Orleans is 9-6. |
17 |
| 21 |  |
Can anyone figure out the Pistons? High-scoring wins against the 76ers and Suns this week will help build confidence but missing the playoffs is a real possibility if New York and Brooklyn continue to come on strong. |
20 |
| 22 |  |
The play of Kendalll Marshall is a bright spot. Sort of. Marshall is averaging 13.6 PPG and 11.2 APG in his last four starts, but the Lakers aren’t winning games. Having dropped five straight, the Lakers begin a seven-game road trip Wednesday night. Things are never boring in Hollywood. |
19 |
| 23 |  |
A win against a tired Knicks team put the brakes on a three-game skid, but the early-season optimism is fading. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist returned against New York, and with the second-year forward keeping Carmelo Anthony in check, Charlotte’s defence looked better than it has in weeks. |
21 |
| 24 |  |
Anthony Bennett’s PER of 1.1 is the lowest of any first-overall pick in the last 24 years. There have been mitigating factors—a shoulder injury heading into the season didn’t help—but Bennett needs to find his footing fast to prevent the ‘bust’ label from following him. |
25 |
| 25 |  |
The Kings had won three in a row prior to their loss in Indiana on Tuesday. They hit the road for their next five games before returning home to play those same Pacers. DeMarcus Cousins was named the Western Conference Player of the Week, which should help his All Star chances. |
29 |
| 26 |  |
Surprising wins over the Thunder and Nuggets have it looking like things are due to even out a bit in Salt Lake City. Alec Burks took a step out of coach Ty Corbin’s doghouse by filling in for an injured Gordon Hayward against Denver and putting up a career-high 34 points. |
28 |
| 27 |  |
After winning four games in a row, Philly lost four in a row to come right back down to earth. Initially torn between trying to win games and tanking, The Sixers are making the latter option seem more and more like the most prudent course of action. |
26 |
| 28 |  |
How many ways can a team lose a game? The Celtics seem intent on figuring out the answer to that painful question. They’ve lost nine in a row, though that run includes tight losses in Golden State and Portland. |
24 |
| 29 |  |
The season isn’t getting any prettier for the Magic faithful, as their team has now lost eight in a row. The good news? They’ve got a string of eight potentially winnable games before they come up against the suddenly elite Toronto Raptors. Is it time to start Victor Oladipo at point guard? |
27 |
| 30 |  |
All hope in Milwaukee really begins and ends with Giannis Antetokounmpo. The rookie’s exciting block on Kevin Durant was one of the highlights of another dire week. Though Ersan Ilyasova did manage one of his best games of the season against the Raptors, with 29 points and seven rebounds. |
30 |