Eastern Conference

AFTER a slow start the Cleveland Cavaliers appear to be firing on all cylinders as a current seven-game winning streak has propelled them to the top of the East with a 27-8 league record.

Among their victims was the struggling New Jersey Nets. The Nets did manage to extend their win record for the season to three but lost to the Cavs 99-91. Also enjoying a brilliant spell of positive results are the Chicago Bulls. They moved up to the top eight thanks to their current four-game winning streak, including a 101-93 win over last season’s beaten finalists, the Orlando Magic.

After a series of convincing wins, the Boston Celtics find themselves chasing the Cavs for first place. This is as a result of three consecutive losses they suffered, inclusive of a buzzer-beating heart-breaker from the Los Angeles Clippers and a convincing whipping from the Phoenix Suns.

The Atlanta Hawks are in a similar position as the Celtics as a three-game losing streak saw them register 21-11 for the season. Their defence appears to be slacking off as games they gave up seemingly comfortable leads in all three games. The Detroit Pistons are still without a win since early December as their losing streak was disappointingly extended to nine.

The Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Bobcats, Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers are currently all on a one-game winning streak. All are trying to prove their worth in making a push for a place in the play-offs at the end of the regular season.

(Talent+Injuries) Heart = Portland Trailblazers

Western Conference

GRABBING the Western Conference headlines for the second consecutive week are the Portland Trailblazers, who continue to amaze with their performances thus far.

A team ripped apart by injuries, the Trailblazers have no more than eight healthy players on their roster, which is the NBA’s minimal limit — inclusive of a player the governing body allowed them to acquire because of the multiple injuries. Despite this, the Trailblazers have rallied as a team and won eight of their last 10 games and over the course of December knocked over some of the league’s best.

Not to be totally overshadowed are Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. Still leading the conference by a comfortable margin, they ought to be more than grateful to many-time all-star Kobe who knocked down his third consecutive buzzer-beating shot of the season in an overtime win over the Sacramento Kings last week.

The San Antonio Spurs are climbing rapidly up the charts as a five-game winning streak has pushed them to third place in the conference. The Dallas Mavericks remain in second place and are maintaining a high standard, winning seven of their last 10.

The Denver Nuggets, without Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, ran rings around the Utah Jazz in a 105-95 win on the road. After a convincing end to the season with home wins over the Celtics and the Lakers, the Suns are again on the losing streak, falling to the Memphis Grizzlies 128-103. With the win, the Grizzlies pushed their winning streak to three on the trot.

The Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Utah Jazz all ended the week on losing streaks as well but are still neatly poised for a play-off berth.