The Golden State Warriors cling to their spot in the play-in tournament while the Orlando Magic rise in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Warriors currently have the most favorable schedule compared to other Western Conference teams in the play-in race. However, it is highly likely that they will secure the 9th or 10th seed, as they do not hold tiebreakers over the Kings, Suns, or Mavericks who are all ranked higher in the standings. With their recent win against the Lakers, the Warriors have a chance to secure home court advantage for the first play-in game. However, it may be beneficial for them to play on the road as they have not performed well at home recently, losing four out of their last five games at Chase Center. — Andrews

The best moments from Denver Nuggets over the past week

Top highlights from the past week of Denver Nuggets games

Last week, the Boston Celtics secured their spot in the playoffs and are currently the top team in the Eastern Conference. However, there is a lot of uncertainty in the rest of the conference as the Milwaukee Bucks, with their star players Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, currently hold the advantage. The Philadelphia 76ers, who have been missing their star player Joel Embiid since January, are at risk of falling into the play-in tournament.
Upcoming matches: against Utah on March 20th, at Toronto on March 22nd, at Milwaukee on March 24th, at New Orleans on March 26th.

The Jazz may focus on the growth of new guard Keyonte George as the season progresses. According to coach Will Hardy, George has the potential to become a standout player in the league. Despite being drafted at No. 17 and typically playing on the wing in high school and college, George has adjusted well to his new position as point guard. In the past five games, he has averaged 22.6 points and 5.4 assists with shooting percentages of .469/.400/.885.Previous ranking: 1

After recently joining his hometown team through a buyout deal, Kyle Lowry is now part of the starting lineup. He has been averaging 8.6 points and 4.8 assists, with a 37.5% success rate from beyond the arc. While Lowry has taken on a role alongside Tyrese Maxey in the 76ers’ backcourt, they are still missing Joel Embiid, the 7-foot-2 reigning MVP, who is still in the process of recovering from meniscus surgery, as expressed by Lowry.27. Charlotte Hornets
2023-24 record: 17-52

The top highlights of the week in Cavaliers’ basketballR

Trey Murphy III’s season debut was pushed back to December due to a meniscus tear. He started off strong, shooting 42.3% from 3-point range, but had to take a break for three games in early January because of knee soreness. However, he struggled in the following two months, only shooting 39.8% overall and 32.0% from 3. But in the current month, Murphy’s shooting has improved significantly. He is averaging 20.7 points and making 47.8% of his 3-point attempts on average of 9.9 shots per game. The Pelicans have a perfect 12-0 record when Murphy scores 16 or more points.

• Following a two week absence due to a bone bruise in his left knee, Donovan Mitchell made a brief return before experiencing another injury. He recently underwent surgery to fix a broken nose and is anticipated to be out for at least another week, according to the team’s announcement. Cleveland has a record of 10-9 without Mitchell this season, but 33-16 with him. The current concern is if the Cavaliers, who are currently one game behind Milwaukee for second place in the Eastern Conference, can maintain their pace with upcoming games against Miami and Minnesota this week. – McMenamin

• 22. Utah Jazz
  2023-24 record: 29-39

Scoot Henderson’s difficulty in adapting has been the biggest letdown of the Trail Blazers’ season. Despite playing in only 2 of the past 12 games, Henderson’s performance from long range has been inconsistent, shooting only 18.2%. On the other hand, the arrival of Deandre Ayton has provided a slight improvement for Portland’s offense, with the center averaging 26.8 points per game and shooting 63.5% in March, making this his best month since joining the team in his sixth season. – Andrews

March 27
Clippers at 76ers, 7:30 p.m.

The Suns and Nuggets will face off at 10 p.m.

Upcoming matches: against MEM on March 20th, against IND on March 22nd, at MIN on March 24th, at MIA on March 26th.

16. Los Angeles Lakers
2023-24 record: 37-32

• Before the start of the season, there was uncertainty surrounding 19-year-old Bilal Coulibaly, who was drafted by Washington as the seventh overall pick last summer. However, the 6-foot-8 swingman from France has proven that he is more than just a long-term development project. Along with recording 10 games this season with two or more blocks and seven games with three or more blocks, Coulibaly has also shown promise on the offensive end. Despite suffering a season-ending right wrist fracture, he managed to make four 3-pointers in three different games this season and had scored at least 10 points in five consecutive games before his injury. The rookie, who will not require surgery, ends the season with averages of 8.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 34.6% shooting from beyond the arc. He has been a valuable selection for the new management of the Washington team, helmed by Michael Winger and Will Dawkins.

• Upcoming Matches: At Cleveland (March 20th), Against New Orleans (March 22nd), Against Cleveland (March 24th), Against Golden State (March 26th)

As the regular season winds down, teams are securing their spots in the playoffs and also pushing through exhaustion to be ready for a long postseason.

17. Philadelphia 76ers
2023-24 record: 38-30Previous ranking: 3

26. Portland Trail Blazers
2023-24 record: 19-49

• Paul George stands out in the best moments of the week for the Los Angeles Clippers.

• 5. Milwaukee Bucks
  2023-24 record: 44-24

Upcoming matches: against Milwaukee (March 20), at Detroit (March 22), at Chicago (March 23), at Atlanta (March 25)

On Thursday, Atlanta has the opportunity to secure another win against the Suns and complete their five-game journey. Despite losing three out of four games on the West Coast, they managed to defeat the Clippers. Due to the Nets’ four-game losing streak, Atlanta currently ranks in the No. 10 spot for the play-in race. Even without Trae Young, who underwent finger surgery, the team has maintained a record of 6-6 with the help of Dejounte Murray, who has been averaging 25.0 points, 8.5 assists, and 5.1 rebounds in his last 12 games.

• Previous ranking: 24

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Victor Wembanyama has become the 13th rookie since 1973-74 to reach 200 blocks in a single season. His total of 207 blocks places him second in Spurs history among rookies, surpassing Tim Duncan’s 206 blocks in 1997-98. The record holder for most blocks by a rookie in a single season for the Spurs is David Robinson, who had 319 in 1989-90. In a recent game against the Nets, Wembanyama had an impressive performance with 33 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and 7 blocks. This marked his fifth game of the season with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 blocks. Prior to Wembanyama, only six other rookies had achieved this feat.

• Heat center Bam Adebayo has made at least one 3-pointer in four consecutive games and has gone 5-of-5 from deep in that stretch, including a game-winning shot against the Pistons on Sunday. Prior to that, Adebayo had made just nine 3-pointers in his first 472 career games. Miami’s offense needs anything it can get to start rolling. The Heat have scored 100 or fewer points 16 times this season, fourth most in the NBA. Miami is 2-14 in those contests, including losses to Denver and Philadelphia last week. — Lopez

• OG Anunoby is currently facing an undetermined amount of time off due to additional problems with his right elbow. However, his presence on the court has been unmistakable since his debut with the Knicks earlier this year. In the past week alone, before his elbow issue resurfaced, New York has a record of 15 wins and 2 losses when Anunoby was on the team. Furthermore, during the 598 minutes that he has played, the Knicks have outscored their opponents by an average of 24 points per 100 possessions. – Bontemps

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