For most of the last decade, the Eastern Conference has been viewed as the little brother in comparison to the rough-and-tumble Western Conference.
Through the first month of this season, that doesn't look to be the case anymore.
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Ten teams in the East have at least 10 wins, compared to just six in the West. Of course, one team in the West has double that amount, but you get the picture. The East holds a 51-45 head-to-head edge.
Even the teams at the bottom of the East are doing better. Just two (the 76ers and Nets) have fewer than six wins, compared to three (the Lakers, Pelicans and Nuggets) in the West. And who let the lowly Sixers finally get a win? The Lakers.
If the playoffs started today, two teams with winning records (the Celtics and Pistons) would be out of the picture in the East, while one losing team (the Timberwolves) would make the Western Conference field.
It will be interesting to see if these trends hold throughout the season.
Stud of the Night
Stephen Curry put on a show, scoring 40 points — 28 in the third quarter — during his annual homecoming to Charlotte. Kobe Bryant looked like he'd turned back the clock half a decade, scoring a season-high 31. Those two took a back seat to Reggie Jackson, however. Jackson played a brilliant all-around game, scoring 34 points and dishing out 16 assists as the Pistons beat the Suns 127-122 in overtime.
Dud of the Night
The Bucks scored just 49 points in the final three quarters of their 95-70 loss to the Spurs. Milwaukee shot just 33.8 percent from the field and 23.1 percent from the 3-point line. The Spurs have an elite defense, but that's just pitiful.
Tweet of the Night
Lance Stephenson goes AND-1 in his AND-1s (he actually wears the sneaker brand) against the Pacers.
CP3 out? No problem! LANCE A MAKE EM DANCE https://t.co/3JicET5TyE
— Rob Perez (@World_Wide_Wob) December 3, 2015Looking ahead
Thunder (11-7) at Heat (10-6), 7 p.m. ET: In a rematch of the 2012 NBA Finals, Kevin Durant and his boys will travel to South Beach to face D-Wade and the Heat. Miami comes into the game boasting a top-five defense and a 7-3 record in its last 10 games. Oklahoma City has the third-best record in the West and will look to keep its high-octane offense (108.9 ppg) humming.
Celtics (10-8) vs. Kings (7-12), 10 p.m. ET: Rajon Rondo will face a familiar foe Thursday night, playing his former team in Mexico City. This season, he's looking more like the player who helped keep Boston afloat in the Eastern Conference and less like the one who was such a disappointment in Dallas last year.