3. (-1) Boston Celtics are 12-4 and have been looking good despite some minor injuries to key players. The Celtics are continuing to play great defense as the team is only giving up 93 points a contest and outscoring its opponents by seven points per game. Paul Pierce leads the team with 20 points followed by Ray Allen’s 17 points per game. Kevin Garnett is averaging 15 points and 9 boards while surprisingly Shaquille O’Neal is averaging 12 points and 7 rebounds per game. Rajon Rondo is not the best scorer on the team but he is extremely talented dishing the ball around to the four future Hall-of-Famers since he is averaging 14 assists per game.
2. (+2) Orlando Magic are 12-4 and have regrouped after starting the season with a blow-out loss in Miami. The team is an excellent defensive team as they are giving up only 92 points per game and outscoring opponents by seven points. The team is led by MVP candidate Dwight Howard’s 22 points and 12 rebounds per game. Jameer Nelson is adding 15 points and 7 assists while Vince Carter is adding 14 points per game. The team is getting balanced production by the supporting cast as well. The Magic are definitely the best team in the East this week.
1. (+0) San Antonio Spurs are 14-2 and just came off winning 12 straight games. The team has been performing well during the long winning streak while averaging 107 points per game but giving up only 99 points to their opponents. Manu Ginobili leads the team with his 21 points per game while Tony Parker is adding 19 points and 7 assists, despite the off-court issues he has had of late. Tim Duncan is putting up 14 points and 9 boards a game and Richard Jefferson is adding his 15 points to the mix. Now that the team has lost a game, the challenge is to see if they can continue the excellent team performance after defeating the New Orleans Hornets on Nov. 28 and be an elite contender like they have been throughout the years.
