NBA standings 2012: Knicks lead the East, Thunder hold league’s best record

The Oklahoma City Thunder have won nine games in a row and, thanks in part to that, are tops in the Western Conference with the NBA's best overall record.

Oklahoma City holds a half-game lead over the San Antonio Spurs out West, who sit ahead of the third-place Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers and surprising Golden State Warriors. The last of which are the West's fifth-best team after a last-second win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.

The Los Angeles Lakers, losers of three straight contests, are 12th in the Western Conference, only two teams separating them from the 5-16 New Orleans Hornets, who are the conference's worst team, record-wise.

In the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks toppled the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night, and, coupled with Miami's loss on Wednesday, hold a 1½-game advantage over the Heat for the conference's lead spot. The Atlanta Hawks sit in third place, followed by a logjam of 12-9 teams including the Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics and Nets.

The Milwaukee Bucks, winners of three in a row, have moved up to seventh place while the Charlotte Bobcats, who have dropped nine consecutive contests, have fallen to 11th. The Washington Wizards, at 3-16, have closed the gap for worst in the conference with the Toronto Raptors, who are 4-19 overall.