The Boston Celtics won their show-and-prove matchup last week against the previously unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers.

Teams are competing and not blatantly exercising organizational priorities, and in a culture where we’re waiting for the next “trades we want to see” piece to drop, I like that NBA Cup games take place just after the glorified feel-out games that mark the opening weeks of the season and wrap up just before all of those new contracts become tradeable.

The Jazz snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over the Knicks. Lauri Markkenen went off for 34 points. Collin Sexton has also had a positive season. He could be traded to a contender. Meanwhile, Cody Williams has had an inconsistent start to his season.

As Victor Wembanyam and the Spurs continue to rise up the NBA power rankings, Joel Embiid and the 76ers are on the verge of total collapse.

After a winless week, the Minnesota Timberwolves find themselves on the outside looking in. The Western Conference once again dominates the rankings, but the Cavs and Celtics have a stranglehold on the top two spots.