When the All-Star break ends, the NBA's stretch run begins

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When the All-Star break ends, the stretch run begins.

There isn’t much time left in the NBA season. The All-Star weekend came at about the 60-game mark for teams, far beyond the midpoint of the 82-game schedule. It’s a sprint to the finish now, and the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers have to prove they have the legs to make a run.

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The Nets could have Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons on the floor soon to spark a surge. But the Lakers might be without Anthony Davis for more than a month because of a foot injury, putting a heavy burden on LeBron James.

Injured and inconsistent, neither team is a sure thing to even make the postseason. Both have performed far below expectations, with the Lakers only 27-31. But poor play in the winter is quickly forgotten if a team warms up come springtime, just as the Milwaukee Bucks did last year.

"As a team, we started playing good basketball towards the end," Giannis Antetokounmpo said. "Maybe we can do it again. Who knows? We’re in a good place. We have a hell of a team."

The Bucks are actually only in fifth place, but that means little in the tightly packed Eastern Conference. Miami and Chicago are tied at the top, surprising Cleveland and Philadelphia are 2 1/2 games back and Milwaukee is just percentage points behind them.

There’s more separation out West, where Phoenix has pulled away to a 6 1/2-game lead over Golden State by winning seven straight to run its record to 48-10.

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, top, celebrates as Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (6) greets Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo after hitting a shot to win the NBA