Despite sitting in second place in the Western Conference and boasting a haul of future draft picks, the Houston Rockets don't seem like they will

The Lakers and Clippers have moved into the top 10 of the NBA power rankings and are beginning to look like true contenders.

Devin Booker put up 26 points and the host Phoenix Suns held off a late charge by the Los Angeles Clippers for a 111-109 win on Monday night.

James Harden passed an NBA legend while moving up to 14th on the NBA's all-time scoring list during the Clippers' game against the Lakers.

The Houston Rockets come into Martin Luther King Day at No. 2 in the Western Conference. Something most people people at the start of the season would not have

The Houston Rockets are off to their best start in the last seven seasons. At 28-14, they're still holding onto second place in the Western Conference, despite

The Celtics will be down two rotation players, so expect C’s coach Joe Mazzulla to dip into his bench. The last time the Celtics were shorthanded like this, Jaden Springer emerged off the bench in an impressive game against the Clippers in Los Angeles. Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman could also see some playing time in the rotation.

BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Clippers visit the Charlotte Hornets in non-conference play. The Hornets are 8-16 in home games. Charlotte ranks third in the league with 13.0 offensive rebounds per game led by Mark Williams averaging 3.3 offensive boards.

The Thunder split their four games since beating Cleveland in a rematch of the league’s top two teams. They got back on track Sunday with a 118-108 win at Portland after a rare home loss to Dallas in the second of a back-to-back. OKC is 20-3 at home.

The Phoenix Suns continue their three-game homestand Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers at Footprint Center in what will be their third matchup of the season. The Suns are 2-0 against the Clippers, winning both games in October at the new Intuit Dome.

Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard stated that one of the current Los Angeles Clippers stars deserves recognition as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history, adding that he feels the player is underappreciated.

It has become clear that the cost for starting-caliber NBA centers is high, particularly ones good enough to help the Lakers.