Quarters: They’re not just for parking meters and Street Fighter arcade games anymore.
Some quarters end up consistently making or breaking a team’s chances for winning a basketball game. Some teams start out super slow and spend the rest of the game trying to get back the lead. A few teams start strong and fade away. Others can’t handle halftime adjustments.
For the Power Rankings this week, we’re looking at quarter-by-quarter breakdowns and clutch-time (score within five points inside of five minutes in the fourth quarter/OT) numbers for each team. Where is your team falling short or really bringing it during a game? Is clutch time ruining them? Are they (the Pistons) just bad all the time? Then, as always, we’ll flawlessly rank all 30 teams.
Reminder: The Power Rankings don’t just rank the 30 teams. We divide these teams into tiers, which teams can move in and out of. We currently have the tiers in the Power Rankings broken into seven categories right now:
- Incomprehensibly bad — These guys are historically inept right now.
- Not tanking but maybe someday — They haven’t started tanking yet, but it’s on the table this season.
- Looking to make the Play-In — They’ve been rebuilding/retooling and think they can crack the top 10 in their respective conference.
- Play-In Tournament teams or better — They should be in the mix unless something disastrous happens.
- Playoff teams — Probably don’t have to worry about dropping down to the Play-In Tournament.
- On the brink of contention — A piece away from us believing they can win the title.
- Contenders — They are contending for the championship, barring a massive injury.
As always, I am sure we will all agree on the placement of all 30 teams, especially your favorite team.
Here’s how the Power Rankings work:
- It’s up to my discretion how the rankings shake out. For some teams, they’ll be hit in the short term. Others will be given the benefit for the long term. Yes, it is entirely subjective.
- If I have a team ahead of another team, there’s no reason to ask why they’re ranked above the team you like. The answer is pretty simple: I think that team is set up better for success.
- Yes, I watch the games. And yes, I watch your favorite team.
- This is supposed to be fun, so let’s have fun.
With all that said, let’s dive into Week 7 of The Athletic’s NBA Power Rankings. Stats and records are through Monday’s action.
Minnesota Timberwolves
1st Q: -1.0 net rating | Ranked 17th
2nd Q: +11.8 net rating | Ranked fifth
3rd Q: +13.0 net rating | Ranked second
4th Q: +1.7 net rating | Ranked 15th
Clutch: +23.1 net rating | Ranked fourth | Eight games (7-1)
Takeaway: The Wolves start slow, but they maul you in the middle of the game. Their dominance in the second and third quarters just breaks opponents’ spirits. They crush you to close out the first half then pour cold water on whatever halftime adjustments you made. Another impressive thing is their clutch performance. Anthony Edwards (57.1 percent true shooting) and Karl-Anthony Towns (67.6) have been very efficient in the clutch, and Minnesota’s clutch-time defense is obliterating teams.
Boston Celtics
1st Q: +25.0 net rating | Ranked first
2nd Q: +10.6 net rating | Ranked sixth
3rd Q: -2.4 net rating | Ranked 22nd (tied)
4th Q: +2.2 net rating | Ranked 12th
Clutch: +11.6 net rating | Ranked 12th | 11 games (7-4)
Takeaway: What can you possibly say about this season’s Celtics? They’re simply good all the time. If you’ve managed to avoid a bad first half against them, they don’t typically come out of halftime killing it. But look at how dominant their first quarters have been. They won the first quarter 14 times, and seven of those have been by double digits. Boston is dominant out of the gates.
Denver Nuggets
1st Q: +16.4 net rating | Ranked 2nd
2nd Q: -8.1 net rating | Ranked 24th
3rd Q: +3.8 net rating | Ranked 10th
4th Q: +6.7 net rating | Ranked 7th
Clutch: +9.6 net rating | Ranked 13th | 11 games (7-4)
Takeaway: The Nuggets are the second-most dominant team to start out games before they let it go quite a bit during the second quarter. Why is that? Could it be second-unit stuff considering the players they’ve been missing? Is it just a reigning champion being a little bored, knowing the grind ahead? It doesn’t matter because they turn it on in the second half and generally put games away.
Milwaukee Bucks
1st Q: -3.5 net rating | Ranked 18th
2nd Q: +1.7 net rating | Ranked 11th
3rd Q: -1.0 net rating | Ranked 19th (tied)
4th Q: +16.1 net rating | Ranked first
Clutch: +31.9 net rating | Ranked first | 12 games (9-3)
Takeaway: The Bucks have not looked very good so far this season, but they’re still 14-6 and showing us incredible closing. Milwaukee has been the league’s most dominant fourth-quarter team while being mostly brilliant in the clutch. Bucks announcer Marques Johnson (who should be a Hall of Famer by the way) mentioned on a recent broadcast that it’s great to see how the Bucks prove their mettle in tight games. But also, you’d like to see fewer tight games by having them blow out teams. He’s right.
Phoenix Suns
1st Q: +8.5 net rating | Ranked fifth
2nd Q: +12.9 net rating | Ranked fourth
3rd Q: +6.7 net rating | Ranked fifth
4th Q: -16.9 net rating | Ranked 30th
Clutch: -14.9 net rating | Ranked 21st | 13 games (6-7)
Takeaway: What in the hell is happening at the end of Phoenix’s games? The Suns have been incredible in the first three quarters before just falling apart. Their offense in the fourth quarter and the clutch has been uninspiring. They settle for so many jumpers, and I’d like to see them attack more. Granted, they’ve had Devin Booker in and out of the lineup while still needing Bradley Beal to get back, but I suspect those jumpers will still fly at the end of games.
Oklahoma City Thunder
1st Q: +13.8 net rating | Ranked third
2nd Q: +7.9 net rating | Ranked seventh
3rd Q: +6.3 net rating | Ranked sixth
4th Q: +3.7 net rating | Ranked 10th
Clutch: +25.2 net rating | Ranked second | 12 games (7-5)
Takeaway: The only shocking thing about this is their dominant clutch-time net rating with a record of just 7-5 in clutch games. It goes that way sometimes, but the Thunder have started the season so well. This is what happens when you finally let a team play together for a full season. They’ve taken that experience and grown, and we now see the Thunder unleashing on the rest of the league. By halftime, you’re usually looking at a loss. OKC is a big-time problem.
Orlando Magic
1st Q: +4.5 net rating | Ranked 12th
2nd Q: +21.3 net rating | Ranked first
3rd Q: -2.8 net rating | Ranked 24th
4th Q: -5.6 net rating | Ranked 23rd
Clutch: -7.5 net rating | Ranked 18th | Nine games (6-3)
Takeaway: The Magic close out that second quarter better than anybody, and they’re doing it with their defense. They’re doing everything with their defense. The second half is a bit concerning, but it makes sense when you remember this team is so young. Now that the win streak is over, it’s reasonable to expect them to come back down to earth a little. What I’d like to see from them in the fourth quarter and clutch moments moving forward is finding a way for Paolo Banchero to take over. He’s capable.
New York Knicks
1st Q: +10.7 net rating | Ranked 4th
2nd Q: -4.0 net rating | Ranked 18th
3rd Q: +5.2 net rating | Ranked eighth
4th Q: +11.8 net rating | Ranked second
Clutch: +17.1 net rating | Ranked eighth | Eight games (4-4)
Takeaway: Remember a couple years ago, when the Knicks were getting demolished in the third quarter and Tom Thibodeau was too stubborn to go away from that starting lineup? It’s a distant memory now. The Knicks are starting and finishing games in dominant fashion. They’ve been good in clutch situations despite their 4-4 record. New York has a real closer in Jalen Brunson. This Knicks team is legitimately good and shows it most of the game.
Philadelphia 76ers
1st Q: -9.5 net rating | Ranked 23rd
2nd Q: +13.9 net rating | Ranked third
3rd Q: +15.9 net rating | Ranked first
4th Q: +9.0 net rating | Ranked fourth
Clutch: -26.3 net rating | Ranked 27th | Seven games (2-5)
Takeaway: I’m not going to freak out too much about their clutch situation so far. I think they have the weapons to turn that around and start performing much better when it matters. While the 76ers’ second, third and fourth quarters have been great, I’m trying to figure out why they’re so bad at starting games. Maybe that’s nitpicking considering how dominant they are in second halves. Imagine what it would look like if they didn’t dig this big hole to start each night.
New Orleans Pelicans
1st Q: +8.4 net rating | Ranked sixth
2nd Q: +14.0 net rating | Ranked second
3rd Q: -6.3 net rating | Ranked 26th
4th Q: -10.8 net rating | Ranked 27th
Clutch: -19.8 net rating | Ranked 26th | Nine games (4-5)
Takeaway: It is night and day from the first half to the second half for the Pelicans. The offense and defense are great in the first half. They come out of halftime, and they can’t stop anybody. They also can’t score by the time the fourth quarter comes around. That shouldn’t happen with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram on your team. Maybe this is a byproduct of CJ McCollum being out, but the Pelicans have to get it together after halftime.
Sacramento Kings
1st Q: +6.9 net rating | Ranked eighth
2nd Q: -12.9 net rating | Ranked 29th
3rd Q: +0.4 net rating | Ranked 17th
4th Q: +1.4 net rating | Ranked 16th
Clutch: +13.1 net rating | Ranked 11th | Nine games (6-3)
Takeaway: The clutch numbers are good, and I have a feeling the fourth-quarter stuff is going to improve dramatically. De’Aaron Fox has been absurd since he came back from his ankle injury. Since he came back, the Kings are +4.8 net rating in the fourth quarter and 7-3 overall. Fox is nearly averaging 10 points per fourth quarter (9.8), and nobody can really stay in front of him. It will get the Kings back to more of what we saw last season.
Dallas Mavericks
1st Q: -5.7 net rating | Ranked 21st
2nd Q: -0.5 net rating | Ranked 15th
3rd Q: +5.5 net rating | Ranked seventh
4th Q: +1.0 net rating | Ranked 17th
Clutch: +21.6 net rating | Ranked fifth (tied) | 10 games (8-2)
Takeaway: It’s funny that the Mavericks were a -2.8 net rating in the fourth until Saturday night. That 30-0 run against OKC nearly got them the win, but it definitely got them into the positive for the fourth quarter this season. Their starts to games have been troubling, but they’re coming out of halftime and regaining most of it. Really, this team is trying to get to clutch-time situations, when it’s dominating. I guess that’s why you have Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving on the same team, right?
Indiana Pacers
1st Q: -0.7 net rating | Ranked 16th
2nd Q: -0.6 net rating | Ranked 16th
3rd Q: +7.3 net rating | Ranked fourth
4th Q: +8.1 net rating | Ranked fifth
Clutch: +23.2 net rating | Ranked third | 11 games (7-4)
Takeaway: The Pacers are probably the most entertaining team in the NBA right now. They’re on pace to shatter the record for offensive rating in a season and in the running to post the worst defensive rating. Their first halves of games are a coin flip, then they turn it on after halftime. Especially in the fourth quarter, you get a sense of just how lethal that offense can be. Only the Bucks have a better fourth-quarter offensive rating.
Miami Heat
1st Q: +6.4 net rating | Ranked ninth
2nd Q: +6.9 net rating | Ranked eighth
3rd Q: +4.7 net rating | Ranked ninth
4th Q: -13.0 net rating | Ranked 29th
Clutch: -30.6 net rating | Ranked 28th | 10 games (5-5)
Takeaway: Why are the Heat falling apart at the end of games? Their net rating in the clutch makes that 5-5 record look bewildering. And their fourth quarters have been putrid. Remember: The Heat played in 54 games that triggered clutch situations last season and were the league’s second-best clutch team. I know guys have been in and out of the lineup, but where is that Heat team now?
Los Angeles Lakers
1st Q: -14.1 net rating | Ranked 28th
2nd Q: +1.1 net rating | Ranked 12th
3rd Q: +1.5 net rating | Ranked 13th
4th Q: +7.9 net rating | Ranked sixth
Clutch: +21.1 net rating | Ranked seventh | 10 games (7-3)
Takeaway: The Lakers have been winning more as of late, so it changes things a bit. But one of my favorite things on Twitter is Lakers fans not buying into “fake fourth-quarter runs” to make the games more competitive when the Lakers are losing. It’s crazy how bad they are in the first quarter. It just takes them a long time to get going, but once they do, they’re unstoppable. LeBron James (45 points, fourth in NBA) has been so brilliant in the clutch, and we see it reflected in their clutch performance.
Cleveland Cavaliers
1st Q: -4.8 net rating | Ranked 20th
2nd Q: +4.3 net rating | Ranked ninth
3rd Q: +1.3 net rating | Ranked 14th
4th Q: -3.2 net rating | Ranked 21st
Clutch: -16.0 net rating | Ranked 22nd (tied) | 11 games (5-6)
Takeaway: I can’t really figure out this Cavs team. I want to believe they’re better than they’re playing, and we haven’t seen the continuity with the lineups and rotations you’d hope to see. But this team is way too bad in the first and fourth quarters of games, considering the talent. The Cavaliers still feel a little disorganized, and I don’t know if that’s a Donovan Mitchell thing, a J.B. Bickerstaff thing or maybe something else.
Atlanta Hawks
1st Q: -6.9 net rating | Ranked 22nd
2nd Q: +3.8 net rating | Ranked 10th
3rd Q: +0.9 net rating | Ranked 15th (tied)
4th Q: +2.6 net rating | Ranked 11th
Clutch: -16.0 net rating | Ranked 22nd (tied) | 10 games (4-6)
Takeaway: Nobody’s defense is worse to start a game than the Hawks’. Their first-quarter defensive rating makes the Pacers look like the 2005 Pistons — well, maybe just like a solid defensive team from this era. The rest of the game is good for the Hawks, though, until they get to the clutch. We know how deadly Trae Young can be. Dejounte Murray is pretty good too. So, the fourth quarter is a massive potential problem for opponents, but it hasn’t translated to clutch time yet.
LA Clippers
1st Q: +7.8 net rating | Ranked seventh
2nd Q: -4.5 net rating | Ranked 19th
3rd Q: +12.2 net rating | Ranked third
4th Q: -2.0 net rating | Ranked 20th
Clutch: -16.9 net rating | Ranked 24th | 11 games (3-8)
Takeaway: The numbers and splits are pretty similar pre- and post-James Harden trade. Since they got him, the Clippers have been great in their first and third quarters, but they’ve been terrible in the second and fourth periods while obviously struggling in clutch situations. Their offense in the clutch is atrocious despite having Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Harden. Is that a lack of organization? Could it just be not having much time together? It could be a string of never-ending, inherent flaws they’ll never overcome. I don’t know, but they should be better.
Brooklyn Nets
1st Q: +5.6 net rating | Ranked 10th
2nd Q: -6.0 net rating | Ranked 22nd
3rd Q: +0.9 net rating | Ranked 15th (tied)
4th Q: +10.4 net rating | Ranked third
Clutch: +1.1 net rating | Ranked 15th | 10 games (5-5)
Takeaway: Aside from that second quarter, this Nets team has been excellent throughout the course of a game. Their offense is so good right now, and Jacque Vaughn has them playing some pretty good basketball. Those fourth-quarter flurries they throw on opponents can be bewildering. All of a sudden, the Nets have gone on a run and either put the game out of reach or made your lead disappear.
Toronto Raptors
1st Q: +0.5 net rating | Ranked 14th
2nd Q: -6.3 net rating | Ranked 23rd
3rd Q: -5.1 net rating | Ranked 25th
4th Q: +4.5 net rating | Ranked ninth
Clutch: +13.2 net rating | Ranked 10th | 10 games (5-5)
Takeaway: How do we eliminate the middle of the game to benefit the Raptors? Closing out the second quarter and then coming out of halftime has been a rough stretch for Toronto. I’m not quite sure how you fix that either. Is that just problems with a new coach making those adjustments? Is the team losing focus? Are the rotations off to finish out the half? Regardless, this is a good fourth-quarter team. Scottie Barnes (126 points, ranking 10th; 53.6 percent shooting) is a monster in the fourth.
Golden State Warriors
1st Q: +5.1 net rating | Ranked 11th
2nd Q: +0.8 net rating | Ranked 13th
3rd Q: +2.5 net rating | Ranked 12th
4th Q: -6.6 net rating | Ranked 24th (tied)
Clutch: -2.3 net rating | Ranked 16th | 16 games (8-8)
Takeaway: Remember when the third quarter used to separate the Warriors from everybody else? That doesn’t happen anymore. At least not to the degree we’re used to seeing. The Warriors being so mediocre in the clutch and so bad in the fourth in general is concerning, as is the fact that they can’t blow out teams too. They already have 16 clutch games this season. They’ve played 20 games. They’re on pace for 66 clutch games, which blows Miami out of the water from last season.
Houston Rockets
1st Q: +3.3 net rating | Ranked 13th
2nd Q: +0.5 net rating | Ranked 14th
3rd Q: +3.1 net rating | Ranked 11th
4th Q: +4.7 net rating | Ranked 8th
Clutch: -19.1 net rating | Ranked 25th | Nine games (3-6)
Takeaway: The real breakdown would be their home splits with this versus their away splits with this. The Rockets are actually pretty dominant in every quarter when they’re at home this season. And they’re completely dominated in every quarter on the road, except for the third quarter in which they have only a -3.5 net rating. A lot of that shows their youth is still getting the better of them on the road, and I think we see that in their clutch numbers too. But they’ve still taken a big step forward by being this dominant at home.
Chicago Bulls
1st Q: -15.3 net rating | Ranked 30th
2nd Q: -10.2 net rating | Ranked 25th
3rd Q: +0.2 net rating | Ranked 18th
4th Q: 0.0 net rating | Ranked 18th
Clutch: +21.6 net rating | Ranked fifth (tied) | 11 games (5-6)
Takeaway: Here’s the good news. The Bulls are actually very competitive in the second half of games. Even though we think everybody is mad there and possibly hates their coach, the Bulls are coming out of halftime and bringing it. It’s essentially a coin flip against them in the third and fourth quarters. The problem with that? They dig such a massive hole for themselves in the first half. We see them come thundering back at times in the second half to try to make it a game, but it’s often too little, too late. They need a complete overhaul.
Memphis Grizzlies
1st Q: -10.0 net rating | Ranked 26th
2nd Q: -15.0 net rating | Ranked 30th
3rd Q: -1.0 net rating | Ranked 19th (tied)
4th Q: +1.9 net rating | Ranked 13th (tied)
Clutch: -8.7 net rating | Ranked 19th | Eight games (2-6)
Takeaway: I don’t know how seriously we’re supposed to take any of these numbers or performances before Ja Morant comes back (which is soon, by the way!) The thing that matters is the losses piling up for Memphis. But this is a team that starts out slow and just doesn’t have enough in the second half to make it a game. I think the healthy and available version of this Memphis squad is pretty good, but we might not see too much of that this season.
Portland Trail Blazers
1st Q: -13.5 net rating | Ranked 27th
2nd Q: -5.9 net rating | Ranked 21st
3rd Q: -1.7 net rating | Ranked 21st
4th Q: -4.4 net rating | Ranked 22nd
Clutch: -5.7 net rating | Ranked 17th | 11 games (5-6)
Takeaway: Even though the Blazers are supposed to be bad this season, it feels a little tough to judge them so far. They’re just now getting whatever version of healthy they can possibly get, and they’ve played better lately because of that improving health and availability. Otherwise, their quarter breakdown makes sense. A young, incomplete rotation is getting destroyed at the start of games, and then they can’t quite do enough to get back into it.
Charlotte Hornets
1st Q: -14.6 net rating | Ranked 29th
2nd Q: -5.3 net rating | Ranked 20th
3rd Q: -13.4 net rating | Ranked 29th
4th Q: -1.2 net rating | Ranked 19th
Clutch: +4.0 net rating | Ranked 14th | 11 games (6-5)
Takeaway: Of course, the numbers for the next couple weeks will be tough without LaMelo Ball. But instead of examining the first and third quarters that are so bad for Charlotte, let’s look at the clutch! They’ve been legitimately good in the clutch so far. They’re not really turning the ball over too much, and they’re scoring really well. Terry Rozier has been the guy for them, and it’s worth wondering if clutch performances like this get him noticed for a change of scenery at the trade deadline.
1st Q: -3.9 net rating | Ranked 19th
2nd Q: -10.4 net rating | Ranked 26th
3rd Q: -13.1 net rating | Ranked 27th (tied)
4th Q: +1.9 net rating | Ranked 13th (tied)
Clutch: +15.1 net rating | Ranked ninth | Nine games (5-4)
Takeaway: If the Jazz could avoid the first three quarters of the game and find themselves in the fourth or a clutch situation, we’d probably feel like we’re watching the Utah squad that started out last season so hot. Unfortunately, the middle of the game is tanking any chance they have of making a serious comeback. I don’t want to chalk the fourth-quarter success as just garbage-time success. I think the Jazz are genuinely putting up a good fight at the end of most games. It’s just not enough.
Washington Wizards
1st Q: -9.6 net rating | Ranked 24th (tied)
2nd Q: -1.8 net rating | Ranked 17th
3rd Q: -13.1 net rating | Ranked 27th (tied)
4th Q: -6.6 net rating | Ranked 24th (tied)
Clutch: -66.7 net rating | Ranked 30th | Six games (0-6)
Takeaway: Kyle Kuzma recently said the Wizards couldn’t guard a stop sign. It looks like their best chances of doing that happen in the second quarter only. In all other quarters, the stop sign would be dominating them. If by some chance the Wizards forced a clutch situation against the stop sign, they’d quickly be brought out of that. I’m honestly shocked their numbers in each quarter aren’t worse because I can’t think of a time in a Wizards game in which I get the feeling, “You know what? They’re starting to bring it.”
San Antonio Spurs
1st Q: -0.4 net rating | Ranked 15th
2nd Q: -11.4 net rating | Ranked 28th
3rd Q: -26.2 net rating | Ranked 30th
4th Q: -10.2 net rating | Ranked 26th
Clutch: -14.3 net rating | Ranked 20th | 11 games (3-8)
Takeaway: The good news is this young, inexperienced team is pretty competitive to start most games. To be down less than half a point per 100 possessions in the first quarter shows they’re ready to play. However, they get obliterated in every other quarter and situation. The hope is that they find a way to be more competitive and dangerous as the season goes on. Doesn’t have to mean a lot of wins, but they can’t get demolished like this after halftime. What are they doing in the locker room? TikTok?
Detroit Pistons
1st Q: -9.6 net rating | Ranked 24th (tied)
2nd Q: -10.7 net rating | Ranked 27th
3rd Q: -2.4 net rating | Ranked 22nd (tied)
4th Q: -12.1 net rating | Ranked 28th
Clutch: -55.6 net rating | Ranked 29th | 10 games (1-9)
Takeaway: I guess the fact that the Pistons aren’t getting hammered in the third quarter is something. They recently got Bojan Bogdanović back, and they’ve at least lost two straight games by single digits. Maybe with another adult in the room, the Pistons will find their way into not getting destroyed in almost every quarter. The fun with small sample sizes is their clutch numbers have been ridiculously bad. We’ve seen 10 games trigger clutch situations, but they’ve been so bad in them that they have spent just 29 minutes in the clutch. That’s comically low.
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(Top photo: John Hefti / USA Today)
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