NBA Southwest Division Rankings: Week 4, 2022

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Josh Richardson in the NBA Southwest Division rankings against the Memphis Grizzlies

The fourth week of NBA action is in the books. In the Southwest division, we saw some inter-division action. Saturday night, the New Orleans Pelicans took on the Houston Rockets and came away with a 119-106 victory. The Memphis Grizzlies and the San Antonio Spurs squared off Wednesday night for an exciting overtime finish in San Antonio, the Grizzlies held on to win 124-122. The talent in this division stands out amongst the rest with NBA Superstars like Luka Dončić, Ja Morant, and Zion Williamson, and the rising stars Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell. We know it’s hard to keep up with all the action, so we got you covered with all of the NBA Southwest division rankings! We’re looking at each Southwest Division team’s week and their standings in the division and conference.

NBA Southwest Division Rankings

5th. Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets Started the week strong with an outstanding 134-127 victory over the Orlando Magic. Jalen Green led the team with 34 points. Alperen Şengün and Kevin Porter Jr. had double-doubles, and even with rookie sensation Paolo Banchero scoring 30 points, the Rockets were too much for the Magic. Following the win in Orlando, the Rockets had back-to-back losses against the Toronto Raptors and division rivals the Pelicans. Jabari Smith Jr and Porter had double-doubles in the 116-109 loss to the Raptors and Green again led the team with 33 points in the 119-106 loss to the Pelicans.

The Los Angeles Clippers will be in Houston Monday night, the Rockets will look to get their third win of the season against the Kawhi-less Clippers. The Rockets’ record stands at 2-11, ranked 5th in the Southwest Division, and last in the Western Conference.

4th. San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs have fallen from being the top-ranked team in the division and entered week 4 of NBA action on a three-game losing streak. On Monday night the Spurs lost the second of back-to-back losses against the Denver Nuggets 115-109. Johnson led the Spurs with 30 points. The losing streak continued to five games in a hard-fought overtime 124-122 loss to Division rivals the Memphis Grizzlies. Jacob Poeltl and Vassell led the team with 22 points each. The Spurs snapped the losing streak with a win over the shorthanded Milwaukee Bucks 111-93. Giannis Antetokounmpo did not play. Johnson led the Spurs squad with 29 points, Poeltl had a double-double, and Charles Bassey recorded 14 rebounds and 4 blocks.

The Spurs will be in San Fransico Monday night to face the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors have struggled this season but Steph Curry has been hot with back-to-back 40-point games in week 4. The Spurs’ record is 6-7, ranked 4th in the Southwest Division and 10th in the Western Conference.

3rd. New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans played four games last week. They started with a 129-122 loss against the Indiana Pacers. Brandon Ingram led the team with 29 points. The Pelicans bounced back in the next game with a 115-111 win over the Chicago Bulls. Ingram led the team again with 22 points and Jonas Valančiūnas had a double-double. Despite Williamson’s 29-point performance, the Pelicans fell 106-95 to the Portland Trailblazers. To finish the week on a positive note the Pelicans beat the Rockets 119-106. Williamson led the team with 26 points.

The Grizzlies will be in New Orleans Tuesday night for a divisional matchup. The Morant vs Williamson aspect should make for a great game. The Pelicans’ record is 7-6, ranked 3rd in the Southwest Division, and 7th in the Western Conference.

2nd. Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks split four games last week, starting with a 96-94 win against the Brooklyn Nets. Dončić led the Mavs with 36 points. They followed up with back-to-back losses against the Magic 94-87 and the Washington Wizards 113-105. Dončić bounced back in the next game, leading the Mavs with a 42-point performance to win 117-112 over the Trailblazers.

The Mavericks will host the Clippers Tuesday night. Dončić should have a good game as the Clippers are without their best defensive player Kawhi Leonard. The Mavericks’ record is 7-5, ranked 2nd in the Southwest Division and 6th in the Western Conference.

1st. Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies also split four games last week, starting with a 109-106 loss to the Boston Celtics. Morant led with 30 points. The Grizzlies bounced back from the loss with back-to-back wins against the Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Game in San Antonio went into overtime, Morant and Desmond Bane both finished the game with 32 points. Morant had a double-double against the Timberwolves and led the Grizzlies with 28 points. Morant and Bane did not play in the 102-92 loss to the Wizards, Dillion Brooks led the team with 19 points off the bench.

The Grizzlies will face the Pelicans Tuesday night, and it should be a competitive matchup. The Grizzlies’ record is 9-5, ranked first in the Southwest Division and 5th in the Western Conference.

What surprises you most, if anything about the NBA Southwest division rankings?

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