The NBA schedule resumes after the 2026 All-Star break with the Detroit Pistons (40-13) owning the league’s best winning percentage and the Oklahoma City Thunder (42-14) close behind. Cleveland, Charlotte and San Antonio have also tightened the standings with 9-1 records over their past 10 games.
History suggests late-season momentum can reshape the playoff picture. Five teams since 2000-01 have produced standout performances after the break:
Miami Heat, 2013
Before the break: 36-14
After the break: 30-2
Miami entered the hiatus on a seven-game streak, then exploded for 20 consecutive victories, stretching its run to 27—second-longest in a single season. The 66-16 finish set a franchise record and propelled LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to a second straight championship. James collected a second consecutive MVP award, falling one vote short of unanimity.
Denver Nuggets, 2005
Before the break: 24-29
After the break: 25-4
Hosting All-Star Weekend did little for Denver’s first-half struggles, but the arrival of head coach George Karl on Jan. 28, 2005, triggered a turnaround. The Nuggets reeled off nine straight wins after play resumed, closed at 49-33 and claimed the West’s seventh seed behind Carmelo Anthony’s scoring surge. San Antonio eliminated Denver in five first-round games.
Denver Nuggets, 2013
Before the break: 33-21
After the break: 24-4
Eight years later, Karl oversaw another surge. Denver posted a franchise-record 15-game winning streak from Feb. 23 to March 23, finishing 57-25—the best mark ever by a team without an All-Star selection that season. Golden State ousted the Nuggets in six first-round games, and Karl was dismissed despite earning Coach of the Year honors.
Chicago Bulls, 2011
Before the break: 38-16
After the break: 24-4
Derrick Rose’s MVP campaign featured a second-half push that lifted Chicago from third to first in the East at 62-20. Rose averaged 25.3 points per game after the break—the club’s highest since Michael Jordan—while the defense surrendered just 89.2 points per game, the stingiest post-break mark since the 2007-08 Spurs. Miami stopped the Bulls in five games in the conference finals.
Houston Rockets, 2018
Before the break: 44-13
After the break: 21-4
Houston’s 18-1 burst out of the gate fueled a 65-17 record and a franchise-best .793 winning percentage. James Harden averaged 30.4 points, 8.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds en route to MVP honors. The Rockets reached the Western Conference finals, losing in seven games to Golden State after missing 27 consecutive three-pointers in Game 7.
With the 2025-26 stretch run underway, current contenders will try to replicate the surges that propelled these teams deep into past postseasons.
Source: ESPN
