With the group stage of the NBA Cup finally wrapping up this past week, the league landscape is shifting fast as eight teams punch their tickets to the knockout rounds, headlined by OKC’s continued dominance, surging runs from the Spurs, Lakers, and Suns in the West, and renewed momentum from the Magic, Raptors, Knicks, and Heat in the East. Oklahoma City continues to look terrifyingly complete, and the Lakers’ long-awaited return of LeBron James has injected balance and belief into their rise. Meanwhile, Miami, Orlando, and New York have flipped sluggish starts into powerful turnarounds, climbing the ladder with decisive wins and growing confidence. On the opposite end, the Bucks, Bulls, Trail Blazers, and Clippers are collapsing rapidly, each staring at problems deeper than cold shooting or schedule quirks. As December arrives and elimination basketball looms, contenders are sharpening their identity while others scramble to salvage direction. The tournament spotlight now intensifies, and so does the race to keep pace with the league’s fastest risers. Let’s see which teams make up each category:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (20-1)

Last Week’s Record: 3-0

Wins: vs. Timberwolves, vs. Suns, @ Trail Blazers

Losses: None

This Week: @ Warriors (12/2), vs. Mavericks (12/5), @ Jazz (12/7)

2. Detroit Pistons (17-4)

Last Week’s Record: 2-2

Wins: @ Heat, vs. Hawks

Losses: @ Celtics, vs. Magic

This Week: @ Bucks (12/3), vs. Trail Blazers (12/5), vs. Bucks (12/6)

3. Los Angeles Lakers (15-5)

Last Week’s Record: 3-1

Wins: vs. Clippers, vs. Mavericks, vs. Pelicans

Losses: vs. Suns

This Week: @ Raptors (12/4), @ Celtics (12/5), @ 76ers (12/7)

4. San Antonio Spurs (13-6)

Last Week’s Record: 2-1

Wins: @ Trail Blazers, @ Nuggets

Losses: @ Timberwolves

This Week: vs. Grizzlies (12/2), @ Magic (12/3), @ Cavaliers (12/5), @ Pelicans (12/8)

5. Denver Nuggets (14-6)

Last Week’s Record: 1-2

Wins: @ Suns

Losses: vs. Spurs, vs. Mavericks

This Week: @ Pacers (12/3), @ Hawks (12/5), @ Hornets (12/7)

6. Houston Rockets (13-5)

Last Week’s Record: 2-1

Wins: @ Warriors, @ Jazz

Losses: @ Jazz

This Week: vs. Kings (12/3), vs. Suns (12/5), @ Mavericks (12/6)

7. Miami Heat (14-7)

Last Week’s Record: 2-1

Wins: vs. Timberwolves, vs. Clippers

Losses: vs. Pistons

This Week: @ Mavericks (12/3), @ Magic (12/5), vs. Kings (12/6)

8. Orlando Magic (13-8)

Last Week’s Record: 3-0

Wins: @ 76ers, @ Pistons, vs. Bulls

Losses: None

This Week: vs. Spurs (12/3), vs. Heat (12/5), @ Knicks (12/7)

9. New York Knicks (13-6)

Last Week’s Record: 3-0

Wins: @ Hornets, vs. Bucks, vs. Raptors

Losses: None

This Week: @ Celtics (12/2), vs. Hornets (12/3), vs. Jazz (12/5), vs. Magic (12/7)

10. Minnesota Timberwolves (12-8)

Last Week’s Record: 2-1

Wins: vs. Celtics, vs. Spurs

Losses: @ Thunder

This Week: @ Pelicans (12/2), @ Pelicans (12/4), vs. Clippers (12/6), vs. Suns (12/8)

11. Toronto Raptors (14-7)

Last Week’s Record: 1-2

Wins: vs. Pacers

Losses: @ Hornets, @ Knicks

This Week: vs. Trail Blazers (12/2), vs. Lakers (12/4), vs. Hornets (12/5), vs. Celtics (12/7)

12. Atlanta Hawks (13-9)

Last Week’s Record: 2-2

Wins: vs. Cavaliers, @ 76ers

Losses: @ Wizards, @ Pistons

This Week: vs. Clippers (12/3), vs. Nuggets (12/5), @ Wizards (12/6)

13. Cleveland Cavaliers (13-9)

Last Week’s Record: 1-2

Wins: @ Pacers

Losses: @ Hawks, vs. Celtics

This Week: vs. Trail Blazers (12/2), vs. Spurs (12/5), vs. Warriors (12/6)

14. Phoenix Suns (13-9)

Last Week’s Record: 2-2

Wins: @ Kings, @ Lakers

Losses: @ Thunder, vs. Nuggets

This Week: @ Rockets (12/5), @ Timberwolves (12/8)

15. Philadelphia 76ers (10-9)

Last Week’s Record: 1-2

Wins: @ Nets

Losses: vs. Magic, vs. Hawks

This Week: vs. Wizards (12/2), vs. Warriors (12/4), @ Bucks (12/5), vs. Lakers (12/7)

16. Boston Celtics (11-9)

Last Week’s Record: 2-2

Wins: vs. Pistons, @ Cavaliers

Losses: @ Timberwolves

This Week: vs. Knicks (12/2), @ Wizards (12/4), vs. Lakers (12/5), @ Raptors (12/7)

17. Golden State Warriors (11-10)

Last Week’s Record: 1-1

Wins: vs. Pelicans

Losses: vs. Rockets

This Week: vs. Thunder (12/2), @ 76ers (12/4), @ Cavaliers (12/6), @ Bulls (12/7)

18. Memphis Grizzlies (9-12)

Last Week’s Record: 3-0

Wins: @ Pelicans, @ Clippers, @ Kings

Losses: None

This Week: @ Spurs (12/2), vs. Clippers (12/5), vs. Trail Blazers (12/7)

19. Chicago Bulls (9-11)

Last Week’s Record: 0-3

Wins: None

Losses: @ Hornets, @ Pacers, @ Magic

This Week: vs. Nets (12/3), vs. Pacers (12/5), vs. Warriors (12/7)

20. Portland Trail Blazers (8-12)

Last Week’s Record: 0-2

Wins: None

Losses: vs. Spurs, vs. Thunder

This Week: @ Raptors (12/2), @ Cavaliers (12/3), @ Pistons (12/5), @ Grizzlies (12/7)

21. Milwaukee Bucks (9-13)

Last Week’s Record: 1-3

Wins: vs. Nets

Losses: @ Heat, @ Knicks, @ Wizards

This Week: vs. Pistons (12/3), vs. 76ers (12/5), @ Pistons (12/6)

22. Utah Jazz (7-13)

Last Week’s Record: 2-1

Wins: vs. Kings, vs. Rockets

Losses: vs. Rockets

This Week: @ Nets (12/4), @ Knicks (12/5), vs. Thunder (12/7)

23. Dallas Mavericks (7-15)

Last Week’s Record: 2-1

Wins: @ Clippers, @ Nuggets

Losses: @ Lakers

This Week: vs. Heat (12/3), @ Thunder (12/5), vs. Rockets (12/6)

24. Sacramento Kings (5-16)

Last Week’s Record: 0-3

Wins: None

Losses: vs. Suns, @ Jazz, vs. Grizzlies

This Week: @ Rockets (12/3), @ Heat (12/6), @ Pacers (12/8)

25. Los Angeles Clippers (5-16)

Last Week’s Record: 0-4

Wins: None

Losses: @ Lakers, vs. Grizzlies, vs. Mavericks, @ Heat

This Week: @ Hawks (12/3), @ Grizzlies (12/5), @ Timberwolves (12/6)

26. Brooklyn Nets (4-16)

Last Week’s Record: 1-2

Wins: vs. Hornets

Losses: vs. 76ers, @ Bucks

This Week: @ Bulls (12/3), vs. Jazz (12/4), vs. Pelicans (12/6)

27. Indiana Pacers (4-17)

Last Week’s Record: 2-2

Wins: vs. Wizards, vs. Bulls

Losses: @ Raptors, vs. Cavaliers

This Week: vs. Nuggets (12/3), @ Bulls (12/5), vs. Kings (12/8)

28. Charlotte Hornets (6-15)

Last Week’s Record: 2-2

Wins: vs. Bulls, vs. Raptors

Losses: vs. Knicks, @ Nets

This Week: @ Knicks (12/3), @ Raptors (12/5), vs. Nuggets (12/7)

29. Washington Wizards (3-16)

Last Week’s Record: 2-1

Wins: vs. Hawks, vs. Bucks

Losses: @ Pacers

This Week: @ 76ers (12/2), vs. Celtics (12/4), vs. Hawks (12/6)

30. New Orleans Pelicans (3-18)

Last Week’s Record: 0-3

Wins: None

Losses: vs. Grizzlies, @ Warriors, @ Lakers

This Week: vs. Timberwolves (12/2), vs. Timberwolves (12/4), @ Nets (12/6), vs. Spurs (12/8)