NBA Ping Pong Derby Tightens Up

Oklahoma City has gone 3-3 over the past 11 days, a spell more surprising than Boston's falter, all told. It would appear that at 6-32, with the Thunder on pace for 13 wins, Philadelphia's futility record (9-73) is safe. Huzzah!

But another facet of the winning attitude is that the Ping Pong Derby has tightened significantly.

The league's four worst teams sit within only three games of each other. Injuries have played significant roles for all but the Thunder, but Washington seems less than likely to get a full complement of players soon. L.A. and Sacramento could leap out of the mire (following miraculous Minnesota), and Memphis has a serious shot at falling back into the bottom five.