Eastern Conference

AFTER boasting a league's best 8-1 record last week, the Miami Heat have gone from serious contenders to title pretenders, losing their three games of the week to leave them with an 8-4 record.

While there was still speculation, it seems as though the Heat have not yet exorcised their fourth quarter demons; blowing a 13-point lead against the Golden State Warriors to start the streak.

Their next opponents were the Los Angeles Clippers and there was a similar story here as the Heat failed to put them away when they had the chance and to round off their dismal tour of the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets beat them 117-104 in a game that really was not that close.

The Chicago Bulls capped off another impressive week with a gritty 77-60 win over the Toronto Raptors to extend their winning streak to five on the trot. The win also helped them to an overall 12-2 record which is the best in the league. Though still finding his footing, Kyrie Irving has restored the Cleveland Cavaliers to a play-off position, somewhere that has been quite unfamiliar to them since the departure of LeBron James. Many may not remember, while some may never forget, but it was last season that the Cavs set the record for worst losing streak in NBA history, 26 straight losses.

The fans of the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics are wondering when their team will get a break as the up and down start to the season continues for both franchises. The Knicks are on a two-game losing streak with the latest defeat coming in the West but with a 6-6 record they are still in play-off contention. The Celtics fans, however, cannot boast such a claims as their four-game losing streak leaves them with a 4-7 record, miles away from where they need to be at this stage of the season.

Champs fighting back - Western Conference

THOUGH taking a while to wake up, the Dallas Mavericks are fighting for a place in the play-offs, climbing to seventh place in the conference with an 8-5 record on the back of a five-game winning streak.

Also trying to make an early push are the Memphis Grizzlies who are now a place below the Portland Trailblazers who occupy eighth place with a 7-5 record. The Grizzlies are pushing on with a two-game winning streak for a 5-6 record for the season thus far.

Like the Heat, the Trailblazers were at one point at the top of the conference, but they are also being put under pressure following a similar three-game losing streak. Also losing three consecutive games are the Phoenix Suns who have slipped far from play-off contention with a 4-7 record being particular poor on the road, winning just one of four games played away.

The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to grow and impress as they extended their winning streak to six games following a 104-92 win against the Knicks. After an unusually slow start to the season, Russell Westbrook is now close to matching strides with Thunder's main man Kevin Durant, who continues to prove that his back-to-back scoring champion titles were well deserved. The Los Angeles Lakers were in a fine run of form until they were cut down 102-94 last Saturday by their neighbours the Los Angeles Clippers.

The San Antonio Spurs are coping quite well without the usual contributions of Manu Ginobli as their two-game winning streak keeps them in second place in the conference.

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