Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers: Game Highlights (1:21)Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers: Game Highlights (1:21)
Group play for the 2025 NBA Cup ended Friday, with the knockout round matchups set to begin next week.
As we wait to crown a champion for the third annual in-season tournament, the regular season pushes on with teams surging and falling as we enter the holiday season.
In the East, three teams have been battling it out toward the top of the standings — the New York Knicks, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors — all under 3.5 games back from the Detroit Pistons, who have continued their dominating start to the season.
The Western Conference has also been a gauntlet so far for everyone but the defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder. Since LeBron James’ return, the Los Angeles Lakers have surged back to No. 2 in the West with a 5-1 record. However, their crosstown rivals, the LA Clippers, have slipped significantly, riding a five-game losing streak and winning only two games in November.
Will the start of the holiday festivities lift some of these lowly teams? Our NBA insiders check in for the first Power Rankings of December.
Note: Team rankings are based on where members of our panel (ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Dave McMenamin, Jamal Collier, Kevin Pelton, Michael C. Wright, Ohm Youngmisuk, Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon, Vincent Goodwill and Zach Kram) think teams belong this season.
Recognition is coming for the conference-leading Pistons, with Cade Cunningham named East Player of the Month and J.B. Bickerstaff named East Coach of the Month. Here’s one more possible individual acknowledgment in Detroit: Isaiah Stewart’s candidacy for Defensive Player of the Year. Stewart is sixth in blocks despite playing 22.5 minutes per game and is first in defending shots at the rim. (Opposing players shoot just 44% on nearly five attempts per night against him.) — Vincent Goodwill
Injuries, especially to Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun, have taken a devastating toll on Denver’s defense. The Nuggets rank last in defensive efficiency in the five games since Gordon suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain, allowing 127.3 points per 100 possessions in that span. Denver’s defensive rating is 105.0 with Gordon on the floor and 119.4 without him, and he’s going to miss at least four to six weeks. — Tim MacMahon
Monday’s dispiriting 125-108 loss to the Suns dropped L.A.’s record to 4-4 against teams that are currently .500 or better, as the Lakers’ 15-5 overall record has largely been built against the league’s lower-tier teams. That will make their next four games — Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia and San Antonio are a combined 52-31 — all the more revelatory as to just how good the Lakers really are. — Dave McMenamin
Miami has won seven of its past eight games as Tyler Herro works his way into the new Heat offense, averaging 24.7 points in four games since returning on Nov. 24. He has also hit 13 3-pointers combined in his past three games. Friday will provide a good test for Herro and the Heat as they face Orlando for the first of two games in five days, with the latter being the NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup. — Ohm Youngmisuk
Sparked by Desmond Bane’s buzzer-beater on Nov. 10, the Magic and their prized offseason addition have found their rhythm. Bane has been on fire, scoring 37 points in consecutive wins over Detroit and Chicago. The Magic, who are 7-2 without Paolo Banchero (left groin strain), have won nine of their past 11. But the schedule gets tougher for Orlando, with matchups against San Antonio and at New York before two with Miami — including next week’s NBA Cup quarterfinal. — Youngmisuk
The Raptors have hit a rough patch following a nine-game winning streak. They needed a last-second jumper from Brandon Ingram to beat Indiana, then dropped both ends of a back-to-back in Charlotte and New York. Toronto is feeling the loss of RJ Barrett, who injured his right knee before Thanksgiving. Barrett doesn’t lead the Raptors in any major statistical categories, but his all-around production has been crucial. — Zach Kram
After losing its first seven games against teams with winning records, Minnesota finally won its first two games against above-.500 opponents, defeating the Celtics and Spurs over the weekend. Despite a bumpy first six weeks, the Timberwolves find themselves in the thick of the West playoff picture, and after Tuesday’s OT win over New Orleans they are on pace for 50 wins for the second time in three years and just the sixth time in franchise history. — Tim Bontemps
Joel Embiid took the court Sunday for the first time in three weeks, playing a season-high 30 minutes in Philadelphia’s wild double-overtime loss to Atlanta. But Embiid was ruled out of Tuesday’s game against the Wizards, continuing his uncertain day-to-day status due to ongoing issues with both knees. It’s a safe bet that Embiid’s status will continue to vacillate, something the star center has admitted to in the preseason. — Bontemps
After racing out to a 6-1 record, the Bulls have dropped 10 of their past 13 games and are in the midst of a four-game losing streak, including three losses to teams destined for the top of the draft lottery (New Orleans, Charlotte, Indiana). Both ends of the floor are to blame. The Bulls rank 22nd in offensive efficiency and 23rd on defense since that promising start. — Collier
The Bucks got close to full strength with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Porter Jr. returning to the lineup last week. Still, they dropped a disappointing game against the Wizards on Monday, Milwaukee’s eighth loss in the past nine games. The Bucks are currently on the outside of the East’s playoff picture, with a tough week coming up featuring a pair of games against first-place Detroit and a matchup with the Sixers. — Collier
Third-year guard Keyonte George is an early candidate for the Most Improved Player award. He’s averaging 22.8 points and 6.9 assists per game while shooting 44.6% from the floor, significant bumps from last season’s numbers (16.8 points, 5.7 assists, 39.1% shooting). George has solidified himself as the Jazz’s starting point guard, a role he lost last season, and given reason to believe he can be a long-term part of the team’s core. — MacMahon
The Clippers have lost 14 of their past 16 games, their most recent coming against a player they traded away in the offseason, Norman Powell, who scored 30 points on them in a game the Heat broke wide open with a 30-2 run. And the Clippers might not have reached rock bottom yet: Their next four games are on the road in Atlanta, Memphis, Minnesota and Houston. — McMenamin
Indiana has doubled its win total over the past week and has generally enjoyed more competitive play as of late. The Pacers started 1-13 with a minus-14.6 net rating but are 3-4 with a plus-2.4 net rating since. One key reason has been the play of center Jay Huff, who has scored in double figures in six of those seven games, making 41.5% of his 3-point attempts in that span. — Kram
Khris Middleton turned back the clock against Milwaukee on Monday to help beat his former team, but his first 15 games haven’t provided Washington much hope of extracting value in a potential midseason trade. The 34-year-old three-time All-Star is averaging just 10.1 points on middling efficiency, and his $33 million salary would limit the number of teams with the flexibility to add him. A buyout seems more likely than a trade at this point. — Kram
Jalen Williams averaged nearly five attempted 3s per game last season. In his first three games back after a right wrist injury, he has shot a total of five 3s. The Thunder were patient with the late stages of Williams’ rehab and he has overall performed positively, including this do-everything stat line in a win over the Blazers: 16 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks. But his volume and accuracy from long range using his healed right wrist will be worth monitoring in the weeks and months ahead. — Anthony Slater
The Jazz snapped Houston’s five-game road win streak Monday, but in defeat, Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun became the third duo this season to score 30 points apiece in the same game, according to ESPN Research. The performance marked Durant’s sixth 30-point showing of this season and Sengun tied a career high in assists with 14. Winners of eight of their past 10 outings, the Rockets will host Sacramento and Phoenix before hitting the road for Dallas on the second night of a back-to-back. — Michael C. Wright
When things are quiet, the Knicks can do their best work — or at least look like last year’s team on offense after a choppy start. More pick-and-rolls for Jalen Brunson and more opportunities for Karl-Anthony Towns in space have won New York five of the past seven games. Brunson’s past five games: 29.3 points, 5.7 assists on 50/37/86 splits. OG Anunoby is back to on-court work after missing seven straight games, but no return is imminent. Even without him, the Knicks are back to third in the league in offensive rating — a half-step above last year’s torrid numbers. — Goodwill
Young stars Victor Wembanyama (calf strain) and Stephon Castle (hip flexor strain) remain out, but both are back on the practice court. The organization hasn’t provided any official updates, but there’s optimism for Wembanyama and Castle to start ramping up soon to rejoin their teammates, who have gone 6-2 without the Frenchman thanks to De’Aaron Fox’s recent burst. The guard has scored at least 25 points in seven of the past eight games. San Antonio faces Los Angeles on Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup to close a four-game road trip. — Wright
It might be time to start considering Collin Gillespie’s case for Most Improved Player this season. The third-year point guard’s scoring has increased from 5.9 points to 13.4 points per game; his assists have more than doubled from 2.4 to 5.0 per game; and his rebounds (2.4 to 3.8) and steals (0.6 to 1.2) are also on the rise. He’s also shooting a career-best 44.2% on 3-pointers, which he showcased Monday with an 8-for-14 performance from 3 en route to a career-high 28 points in a rout of the Lakers.– McMenamin