Beasts of the East

Entering Week 2 of the 2020 NBA season, we find the Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, and Atlanta Hawks atop the team standings with unbeaten records (as of Tuesday morning) in the topsy-turvy Eastern Conference.

The Magic have so far cast their spell on the hapless Washington Wizards (twice) despite the presence of triple double terror Russell Westbrook and the defending Eastern Conference champions Miami Heat. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, have scalped the new-look Charlotte Hornets, the motor-less Detroit Pistons and the Philadelphia 76ers, who missed Joel Embiid in that game. The Pacers as usual are frontrunners in the Central Division thanks to a wild 1-point win over the Boston Celtics and double-digit victories over the rebuilding Chicago Bulls and hopeless New York Knicks. Meanwhile, the two lopsided wins of the Hawks came at the expense of the Bulls and slow-starting Memphis Grizzlies.