NBA Power Rankings: Philadelphia 76ers the last unbeaten after Week 2

Last week: Won vs. Memphis 120-91, won at Dallas 119-110 (OT), won at San Antonio 103-96

This week: Tuesday at Chicago, Friday vs. Miami, Sunday vs. Toronto

Make it five straight wins for the Los Angeles Lakers since their opening-night loss to their roommates at Staples Center, the Clippers.

Per Cleaning the Glass, the Lakers are flat out getting it done defensively, leading the NBA with a 98.0 defensive rating and a 46.2 opponents’ effective field goal percentage, while ranking second with opponents turning the ball over 18.7 times per 100 possessions.

That is helping an offense that is still struggling to find its range from deep, currently 25th in the NBA with a 31.4 percent mark from 3-point range. Anthony Davis is doing his part, averaging 28.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals in 35.2 minutes per game, even as he’s shooting .467/.222/.883.

Davis had his fourth career 40-point, 20-rebound effort in the blowout over Memphis, going 26-for-27 from the free throw line in the process. The 26 makes were a career-high for Davis, as was his 27 attempts. It was the most foul shots attempted by a Laker in a game since Kobe Bryant was 20-for-27 on March 2, 2008, while the 26 made FTs set a new franchise record.

Dwight Howard had a 25-for-39 night at the foul line at Orlando on March 12, 2013, in his first stint with L.A.

Last week: Lost to Utah 96-95, won at Golden State 121-110, won at Memphis 114-105

This week: Monday vs. Philadelphia, Thursday vs. Miami, Sunday vs. Brooklyn

Consider this when thinking about how wide open the NBA is from a competitive standpoint early this season: The Phoenix Suns are two points away from a 6-0 start. The Suns! The team that hasn’t won more than 24 games the last four seasons. They took a one-point overtime loss at Denver on Oct.25 and a one-point defeat at home to the Jazz last Monday.

The degree of difficulty will increase this week as the Suns open a six-game homestand with the 5-0 76ers on Monday and the 5-1 Heat on Thursday.

It was thought Phoenix would struggle in the wake of Deandre Ayton‘s 25-game suspension for testing positive for a diuretic. Aron Baynes has alleviated those concerns in his first five starts in Ayton’s place.

Baynes is averaging 17.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.0 blocks in 25.9 minutes per game in those five starts, shooting 56.9 percent overall and 44.0 percent (11-for-25) from 3-point range. That includes 24 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in the Suns’ drubbing of the Warriors on Wednesday.

Last week: Won at Atlanta 105-103, won vs. Minnesota 117-95, won at Portland 129-128

This week: Monday at Phoenix, Wednesday at Utah, Friday at Denver, Sunday vs. Charlotte

The Philadelphia 76ers enter their game Monday at Phoenix without Joel Embiid, who will be serving the second game of his two-game suspension after brawling with Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns on Wednesday. (Everyone who had 76ers-Suns on Nov. 4 marked as a marquee matchup, raise your hands … and anyone who did is flat-out lying.)

Philadelphia is off to a 5-0 start, surviving a scare at Portland on Saturday when Furkan Korkmaz buried a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift the Sixers to a win in a road game in which they trailed by 19 points with 2:45 left in the third quarter.

As for Embiid, he’s missed one game with an ankle injury and one due to suspension thus far, but is off to a solid start otherwise, with 23.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.3 steals in only 25.3 minutes per game, shooting 51.1 percent overall and 36.4 percent on 3.7 3-point tries per game.

Embiid was the good, bad and ugly in Philadelphia’s two-point win at Atlanta, going for 36 points, 13 boards, five assists and three steals, but also turning the ball over seven times. He was a solid 12-for-19 from the floor and 10-for-10 at the line and scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead free throws with five seconds remaining.