Overview
- Oklahoma City remains No. 1 at 36-8, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander framed as a leading MVP candidate.
- New York has dropped nine of 11 and held a players-only meeting as overreliance on Jalen Brunson stalls the offense, helping Boston rise to the East’s No. 2 seed.
- Denver stays competitive without Nikola Jokić and leads the NBA in offensive rating at 122.9.
- Miami faces a major blow with Jimmy Butler out for the season with a torn ACL, while Ja Morant returned from a calf contusion and posted 24-13-5 in a win over Orlando.
- The calendar tightens with the trade deadline a little more than two weeks away and All-Star weekend set for Feb. 15, as Washington’s seven-game skid includes a January-low 107.6 offensive rating tied with Atlanta.