TOP 5 Teams of the Week

TEAM (LAST WK)	REC.	BREAKDOWN
1	Detroit (2)	37-13	Off: 113.0 (3), Def: 103.8 (3) -- The Pistons have quietly won eight straight, sharp on both ends of the court. If they take care of business in Atlanta and against the Pacers, they should be going into the break as the best team in basketball, and the only one with three All-Stars.
2	Boston (1)	39-9	Off: 111.3 (10), Def: 99.5 (1) -- With Sunday's win over the Spurs, the Celtics are now 16-0 against the West. They've got a five-game trip with stops in Denver, Golden State, Phoenix and Portland right after the break.
3	Utah (7)	33-19	Off: 113.2 (2), Def: 107.0 (11) -- The Kings ended Utah's 10-game winning streak on Friday, but the Jazz kept their 12-game streak at home alive with Saturday's win over the Bulls. At 22-3 at EnergySolutions Arena, the Jazz are tied with Dallas for the best home record in the league.
4	New Orleans (3)	34-15	Off: 111.9 (8), Def: 105.7 (6) -- Wednesday's double-OT win over the Suns was an absolute classic and the Hornets' 13th straight win in overtime (an NBA record). Fascinating stat though: The Hornets are last in the league in free throw attempts per possession (0.22). One would think that a team that doesn't get to the line often would struggle in close games.
5	Phoenix (4)	36-15	Off: 114.2 (1), Def: 108.2 (15) -- Shaq is practicing and could play Wednesday or Thursday. And it's a small sample size, but in the four games the Suns have played without Shawn Marion this season, their defensive rating is 113.7. That's pretty bad.