Milwaukee Bucks remain atop NBA Power Rankings by taking care of business

Last week: Lost at Memphis 117-104, lost to Boston 109-92, won at Cleveland 109-106, won at Dallas 123-120 (OT)

This week: Monday vs. Indiana, Wednesday vs. Toronto, Friday at Utah

The Charlotte Hornets followed up a six-game losing streak with consecutive road wins at Cleveland and Dallas, marking the third time this season they have put two victories together on the road. They previously did so at Sacramento and Golden State on Oct. 28 and 30 and again at Brooklyn and Chicago on Dec. 11 and 13.

Charlotte will end this week by starting a four-game Western road trip, returning home for one game before heading to Paris to play the Bucks on Jan. 24. The win moves them back to within two games of eighth-place Orlando in the Eastern Conference playoff race as well, while they are just three games in back of the Nets, who occupy seventh place in the top-heavy East.

Devonte’ Graham showed signs of breaking out of his lengthy funk. Graham had 27 points and 13 dimes on 8-of-17 shooting in the win at Dallas on Saturday night. In four games, Graham averaged 17.5 points, 10.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 39.6 minutes per game, shooting 34.5 percent overall and 30.6 percent on 9.0 3-point attempts per game.

Last week: Beat Charlotte 117-104, lost at Sacramento 128-123, won at Clippers 140-114

This week: Sunday at Phoenix, Tuesday vs. Minnesota, Friday vs. San Antonio

A nice 2-1 week for the Memphis Grizzlies, who remain firmly in the mix in the mosh pit of awful that is the slow-speed chase for eighth place in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies earned a split in the first two games of their three-game road trip just the way everyone expected them to … by losing at Sacramento before blowing out the Clippers at Staples Center. Wait, what?

Yes, it was Memphis that handed the Clippers their worst loss at home so far this season — their previous had been a 13-point defeat at the hands of the Jazz on Dec. 28 — and their second-worst blowout defeat of the season, topped only by their 28-point crunching at the hands of the Bucks in Milwaukee on Dec. 6.

Jaren Jackson Jr. put together a nice week, as well, averaging 18.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game while shooting 61.1 percent overall and going 8-for-13 from 3-point land. Jackson scored 24 points on 9-of-10 shooting with four blocks in the win in LA on Saturday afternoon.