This edition covers the previous Monday through Sunday of the NBA.

Team of the Week: Philadelphia 76ers

How do you prove you’re for real in the playoff race? Beat the teams in front of you in the standings. Philadelphia did just that during a 3-0 week that saw them move back over .500. The Sixers started off with a home win over the Raptors. Then they the beat divisional rival Celtics in Boston to avoid a season sweep, before closing the week with a home win over the Bucks.

Philly picked up all three of these wins without JJ Redick, which makes it even more impressive. Redick has not only been Philadelphia's best shooter, but he’s also provided a stabilizing veteran presence. Brett Brown has mixed and matched with Redick’s spot in the lineup and will have to continue to do so. As we approach the trade deadline, the 76ers are still short a shooter in their rotation. That is something to watch for as Philly is in the buyer mode this season.

Others receiving consideration: Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers

As expected, Oklahoma City won home games over the Kings and Lakers. What we didn’t see coming was them hanging 148 points at Cleveland. That blowout opened eyes around the league, but not in the way you might think. Sure, some were shocked at just how bad the Cavs defense was, but as many people took note of how Oklahoma City played. Really, we should take note of how the Thunder have been playing lately. They seem to have figured some things out and are rounding into form as the team we all hoped they would be.

The bottom half of the Western Conference playoff picture is a bit or a morass. Five teams are currently within three games of each other from 5-9 in the standings. A win streak can push a team up the ladder, while a losing streak can see you drop out of the playoff picture entirely. The Trail Blazers had the former this week, as they went 3-0 on a mini-homestand to climb up to sixth in the West. They beat playoff afterthoughts Phoenix and Dallas, sandwiched around handling Eastern Conference playoff contender Indiana with relative ease. Portland continues to get good play from both Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, and just enough from the rest of the roster to hang in. They’ll need that and more to stay in the playoff race the rest of the way. 

Player of the Week: Joel Embiid

Not only did Joel Embiid excel in the games he played this week, but he played in all three of Philadelphia's games. Talent is probably the best ability, but availability is right up there, and Embiid has been plenty available this season. He scored 29.7 points per game, pulled down 12 rebounds a night and handed out over three assist per game. And he did it all on 33.9 minutes per game, proving he can handle an increased load.

Philadelphia has been very cautious with Embiid since he was hurt as a rookie. All that caution seems to be paying off now, as he’s dominating on an almost nightly basis. Being named an All-Star starter this week was the cherry on top of the sundae for the Sixers and their talented young center.

Others receiving consideration: Carmelo Anthony, Damian Lillard

No Thunder player has sacrificed more than Carmelo Anthony, but as the team is figuring things out, so is Anthony. He’s hitting the boards and running the floor, like the “Olympics Melo” we all love. This week he hit over 52 percent of his shots on the way to 25.3 points per game and he grabbed over seven rebounds a night too. Someone had to give for OKC to make three star players work. Anthony did it and now it is all paying off, both for him as an individual and for the team as a whole.

Damian Lillard didn’t garner an All-Star starting nod, but a reserve role has to be coming for the Blazers best player. He had another strong week, as he scored 29.3 points per game and dished out eight assists per contest. He also hit 52 percent from downtown on over eight three-point attempts per game. 

Line of the Week: Russell Westbrook at Cleveland 

Westbrook led the way with Oklahoma City's win over the Cavaliers. He scored 23 points and pulled down nine rebounds, but what stood out was his 20 assists. OKC was on the attack all game long, and Westbrook led the charge. At times it was like the Thunder were running a layup line behind Westbrook’s mad dashes to the rim, where he would score for himself or find his teammates for easy buckets. Carmelo Anthony, Paul George and Steven Adams joined Westbrook with 20+ points, and a lot of them came off helpers from Westbrook.

Others receiving consideration: Anthony Davis at Boston Celtics

Davis is presumed to the be the latest target for Danny Ainge to go all-in on acquiring and performances like the one Davis had in an overtime victory will do nothing to whet that appetite. Davis scored 45 points and snatched 16 rebounds in the Pelicans win. He hit a variety of shots and was virtually unguardable for large portions of the game.

Win of the Week: Thunder win at Cleveland

The sheer dominance of Oklahoma City's win over the Cavs earns them this honor. They shot 58% overall, 14-of-30 from behind the arc and scored 148 points. Time and time again, Oklahoma City got whatever shots they wanted. The Cavaliers defense has been bad many a time this season, but they’ve never looked quite this overwhelmed.

Others receiving consideration: Orlando Magic win at the Boston Celtics

Good wins have been few and far between for the Magic this year, but they might be turning the corner a bit. They beat the Minnesota Timberwolves at home, before taking the Cavaliers down to the wire in Cleveland. Then they went to Boston, where they had lost 14 straight and picked up a convincing victory. Orlando was impressive on defense, as they forced 15 turnovers and held the Celtics to 9-of-27 shooting on three-pointers. And the Magic bench outscored the Boston counterparts by a 38-8 margin, led by 10 points apiece from Shelvin Mack and D.J. Augustin. 

News of the Week: The Cleveland Cavaliers collapse continued, this time with reports of veteran players losing faith in the roster and questions about Tyronn Lue’s ability to hold the team together. The loss to the visiting Thunder on national TV while allowing 148 points was just the latest in a string of embarrassing performances on defense. But it extends even further than that for a team that is 4-10 in their last 14 games.

Reports are several veteran players called various reporters over to express their frustration with the roster and the team’s inability to put together consistent performances. Then, when he was asked about the team potentially firing Lue following the loss to Oklahoma City, LeBron James said “I would hope not, but really don’t know," said James. "I don’t know what’s going to happen with our team. I have no idea what conversations have been going on. I’ve been trying to stay as laser-sharp as I can to keep my guys be ready to go out and play."

Despite loading up on veterans in what could be James’ final run in Cleveland, the Cavaliers have failed to put it together. The defense is a well-chronicled mess, while the offense all too often seems disjointed. They regularly rely on James to bail them out. The return of Isaiah Thomas was supposed to help that, but there are visible growing pains, as the Cavs learn how to play together on the fly with the spotlight shining on them.

Transactions of Note: Trade buzz has picked up considerably around the NBA with the trade deadline less than three weeks away. The Sacramento Kings have committed to a youth movement, which puts their veterans on the block. The Cleveland Cavaliers are said to have interest in George Hill and others may step up if Zach Randolph or Vince Carter are put on the block. Rumors continue to swirl around the Cavs interest in DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams of the Clippers. And late in the week, word broke that the Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz were listening to offers for Kemba Walker and Rodney Hood respectively.

With most teams capped out around the NBA heading into this offseason, we may see some teams hit the trade market as the way to improve their standing. Several teams may look to make their moves now, as opposed to waiting to see who shakes free over the summer. The next two weeks will give us a better sense of who sees themselves as buyers and who is ready to punt this year and sell of pieces for assets down the line.