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Power Rankings, Week 10: Nuggets, Heat on rise in Top 10 – NBA.com
The Celtics and Wolves remain at the top, while Denver is inching higher in the Top 5 in our weekly survey.
John Schuhmann
Peyton Watson (left) has proven valuable to Denver on defense, while Nikola Jokic just keeps rolling on offense.
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The offense just keeps getting better.
The 118.6 points per 100 possessions that the Sacramento Kings scored last season is the highest mark in NBA history. Now, five teams are topping that mark this season.
Every week, the league average for efficiency is noted at the bottom of this space, and that number keeps getting higher and higher. Through the five Christmas Day games, the league has scored 114.8 points per 100 possessions in 2023-24, already topping the all-time high of 114.1 last season. With six days left in December, teams have averaged 116.8 points per 100 possessions this month.
The team we thought might have the league’s most efficient offense (the Phoenix Suns) hadn’t participated in the fun, but the Boston Celtics just had a ridiculous road trip on offense, recording one of the most efficient games in history.
Playing defense is tough these days, but the Minnesota Timberwolves are doing a pretty good job, making us check the calendar to see when the league’s two best teams will meet again (Jan. 10 in Boston).
Plus-Minus Players of the Week
Teams of the Week
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East vs. West
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Movement in the Rankings
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Week 10 Team to Watch
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Previously…
OffRtg: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank)
DefRtg: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)
NetRtg: Point differential per 100 possessions (League Rank)
Pace: Possessions per 48 minutes (League Rank)
The league has averaged 114.8 points scored per 100 possessions and 99.9 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes this season.
NBA.com’s Power Rankings, released every Monday during the season, are just one man’s opinion. If you have an issue with the rankings, or have a question or comment for John Schuhmann, send him an e-mail or contact him via Twitter.
Record: 23-6
OffRtg: 120.6 (3) DefRtg: 110.5 (5) NetRtg: +10.1 (2) Pace: 98.4 (23)
The Celtics blew an 11-point, fourth-quarter lead in San Francisco on Tuesday, but went 3-1 on their California Christmas tour, scoring at a ridiculous rate.
Three takeaways
The league’s best and worst teams will meet for the first time on Thursday, with the Celtics having won their last six games against the Pistons. Jayson Tatum averaged 36.5 points over their four meetings last season.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: vs. DET, vs. TOR, @ SAS
Record: 22-6
OffRtg: 114.0 (17) DefRtg: 107.4 (1) NetRtg: +6.6 (4) Pace: 99.1 (18)
The Wolves are four games into a stretch of 13 straight against teams that currently have winning records. They’re 3-1 thus far, and remain the only team that hasn’t lost two straight.
Three takeaways
This string of games against good teams continues in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, with Towns listed as questionable. The first meeting between the Wolves and Thunder was one of Minnesota’s nine wins in a game in which it scored less efficiently than the league average.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: @ OKC, vs. DAL, vs. LAL, @ NYK
Record: 22-10
OffRtg: 117.9 (8) DefRtg: 112.5 (7) NetRtg: +5.3 (5) Pace: 97.8 (29)
The league’s longest active winning streak belongs to the Nuggets, who’ve won five straight games to climb into second place in the West.
Three takeaways
Their Christmas Day win over the Warriors began a stretch where the Nuggets are playing eight of 10 at home, but they’ll be at a rest disadvantage against Oklahoma City on Friday. The Thunder handed them one of their two home losses on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s last-second jumper over Watson 10 days ago.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: vs. MEM, vs. OKC, vs. CHA
Record: 18-9
OffRtg: 118.1 (6) DefRtg: 110.9 (6) NetRtg: +7.2 (3) Pace: 101.6 (6)
For the second straight week, the Thunder had two games against other Western Conference teams with winning records. And for the second straight week, they split the two, getting a rest-advantage win over the Clippers (without Kawhi Leonard) on Thursday, but losing to the Lakers two nights later.
Three takeaways
The third-place Thunder will face the first-place Wolves and second-place Nuggets this week. They’re 1-2 against those two teams thus far, with the last two games (a loss in Minnesota and a win in Denver) having come down to Gilgeous-Alexander shots (a missed 3 and a game-winning turnaround) in the final seconds.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: vs. MIN, vs. NYK, @ DEN, vs. BKN
Record: 20-9
OffRtg: 121.2 (2) DefRtg: 110.3 (3) NetRtg: +10.9 (1) Pace: 100.4 (12)
After they won six straight games (by an average of 27.3 points) against four of the bottom five teams in the East, the Sixers’ schedule got a little tougher. And they’ve lost two of their four games over the last eight days, one with Joel Embiid and one without him.
Three takeaways
The Sixers haven’t had a rest-advantage game since Week 1, but they’ll have an advantage in Orlando on Wednesday (Embiid’s status is unknown at this point), with the Magic playing in Washington the night before. They’ve won 11 of their last 12 games against the Magic, including five straight at what is now called the Kia Center.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: @ ORL, @ HOU, @ CHI
Record: 22-8
OffRtg: 120.5 (4) DefRtg: 115.4 (20) NetRtg: +5.1 (6) Pace: 102.6 (4)
The Bucks still have the league’s third-best record, and their winning streak (which reached seven games) wasn’t going to last forever. Maybe we just chalk their loss in New York up to it being a noon start on Christmas Day. But maybe it was a reminder that they’ve taken a big step backward defensively.
Three takeaways
The Bucks have still played the league’s most home-heavy schedule, with 18 of their 30 games having come at Fiserv Forum. They’ll remain in New York for their second meeting of the season with the Nets, having won a close game in Brooklyn in early November. Their first two games of 2024 will be their fourth and fifth meetings with the Pacers, with Indiana having won two of the first three.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: @ BKN, @ CLE, vs. IND
Record: 17-12
OffRtg: 117.5 (9) DefRtg: 113.7 (12) NetRtg: +3.8 (7) Pace: 98.8 (21)
The Clippers took their winning streak to nine games, but the streak came to an end and their last two games (at Oklahoma City, vs. Boston) were their two worst losses of the season.
Three takeaways
Having played five straight games against teams that rank in the top 10 offensively, the Clippers will now play two against teams that rank in the bottom five. The 29th-ranked Grizzlies are much improved with Ja Morant now in uniform, but the Clippers will have a rest advantage on Friday. Their last two rest-advantage games (Nov. 29 at Sacramento and Dec. 16 vs. New York) have been two of the four times they’ve scored more than 130 points per 100 possessions.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: vs. CHA, vs. MEM, vs. MIA
Record: 17-11
OffRtg: 116.0 (12) DefRtg: 115.8 (21) NetRtg: +0.2 (18) Pace: 100.6 (10)
The Kings went 4-2 on their six-game homestand, with the two losses coming against the two best teams in the league. They’ll now hit the road, but their schedule is getting easier regarding the strength of the opponents.
Three takeaways
Seven of the Kings’ next nine games are against teams that currently have losing records. They’ve played the fewest games (they’re 3-1) against the Eastern Conference and are the only team that hasn’t played in the Eastern time zone. Their first game there is in Atlanta on Friday, Game 2 of a three-game trip to close 2023.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: @ POR, @ ATL, @ MEM
Record: 18-12
OffRtg: 118.0 (7) DefRtg: 116.6 (23) NetRtg: +1.4 (13) Pace: 101.1 (8)
The Mavs have the worst record (5-9) in games played between the nine West teams that are currently over .500, having lost three big games last week. But they found their offense over the long weekend and kept the Suns from rejoining that over-.500 group, thanks in part to a special Christmas performance from Luka Doncic.
Three takeaways
Their Christmas win in Phoenix was the middle game of the Mavs’ only stretch of five games in seven days, which concludes with a visit to Minnesota on Thursday. They shot just 7-for-32 (22%) from 3-point range in an 18-point loss (at home) to the Wolves less than two weeks ago.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: vs. CLE, @ MIN, @ GSW, @ UTA
Record: 18-12
OffRtg: 115.6 (14) DefRtg: 113.8 (13) NetRtg: +1.9 (12) Pace: 98.2 (26)
The Heat got Tyler Herro (18 games) and Bam Adebayo (seven games) back from long absences last week … but only had them together with Jimmy Butler for one night. Two guys are better than one, though, and the Heat won all three of their games without Butler (calf strain) last week, having gone 1-3 without him before that.
Three takeaways
Having played 10 of their last 13 games at home, the Heat now head out on a five-game trip out West. They have the league’s second-ranked road defense (110 points allowed per 100 possessions) and have been 9-3 away from Biscayne Bay since Nov. 1.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: @ GSW, @ UTA, @ LAC
Record: 17-11
OffRtg: 113.4 (18) DefRtg: 110.5 (4) NetRtg: +3.0 (9) Pace: 99.8 (15)
The Magic went 0-4 in their string of games against the Celtics, Heat and Bucks, dropping to 3-5 in games played between the seven East teams that currently have winning records. But a win in Indiana knocked the Pacers out of that group and the Magic remain a top-four seed with a top-four defense.
Three takeaways
The Magic are in the midst of a very road-heavy stretch of schedule (13 of 18 on the road), but they’ll be home for their first meetings of the season with two more top-seven teams in the East (Philadelphia and New York). They’ll be at a rest disadvantage when they host the Sixers on Wednesday, though they already have more wins in the second games of back-to-backs (2-3) than they did all of last season (1-12).
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: @ WAS, vs. PHI, vs. NYK, @ PHX
Record: 17-12
OffRtg: 117.4 (10) DefRtg: 114.5 (14) NetRtg: +2.9 (10) Pace: 98.1 (27)
The Knicks had been low on quality wins, but they finished their West Coast trip by beating the Lakers. Plus, they were able to split their two afternoon games against Milwaukee, ending a nine-game losing streak to the Bucks with their win on Christmas.
Three takeaways
The Knicks are now 3-7 in games played between the seven East teams that currently have winning records, set to face the Magic for the first time on Friday. That’s the middle game of a pretty tough three-game trip. They’ll have a rest advantage in Oklahoma City on Wednesday but will be at a disadvantage in Indiana over the weekend.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: @ OKC, @ ORL, @ IND, vs. MIN
Record: 17-13
OffRtg: 115.4 (15) DefRtg: 112.7 (9) NetRtg: +2.7 (11) Pace: 100.4 (11)
The Pelicans had three rest-advantage games last week, and they went 1-2. They beat the shorthanded Cavs without Zion Williamson but blew a 24-point lead to the Grizzlies and came up empty down the stretch against the Rockets.
Three takeaways
The Pelicans still have four games left on their five-game homestand, and this week provides three opportunities to avenge previous defeats. They just lost to Ja Morant and the Grizzlies (back in town exactly one week later), they’re 0-2 against the Jazz, and they lost by 44 the only time they’ve faced the Lakers.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: vs. MEM, vs. UTA, vs. LAL
Record: 17-13
OffRtg: 113.2 (19) DefRtg: 112.8 (10) NetRtg: +0.4 (17) Pace: 98.4 (24)
The Cavs haven’t just been without Darius Garland and Evan Mobley — Donovan Mitchell has also missed the last three games with an illness. But they’ve won two of the three to remain comfortably above .500.
Three takeaways
The Cavs are playing just two games over an eight-day stretch that began Sunday. They won’t have another back-to-back until Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, and after they play the Mavs and Bucks this week, they’ll have six straight games against teams that have losing records.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: @ DAL, vs. MIL, @ TOR
Record: 15-12
OffRtg: 113.0 (21) DefRtg: 109.5 (2) NetRtg: +3.5 (8) Pace: 97.8 (28)
The Rockets went 2-3 on their only stretch of five games in seven days, but the three losses came by a total of 21 points and they finished it with a pair of important wins over the Mavs (who were without Luka Doncic) and Pelicans.
Three takeaways
The Rockets’ second seven-game homestand of the season begins Tuesday and includes five games against Eastern Conference opponents. They’re 1-4 against the East thus far and they’ll be at a rest disadvantage for their most important game of the homestand (Wednesday vs. Phoenix).
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: vs. IND, vs. PHX, vs. PHI, vs. DET
Record: 16-15
OffRtg: 112.4 (23) DefRtg: 113.0 (11) NetRtg: -0.7 (21) Pace: 100.8 (9)
With LeBron James scoring a season-high 40 points, the Lakers got a great win in Oklahoma City on Saturday. But they’re just 2-6 since the In-Season Tournament final, slipping from fifth to ninth place in the Western Conference.
Three takeaways
The victory in Oklahoma City on Saturday was the Lakers’ first road win against one of the eight teams ahead of them in the Western Conference standings. They’re 5-8 (1-6 on the road) against that group, set to close 2023 with visits to Minnesota (where they lost without James five days ago) and New Orleans.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: vs. CHA, @ MIN, @ NOP
Record: 15-15
OffRtg: 115.7 (13) DefRtg: 114.6 (15) NetRtg: +1.0 (14) Pace: 100.1 (13)
We thought the drastic home/road splits were a thing of the past. But over the last five weeks, the Warriors are 8-0 at home and 1-7 on the road, with the road win having come by four points in Portland.
Three takeaways
Having won their last eight games at Chase Center, the Warriors now begin their longest homestand of the season (seven games over 14 days), though their first four opponents are all at least six games over .500.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: vs. MIA, vs. DAL
Record: 14-14
OffRtg: 121.9 (1) DefRtg: 121.2 (28) NetRtg: +0.7 (15) Pace: 103.8 (2)
The two teams that reached the In-Season Tournament final are both 2-6 since their trip to Las Vegas. The Pacers’ only two post-Tournament wins have come against the Pistons and Hornets, and they’ve fallen back to .500 for the first time since they were 3-3.
Three takeaways
The Pacers begin their post-Christmas schedule with road games against two more bottom-10 offenses, those of the Rockets and Bulls. They lost an ugly game against Chicago back in October.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: @ HOU, @ CHI, vs. NYK, @ MIL
Record: 13-18
OffRtg: 112.2 (24) DefRtg: 114.9 (16) NetRtg: -2.7 (23) Pace: 96.6 (30)
The Bulls are now 8-4 without Zach LaVine, and they got two more quality wins after beating the Sixers and Lakers last week. Only the Celtics, Bucks and Sixers have better records in the Eastern Conference over the last 26 days.
Three takeaways
The bigger difference between the Bulls with LaVine and the Bulls without him has been on offense, and that trend should continue as they play the Hawks and Pacers (both in the top 5 on offense and in the bottom 5 on defense) this week. Their six-game homestand concludes with another game against the Sixers.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: vs. ATL, vs. IND, vs. PHI
Record: 14-15
OffRtg: 116.9 (11) DefRtg: 116.3 (22) NetRtg: +0.5 (16) Pace: 98.9 (19)
The Nets took care of business against the Pistons on Saturday, but that win was preceded by a five-game losing streak that dropped them back below .500.
Three takeaways
No team wants to be the one that loses to the Pistons, and the Nets will face that pressure for the second straight game, visiting Detroit on Tuesday. Even if they can get back to .500, staying there will be tough with their upcoming schedule.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: @ DET, vs. MIL, @ WAS, @ OKC
Record: 14-15
OffRtg: 115.3 (16) DefRtg: 115.4 (19) NetRtg: -0.1 (19) Pace: 98.2 (25)
Yikes. The Suns, a team that was supposed to contend for a championship, have lost nine of their last 12 games to fall below .500 and into 11th place in the Western Conference.
Three takeaways
The Suns will face a pair of top 5 defenses (those of the Rockets and Magic) this week. They’ll have a rest advantage on Wednesday in Houston (where the Rockets are 12-2) and their longest homestand of the season (six games over 10 days) begins with another rest-advantage game against the Hornets.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: @ HOU, vs. CHA, vs. ORL, vs. POR
Record: 9-19
OffRtg: 107.5 (29) DefRtg: 112.7 (8) NetRtg: -5.2 (24) Pace: 99.3 (17)
The Grizzlies are 3-0 with Ja Morant, who announced his return with 34 points and the buzzer-beating game-winner in New Orleans on Tuesday.
Three takeaways
The good thing about a player coming back from a suspension and not an injury is that there are no restrictions on his minutes or worries about back-to-backs. After the Grizzlies play another game in New Orleans, they’ll begin their only stretch of five games in seven days with a visit to Denver. They were 0-3 in the second game of back-to-backs before Morant’s game-winner last week.
JA MORANT WINS IT FOR THE GRIZZLIES 🚨
🔥 34 PTS
🔥 6 REB
🔥 8 AST
🔥 2 STL pic.twitter.com/sapRX9q6lA
— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 20, 2023
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: @ NOP, @ DEN, @ LAC, vs. SAC
Record: 12-17
OffRtg: 119.4 (5) DefRtg: 119.9 (27) NetRtg: -0.5 (20) Pace: 102.2 (5)
The Hawks got one of their best victories of the season, winning in Houston (where the Rockets had won 11 straight) behind big minutes from their bench. But their defense remains porous, and two straight wins have been followed by two straight losses in which they allowed 123.5 points per 100 possessions.
Three takeaways
The Hawks’ defense has been at its best (113.4 points allowed per 100 possessions) with Johnson on the floor, even though Young is the teammate he’s played the most minutes with. His return will come in Atlanta’s first game against the Bulls’ 24th-ranked offense.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: @ CHI, vs. SAC, @ WAS
Record: 12-18
OffRtg: 111.7 (25) DefRtg: 118.2 (24) NetRtg: -6.5 (25) Pace: 100.0 (14)
The Jazz have won five of their last seven games, a stretch that includes two rest-disadvantage, road wins without Lauri Markkanen.
Three takeaways
There are three teams below the Jazz in the Western Conference standings. They’ve already played seven games against the Blazers and Grizzlies, but they have yet to face the Spurs, who they’ll visit on Tuesday.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: @ SAS, @ NOP, vs. MIA, vs. DAL
Record: 11-18
OffRtg: 113.0 (20) DefRtg: 115.2 (18) NetRtg: -2.2 (22) Pace: 98.8 (20)
The Raptors have had a relatively easy December, with their 10 games coming with a cumulative opponent winning percentage of .495. But they’re 2-8 this month, with losses to the Hornets and Jazz included.
Three takeaways
The Raptors are just 3-9 (0-5 since Thanksgiving) on the road, where they’ll play nine of their next 10 games. They’ll have rest advantages in Washington and Boston this week but are just 1-4 in rest-advantage games thus far.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: @ WAS, @ BOS, @ DET, vs. CLE
Record: 7-21
OffRtg: 108.3 (27) DefRtg: 115.1 (17) NetRtg: -6.9 (26) Pace: 98.6 (22)
The Blazers put an end to their seven-game losing streak by beating the Suns on Tuesday, picking up their third victory (tied for the league lead) in a game they trailed by at least 15 points. They erased an 18-point deficit against Washington two nights later, but couldn’t complete the comeback, because they missed some layups down the stretch.
Three takeaways
The Blazers are the only team with multiple road trips of at least seven games. The first (seven games in 12 days) begins in Phoenix on New Year’s Day. They’ll close 2023 with their first two games against the only team below them in the Western Conference standings.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: vs. SAC, vs. SAS, vs. SAS, @ PHX
Record: 7-20
OffRtg: 110.6 (26) DefRtg: 121.2 (29) NetRtg: -10.6 (28) Pace: 99.4 (16)
The Hornets continue to be without multiple starters every night, they’ve lost seven straight games, and they just had one of the ugliest 11 minutes of basketball you’ll ever see.
Three takeaways
The Hornets are one of three winless teams — the Pistons and Spurs are the others — in interconference games and are 0-5 against the West after their loss to the champs on Saturday. They now begin their longest road trip of the season (six games over 11 days), with the first five games against the West.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: @ LAC, @ LAL, @ PHX, @ DEN
Record: 5-23
OffRtg: 112.4 (22) DefRtg: 121.4 (30) NetRtg: -10.6 (27) Pace: 104.2 (1)
The Wizards remain the only team that hasn’t won two straight games this season, but the 14th-place team in the East got a win over the 14th-place team in the West on Thursday.
Three takeaways
The Wizards have played the league’s most road-heavy schedule to date, with only 10 of their 28 games having come at Capital One Arena. They’ll have a few winnable games on the four-game homestand that begins Tuesday, though they’ll be at a rest disadvantage against the Raptors the following night.
With their losses at Sacramento and Golden State last week, they’re 0-4 in rest-disadvantage games, with one of those losses having come in Toronto, where the Wizards scored zero points on seven clutch possessions.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: vs. ORL, vs. TOR, vs. BKN, vs. ATL
Record: 4-24
OffRtg: 106.5 (30) DefRtg: 118.6 (25) NetRtg: -12.1 (30) Pace: 103.0 (3)
The Spurs went 0-3 on a road trip in which Victor Wembanyama missed two of the three games and scored a season-low seven points in the other. Having scored just 103.5 points per 100 possessions over their four-game losing streak, they’ve fallen to 30th in offensive efficiency for the season.
Three takeaways
With their loss in Chicago on Thursday, the Spurs are 0-5 against the other nine teams that are at least two games under .500, having played only four of the nine. Ten of their next 14 games are against that group, with their first games against the Jazz and Blazers this week.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: vs. UTA, @ POR, @ POR, vs. BOS
Record: 2-27
OffRtg: 107.7 (28) DefRtg: 119.1 (26) NetRtg: -11.4 (29) Pace: 101.4 (7)
The Pistons faced three not-so-great opponents last week and still couldn’t put an end to their losing streak, which has now hit 26 games, tied for the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history.
Three takeaways
To avoid being the sole owners of the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history, the Pistons will have to beat the Nets on Tuesday. A rest-advantage game against the Raptors later in the week looks like a better chance to end the streak if it’s still going.
Dec. 26 – Jan. 1: vs. BKN, @ BOS, vs. TOR, @ HOU
Detroit has lost 26 straight games this season and sit just 2 games from tying the overall NBA record for consecutive defeats.
Luka Doncic is the 6th player to reach 10,000 points before turning 25, reaching that point on a 3-pointer vs. Phoenix.
Five non-U.S. superstars remain firmly entrenched as leaders of the latest Ladder, and none show signs of slowing down.
Despite the Spurs' winless week, the French phenom embraces the Christmas spirit with a new American tradition.
Detroit has lost 26 straight games this season and sit just 2 games from tying the overall NBA record for consecutive defeats.
Luka Doncic is the 6th player to reach 10,000 points before turning 25, reaching that point on a 3-pointer vs. Phoenix.
Five non-U.S. superstars remain firmly entrenched as leaders of the latest Ladder, and none show signs of slowing down.
Despite the Spurs' winless week, the French phenom embraces the Christmas spirit with a new American tradition.
From San Francisco, Sacramento & Salt Lake City to Las Vegas, the NBA is ready to ball out this summer.
The NBA's all-time leading scorer has reportedly agreed to a two-year deal that will keep him with the Lakers.
The 19-year-old son of LeBron James says he 'never really had a thought' about teaming up with his dad.
Kemba Walker, who played for the Hornets, Celtics, Knicks and Mavs in his career, was a 4-time NBA All-Star.
Sotheby’s boasts jerseys from Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic in one of its most popular auctions of the year.
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