NBA Power Rankings Week 16: Toronto Raptors climb to 6th
By Phil Watson
20-29. Previous: . New Orleans Pelicans. 17. team. 69.
Last week: Beat Boston 123-108, won at Cleveland 125-111, beat Memphis 139-111
This week: Sunday at Houston, Tuesday vs. Milwaukee, Thursday at Chicago, Saturday at Indiana
After losing the first two games of the Zion Williamson era, the New Orleans Pelicans figured it out last week with three double-digit wins, including beating the Celtics by 15 and the red-hot Grizzlies by 28. The runs the Pelicans’ record to 14-7 since ending their franchise-record 13-game losing streak on Dec. 18 and they are now four games in back of Memphis for eighth in the West.
Jrue Holiday continues to play well despite being a hot topic of trade rumors in advance of Thursday’s deadline, according to The Athletic (subscription required). Holiday averaged 23.7 points, 6.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks in 31.0 minutes a game, shooting 52.9 percent overall and going 9-for-20 from 3-point land.
Holiday went for 28 points and a season-high four blocked shots — remember, this is a 6-foot-3 guard, not a 7-foot-3 center — in Tuesday’s win at Cleveland.
Previous: . Phoenix Suns. 16. team. 66. . 20-28
Last week: Lost at Memphis 114-109, won at Dallas 133-104, lost to Oklahoma City 111-107
This week: Sunday at Milwaukee, Monday at Brooklyn, Wednesday at Detroit, Friday vs. Houston, Saturday vs. Denver
The Phoenix Suns finished up a three-game Southwest Division trip with a 2-1 record after a tough loss at Memphis on Sunday and a blowout win at Dallas on Tuesday. But then the Suns returned home and took another loss at home to the Thunder, falling to a dreadful 9-17 at home. The only thing keeping Phoenix afloat in the playoff race is a very solid 11-11 record on the road.
It had to be a rough week for Devin Booker, who averaged 31.7 points, 6.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 36.6 minutes per game over three games last week, shooting 51.6 percent overall and going 8-for-20 from 3-point range. But Booker did not get a ticket to the NBA All-Star Game as a reserve in the crowded Western Conference backcourt.
It put Booker into some rare company … so rare he’s unique.
That is, considering the Suns’ home arena is named after a casino, a very bad beat.