NBA winners, losers: Suns are improving, but problems persist. Is Jimmy Butler the answer?

The NBA is racing toward the All-Star break, as the fight for playoff spots tightens.

That’s felt most acutely in the Western Conference. With the Golden State Warriors' victory Wednesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, just four games separate the 11th seed and the fourth seed. That also means several teams could be active ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline, when veterans who are acquired in deals can be the catalyst to push teams into contention.

In the East, things are only slightly more resolved, with the top three teams in the conference — the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks — seemingly firmly entrenched at the top.

Here are the winners and losers from Week 14 of the NBA season.

WINNERS

Phoenix Suns have been winning. Some issues persist.

Though the strength of schedule over this span hasn’t necessarily been impressive, Phoenix has been better recently, winning nine of its last 13 games. So, as the team continues its pursuit of Jimmy Butler, the Suns (24-22) are moving their way up the standings.

Yet, Wednesday’s loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves was emblematic of Phoenix’s issues; Kevin Durant and Devin Booker combined for 61 points on 63.2% shooting, and Bradley Beal added 17 in 25 minutes off the bench. The other Suns starters — Royce O’Neale, Nick Richards and Tyus Jones — combined to go 7-of-22 (31.8%) from the floor. Simply put: depth and bench play will continue to be an issue, even if Butler comes into the organization.

Miami Heat find potential steal in rookie Kel'el Ware

As Butler misses time following his third suspension this month, the Heat have unlocked a potential disruptor in their lineup. Rookie 7-foot center Kel’el Ware has starred since being inserted into the starting lineup in a move that feels permanent. The 15th overall selection has bolstered Miami’s defense in the paint, and has allowed Bam Adebayo to slide to the power forward spot and be more of a roaming presence on defense.

Ware has also provided an easy lob target on offense and has range to space the floor. He’s averaging 16.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game over the last six. The Heat, however, are just 3-3 in that span, with losses to the Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers and to the Cavaliers Wednesday night — a game in which Ware struggled with Cleveland’s height.

Amen Thompson helps launch Houston Rockets surge

For most of his career, Amen Thompson — the fourth overall selection of the 2023 NBA draft — has been widely considered to be a high-energy, high-passion defensive stopper. That passion was on show when he threw Heat guard Tyler Herro to the court in a Dec. 29 game, leading to a two-game suspension.

But, since Thompson returned to the floor, he has also been an ultra-efficient finisher, shooting 56.7% from the floor and netting 18.5 points per game over that span. More importantly for Houston: the Rockets are 9-2 in the 11 games Thompson has played since the suspension.

LOSERS

Already in losing skid, Atlanta Hawks get more bad news

Atlanta has been streaky all season long, but this latest stretch has the potential to derail its season. The Hawks have lost six consecutive games — including two in a row to the Toronto Raptors — and the offense has been a mess. Over the last six games, Atlanta (22-25) is one of only two teams with an offensive rating less than 100, averaging just 98.4 points per 100 possessions; the Wizards are last at 95.6.

The Hawks announced that emerging star Jalen Johnson, who was averaging career highs in points (18.9), rebounds (10), assists (5), steals (1.6) and blocks (1) and was worthy of All-Star consideration, suffered a torn left labrum when he suffered a dislocated shoulder Jan. 23. He will have surgery and will miss the rest of the season.

Denver Nuggets stumble early in 5-game road trip

Denver has dropped the first three games of the trip, with losses against the Timberwolves, Chicago Bulls and Knicks. The defense has been the issue; the Nuggets have given up 133, 129 and 122 points in those defeats, respectively.

In each loss, Denver has allowed its opponent to shoot at least 50% from the floor. Perimeter defense has been particularly careless. The Knicks and Timberwolves each laced 14 3-point attempts, while the Bulls drained 24; each team shot at least 41.2% from beyond the arc. It also hasn’t helped that Denver is averaging 16.3 turnovers per game during this stretch.

Washington Wizards sliding to new lows, again

Last season, Washington tied an ignominious franchise record when it lost 16 consecutive games, a mark originally set in the 2009-10 season. When the Wizards lost 16 in a row earlier this season, they became just the sixth team in NBA history to have losing streaks of at least 16 games in consecutive seasons.

They may become the first team to ever have two separate 16-game losing streaks … in the same season. The Raptors routed Washington Wednesday night, extending the team’s active losing streak to 15 games. That means the team has now lost 38 of its last 42 games.

The Wizards are on a back-to-back and will face the Los Angeles Lakers (26-19) Thursday. If they lose then, they’ll have to beat the Timberwolves Saturday on the road to prevent what would be a franchise record 17 consecutive losses.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA winners and losers: Suns, Heat, Rockets, Hawks, Nuggets, Wizards