NBA Audit — Week of Nov 6–7, 2026
Week of Nov 6–7, 2026 · published 2026-11-05
Injury report as of 2026-11-05 21:30 UTC
The injury report carried no listed entries at publish time, so the story this week is the scoreboard math, and the loudest version of it is Boston Celtics at Charlotte Hornets. Charlotte scores 97.6 a night. Boston scores 118.4 and allows just 108.2. The Hornets are at 3-6 in their recent games, while the Celtics are 6-2. When one team's offense is that far below the league mark and the other team's defense is that stingy, the question stops being who is favored and becomes whether Charlotte can make this look like a basketball game for four quarters. That's the game that tells us whether the Hornets' offensive problems are a rough patch or a real structural issue.
Week of Nov 6–7, 2026 snapshot
Ten games make up the week, and the scoring profiles are all over the map. Miami Heat lead the group at 121.3 points a game, with Toronto Raptors (120.8) and Portland Trail Blazers (120.4) right behind. At the other end, Charlotte's 97.6 is the outlier, well clear of the next-lowest offense. Milwaukee Bucks (109.8) and Utah Jazz (109.6) aren't exactly lighting it up either, and both are stuck at 1-7 recently.
The Boston-Charlotte gap is the widest of the week by a distance. The closest games on paper are Phoenix Suns vs. Orlando Magic and New Orleans Pelicans vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, where the scoring averages are nearly identical. Those two are the genuine coin flips.
Featured matchups
Start with the games where the numbers point one way. Toronto at Milwaukee is a good example. The Raptors score 120.8 and allow 113.6. The Bucks score 109.8 and allow 121.3, and they're 1-7 recently. Milwaukee's defense has been the problem, and Toronto's offense is exactly what you don't want to see when that's the case.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder is the one I'd circle for pure quality. Memphis scores 119.5 and allows 110.1, and the Grizzlies are 6-2 recently. Oklahoma City is also 6-2, but scores only 109.9. The Thunder's offense against Memphis's defense is close to a wash, so the Grizzlies' scoring edge at home could be what separates them.
Golden State Warriors vs. Miami Heat is a fascinating clash of identities. Miami has the highest scoring average in the group (121.3) but also allows 124.2, and the Heat are 3-5 recently. Golden State scores 115.9 and allows 111.1. The Warriors' defense is the better one, and the Heat's offense is good enough to test it. Expect that to be the tension all night.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers pairs two hot teams. The Lakers are 7-2 recently, and the Blazers are 6-1. Portland brings the stronger scoring average (120.4 to 116.4) into the Lakers' building, and Portland's defense, at 111.9 allowed, is the tighter of the two. It's a real measuring-stick game for both teams.
Elsewhere, Atlanta Hawks (118.2) host Washington Wizards (110.3), and the Hawks have the clear offensive advantage. Cleveland Cavaliers (118.4) host Philadelphia 76ers (111.8), but Philly is 8-1 recently and allows only 109.8, so Cleveland's offense isn't walking into an easy night. Dallas Mavericks host the Utah Jazz in a game between two teams scoring under the league mark, and Phoenix, at 1-5 recently, hosts Orlando, at 2-5. Neither side is giving us much to feel good about.
Team form (week matchups)
The best recent records in the group belong to Philadelphia at 8-1 and Los Angeles at 7-2, followed by Portland at 6-1. Boston, Memphis and Oklahoma City are all 6-2, and Minnesota is 6-3. Philadelphia's profile stands out because the Sixers aren't doing it with offense. They score 111.8, which is under the league mark, but they allow 109.8. They win by defending, and the Cleveland game will show whether that holds up against a 118.4-point offense.
Miami is the most interesting form story. The Heat score 6.7 above the league average, yet they allow 10 above it, and a 3-5 recent record makes sense. That's a team you can love offensively and still worry about. Toronto is at 4-4 with a strong offense (6.3 above the league mark) and a defense close to average at 113.6 allowed.
At the bottom, Milwaukee and Utah are both 1-7 recently, and Phoenix is 1-5. Milwaukee allows 7.2 above the league average, Phoenix 5.8 above. Those defensive numbers are what's dragging them down. Charlotte's issue is the opposite: the Hornets' offense is a staggering 16.9 below the league average, though their defense (109.8 allowed) is actually fine.
Player rates in this week's matchups
The season leaderboards show a tie at the top of scoring. Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Heat and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder both average 26.4 points. Jayson Tatum of the Celtics follows at 25.7, then Tyrese Maxey of the 76ers at 24.7 and Ty Jerome of the Grizzlies at 23.1. Tatum and Gilgeous-Alexander are both on the road this week, and Giannis faces a Warriors defense that allows 111.1.
Giannis also leads rebounding at 11.9 a game, well ahead of C. Boozer of Memphis (9.8), Anthony Davis of the Wizards (9.4), Chet Holmgren of the Thunder (9.3) and Joel Embiid of the 76ers (9). The Memphis-Oklahoma City game features two of those names, so the glass will matter.
The assist leaders are Trae Young of Washington at 8.8, Davion Mitchell of Miami at 7.5, Tatum at 7.2, LeBron James of Philadelphia at 7.1 and Franz Wagner of Orlando at 7. Tatum shows up on both the scoring and assist lists, which says a lot about how much of Boston's offense runs through him. If Charlotte is going to hang around in that game, it has to find a way to slow him down first.
Notes on the numbers
Each team is graded on points scored and allowed per game for this week's featured set. Every offense is then lined up against the defense it actually faces.
Week of Nov 6–7, 2026 team scoring vs featured-set average
| Team | Form | PPG for | PPG against | For vs avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Heat | 3-5 | 121.3 | 124.2 | 6.7 |
| Toronto Raptors | 4-4 | 120.8 | 113.6 | 6.3 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 6-1 | 120.4 | 111.9 | 5.9 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 6-2 | 119.5 | 110.1 | 5 |
| Boston Celtics | 6-2 | 118.4 | 108.2 | 3.9 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-4 | 118.4 | 118 | 3.8 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 5-4 | 118.2 | 114.5 | 3.7 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 4-4 | 117.9 | 116.3 | 3.4 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 6-3 | 117.7 | 111.8 | 3.2 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 7-2 | 116.4 | 113.1 | 1.9 |
| Golden State Warriors | 5-3 | 115.9 | 111.1 | 1.4 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 4-4 | 112.8 | 115.3 | -1.7 |
| Orlando Magic | 2-5 | 112.3 | 115.5 | -2.2 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 8-1 | 111.8 | 109.8 | -2.8 |
| Phoenix Suns | 1-5 | 111.4 | 119.9 | -3.2 |
| Washington Wizards | 4-4 | 110.3 | 110.6 | -4.2 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 6-2 | 109.9 | 111.9 | -4.6 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 1-7 | 109.8 | 121.3 | -4.8 |
| Utah Jazz | 1-7 | 109.6 | 115.9 | -4.9 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 3-6 | 97.6 | 109.8 | -16.9 |
Week of Nov 6–7, 2026 matchup comps — offense vs the defense it faces
Home PPG is what the home offense usually scores; Away PPG allowed is what the visitor’s defense usually gives up — Home off vs away def is simply that offense minus that defense (positive means the home attack outpaces this opponent). The mirror columns do the same for the away offense against the home defense.
| Matchup | Home PPG | Away PPG allowed | Home off vs away def | Away PPG | Home PPG allowed | Away off vs home def |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando Magic @ Phoenix Suns | 111.4 | 115.5 | -4.2 | 112.3 | 119.9 | -7.6 |
| Miami Heat @ Golden State Warriors | 115.9 | 124.2 | -8.2 | 121.3 | 111.1 | 10.2 |
| Washington Wizards @ Atlanta Hawks | 118.2 | 110.6 | 7.6 | 110.3 | 114.5 | -4.2 |
| Boston Celtics @ Charlotte Hornets | 97.6 | 108.2 | -10.6 | 118.4 | 109.8 | 8.6 |
| Philadelphia 76ers @ Cleveland Cavaliers | 118.4 | 109.8 | 8.6 | 111.8 | 118 | -6.2 |
| Utah Jazz @ Dallas Mavericks | 112.8 | 115.9 | -3.1 | 109.6 | 115.3 | -5.7 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder @ Memphis Grizzlies | 119.5 | 111.9 | 7.6 | 109.9 | 110.1 | -0.2 |
| Toronto Raptors @ Milwaukee Bucks | 109.8 | 113.6 | -3.8 | 120.8 | 121.3 | -0.5 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves @ New Orleans Pelicans | 117.9 | 111.8 | 6.1 | 117.7 | 116.3 | 1.5 |
| Portland Trail Blazers @ Los Angeles Lakers | 116.4 | 111.9 | 4.5 | 120.4 | 113.1 | 7.3 |
Week of Nov 6–7, 2026 points per game leaders (current season)
| Player | Team | Value | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Miami Heat | 26.4 | — |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Oklahoma City Thunder | 26.4 | — |
| Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics | 25.7 | — |
| Tyrese Maxey | Philadelphia 76ers | 24.7 | — |
| Ty Jerome | Memphis Grizzlies | 23.1 | — |
Week of Nov 6–7, 2026 rebounds per game leaders (current season)
| Player | Team | Value | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Miami Heat | 11.9 | — |
| C. Boozer | Memphis Grizzlies | 9.8 | — |
| Anthony Davis | Washington Wizards | 9.4 | — |
| Chet Holmgren | Oklahoma City Thunder | 9.3 | — |
| Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | 9 | — |
Week of Nov 6–7, 2026 assists per game leaders (current season)
| Player | Team | Value | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trae Young | Washington Wizards | 8.8 | — |
| Davion Mitchell | Miami Heat | 7.5 | — |
| Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics | 7.2 | — |
| LeBron James | Philadelphia 76ers | 7.1 | — |
| Franz Wagner | Orlando Magic | 7 | — |
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Data attribution: Stats for informational analysis only. Verify figures against official league sources.