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NBA Power Rankings: First Impressions of All 22 Teams in the Bubble – Sports Illustrated

Published

4 years ago

August 4, 2020

Where does each NBA team stand after the restart? Here is our latest power rankings.

We’re approaching our second week of seeding games in the NBA bubble, and the quality of play has been surprisingly high after over four months off. The Bucks, Lakers and Clippers still look like title favorites, while the Rockets and Raptors continue to make their case as true contenders for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Perhaps the NBA didn’t need to invite 22 teams to the bubble, but the product hasn’t suffered despite the expansive field. A strong slate of seeding games should pave the way for a fascinating playoffs.

So where do things stand after the first week of seeding games? Check out The Crossover’s latest crop of power rankings below.

22. Washington Wizards

Washington isn’t completely lacking in intriguing young pieces despite being the worst team in the NBA bubble. Gonzaga product Rui Hachimura has a semblance of All-Star potential, and center Thomas Bryant has continued his impressive offensive season in Orlando. Bryant dropped 30 points on the Nets on Sunday, and he added an additional 20 in Monday’s loss to Indiana. Washington has a pair of intriguing frontcourt pieces for its next generation.

21. Brooklyn Nets

Things could get seriously ugly for Jacque Vaughn’s crew on Tuesday. The Nets will take the floor with Caris LeVert, Joe Harris and center Jarrett Allen all out of the lineup, decimating Brooklyn’s skeleton crew to an alarming degree. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks will be licking their chops from the opening tip on Tuesday. You can’t make the point spread high enough for this one.

20. Sacramento Kings

The Kings aren’t sniffing the playoffs anytime soon if they can’t step up their defensive performance in Orlando. They’ve allowed 261 points in their first two games, and their backcourt was shredded by Markelle Fultz and Terrence Ross on Sunday. De’Aaron Fox said Sacramento was being disrespected entering the NBA bubble, and the dynamic young point guard has held up his end of the bargain thus far. The rest of the Kings haven’t exactly been up to the task.

19. San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs’ young backcourt has struggled to a degree in 2019-20, limiting optimism surrounding the next iteration of the franchise. Perhaps the eight games in Orlando will help stem the concern. Derrick White has stood out through three contests, tallying 52 points and 15 assists as the Spurs look to keep their two-decade playoff streak alive. Even if San Antonio falls short, additional development for White, Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker could make San Antonio’s excursion to Orlando a valuable trip.

18. Phoenix Suns

The Suns were lambasted to a degree for drafting Cam Johnson with the No. 11 pick last year, but the North Carolina product has been a solid contributor in 2019-20. Johnson came up clutch in Sunday’s win over the Mavericks, scoring 19 points while adding 12 rebounds. Phoenix’s young core is certainly intriguing, and there are legitimate playoff aspirations in 2021. Johnson could be an impactful piece for the Suns as they attempt to kick-start a new era.

17. New Orleans Pelicans

Zion Williamson’s efficiency continues to impress even if his fitness doesn’t. The 2019 No. 1 pick scored 13 points in 15 minutes in his Orlando debut, and he scored 23 points in 25 minutes on Tuesday. Williamson is an offensive terror in every respect. He’s a transition menace and a low-post force, and he’s an inventive interior passer to boot. Reaching the playoffs in 2020 is almost immaterial. Seeing Williamson’s growth in Orlando has only heightened the expectations for the Pelicans heading into the next decade.

16. Orlando Magic

Get well soon, Jonathan Issac. Orlando’s young forward suffered a torn ACL on Sunday, hurting the same knee he did on Jan. 1. Issac is a legitimate All-Defense candidate when healthy, and he’s emerged as the most promising piece in Orlando’s crowded rotation. The Magic can still compete in the NBA bubble without Issac, but a playoff appearance is all-but-guaranteed to end in the first round. Let’s hope to see Issac back with the Magic’s young core sooner than later in 2021.

15. Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies should still hold onto the No. 8 seed ahead of the play-in contest(s), though we shouldn’t pencil them in for a first-round battle with the Lakers. Ja Morant has struggled from the field in two of Memphis’ three contests, and the Grizzlies defense has been anything but stout. Taylor Jenkins can’t like the way his team is trending as we approach the second week of action in Orlando.

Mike Ehrmann/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports

14. Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers’ center rotation is now well stocked with the additions of Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins, but Portland remains weak in its wing rotation. Perhaps Gary Trent Jr. can be of some assistance. The second-year forward posted a game-best plus-20 against Memphis on July 31, and he added 21 points with seven threes against Boston on Sunday. Carmelo Anthony is little more than a stationary shooter. Mario Hezonja is never the answer. Trent’s role should only grow in the coming weeks.

13. Indiana Pacers

Welcome to Orlando, T.J. Warren! The former Suns forward has been on an absolute tear in his first two contests, combining for 86 points on 61.8% shooting. Warren has expanded his range to a serious degree in recent years, and he’s never been shy as an isolation scorer. The Pacers continue to face hurdles in 2019-20, battling injuries to both Victor Oradipo and Domantas Sabonis. Warren’s strong play may prove to be more than a silver lining. Don’t count the Pacers out in round one quite yet.

12. Dallas Mavericks

Dallas’ historic offense may not amount to much if the Mavericks keep facing the same crunch-time woes. The Mavericks blew a seven-point lead against Houston with less than a minute to play on Friday night, and they lost a double-digit halftime lead to the Suns two nights later. Perhaps lightening Luka Doncic’s playmaking load in the first three quarters could help preserve the Slovenian sensation late. It’s hard to see Dallas escaping the first round of the playoffs if it continues its current crunch-time play.

11. Utah Jazz

The Jazz will need to use Donovan Mitchell as a high-usage leading man to extend their stay in Orlando, but Utah’s young star hasn’t exactly gotten off to a hot start. Mitchell went just 11-29 from the floor in his first two seeding games, and he fumbled his way to four turnovers in a blowout loss to the Thunder on Saturday. Mike Conley isn’t the same player he once was. Jordan Clarkson and Emmanuel Mudiay don’t scream reliability. Mitchell has quite the burden on his shoulders once again in 2020.

10. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder’s three-headed monster in the backcourt is a true problem for opponents, yet Oklahoma City could face serious trouble if it has to wade deep into its wing rotation. Luguentz Dort struggled mightily from the field on Monday vs. Denver, and Billy Donovan relies heavily on Darius Bazley and Hamidou Diallo. Oklahoma City is quite the dangerous first-round opponent. It’s still a few bodies away from sniffing the Finals.

9. Philadelphia 76ers

Shake Milton has been a revelation for Philadelphia in 2019-20, and not just because of his game-winning jumper on Tuesday night. The SMU product has canned 44.9% of threes in 2019-20, and he’s looked comfortable as Philly’s starting point guard in the latter part of the season. The Sixers are betting big on Ben Simmons’ move to the four. Milton’s performance will be critical to its success.

8. Miami Heat

Will the Heat’s young core run into a wall in round one? Kendrick Nunn struggled mightily against Toronto’s dynamic backcourt on Monday, and Duncan Robinson was additionally bottled. We entered the season assuming Miami didn’t have enough firepower outside of Jimmy Butler. Those concerns could prove to be prescient as possessions tighten in the postseason.

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Abdel Nader — Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

7. Denver Nuggets

We’ve been clamoring for Michael Porter Jr. to earn more minutes for much of the season, and the Missouri product proved why once again on Monday. Porter dropped 37 points in a win over Chris Paul and Thunder, shooting 12-16 from the field and 4-6 from three. Porter’s jumper is as silky as they come. His feel in the pick-and-roll is more mature than originally assumed. Unleashing MPJ is Mike Malone’s best chance at raising the Nuggets’ ceiling.

6. Boston Celtics

Gordon Hayward’s playmaking load is dampened alongside a deep cast of scorers, though we shouldn’t discount his impact. The former Jazz forward is Boston’s best pick-and-roll passer, sporting an impressive feel as he snakes in and out of the lane. Hayward scored 17 points and added six assists in a loss to Milwaukee on July 31. He scored 22 points in Sunday’s win over Portland. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown drive Boston’s offense, and rightfully so. But when the Celtics’ young wings struggle, Hayward could pick up the slack in a major way.

5. Houston Rockets

The Rockets continue to break every convention imaginable, and their unorthodox ways have paid off thus far in Orlando. Houston’s small-ball defense thrived down the stretch against Milwaukee on Sunday, wreaking havoc in passing and driving lanes. James Harden and Russell Westbrook are currently firing on all cylinders. Houston’s collection of wings is providing a stream of quality contributions. No other team in the West can challenge the Los Angeles juggernauts quite like the Rockets.

4. Toronto Raptors

The Raptors buzz is growing to a fever pitch as the playoffs approach, and for good reason. Perhaps Toronto doesn’t sport an All-NBA leading man, but there are few teams with more legitimate scoring options in a given night. Fred VanVleet and Kyle Lowry seem to be trading off dominant performances in Orlando. Pascal Siakam appears ready to continue his breakout campaign. Nick Nurse didn’t win Coach of the Year in 2019-20, yet he’ll happily take a second ring instead. The possibility is greater than many assumed heading into the NBA restart.

3. Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers remain the deepest team in Orlando even as they battle a stream of interruptions in Orlando. They have plenty of wings and guards to match the Rockets, and their All-NBA duo will decimate any of Utah, Denver, Oklahoma City or Dallas. But do the Clippers have the size to contain LeBron and the Lakers? Ivica Zubac and perhaps even Joakim Noah will be counted on in a major way as October approaches.

2. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers were blitzed by the Raptors on Saturday night as Toronto exposed what is perhaps Los Angeles’ greatest flaw. Kyle Lowry and Toronto’s collection of playmakers saw little resistance from the Lakers backcourt, feasting against a depleted unit in a 107-92 victory. Perhaps this is a bit nitpicky of a criticism considering Los Angeles’ top-end talent, but there are legitimate deficiencies at guard. Consider the Lakers a flawed favorite in the West.

1. Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee remains the favorite in the East, though it still needs a healthy dose of Eric Bledsoe to avoid an upset before the Finals. The Bucks struggled to function without a secondary ball-handler alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo down the stretch against Houston, and similar problems could emerge in a series against the Raptors. Antetokounmpo and Co. have been a juggernaut for much of the season. But they aren’t exactly invulnerable. Mike Budenholzer will need his full complement of players to ensure a run to the Finals.

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NHL roundup: Hurricanes beat Flyers 6-4 for seventh straight win

Published

4 hours ago

November 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Martin Necas scored a go-ahead goal with 29 seconds left and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-4 on Tuesday night.

It was the seventh straight win for the Hurricanes, who also got goals from Jack Roslovic, Jordan Martinook, Eric Robinson and Jackson Blake. Seth Jarvis added an empty-net goal in the final seconds.

Necas typically saves his game-winners for overtime, with nine in his career, but he was able to take care of business in regulation with his team-best seventh goal of the season.

Travis Konecny scored two goals and had two assists for the Flyers. Morgan Frost and Owen Tippett also scored for Philadelphia.

Aleksei Kolosov made 28 saves for the Flyers, who trailed 2-1, 3-1 and 4-3 but kept coming back. Carolina’s Pyotr Kochetkov struggled in net allowing four goals on just 16 shots.

Elsewhere in the NHL on Tuesday:

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SABRES 5 SENATORS 1

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Bowen Byram and Tage Thompson scored 16 seconds apart to open the third period, and Buffalo snapped a three-game skid with a win over Ottawa.

Byram scored twice, JJ Peterka had two goals and an assist and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 37 saves.

Ridly Greig converted his own rebound in cutting Buffalo’s lead to 2-1 with 7:31 left in the second period. Linus Ullmark made 29 saves in dropping to 1-4 in his past five starts.

Buffalo went up 3-1 on Byram’s second goal 21 seconds into the third period. The defenceman’s shot from inside the blue line sneaked through Ullmark, with the puck rolling down the goalie’s pad, dropping into the crease and trickling across the line. Thompson scored when he crashed the net, was knocked over by defender Jake Sanderson and was lying in the crease when Alex Tuch’s shot went in off his shoulder.

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MAPLE LEAFS 4 BRUINS 0

TORONTO (AP) — Anthony Stolarz made 29 saves for his first shutout of the season in Toronto’s 4-0 victory over Boston.

Morgan Rielly had a goal and two assists as Toronto connected three times on the power play. William Nylander and Matthew Knies added a goal and an assist each. Mitch Marner had two assists of his own. Steven Lorentz rounded out the scoring into the empty net.

The Leafs played without captain Auston Matthews, who is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Jeremy Swayman made 23 stops for Boston, which was coming off consecutive weekend shutouts of the Philadelphia Flyers and Seattle Kraken.

Toronto’s porous 31st-ranked power play scored for the second time in as many games at 8:44 of the second period when Rielly fired through a screen. Nylander banked in his team-leading 10th goal of the season on another man advantage 1:14 later for a 2-0 lead.

The Bruins entered the game 8-0-0 in the regular season against their Atlantic Division rival dating back to Jan. 14, 2023.

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FLAMES 3 CANADIENS 2 (OT)

MONTREAL (AP) — Matt Coronato scored twice as Calgary came back to defeat Montreal in overtime.

Coronato tied the game with 2:46 remaining in regulation when he cruised into the slot and went off the post and in. He then buried the winning goal seven seconds into the extra period.

Connor Zary also scored for Calgary, which won its second game in seven outings. Dustin Wolf stopped 21 shots.

Joel Armia — with a short-handed goal — and Brendan Gallagher scored for Montreal (4-7-2). Armia also provided an assist, while Sam Montembeault made 32 saves as the Canadiens’ losing streak extended to four games.

Zary opened the scoring with his third 4:20 into the second period when he pounced on a loose puck in the slot and fired a shot past Montembeault.

Gallagher then slipped the puck between Wolf’s pads at 16:23 to level the score with his fifth of the season.

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BLUES 3 LIGHTNING 2

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jordan Kyrou, Alexey Toropchenko and Oskar Sundqvist scored to help St. Louis beat Tampa Bay 3-2.

Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington made 21 saves for his 149th career win moving him past Jake Allen for second place in franchise history, just two wins behind Mike Liut’s 151.

Nick Perbix and Victor Hedman scored, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves for the Lightning who have lost three straight games.

Kyrou scored his fourth goal of the season 8:51 into the third period to give St. Louis a 3-1 lead.

Toropchenko scored his first goal of the season with 1:35 remaining in the second period to put St. Louis ahead 2-1 after Sundqvist tied the game with his first of the season 7:47 into the period.

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ISLANDERS 4 PENGUINS 3 (SO)

NEW YORK (AP) — Bo Horvat scored the only goal in a shootout and New York rallied past Pittsburgh 4-3.

New York goalie Ilya Sorokin denied Rickard Rakell, Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang in the shootout and finished with 32 saves. Kyle Palmieri had a goal and an assist for the Islanders, who trailed 3-1 midway through the third period.

Simon Holmstrom and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored in the third for New York. Horvat had two assists.

Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist to lead Pittsburgh. Crosby got his 598th career goal, and Michael Bunting also scored. Rakell added two assists.

Alex Nedeljkovich stopped 23 shots for the Penguins, who have lost seven of nine. They won their previous two following a six-game skid.

—

KINGS 5 WILD 1

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Trevor Lewis scored twice, Kevin Fiala added another on the power play and Los Angeles beat Minnesota 5-1.

Warren Foegele and Quinton Byfield also scored for Los Angeles, which was playing the second night of a back-to-back after a 3-0 win in Nashville a night earlier. David Rittich made 23 saves for the Kings.

Fiala, who was traded to Los Angeles in 2022 by Minnesota for a first-round pick draft pick and defenceman Brock Faber, scored his seventh goal of the season. He now has three goals and six assists in his last seven games against the Wild.

Minnesota, which had won three in a row, opened the scoring in the second period on Zach Bogosian’s first goal of the season. Goaltender Filip Gustavsson stopped 23 shots for the Wild.

—

JETS 3 UTAH 0

WINNIPEG, Man. (AP) — Nino Niederreiter scored twice in his 900th NHL career game and Connor Hellebuyck made 21 saves to help Winnipeg defeat Utah 3-0.

It was Hellebuyck’s second shutout of the season and 39th of this career.

Gabriel Vilardi also scored for the Jets. Adam Lowry assisted on both goals by Niederreiter.

Utah ended a run of picking up points in three consecutive games (1-0-2).

Karel Vejmelka stopped 25 shots for Utah in its second stop on a four-game road trip.

Jets winger Kyle Connor had his franchise-record, season-opening points streak end at 12 games.

—

AVALANCHE 6 KRAKEN 3

DENVER (AP) — Arturri Lehkonen scored the go-ahead goal on a power play in his season debut and Nathan MacKinnon had five assists as Colorado beat Seattle 6-3.

Mikko Rantanen added two goals for the Avalanche, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Ivan Ivan, Nikolai Kovalenko and Chris Wagner also scored for Colorado.

Cale Makar had two assists but the star defenceman barely played in the second half of the game and appeared to be slowed by an apparent injury during a brief shift.

MacKinnon and Makar extended their season-opening point streaks to 13 games.

Lehkonen played for the first time since off-season shoulder surgery.

Jared McCann, Jaden Schwartz and Brandon Montour scored for the Kraken.

—

CANUCKS 5 DUCKS 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Brock Boeser, Danton Heinen and Kiefer Sherwood had a goal and an assist apiece, and Quinn Hughes recorded his 300th career assist in Vancouver’s victory over Anaheim.

Jake DeBrusk and Elias Pettersson also scored and Hughes had three assists for the Canucks, who have won six of eight. Kevin Lankinen made 21 saves in Vancouver’s sixth consecutive win over the Ducks.

Olen Zellweger scored a power-play goal early in the first period for Anaheim, which has lost seven of nine. Lukas Dostal stopped 31 shots.

Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko took shots from teammates again after the morning skate, and he could return to practice this week. The Southern California native and 2023-24 Vezina Trophy finalist hasn’t played this season due to a knee injury incurred late last season.

—

SHARKS 2 BLUE JACKETS 1 (OT)

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Alex Wennberg scored 3:11 into overtime and San Jose celebrated the return of No. 1 overall draft pick Macklin Celebrini with a win over Columbus.

Defenceman Jack Thompson scored his first career goal for the Sharks (4-8-2), who entered the night with the worst record in the NHL. San Jose has won four of five.

Celebrini, the top pick in the 2024 NHL draft, missed 12 games with a hip injury he sustained in the season opener Oct. 10 — an injury first incurred during the pre-season. Celebrini didn’t score and missed a shot early in overtime.

San Jose goalie Vitek Vanacek was fantastic in net, making 49 saves.

Blue Jackets right wing Kirill Marchenko scored for the second consecutive game. Columbus (5-6-1) has lost three straight.

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Canada’s Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Routliffe pick up second win at WTA Finals

Published

1 day ago

November 5, 2024

Anne Joseph

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe remain undefeated in women’s doubles at the WTA Finals.

The 2023 U.S. Open champions, seeded second at the event, secured a 1-6, 7-6 (1), (11-9) super-tiebreak win over fourth-seeded Italians Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in round-robin play on Tuesday.

The season-ending tournament features the WTA Tour’s top eight women’s doubles teams.

Dabrowski and Routliffe lost the first set in 22 minutes but levelled the match by breaking Errani’s serve three times in the second, including at 6-5. They clinched victory with Routliffe saving a match point on her serve and Dabrowski ending Errani’s final serve-and-volley attempt.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will next face fifth-seeded Americans Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk on Thursday, where a win would secure a spot in the semifinals.

The final is scheduled for Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Nov. 5, 2024.

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Allen nets shutout as Devils burn Oilers 3-0

Published

2 days ago

November 4, 2024

Anne Joseph

EDMONTON – Jake Allen made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season and 26th of his career as the New Jersey Devils closed out their Western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.

Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier also scored for the Devils (8-5-2) who have won three of their last four on the heels on a four-game losing skid.

The Oilers (6-6-1) had their modest two-game winning streak snapped.

Calvin Pickard made 13 stops between the pipes for Edmonton.

TAKEAWAYS

Devils: In addition to his goal, Bratt picked up his 12th assist of the young season to give him nine points in his last eight games and now 15 points overall. Nico Hischier remains in the team lead, picking up an assist of his own to give him 16 points for the campaign. He has a point in all but four games this season.

Oilers: Forward Leon Draisaitl was held pointless after recording six points in his previous two games and nine points in his previous four. Draisaitl usually has strong showings against the Devils, coming into the contest with an eight-game point streak against New Jersey and 11 goals in 17 games.

KEY MOMENT

New Jersey took a 2-0 lead on the power play with 3:26 remaining in the second period as Hischier made a nice feed into the slot to Bratt, who wired his third of the season past Pickard.

KEY RETURN?

Oilers star forward and captain Connor McDavid took part in the optional morning skate for the Oilers, leading to hopes that he may be back sooner rather than later. McDavid has been expected to be out for two to three weeks with an ankle injury suffered during the first shift of last Monday’s loss in Columbus.

OILERS DEAL FOR D-MAN

The Oilers have acquired defenceman Ronnie Attard from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenceman Ben Gleason.

The 6-foot-3 Attard has spent the past three season in the Flyers organization seeing action in 29 career games. The 25-year-old right-shot defender and Western Michigan University grad was originally selected by Philadelphia in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Attard will report to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.

UP NEXT

Devils: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

Oilers: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.

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