The San Antonio Spurs are on an absolute tear, winners of 10 straight games. With a dismantling of the Utah Jazz and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s loss at the hand of the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, the Spurs now hold a two-game lead over the Thunder at the top of the Western Conference.
2014 NBA standings: Spurs, Pacers with some cushion as No. 1 seeds
The Spurs have used a 10-game winning streak to open up a two-game lead at the top of the Western Conference, while the Pacers have taken advantage of the Heat’s struggles to nab a three-game lead in the Eastern Conference.
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
The win was also San Antonio’s 50th of the year, making them the first team to reach the 50-win mark this season. It’s the 15th consecutive season the Spurs have won at least 50 games.
What's crazy is San Antonio isn't even the hottest team in the NBA. That would be the Los Angeles Clippers, who have won 11 straight games despite injuries to J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford. The Clippers are now just a game behind the Thunder for the No 2 seed in the West.
The Houston Rockets have fallen back a bit because of their three-game losing streak, while the Portland Trail Blazers also are trending in the wrong direction. The Golden State Warriors are just 1½ games behind the Blazers after a thrilling 113-112 victory in Portland in Sunday.
At the very bottom of the West playoff race, the Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies still hold the final two spots. But the Phoenix Suns are still lurking, just a game behind the Grizzlies for the No. 8 seed.
Here are the full West standings:
Over in the Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers have opened up a three-game lead over the Miami Heat thanks to a three-game winning streak and some struggles in Miami.
After a four-game skid, the Pacers have taken advantage of a weaker schedule to win three straight. The Heat lost five of six games before getting back on the right track with a win over the Rockets on Sunday.
The Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls are still in a dog fight for the No. 3 seed, with the Raptors just a half-game ahead of the Bulls after a loss to the Suns on Sunday.
The Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets aren’t far behind, and while the Wizards have a one game lead over the Nets, both teams have 31 losses. The Charlotte Bobcats have won four straight games and sit 1½ games behind Brooklyn.
Finally, the Atlanta Hawks have righted the ship, at least for now. The Hawks have won three games in a row to hold off the New York Knicks, who have won six straight. Atlanta has a 3½-game cushion for the final spot in the East, with a five-game advantage in the loss column.
Here are the full East standings:
See More:
