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.
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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.
NAPA, Calif. (AP) — David Lipsky shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday at Silverado Country Club to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Procore Championship.
Winless in 104 events since joining the PGA Tour in 2022, Lipsky went out with the early groups and had eight birdies with one bogey to kick off the FedEx Cup Fall series at the picturesque course in the heart of Napa Valley wine country.
After missing the cut in his three previous tournaments, Lipsky flew from Las Vegas to Arizona to reunite with his college coach at Northwestern to get his focus back. He also spent time playing with some of the Northwestern players, which helped him relax.
“Just being around those guys and seeing how carefree they are, not knowing what’s coming for them yet, it’s sort of nice to see that,” Lipsky said. “I was almost energized by their youthfulness.”
Patton Kizzire and Mark Hubbard were a stroke back. Kizzire started on the back nine and made a late run with three consecutive birdies to move into a tie for first. A bogey on No. 8 dropped him back.
“There was a lot of good stuff out there today,” Kizzire said. “I stayed patient and just went through my routines and played well, one shot at a time. I’ve really bee working hard on my mental game and I think that allowed me to rinse and repeat and reset and keep playing.”
Mark Hubbard was at 67. He had nine birdies but fell off the pace with a bogey and triple bogey on back-to-back holes.
Kevin Dougherty also was in the group at 67. He had two eagles and ended his afternoon by holing out from 41 yards on the 383-yard, par-4 18th.
Defending champion Sahith Theegala had to scramble for much of his round of 69.
Wyndham Clark, who won the U.S. Open in 2023 and the AT&T at Pebble Beach in February, had a 70.
Max Homa shot 71. The two-time tournament champion and a captain’s pick for the President’s Cup in two weeks had two birdies and overcame a bogey on the par-4 first.
Stewart Cink, the 2020 winner, also opened with a 71. He won The Ally Challenge last month for his first PGA Tour Champions title.
Three players from the Presidents Cup International team had mix results. Min Woo Lee shot 68, Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., 69 and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., 73. International team captain Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., also had a 69.
Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., had a 68, Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., shot 70 and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., had a 71.
Lipsky was a little shaky off the tee for much of the afternoon but made up for it with steady iron play that left him in great shape on the greens. He had one-putts on 11 holes and was in position for a bigger day but left five putts short.
Lipsky’s only real problem came on the par-4 ninth when his approach sailed into a bunker just shy of the green. He bounced back nicely with five birdies on his back nine. After missing a 19-foot putt for birdie on No. 17, Lipsky ended his day with a 12-foot par putt.
That was a big change from last year when Lipsky tied for 30th at Silverado when he drove the ball well but had uneven success on the greens.
“Sometimes you have to realize golf can be fun, and I think I sort of forgot that along the way as I’m grinding it out,” Lipsky said. “You’ve got to put things in perspective, take a step back. Sort of did that and it seems like it’s working out.”
Laird stayed close after beginning his day with a bogey on the par-4 10th. The Scot got out of the sand nicely but pushed his par putt past the hole.
Homa continued to have issues off the tee and missed birdie putts on his final four holes.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic is moving on to the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open.
The Mississauga, Ont., native defeated the tournament top seed, Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) in the round of 16 on Thursday.
Stakusic faced a 0-4 deficit in the third and final set before marching back into the match.
The 19-year-old won five of the next six games to even it up before exchanging games to force a tiebreaker, where Stakusic took complete control to win the match.
Stakusic had five aces with 17 double faults in the three-hour, four-minute match.
However, she converted eight of her 18 break-point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
PARIS (AP) — French judicial authorities are investigating the disappearance of two Paralympic athletes from Congo who recently competed in the Paris Games, the prosecutor’s office in the Paris suburb of Bobigny confirmed on Thursday.
Prosecutors opened the investigation on Sept. 7, after members of the athletes’ delegation warned authorities of their disappearance two days before.
Le Parisien newspaper reported that shot putter Mireille Nganga and Emmanuel Grace Mouambako, a visually impaired sprinter who was accompanied by a guide, went missing on Sept. 5, along with a third person.
The athletes’ suitcases were also gone but their passports remained with the Congolese delegation, according to an official with knowledge of the investigation, who asked to remain anonymous as they were not allowed to speak publicly about the case.
The Paralympic Committee of the Democratic Republic of Congo did not respond to requests for information from The Associated Press.
Nganga — who recorded no mark in the seated javelin and shot put competitions — and Mouambako were Congo’s flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games, organizers said.
