5. Indiana Pacers (18-12)
Last Week: 5
The Pacers snapped a three-game losing-streak by winning two in a row, and currently hold the third-seed in the East. They pulled off a big 97-83 win against the second-place Atlanta Hawks on Monday night, but what is most impressive is that the Pacers have been able to win even with superstar Paul George struggling.
George has shot just 28 percent over his last five games, and the Pacers lost three of them. But in the win against Atlanta, he went a dismal 3-for-14 from the field, and his supporting cast picked up the slack, as Monta Ellis had one of his best nights of the season, scoring 26 points. If Ellis and company can get going, and when George gets back on track, this could be a dangerous team that very few would feel comfortable facing in the playoffs.
6. Los Angeles Clippers (19-13)
Last Week: 7
The Clippers are finally beginning to put together a consistent stretch of good games. They have won three in a row, after losing a close contest to the Thunder, in which Kevin Durant knocked down a game-winning shot with six seconds to go.
The West has been so uncharacteristically bad this season, that LAC has managed to play mediocre for much of their first 32 games, but kept their head above water, and are now looking like one of the teams with a chance to contend in the conference. Doc Rivers and company have a nice stretch of games coming up against inferior competition, as they take on Charlotte, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Portland over the next week, which could result in nice, long winning-streak.
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