All times Eastern, DeMar DeRozan is averaging a career high in assists (6.6), true shooting percentage (60.7%) and free throw percentage (88.4%) and has nearly as many 3-pointers this season (14) as he had in his first two years combined in San Antonio (16). While the old Giannis would probably go all-out to get the top spot once more, the 26-year-old forward now doesn’t mind having a lower seed as long as his team reaches its full potential. 2020-21 record: 9-9 2020-21 record: 5-15 The reigning NBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year is talking about the Bucks’ disappointing playoff exits over the past two years. Miami Heat Having revealed that he found out about Giannis signing his extension on social media just like all Bucks fans, Lasry gave a peek into their innerworkings of how the … At least they're healthier than a week ago. -- MacMahon, 3. Memphis Grizzlies -- Woodyard, LeBron drains 2 clutch 3-pointers to seal Lakers' 2OT win (0:40), NBA Power Rankings: The Bucks are back; LeBron plays hero, 'You're the point guard': Kyrie, Harden settle roles, KD has 20 in return to the Bay as Nets rout Dubs, NBA warns LeBron, Kuzma for flopping vs. Grizz, Sources: Knicks' Robinson (hand) out 4-6 weeks, Giannis: Red-hot Jazz 'best team in the West', Harden apologizes for how Rockets tenure ended, Hawks' Young fined $20K for protesting no-call, Sue Bird celebrates as Carmelo Anthony announces son Kiyan's high school hoop dreams, Inside the numbers: Luka, Zion light it up in offensive explosion, How the East can ruin the Nets' title plans. -- Bontemps, 20. 2020-21 record: 11-12 Philadelphia 76ers Washington Wizards Cleveland Cavaliers Giannis Antetokounmpo said the Utah Jazz are the "best team in the West" after a 129-115 victory over his Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Meanwhile, T.J. McConnell made franchise history in Friday's loss with 9 points and 15 assists in 28 minutes off the bench, the most assists ever by a Pacers bench player. And he's doing it all while playing only 30.9 minutes per game this season. 2020-21 record: 9-15 The biggest reason is they execute well in close games, going 5-4 in clutch-time contests with a ridiculous offensive rating of 127.1 and a net rating of plus-27.1. Golden State Warriors Detroit, however, was 6.5 points per 100 possessions worse offensively with Rose on the court than off it this season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander apparently learned a thing or two from Chris Paul on how to close, ranking in the top 15 of most clutch-time categories this season. Giannis was Playing Well in Game 4. Such is life for a young, promising team learning to put together a full 48-minute game against the league's elite. Big men James Wiseman (wrist), Kevon Looney (ankle) and Eric Paschall (knee) have missed time. But defense and health have been an issue for the Nuggets, who lost two straight games. Previous: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7, 1. De'Aaron Fox was superb against the Clippers, dropping 36 points with seven assists and bringing his scoring average to 31 points over his past four games. 2020-21 record: 9-14 He's averaging career highs in rebounds per game (14.6), defensive rebounds per game (9.8) and offensive rebounds per game (4.8). Three big questions that will shape the NBA trade deadline, the superstar needing to quarantine a second time, Trail Blazers at Mavericks, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN, the Knicks reacquired after Sunday's loss to Miami, the Pistons agreed to send Derrick Rose to the Knicks. Toronto Raptors 2020-21 record: 10-14 Indiana Pacers -- Young, 7. Brooklyn Nets ORLANDO, Fla. — Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from a one-game absence because of a minor back injury and scored 22 points as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Orlando Magic 121-99 on Monday night. The first is whether the addition of Jrue Holiday and the development of Donte DiVincenzo gives them enough play-making to be more unpredictable on offense. Aside from more consistency from up and down the roster, the Warriors need to get healthy. On Sunday, the Pistons agreed to send Derrick Rose to the Knicks for Dennis Smith Jr. and a 2021 second-round pick. Rather, he wants Milwaukee to play its basketball when it matters the most in the end, (per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard). Previous ranking: 1, Even after a 124-120 loss at Brooklyn on Tuesday, the Clippers were in a groove. 2020-21 record: 11-13 -- Young, 13. -- MacMahon, 18. 2020-21 record: 12-11 Charlotte Hornets Previous ranking: 22, A daily sports betting news and information show (6-7 p.m. Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is out for Game 5 of the Milwaukee Bucks-Miami Heat series on Tuesday night, the team announced. Catch all the 2020-21 season action on ESPN, ABC and the ESPN App. The Milwaukee Bucks have won four straight games and are back within striking distance of the Eastern Conference's best record -- a mark they've owned in each of the past two seasons. 2020-21 record: 10-13 -- Lopez, 8. Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks have fallen behind 3-0 against the Miami Heat in the second round of the NBA playoffs. Although Golden State’s NBA Finals and postseason streaks are over, the team is reportedly extending its run of playing on Christmas Day. In the second overtime, LeBron James heats up from downtown as he drains two 3-pointers on Mason Plumlee. Kevin Durant's first game at Chase Center on Saturday night is the highlight of this week's slate. Minnesota Timberwolves Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo — entering the game averaging 27.1 points, 11.2 rebounds and five assists per game — was dominant as usual with … -- McMenamin, 2. Previous ranking: 15, It has been a career year so far for Hawks center Clint Capela in the rebounding department. Previous ranking: 13. Gary Harris could be out for an extended period and Jamal Murray did not play in Denver's loss to Sacramento. While they squeaked out a win at Miami, they also were blown out by the same Heat team and then clobbered by the Hornets two days later. -- Lopez, 21. 2020-21 record: 11-11 -- Woodyard, 6. Antetokounmpo posted 24 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists in Saturday's 124-99 win over Cleveland, which was his 11th 20-10-5 game this season, tying Denver's Nikola Jokic for the most in the NBA. Malik Monk carved up the Heat with 36 points in an overtime win on Monday. 2020-21 record: 12-10 In 96 minutes over the past seven contests (Adams missed one with a calf injury), the Pels' starting five has a net rating of plus-37.4 and an offensive rating of 137.4. New Orleans Pelicans The shout-out (the 1:22 mark, 1:35 in the music video): "I used to trap with the gangsters and clucks/Straight in the slums where they praying for luck/Like I'm Giannis, I play for them bucks." Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks claim they haven't yet hit their stride, but it was hard to tell during a 4-0 week that included a 20-point win over the Pacers on Wednesday. Dallas Mavericks Khris Middleton had 29 points and a career-high 12 assists, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and the Milwaukee Bucks won their fifth straight game by … Milwaukee had its five-game winning streak snapped despite getting a season-high 47 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t sign a free-agent deal with the Bulls during the 2021 offseason. "I want to improve from each game. MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the week through Feb. 7, the NBA announced Monday. The 26-point victory was Chicago's largest this season. Previous ranking: 17, In two games against the Bucks last week, the Cavs led by three at halftime in one and trailed by five at halftime in the other. Previous ranking: 19, The Knicks find themselves in a playoff spot a third of the way through the season -- a better result than anyone reasonably could've expected. MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo is staying with the Bucks for another five years! Technically, the Nets are 4-2 when their star trio plays, but that includes Thursday's game, in which Durant didn't start, then had to leave early. -- Lopez, 11. After signing Giannis to a supermax extension and adding some key pieces in the offseason, the Bucks are once again considered as one of the top dogs in the conference. The Bucks beat the Heat 118-115 in overtime without their best player for more than three quarters. • Trail Blazers at Mavericks, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN 2020-21 record: 12-10 2020-21 record: 17-7 Giannis Antetokounmpo is learning from the Milwaukee Bucks’ mistakes over the last two seasons. -- Bontemps, 5. Jackson’s story sounds like the ongoing tale of Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis Antentekoumpo. We're learning to play off of each other." 2020-21 record: 11-14 Which player has the early lead in the NBA's MVP race? Kleber is arguably Dallas' best defender and the most accurate 3-point shooter (45.8%) on the league's least accurate 3-point shooting team. After Cameron Johnson struggled against Zion Williamson in a loss to the Pelicans, Williams started the 7-foot, 240-pound Frank Kaminsky III for the last two games while sending 6-foot-8, 210-pound Johnson back to the bench. Detroit Pistons His 41 points assisted on and 11 3s assisted on are each the most by a player coming off the bench in the past 25 seasons, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Giannis Antetokounmpo: Scores 30 in win. Meanwhile, the top two teams in the Western Conference, the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers, are on four-game win streaks of their own. It was a moment that illustrated the importance of Kleber, who recently returned from an 11-game absence due to COVID-19. 2020-21 record: 14-11 Boston Celtics The Bucks had a chance to win on the final possession, but Antetokounmpo missed a 20-foot jumper at the buzzer. Previous ranking: 23, Since a disappointing loss to Minnesota on Jan. 23, the Pelicans have responded by winning five of their past seven games, including three straight over Phoenix, Indiana and Memphis. More from Analysis LA Clippers Detroit went 0-4 on its Western swing with losses to Golden State, Utah, Phoenix and the Lakers (in double overtime). In 2019, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, but they crashed and burned at the hands of eventual champions Toronto Raptors. Terry Rozier’s ‘crazy’ day ends with 41 points, Hornets win, The reason Nets’ Kevin Durant is so dominant in return from Achilles injury, per Steve Nash, Draymond Green’s honest take on Nets’ championship hopes, The outrageous stat that makes Jazz’s 18-1 streak even more absurd, Buccaneers star Tom Brady’s Lombardi Trophy throw blasted by trophy designer’s daughter, Kyrie Irving reveals role distinction he made clear to James Harden, Super Bowl 55 streaker gets terrible news on his $374,000 payout, Tom Brady, Michael Jordan GOAT tweet draws perfect reaction from Bill Russell, Stephen Curry one game away from passing James Harden for three-point record, Deshaun Watson reacts to ‘brother’ J.J. Watt’s release by Texans, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade react to hilarious Larry Bird ‘brother’ story on Twitter, Wizards’ Russell Westbrook shows off hilarious dance routine during delay in game, Buccaneers QB Tom Brady’s hype video for Super Bowl 55 vs. Chiefs, Heat’s Jimmy Butler, Wizards’ Bradley Beal refuse to let go of ball, tango on the hardwood, Lakers star LeBron James’ 2-hand push leaves hard foul on Sixers’ Joel Embiid, Lakers star LeBron James reveals LeBron 8 V/2 ‘Graffiti’ on social media. Previous ranking: 5, Nikola Jokic scored 47 points and dropped a career-high 50 last week. Ton of respect for @Giannis_An34! Orlando Magic Embiid, who is averaging a career-best 29.3 points per game so far this season, has eclipsed 30 points in eight of his past 10 games. The NBA is back! Previous ranking: 8, Boston, hit hard by injuries, has now lost four out of six after falling to the Suns on Sunday in Phoenix. Oklahoma City Thunder Giannis Antetokounmpo. -- Young, 26. Sunday, Feb. 14 According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Golden State Warriors will be a featured team on the league’s Christmas Day slate.. The Milwaukee Bucks take on the Orlando Magic in a rematch from the NBA playoffs. -- Lopez, 16. The Bucks’ production has allowed them to outscore opponents by 2.7 points per game over 8.4 minutes. Giannis Antetokounmpo shows off how he can get his teammates involved, as he posts a triple-double of 21 points, 10 assists and 14 rebounds in the Bucks' rout of … Rather, he wants Milwaukee to play its basketball when it matters the most in the end, (per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard). But when you’re like just flopping … they’re going to call the foul. 2020-21 record: 15-8 Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward combined for 51 points in Sunday's win over the Wizards. Previous ranking: 30, Monday set the tone for the week, with Detroit's game at Denver being postponed minutes before its scheduled tipoff due to contact tracing within the Pistons. Previous ranking: 28, The good news for the Magic is that they actually got a win on Friday, as Nikola Vucevic scored a career-high 43 points in a victory over the Bulls. 02/09/2021, 6:41 AM. But then Paul George suffered a toe injury that kept him out the past two games, and Kawhi Leonard & Co. quickly have discovered how much tougher life is without him. Antetokounmpo, the reigning two-time NBA MVP, started slowly and battled through second-half foul trouble before coming alive in the fourth quarter. -- Friedell, 28. -- Young, 30. Previous ranking: 29, Karl-Anthony Towns rejoined the Wolves on their recent road trip, with his return from COVID-19 seemingly imminent. The Bucks aren't as Giannis-dependent this season, so their offense isn't quite as Giannis-centric. Atlanta Hawks The Bucks superstar re … Turner continues to lead the league in blocked shots at nearly four a game. -- MacMahon, 15. Orlando continues to lack any rhythm and is headed out to start a four-game Western swing that begins with a Tuesday night clash with the Trail Blazers. His team has a minus-3.8 net rating with him on the court, but when DeRozan is on the floor with guard Derrick White, things are changing. -- Youngmisuk, 4. Walker is now 50-for-140 (35.7%) from the field in nine games this season, including 21-for-68 (30.8%) from 3-point range. Giannis […] Bucks news: Giannis Antetokounmpo reveals his new LeBron-like mindset Without him? Previous ranking: 16, The Rockets will be relying heavily on DeMarcus Cousins while starting center Christian Wood recovers from spraining his right ankle for the second time in three weeks. ... You enjoy playing with a guy (like him) and you want to do the extra play, hustle, screen, or whatever for him.” ... and the Bucks will have to play at their best to beat them. • Heat at Warriors, 10 p.m. on ESPN Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo shoots as Phoenix Suns, including guard Devin Booker (1), defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Phoenix. Williams said he made the move because teams are playing big and he didn't want to put Johnson in a "tough spot" having to guard bigger forwards. The bright spot for the Warriors is that Kelly Oubre Jr. dropped a career-high 40 points Thursday against the Mavs, and they're hopeful he may finally be turning a corner. The 2020-21 NBA season may have already started, but you can create or join an ESPN Fantasy Basketball league at any time and start your season from when you draft your team. 2020-21 record: 17-8 -- Youngmisuk, 9. Denver Nuggets Partner of iOne Digital / Cassius Network. But the Bucks star has grown wiser after a couple of earlier than predicted exits and has his sights set for the playoffs already. 2020-21 record: 9-13 Now, we'll see if the team gets a further spark by the reunion of coach Tom Thibodeau with former league MVP Derrick Rose, whom the Knicks reacquired after Sunday's loss to Miami. Not to mention that he has played in every game this season. • Rockets at 76ers, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN Johnson has averaged 15.5 points off the bench while Kaminsky has averaged 12.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in his two starts. Phoenix Suns Toronto is now dealing with starting forward OG Anunoby's absence with a calf injury. -- Youngmisuk, 29. ET, ESPN2) that aims to better serve the millions of sports fans who participate in sports wagering and help educate general sports fans with in-depth analysis. Previous ranking: 20, Luka Doncic put the finishing touches on his 42-point, 11-assist masterpiece on Saturday by dishing to Maxi Kleber for the dagger 3. 2020-21 record: 19-5 Jerami Grant scored 32 points against the reigning champs, which represented his fourth 30-point game this season; he entered this season with zero for his career. The silver lining is that Donovan Mitchell has thrived in the past when sliding over to point guard -- and did so again against the Pacers on Sunday, when he had 27 points, 11 assists and finished one rebound shy of his first career triple-double. It was the same scenario inside the bubble at Walt Disney last year, as the Bucks did not even get past the second round and got eliminated by reigning ECF champions Miami Heat in just five games. LaMelo Ball had a massive game with a career-high 34 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds in Friday's loss to the Jazz. San Antonio Spurs The Blazers are attentive to his minutes (they're hovering around his career average), but in a condensed season coming off a short offseason, Lillard is carrying a heavy burden. Previous ranking: 27, The Wizards couldn't quite keep the momentum from their exhilarating win over Brooklyn on Jan. 31. On Saturday, he went off for 39 points during a win at Orlando while becoming the sixth player in Bulls history to record at least 40 career 30-point games. Giannis has always been compared to LeBron James, a four-time MVP who finished second to the Bucks star in last year’s voting, but Davis is … 2020-21 record: 12-12 The Kevin Durant saga will last at least another week, with the superstar needing to quarantine a second time this season. They ended up losing both games by a combined 43 points. Previous ranking: 25, What a week for the Kings, beating three upper-echelon teams in Boston, Denver and the LA Clippers to run their record to 7-1 in their past eight outings. -- Friedell, 14. -- Woodyard, 27. • Lakers at Clippers, 10 p.m. on ESPN Milwaukee was hot early from 3, but Phoenix hit them when it mattered. Milwaukee had its five-game winning streak snapped despite getting a season-high 47 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo. Previous ranking: 9, The Pacers suffered a couple of tough losses to Milwaukee and New Orleans, but center Myles Turner said they'll "bounce back." New York Knicks Ball's improvement will continue to be one of the most intriguing storylines in the league -- especially if he keeps putting up numbers like he did this week. Portland Trail Blazers That was evident again on Saturday night after Curry dropped 57 points in a loss to the Mavs. The Bucks scored just 53 points in the second half, with Antetokounmpo having to score 30 of them. -- Bontemps, 19. Since New Year's Day, the Grizzlies have had a three-game losing streak, a seven-game winning streak and another three-game losing streak. Although James’ Cavs were a regular season behemoth and he would take home MVP trophies in 2009 and 2010, he would fail to reach the Finals in each of those seasons, after getting swept by the Spurs in 2007. Antetokounmpo is definitely doing his part to turn this into reality, averaging 28.1 points, 11.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.2 blocks in the Bucks’ first 25 games of the season. 2020-21 record: 12-11 "I think it also sets a tone for our whole group," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. Wednesday, Feb. 17 He's pulling down 17.7 rebounds per 36 minutes, which would be the highest (among qualified players) since Dennis Rodman averaged 18.9 rebounds per 36 minutes in 1994-95 with the San Antonio Spurs. It's been a challenging season already for Minnesota, but Towns' return could help restore some positive momentum. ‘Extra Play, Hustle, Screen’: Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Opens up on Playing alongside Jrue Holiday. Sure, it would have been more fun for NBA fans (we’ll get to them soon) to play what-if and see what happened with the superstar. Sacramento Kings Previous ranking: 4, The Jazz have won 15 of 16, getting an impressive road win in Indiana on Sunday despite NBA plus-minus leader Mike Conley sitting out because of tightness in his right hamstring. The Milwaukee Bucks played sloppy, lazy, and disinterested basketball in their 131-126 loss on the road to the New Orleans Pelicans.Do not let … Previous ranking: 3, Despite a disappointing home loss Thursday to undermanned Portland, Philadelphia remains in first place in the Eastern Conference thanks to wins over the defending champion Lakers and the Nets, and Joel Embiid remains one of the front-runners for this season's MVP award with a run of impressive play. Note: Throughout the regular season, our panel (ESPN's Tim Bontemps, Nick Friedell, Andrew Lopez, Tim MacMahon, Dave McMenamin, Eric Woodyard, Royce Young 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. Previous ranking: 11, As the Blazers try to stay afloat in the West as they deal with injuries, Damian Lillard's workload is something to monitor. Previous ranking: 10, Phoenix has won five of six, but that didn't stop coach Monty Williams from making a starting lineup change. 2020-21 record: 6-17 Previous ranking: 6, Well, that was weird. The duo has played 76 minutes together this season and are sporting a plus-12.0 net rating. And as Steve Nash said, games can start to add up when you're positioning for the postseason or trying to earn home court. Neither will LeBron James, or Anthony Davis, or Paul George, or even Gordon Hayward, all names once touted as potential members of a ballyhooed class.

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