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

Last week: Lost at New York 105-98, lost at Cleveland 117-111, won vs. Detroit 112-106, lost at Indiana 108-95

This week: Tuesday vs. Lakers, Wednesday at Atlanta, Saturday vs. Houston

The Chicago Bulls won their lone home game last week while going 0-3 on the road, including what should have been winnable games at New York and Cleveland.

But whatever advantage Chicago has gained by being fifth in the NBA per Cleaning the Glass in both offensive and defensive turnover percentage, the Bulls have given back by allowing the highest offensive rebounding percentage in the league at 30.2. Nothing can be more deflating for a team than to get a stop, but fail to close out the possession with a defensive rebound.

Wendell Carter Jr. is coming along as a contributor in the post after missing the second half of his rookie season with a thumb injury. He posted three double-doubles in four games last week and already has four on the season, including a 20-point, 10-rebound, three-block performance in the loss to the Knicks.

For the season, he’s averaging 14.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 27.9 minutes per game while shooting 61.5 percent overall. But at some point that young core in Chicago needs to gel and start getting results instead of just flashing signs of promise.

Last week: Lost to Golden State 134-123, won vs. Denver 122-107, lost at Oklahoma City 115-104

This week: Monday at Brooklyn, Friday vs. Toronto, Saturday at Charlotte

Brandon Ingram‘s torrid start to the season took a hit on Saturday in a loss to the Thunder, as did Ingram’s head. He left the game after taking a blow to the head and was evaluated for a concussion. But he did not end up in the NBA’s concussion protocol and could be back in the lineup Monday at Brooklyn.

The New Orleans Pelicans, meanwhile, got off the schneid with a win over the Nuggets on Halloween night, a game in which Jahlil Okafor‘s costume was as a dominant big man who was once upon a time a top-three pick in the NBA Draft.

Okafor, who has started the last three games for the Pelicans with Derrick Favors nursing a sore right knee, blew up for 23 points in 34 minutes, going 8-for-13 from the floor and 10-of-13 at the line, while All-NBA center Nikola Jokic finished with 13 points in 27 minutes. Unexpected, to be sure.

Okafor, taken third by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2015 before his fourth-year option was declined in October 2017, is now averaging 10.7 points, 5.3 boards and 1.0 blocks in 17.8 minutes er game, shooting a solid 63.4 percent from the floor in the process.

Last week: Lost to Houston 159-158, lost to Minnesota 131-109

This week: Monday vs. Detroit, Wednesday at Indiana, Friday vs. Cleveland

Tough week for the rebuilding Washington Wizards, who lost both of their games in notable fashion last week.

On Wednesday, Washington scored the second-most points in franchise history … and came up a point short, falling to the Rockets 159-158. It was the most points for the team since it took the Wizards name in 1997 and was just three points off the franchise record of 161 points, set by the then-Bullets in a 161-133 win over the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 29, 1990.

The Wizards followed that up with a blowout loss at home to Minnesota, which was without early MVP candidate Karl-Anthony Towns, who was serving the first of his two-game suspension on Saturday night. Washington lost 131-109 and trailed by 34 after three periods. Gorgui Dieng, filling in for Towns, went for 18 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and two steals in 24 minutes.

Moritz Wagner was a bright spot on a grim night against the Timberwolves, scoring a season-high 14 points with five rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench. On the season, Wagner is averaging 11.6 points and 4.6 boards in only 18.6 minutes per game while shooting 64.9 percent overall and going 5-for-12 from deep.