Chase on in NBA’s second half
NEW YORK — LeBron James isn’t used to looking up at so many teams at the all-star break.
The Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks occupy his former perch atop the standings and Stephen Curry and Paul Millsap think that’s where their teams belong. The Western Conference is loaded as usual — so good that All-Star Game MVP Russell Westbrook wouldn’t be in the playoffs if they started now.
There are three teams between the Hawks and fifth-place Cleveland in the East, putting James in the rare position of chaser. He can’t wait to try. “I’m excited. I’m excited what our team can accomplish,” he said. “We entered the break playing some really, really good basketball; winning 14 of our last 16.”
The NBA has a longer midseason break than usual this season, with play not resuming until Friday. That gives Westbrook extra time to rest after pouring in 41 points Sunday in the West’s 163-158 victory at Madison Square Garden.
His Oklahoma City Thunder have overcome injuries to he and Kevin Durant to win three straight, but they are still outside the West’s top eight. No such worries for the Warriors, who rolled into the break with a 42-9 record and an MVP candidate in Curry.
“It’s fun right now. We have a great team that has aspirations this year. I think it’s something that we’re poised to go after,” Curry said.
It won’t be easy with challenges throughout a rugged West where defending champion San Antonio will try to mount a charge from seventh place.
The East was widely expected to come down to Chicago and Cleveland and maybe it still will. Besides the Cavaliers’ strong run to the first-half finish, with James looking healthy and Kevin Love appearing more comfortable, the Bulls won their last four to surge into third place.
Neither is likely to catch the Hawks, who rode an undefeated January to a 43-11 record.