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Last week saw the return of one of music’s most fun events: The Red Bull SoundClash. Taking over Radius Chicago, an event space converted from an old steel factory, the latest installment pitted two of hip-hop’s students of punk, Danny Brown and Rico Nasty. Despite being from two different generations, the two rappers are both steeped in the counterculture of punk-rock and other hardcore styles; both have embraced “weird” as an aesthetic, adopting hairdos, sonic choices, and rhyme approaches decidedly left of hip-hop’s traditional center.

However, they’re also different enough to make the matchup unique; aside from the obvious age and gender differences, they have taken divergent paths on the journey to being two of rap’s quirkiest iconoclasts. Rico is the more colorful of the two, often rapping in a screaming voice somewhere between Run-DMC and pop-punk staples like Blink-182 and The Offspring. Meanwhile, Danny wouldn’t be out of place on a late-90s Rawkus Records compilation but for his yelping delivery and unhinged drug references. Sparring head-to-head, the SoundClash takes its inspiration from the Caribbean tradition of musical battles — a little like the modern Verzuz, but with a more aggressive flair.

For what it’s worth, Danny tells me that while the spirit of Jamaican soundclash is still alive in Red Bull’s version, it’s also a much friendlier environment — he calls it a “pillow fight” — that still captures the competitive energy as the two stars try to outperform one another through multiple rounds including covers of popular songs and unreleased tracks. Ahead of SoundClash, Danny spoke with Uproxx about why Red Bull’s SoundClash is different from traditional ones, how he worked off the “ring rust” after not performing for a year, and the need for hip-hop’s artists to stick up for each other and their fans.

Tell me how you got involved and what was the attraction for you?

I was a part of the A$AP SoundClash in London that they did against Boy Better Know. I don’t know, but they just hit me up. But I was always a fan of what it was. So, of course, when they asked me to do it, I was down. It didn’t even matter who it was against.

What’s the difference in the approach of doing a soundclash versus doing your own personal set?

Like you said, it’s my own personal set. This is working with someone else. And to me, this is not a soundclash, with the real Jamaican sound clashes. This is training. This is preschool. I mean, that’s what they calling it, but this is not that vibe. It’s not that energy. In Jamaica, a soundclash is war. We ain’t got that energy with each other. We ain’t got that vibe, so this ain’t that. This is a pillow fight between two friends at a sleepover.

Is there something that you’re looking forward to the most when it comes to this set, or are you just kind of laid back, seeing what’s going to happen?

I’d love to see how the cover round goes.

Covering each other songs or covering any song?

No, we got to cover someone else. We covering someone else song, but we got to both cover the same song, and whoever do it the best.

Did you guys agree on what song to do first, or is it just going to be random?

Yeah, we agreed on the song.

Oh, what song is it?

I can’t tell you, man, I can’t tell you.

[Editor’s note: As it happens, they wound up performing different songs. Rico played Chief Keef’s “Faneto” while Danny Brown kicked out a blog-worthy rendition of Korn’s “Freak On A Leash” that just might have included the band’s own Jonathan Davis.

And as far as Rico Nasty, you were already aware of her?

Yeah. I’m a fan of her shit. I love her shit.

Had you seen some of the stuff online about what they’ve been doing to Rico on the Playboi Carti tour?

Yeah, I seen it.

It really struck me as similar to what happened to Ashnikko on your tour and you handled it differently. Why do you think it was so important for you to stand up for Ashnikko in the way that maybe somebody should have stood up for Rico Nasty?

Well, for me, I can’t talk about anybody, but for me, I just fought for her to have her on the tour with me. I was a fan of her shit. And then, I knew she was going to blow up like crazy, so I knew I had a good spot where I could get her to open. I wanted her to have the best possible time she can have on the road with me. I didn’t want her to fucking have to go through things like that, but it was happening a lot. That was just the boiling point. But then, once that happened, and then that video kind of came out, then the shows was great after that. It was like people knew what was up.

But at a lot of times, it was a lot of her fans came to see her, just her. They wasn’t coming to see me. So a person doing something like that, you ruining the show for them. At the end of the day, you, they paid they money to see her. They ain’t paid they money to see me. It just happened that I’m the one bringing her out. So at the end of the day, don’t ruin the show for them. It ain’t even about her. It’s about the fans too, at the end of the day.

Had you ever performed on a set with Rico before doing this clash?

First time just meeting her literally like 10 minutes ago.

Oh wow. Really? What did you think? You guys going to be best friends?

Yeah. She’s great. You know, we vibe. We on the same wavelength. We got the same frequencies, I already could tell.

This is one of the first big things that I’ve seen your name on since the pandemic started. Any insight into how the last year off has maybe changed your style or changed your approach?

I mean, definitely rusty. I don’t care; you can be the best boxer in the world, you ain’t been in the ring, you got ring rust.

So there’s a little stage rust, but I’m a veteran. That’s no big deal, I’m actually happy to get out. Before, when we was just working so much, and being out all the time, it’s tiring. Just tired of traveling. Now, I miss it. All the shit that I hated, I missed it, so I’m coming back into this shit a lot more humble, for sure. No one ever knew this shit could just end like that, so definitely more appreciative of the situation.

There you go. So you are definitely going to be getting back into the album cycle soon? I’ve heard whispers.

I mean, the album been done. Just waiting on the right time.

Can we expect that next year?

Of course.

Can you tell us anything about it? Who’s on it? Who produced it?

Called Quarenta. It’s the sequel to XXX. Quarenta is 40 in Spanish. That’s the most I can get you.

Rico Nasty is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Ed Sheeran’s massive pop star status has been confirmed many times over the years, but he managed to achieve one of his biggest feats yet this week. The singer’s 2018 track “Shape Of You” officially reached 3 billion streams on Spotify, becoming the first-ever song on the platform to do so. Sheeran just shared his reaction to the news, saying he’s beyond happy about the achievement seeing as he almost never released the song.

Sheeran explained the story behind “Shape Of You” in an Instagram video. The singer said he had already finalized his entire Divide album and penned “Shape Of You” while he was writing music for other artists. Thankfully, one of his friends at his record label convinced him to keep the song for himself and release it as a single — and he’s sure happy he did:

“Hey guys, I just heard ‘Shape Of You’ has reached 3 billion streams on Spotify, which is absolutely insane. I remember this song hitting a billion and thinking that was weird. It’s the first song to hit 3 billion streams and I’m really, really chuffed with it. Thank you Spotify for all your support over the years. We’ve had a really great ten years together and hopefully we have a great ten years more.

This song, I don’t know, wasn’t meant to make the album. I had gone in to write songs for other people when the album was done. When I finished the song, Ben Cook from my record label was saying, ‘You have to put this on the album, it has to be a single.’ I said to him, ‘I want ‘Castle On The Hill’ to be the first single, that’s going to be bigger.’ We agreed to disagree and put both songs out at once and I have to say that, Ben, I was wrong and you were very much right.”

Watch Sheeran’s reaction to “Shape Of You” earning 3 billion streams above.

Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Anthony Kiedis and Dave Navarro haven’t performed together since Navarro left his short-lived stint as the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ guitarist in 1998. While John Frusciante is back with the Chili Peppers again on guitar for their upcoming tour and rumored new album, Navarro has been busy enough as of late himself. He’s the guitarist for Eddie Vedder’s new supergroup backing band The Earthlings, who are set to go on tour next year. He also just formed the NHC supergroup with Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters and his Jane’s Addiction bandmate Chris Chaney.

But on December 20th, at Navarro’s Above Ground charity concert in Los Angeles to benefit the music industry mental-health focused MusicCares, Kiedis came out of the woodwork to play a song with his old guitarist. It wasn’t anything off of One Hot Minute (the one album Navarro appeared on with RHCP), but a cover of Lou Reed’s ubiquitous “Take A Walk On The Wild Side.” Navarro and the band were coursing through songs from Lou Reed’s Transformer album when with Navarro on an acoustic guitar, Kiedis stepped out onto the stage and delivered Reed’s classic with impeccable timing. The two finished the song shoulder-to-shoulder bobbing to the saxophone outro and it was a sweet moment to see them together again.

“Been a very long time since I performed with my brother Anthony!,” Navarro posted later on Instagram. “What a magical night. Thank you so much for coming out and supporting @abovegroundorg my friend!”

Watch the video of the performance above.

There are a fair few bottles of Jack Daniel’s on the shelf these days. Master Distiller Chris Fletcher and Assistant Distiller Lexie Phillips are taking the iconic brand to new heights by engaging with the brand’s heritage while also diving deep into their vast warehouses to find new gems. Today, we’re covering one of Jack Daniel’s most beloved expressions and a holiday favorite, Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select.

I’m on the record as being a long-time Jack Daniel’s fan and advocate for all things Tennessee whiskey. Their Bottled-in-Bond is something that I actually pour and mix with day-to-day. Their Sinatra Select is a bit more of a special occasion bottle for me. I hadn’t tried for a fair bit (it’s been a year or so) until cracking a bottle open for this review.

Upon re-trying the special release this week, I knew I had to write a full review, especially with the holidays upon us. This is special whiskey that deserves all the accolades and love it gets. It’d also make a killer gift bottle if you’re stuck for a last-minute gift. Let’s get into it.

Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $172 (1-liter bottle)

The Whiskey:

Frank Sinatra was one of Jack’s biggest fans. So much so that the crooner was buried with a bottle. The actual juice in this expression is a throwback to how Jack was made in Sinatra’s day. They use special “Sinatra Barrels” that have concentric grooves carved into the newly charred oak, giving the whiskey more surface area to do its thing. Once that’s aged, it’s blended with traditional Old No. 7 and proofed at 45 percent, as it also would have been back in Sinatra’s heydays.

Tasting Notes:

Peach cobbler, apple pie with a buttery crust and caramel drizzle, vanilla pods, old leather, and a hint of cherry tobacco inside an old wooden box build on the nose. The sip leans into the fruit next to woody spice and soft leather that mellows dramatically towards a soft vanilla cream along with a very distant echo of cherry tobacco chewiness. The mild spice (think nutmeg) arrives late and is tied to a cherry syrup vibe that just touches on dry wicker, faint almonds, and a touch more of that tobacco. Ultimately, the leather returns and builds towards a silken finish with just the right balance of woody apple, cherry tobacco, and oaky spice — all touched by the softest note of vanilla bean.

The Bottle:

This bottle is grand. There’s a heavy bottom with about an inch of extra glass. The stopper is bespoke with a fedora carved into the plastic over the cork. It’s also big. You feel like you’re getting more than the average bottle (and you are).

The whole thing comes in a very hefty box that helps it feel like the perfect gift box. Inside, you’ll find a little booklet that describes the whiskey and the whole vibe of Sinatra-era of Jack Daniel’s and Tennessee whiskey.

Bottom Line:

This is one of the best of the best of the Jack Daniel’s line. It’s incredibly easy to drink while delivering an incredible flavor profile. It’s a great sipper that only needs a rock or drop of water to help the deeper flavors and textures bloom in the glass.

The Ranking:

98/100 — This is a tremendous whiskey experience and very close to perfection.

In January 2018, at least five women accused James Franco of sexual misconduct. He’s stayed fairly quiet on the subject, only talking to Stephen Colbert in vague terms while declaring, “The things I heard are not accurate, but I completely support people coming out because they didn’t have a voice for so long.” Fast forward nearly four years, and Franco — who has since quietly settled a lawsuit (for $2.2 million) brought by his former acting students, who alleged that he sexually exploited them — is ready to talk.

He did so on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Podcast this week, where Franco talked about a range of related subjects, including the breakdown of his personal and professional relationships with Seth Rogen. Franco chalked up some of his behavior to sex addiction, which he also said led him to cheat on everyone except his current girlfriend. He then explained why he stayed mum on the sexual misconduct allegations. In short, he felt like it was time for him to work on his behavior, rather than openly discuss the subject:

“In 2018, there were some complaints about me and an article about me and, at that moment I just thought ‘I’m gonna be quiet. I’m gonna be, I’m gonna pause.’ Did not seem like the right time to say anything. “There were people that were upset with me and I needed to listen. There’s a writer Damon Young and he talked about when something like this happens, the natural human instinct is to just make it stop. You just want to get out in front of it and whatever you have to do apologize, you know, get it done. But what that doesn’t do is allow you to do the work to, and to look at what was underneath.”

Franco did admit to having sex with some of his students (which he called “a consensual thing” but adds that he “shouldn’t” have done so). And on that same subject, he pointed towards “an iceberg underneath that behavior, of patterning, of just being blind to yourself that isn’t gonna just be solved overnight.” His career’s been very low-key since the allegations surfaced, and notably, Franco’s nearly the only Spider-Man franchise actor who did not appear in the multiverse-fueled No Way Home.

(Via Page Six & People)

Celebrity dating rumors are in no way a new thing, but in recent years, with the advent of social media, they’ve managed to get a little out of control. Case in point: Lots of people are way too invested in the love lives of rappers like Saweetie, whom they’ve connected to an extensive list of potential beaus based on Instagram posts and trending Twitter pics since she announced her split with Quavo on Twitter in March of this year.

One of those potential suitors was Compton rapper Roddy Ricch, with whom Saweetie was photographed recently at a Lakers game. The two rappers were sitting in neighboring courtside seats, and in the usual fashion, the rumor mill quickly connected the two as fans speculated that Roddy and Saweetie were getting close. Saweetie herself shot down the speculation almost as quickly as it sprung up, joking on Twitter, “So avoid sitting next to men in public places otherwise the world assumes y’all are dating … got it.”

Today, it was Roddy’s turn to make a similar joke as he appeared on LA’s Big Boy’s Neighborhood radio show to promote his new album Live Life Fast. “For all the females out there: stop sitting by me next to the game,” he cracked. “I was sitting down first.”

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem that either rapper’s response was able to put much of a dent in the public’s hunger for celebrity gossip; Saweetie was recently connected with Atlanta rapper Lil Baby, prompting him to reply that he’s single and Quavo to suggest a swap.

Watch Roddy’s full radio interview above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

“THIS IS BULLSH*T.”

That was the first tweet I saw about last night’s controversial Wheel of Fortune, and folks, I agree. To set the scene: contestant Charlene made it to the bonus round, where the category was “What Are You Doing?” After getting the automatic “RSTLNE” as well as “GHDI,” Charlene incorrectly guessed “CHOOSING THE RIGHT CARD.” She had enough time for another answer, and her buzzer-beater response was accurate: “CHOOSING THE RIGHT WORD.” But because she paused seven seconds between “CHOOSING THE RIGHT” and “WORD,” she didn’t win the grand prize of an Audi.

“This one’s tough because you said all the right words, including the word ‘word’ but as you know, it’s got to be more or less continuous,” host / goody two-shoes Pat Sajak explained. “We’ll allow for a little pause but not four or five seconds. I’m sorry, you did a good job in getting it but we can’t give you the prize and it was the Audi.”

“I don’t give a f*ck what the bylaws and rules are, @WheelofFortune just screwed that lady out of a car. She never said anything to interrupt her answer. She said the first 3 words perfectly and waited 5 seconds to say the last word. That’s a f*cking win. #TotalBullshit,” reads one tweet, while Jeopardy! champion Alex Jacob wrote, “Come on @WheelofFortune, the woman literally chose the right word. Give her the car.”

#GiveCharleneTheCar

In the wake of James Gandolfini’s death from a heart attack in 2013 at the age of 51, many friends, family members, associates, and even politicians took to the internet to express their sadness over the loss. It didn’t take long for people to notice how many people spoke about The Sopranos star’s generosity. As The New York Post reports, one particularly benevolent act impacted more than a dozen of Gandolfini’s co-stars, who still talk about it today.

In James Andrew Miller’s new book, Tinderbox: HBO’s Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers, the author shares that Gandolfini originally signed on to play Tony Soprano for $5 million per season. After the show’s third season, HBO doubled that amount to $10 million. Miller writes that Gandolfini and his team continued to push for more and more money after that, and that it got contentious enough that in 2003 the actor filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the network, who then countersued the star.

“Jim was a brilliant actor but a complicated guy to deal with,” Mike Lombardo, HBO’s former president of programming says in Tinderbox. The negotiations eventually got to a point where the only choice would have been to stop production on the series, leaving the cast and crew of one of television’s most celebrated drama’s suddenly unemployed. Not wanting to upend the lives of his colleagues, Gandolfini agreed to the network’s offer of $13 million, or $1 million per episode. And once that contract was signed, the actor wrote checks to 16 of his co-stars in the amount of $33,000 apiece to make up for any troubles his personal dealings with the network might have caused them.

Steve Schirripa, who played Bobby Baccalieri, one of Tony’s underlings—and eventually his brother-in-law—shared the story of this act of kindness shortly after Gandolfini’s death.

“As good of an actor as he was, he was a better guy,” Schirripa told a New York City radio station in 2013. “A generous guy. The guy gave us $33,000 each—16 people. In Season 4 he called every one of the regular castmembers and gave us a check. He said, ‘Thanks for sticking by me.’ It’s like buying 16 people a car.”

Not a car that Tony would ever drive, but yes, a car nonetheless.

(Via The New York Post)

Griff is a rising pop star who is just getting started — a genius upstart from the UK who is already making her mark on music. After releasing her One Foot In Front Of The Other EP earlier this year, several of the songs on the project popped out, including the already massive “Black Hole” and its follow up “One Night.” Another deep cut from the mixtape, though, is “Heart Of Gold,” a song about falling for someone and admiring how open and vulnerable their heart is. The song is marked by a super prominent beat, and during a live show in October, Griff revealed just how well the beat goes really well with Lorde’s breakout hit, “Royals.”

Since the pandemic has been ongoing during the breakout of Griff’s smash streaming hit, “Black Hole,” she’s had to postpone plenty of shows and tours as the guidelines for large gatherings were constantly shifting. But, she’s finally been able to tour behind her music, and already is finding ways to be innovative during her live show. That’s part of why cameras were ready at a gig in London this fall, when Griff took “Royals” and slid it right into the middle of “Heart Of Gold,” creating one glorious pop song out of two. We already know Griff is a Lorde fan because she previously covered “Solar Power” as part of BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge tradition. Check out the mash up above.

With a 65-78 record over the previous two seasons as the backdrop, the San Antonio Spurs entered the 2021-22 campaign with the most modest of expectations. That was a strange reality for one of the model franchises in the NBA universe, but without obvious star power and a general uncertainty of direction, the oddsmakers in the desert assigned the Spurs with an over/under win total of 28.5 victories. That placed the Spurs in the bottom tier of the league and, through the first 17 games, San Antonio was just 4-13 and “living up” to those modest expectations. Quietly, though, San Antonio has awakened since then, winning eight of the last 13 games and remaining frisky in the chase for the play-in.

Since Thanksgiving, the Spurs own the sixth-best net rating (+4.7) in the NBA with wins over Boston, Golden State, Denver, Utah, and the L.A. Clippers. The victory over the Clippers arrived in dominant fashion on Monday, with San Antonio throttling L.A. by a 24-point margin on the road. That singular performance may not be indicative of future performance for the Spurs, but 25-year-old guard Dejounte Murray was brilliant and that was a reminder of just how effective his level of performance is in 2021-22.

Murray put together a 24-point, 13-assist, 12-rebound triple-double in the win over the Clippers and, for the season, he is averaging 18.1 points, 8.6 assists, and 8.5 rebounds per game. Those counting numbers place Murray in rarified air and, while his box-score production has been similar during San Antonio’s uptick, he has improved his three-point shooting to 37.7 percent since Thanksgiving. Murray’s presence on the floor has also led to success for the Spurs, with a +2.1 net rating when he plays and a less impressive -3.5 net rating when he heads to the bench.

It’s not as if Murray is alone, as the Spurs have seven players averaging double-digit scoring through the first 30 games of the campaign. However, he is clearly the No. 1 option for a team that is jockeying for position in the Western Conference playoff chase, and that is notable for a player who is still flying under the radar.

Following this 13-game onslaught, San Antonio’s statistical profile suggests this team should hover around the .500 mark. The Spurs are six games under .500 for the season while out-scoring their opponents by 0.2 points per 100 possessions. That may not correct itself over the next 52 games, but there is some reason to believe that San Antonio’s 8-5 stretch may be more indicative 0f what this team is than their 4-13 start.

It should be noted that the Spurs play one of the league’s five toughest schedules, at least by winning percentage, for the rest of the season, and they likely can’t afford an injury to Murray. Still, it is likely fair to say that, at the moment, San Antonio is better than the team they were widely projected to be and, as usual, Gregg Popovich seems to be pushing a lot of the right buttons.

Where does that place the Spurs in this week’s DIME power rankings? Let’s see.

1. Golden State Warriors (25-6, Last week — 1st)

The Warriors got smoked in Toronto over the weekend and, without a closer look, that result seems weird. Golden State basically didn’t take its entire core to Canada, though, and the Warriors are rolling otherwise. The offense hasn’t been quite as dominant as it was early in the year, but Golden State’s defense is holding up and the metrics are outstanding.

2. Phoenix Suns (25-5, Last week — 2nd)

It was another perfect week for the Suns, capped off by an 18-point road win over the Lakers. Devin Booker is back as well, and Phoenix did a magnificent job weathering his absence. Phoenix could reasonably be ranked No. 1 right now, and that is a very strong compliment given what the Warriors have done.

3. Utah Jazz (21-9, Last week — 3rd)

Utah might’ve earned a dip with two home losses this week, but the profile of the Jazz is just better than the rest of the teams on the list. Utah is scoring four more points per 100 possessions than any other team in the league, and the Jazz are right up there with the best offenses of all-time, even in a league where scoring is down this season. We’ll see if that maintains, but Utah has almost the same point differential as Golden State.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers (19-12, Last week — 7th)

Like a lot of the league, the Cavs are battling COVID issues, but Cleveland hasn’t lost since Dec. 6. The Cavs have six straight wins and they’ve navigated a brutal schedule to the tune of a +6.1 net rating and the league’s No. 2 defense. It’s truly wild how good they’ve been, and it’s still happening.

5. Brooklyn Nets (21-9, Last week — 4th)

Brooklyn’s last result, before three postponements, was a home loss to Orlando. The Nets basically used their third team in that game, though, and if we assume relative health, Brooklyn is still earning a top-five ranking. The Kyrie Irving dynamic will be interesting to monitor, but they’re holding up without him, at least before the rash of COVID-related absences.

6. Chicago Bulls (19-10, Last week — 9th)

The Bulls bounced back from a two-game hiatus (and two losses before that) to sweep a home back-to-back on Sunday and Monday. Chicago remains No. 6 in the NBA in net rating, out-scoring opponents by 3.3 points per 100 possessions, and the Bulls are 18-8 in games when DeMar DeRozan plays.

7. Milwaukee Bucks (19-13, Last week — 5th)

The Bucks are good when their top guys play. I mean, the Bucks are good when basically any of their top guys play. This is basically too low given what expectations really are and too high for their season-long performance. Split the difference.

8. Miami Heat (19-13, Last week — 10th)

Losing in Detroit is pretty rough. Alas, Miami should be graded on a curve with all of the absences they have, and the Heat have done an admirable job navigating a lengthy stretch without Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro. Even with the Detroit loss, Miami is 5-2 in the last seven games.

9. Memphis Grizzlies (19-13, Last week — 6th)

The Grizzlies dropped back-to-back games to end the week, explaining the drop from No. 6 to No. 9 overall. Memphis is still solidly out-scoring opponents for the season with a positive record, especially when considering how long Ja Morant is out. They have to figure out a middle ground between elite offense (early in the season) and elite defense (recently), but it’s been a strong overall start.

10. Denver Nuggets (15-14, Last week — 15th)

The Nuggets haven’t played since Friday, but Denver’s last result was notably impressive. Nikola Jokic and company went into Atlanta and absolutely blasted the Hawks on the road, winning a fourth game in the last six. Whenever Jokic plays, the Nuggets are dangerous, and that point is being made nightly.

11. Philadelphia 76ers (16-15, Last week — 11th)

With Joel Embiid back, the Sixers are in solid shape. Philadelphia is 13-7 with Embiid in the lineup, and the Sixers went into Boston and won on the road on Monday. That was an impressive win, and the 76ers have a rest edge and home-court when Atlanta comes into town on Thursday.

12. Boston Celtics (15-16, Last week — 13th)

The bad? Boston is 2-5 in the last seven. However, the losses came to the Lakers (road), Clippers (road), Suns (road), Warriors, and Sixers. It would’ve been nice for the Celtics to steal one of those, but they did beat Milwaukee and those losses don’t really change the tenor in Boston.

13. Los Angeles Lakers (16-16, Last week — 12th)

With three straight losses, the Lakers are back to the .500 mark. That is not where anyone projected Los Angeles to be at this point, and the lengthy of absence of Anthony Davis won’t help. The Lakers also ran into a buzzsaw against the Suns on Tuesday, and that revealed, at least to some degree, that Los Angeles really isn’t in Phoenix’s stratosphere right now.

14. L.A. Clippers (16-15, Last week — 8th)

The Clippers dip considerably this week after three straight losses. One of those defeats came in Oklahoma City, which isn’t great, and L.A. got walloped by San Antonio. Without Kawhi Leonard, a 16-15 start feels totally reasonable, so there’s that.

15. San Antonio Spurs (12-18, Last week — 18th)

San Antonio finishes up a west coast trip against the Lakers on Thursday before returning home for three in a row. It will be interesting to see where the true baseline is for the Spurs, but they really are playing competitive basketball.

16. Dallas Mavericks (15-15, Last week — 16th)

Luka Doncic hasn’t played in almost two weeks, and the goal for Dallas is simply to hold the line in his absence. They’ve largely done that, including a win over Minnesota on Tuesday that avenged a previous defeat over the weekend. Nothing is exciting in Dallas right now — well, other than this — but perhaps they can find their stride when Doncic returns.

17. Minnesota Timberwolves (15-16, Last week — 23rd)

It’s been a Jekyll-and-Hyde season for the Wolves in many ways. Minnesota is 4-6 in the last 10 games, but that formed with a five-game losing streak, a four-game winning streak, and a reasonable road loss in Dallas on Tuesday.

18. Toronto Raptors (14-15, Last week — 19th)

This is a status quo week for the Raptors. Toronto had two postponements and a win over Golden State that was a lot less impressive than the scoreboard looks because of the players the Warriors didn’t bring to Canada. Alas, Toronto has a real opportunity with road games in Chicago and Cleveland this week.

19. Atlanta Hawks (14-15, Last week — 20th)

It ended up being a two-game week for the Hawks due to a postponement on Sunday. Atlanta split its two games, but the second contest was a highly disappointing home loss to Denver. The Hawks’ defense has been a total mess for most of the season, and now Nate McMillan must face some period of time without Trae Young, Clint Capela, and Danilo Gallinari due to health and safety protocols.

20. New York Knicks (14-17, Last week — 24th)

Tom Thibodeau’s team basically did the bare minimum this week, beating the Rockets and Pistons. That’s enough to make a bit of a jump, though, because a lot of the NBA is a mess right now. New York still has a lot of work to do to overcome a 3-8 record in the last 11 games.

21. Charlotte Hornets (16-17, Last week — 17th)

It’s not as if the Hornets had a terrible week, losing to a bunch of teams they are “supposed” to lose to on the road. Still, Charlotte slides under the .500 mark with three consecutive defeats, and the Hornets are finding it difficult to overcome the NBA’s worst defensive efficiency.

22. Washington Wizards (16-15, Last week — 22nd)

Washington had an awesome win over the weekend, knocking off the Jazz on the road. Why, then, did the Wizards stay in the same spot in the rankings? Well, Washington lost four in a row and seven out of eight games before that victory in Salt Lake City. We’ll call that a draw for now.

23. New Orleans Pelicans (11-21, Last week — 26th)

The Pelicans have won three in a row, four of the last five, and eight of the last 13 games. That doesn’t erase the hideousness of the early-season struggles, but New Orleans earned this bump with a double-digit home win over Portland on Tuesday.

24. Portland Trail Blazers (13-19, Last week — 27th)

Portland’s road win in Memphis on Sunday was genuinely impressive when remembering how hot the Grizzlies were before that game began. Damian Lillard is also averaging 38 points per game in the last three, and there are some real positives. However, Portland is still 3-11 in the last 14, so they can’t climb too high.

25. Houston Rockets (10-21, Last week — 14th)

Reality is back for the Rockets. We acknowledged a week ago that Houston rising to No. 14 overall was something of a bit, but the Rockets are 2-5 in the last seven games again. Houston is No. 27 in net rating at -6.5 points per 100 possessions, and some of the magic from the semi-recent seven-game winning streak is long gone.

26. Indiana Pacers (13-19, Last week — 21st)

It might be unfair to drop the Pacers this far given the team’s statistical profile and a 4-3 record in the last seven games. On the other end, Indiana was absolutely throttled by the Heat on a night in which Miami didn’t have some of its stars. The Pacers’ only win this week came against the Pistons as well, and that victory isn’t moving the needle.

27. Sacramento Kings (13-19, Last week — 25th)

Sacramento continues to flounder in a general sense. The Kings have lost five of the last seven games and, in those contests, Sacramento has allowed more than 1.16 points per possession. The two wins were solid enough, but Sacramento’s defense has been genuinely problematic for most of the season and there isn’t too much to get overly excited about.

28. Oklahoma City Thunder (10-19, Last week — 28th)

Things are trending up for OKC after back-to-back wins. The Thunder did lose to the Pelicans at home, keeping them in this spot, but OKC is a highly respectable 10-16 in games when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander suits up.

29. Orlando Magic (6-25, Last week — 29th)

Detroit’s shortcomings keep Orlando away from the No. 30 spot, but only by a small margin. The Magic are extremely shorthanded due to injury and protocols, but Orlando has two wins in almost five weeks. It’s really quite ugly, and they have to go to Atlanta and Miami in the next few days.

30. Detroit Pistons (5-25, Last week — 30th)

The Pistons finally won a game this week, outlasting a shorthanded Miami team to stop a month-long losing skid. Detroit promptly lost to the struggling Knicks by double figures on Tuesday, though, and the Pistons lost at home to Houston before the win over the Heat. At least Detroit has Cade Cunningham.