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The NBA 2018-19 season has been a great season so far, with some teams performing exceptionally well, while others have failed to succeed. Some surprising results were on display in the Week 22 of the 2018-19 season, and these results could have some huge ramifications in the run-up to the post-season.
This is the time where most teams are looking to make a run for the playoffs and sneak in as the 7th or the 8th seed, giving their fans hope that they too are competitive enough. With this in mind, let us look at the top 5 teams of Week 22.
5. Houston Rockets:
The Houston Rockets are one of the best teams in the league and have managed to start clicking just at the right time. They have played great basketball over the course of a month and a half and have risen to the 3rd spot in the Western Conference, with a 44-26 record.
They've won 9 of their last 10 matches and are on a 2 game winning streak. They had 4 matches this week and lost just 1 of them. They played the top seed Golden State Warriors in a top of the standings clash and ended up losing 104-106.
They played some of the weaker teams in the league, winning their match against the Charlotte Hornets, 118-106. They also beat the bottom of the conference Phoenix Suns, 108-102. Their final game of the week was against the Minnesota Timberwolves, winning that one 117-102 as well. The Rockets need to keep their solid run going as they are competing with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Portland Trail Blazers in a close battle for the home court advantage, which is the 3rd and 4th spot. They are also just 3 games behind the Denver Nuggets and might even have an outside shot at being top of the standings if they keep their solid run going.
4. Denver Nuggets:
The Denver Nuggets have been one of the best teams this season, giving the top seed Golden State Warriors a run for their money. They have performed really well this week too, with a 46-22 record and are currently 2nd in the Western Conference, just 1 game behind the Warriors.
They have won just 6 of their last 10 matches but have managed to win their last 3 matches in a row. The Nuggets won all 3 of their matches this week and had 2 games in which they needed a buzzer beater shot to get them over the line. The Nuggets blew the Minnesota Timberwolves out of the arena, winning 133-107. They needed a Nikola Jokic buzzer beater to win the game 100-99 over the Dallas Mavericks. They also beat the Indiana Pacers 102-100 with a Millsap layup to go ahead. The Nuggets are very close to the top seed and need some solid games to keep going.
3. Los Angeles Clippers:
The Los Angeles Clippers are one of the teams that have surprised most this season. With no discernible star on the team, they played really well to begin the season and even after they traded their star of the season, Tobias Harris, nobody expected them to play this well.
They are still 8th in the Western Conference, with a 41-30 record. The Clippers have won 8 of their last 10 matches and have won their last 2 matches. They played 4 games this week, losing just one game to the Portland Trail Blazers, 104-125. They had a blowout 140-115 win over the Boston Celtics, which was a super victory for them. They also beat the Chicago Bulls, 128-121 and won their final game in a very interesting match against the Brooklyn Nets, which they won, 119-116. The Clippers have been solid all season long and the remaining games this season should be played with the same intensity so that they can make the playoffs this season.
2. Philadelphia 76ers:
The Philadelphia 76ers have been doing really well for themselves, both in the Eastern Conference standings and the trades they made in the regular season. They have essentially assembled a solid starting 5 that will be difficult to top in the post-season. They are right now 3rd in the East, with a 45-25 record.
They have won their last 4 games in a row and have a 7-3 record in their last 10 matches. They played 3 matches this week and won all of their skirmishes, including a particularly difficult one against the Milwaukee Bucks last night, which they won 130-125, despite a 52 point performance by Giannis Antetokounmpo. Joel Embiid's return has boosted them significantly and that has led to them getting on this run. They beat the Cleveland Cavaliers as well, winning 106-99. They had a huge win against the fast-paced Sacramento Kings as well, beating them out with some great basketball, 123-114. With Embiid fit and firing for the Sixers, beating them could be a really difficult task.
1. San Antonio Spurs:
The San Antonio Spurs are cruising as of right now in the 2018-19 season. They are 6th in a really difficult Western Conference and have a 41-29 record. They have won 8 games on the trot as of now and have gone on an 8-2 winning run in their last 10 matches.
The Spurs seem to have all but confirmed their playoff spot in the playoffs this season. They had 3 games this week and ended up winning all of them. They went up against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night and ended up coming out with a win, 112-105. They faced the lowly New York Knicks next on Friday night, with the Spurs beating them 109-83. In their final game of the week, the San Antonio Spurs took on the Portland Trail Blazers in a tough match and still came out on top, winning 108-103. They have 12 games remaining in the regular season and this run might not have reached it's conclusion yet.
