Where are the Bulls and other teams

01.03.2022

The NBA’s all-time scoring leader in the final quarter of games did it again last week, hitting two wild three-pointers at the buzzer in a row to stun the Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards.

Thanks to DeRozan’s late-game heroics, the Bulls have now won seven straight games to jump into the Eastern Conference lead.

Clinging on in the East: The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks have taken advantage of a smoother road on their schedule to put together a streak of six straight wins.

The longest active run in the Western Conference belongs to the Memphis Grizzlies, who remain in the driver’s seat for home-court advantage backed by four straight wins, a run that includes close victories over the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers.

See where the league’s streaky teams check in this week in our latest breakdown of the 30.

  1. Golden State Warriors
    The Warriors picked up a big win over the Jazz on Saturday night, made all the more impressive given that they did it without Draymond Green, who was out due to COVID-19 protocols. After dealing with a variety of coronavirus-related absences, Steve Kerr’s team is moving forward and is on the verge of getting Klay Thompson back. The Warriors are clearly the best team in the league through the first two and a half months of the season.
  2. Phoenix Suns
    Jalen Smith delivered an epic dunk over Mason Plumlee on Sunday night. But more importantly, Smith, who has been forced into action due to health and safety protocols affecting Phoenix, has made the most of his time. Over the last four games, he’s averaging 16 points and 10.5 rebounds per game while shooting 56.1% from the field, all without reaching 30 minutes in any game.
  3. Chicago Bulls
    Good luck trying to stop DeMar DeRozan right now. During the seven-game winning streak that has propelled the Bulls to first place in the Eastern Conference, DeRozan is averaging 28.4 points, 6.3 assists and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 48.6 percent (including 5-of-7 from three-point range). Last week, he became the first player in NBA history to score baskets at the buzzer to win on consecutive nights, against the Pacers and Wizards; it was a small sample of how good he’s been in the ‘clutch’. The Bulls are 11-6 in clutch situations, and DeRozan is shooting 55.6% from the field and 96.2% from the free throw line in those situations.
  4. Utah Jazz
    The Jazz had no choice but to play the small game in Saturday night’s loss to the Warriors because backup center Hassan Whiteside was sidelined with a concussion. It didn’t go well. Utah outscored Golden State by 10 points in Rudy Gobert’s 35 minutes, and lost the game by seven. Signing Rudy Gay gave the Jazz the flexibility to play small-ball lineups, but they have largely been ineffective, as Utah’s five most frequently used centerless lineups are minus-15 in 40 minutes.
  5. Milwaukee Bucks
    After being slowed by injuries to start the season, Jrue Holiday has started to settle into a rhythm of late. He’s averaging 21.5 points and 7.2 assists per game during Milwaukee’s six-game winning streak, shooting 60.2 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from beyond the arc.
  6. Brooklyn Nets
    Will Kyrie Irving make his debut this week? He could play as soon as Wednesday at Indiana. The Nets, meanwhile, have a couple of significant games on their schedule over the next few weeks, starting with Friday’s showdown at Barclays Center against the defending champion Bucks.
  7. Miami Heat
    Miami had its five-game winning streak snapped Sunday in Sacramento, the start of a West Coast road trip that includes tough games against the Warriors on Monday and the Suns on Saturday. Jimmy Butler is in the midst of solid momentum and continues to set the tone for his team. In his last four games, Butler is averaging 25 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists.
  8. Memphis Grizzlies
    Ja Morant is in the midst of one of the greatest scoring runs in Grizzlies history. He has scored at least 30 points in three consecutive games, just the second time that has happened for the franchise. Morant has averaged 34.7 points during that stretch, shooting 55.7% from the field and 80% from three-point range. Morant, whose jump shot had been considered a weakness, is shooting for 40% from the three-point arc this season.
  9. Philadelphia 76ers
    It’s been a wild season in Philadelphia for many reasons, but the 76ers have climbed out of the playoff morass with three straight wins to end 2021 and have begun trying to get back to the top of the East standings.
  10. Cleveland Cavaliers
    Much of the talk surrounding Kevin Love at the beginning of the season centered around how healthy he would be and whether Cleveland would still be right for him at this stage of his career. He has proven to be vital to the Cavs’ resurgence. And his 20-point, eight-rebound, four-assist performance in a win over Indiana on Sunday marked his fifth consecutive 20-point game, his longest streak since LeBron James was his teammate.