Six days separate us from the NBA Play-In Tournament – that’s it! The 2020-21 NBA season will wrap up this upcoming Sunday, making this the final Power Rankings of the regular season. And looking at the wide spectrum across the league, the entire playoff picture isn’t even close to finalizing itself, making these final six days of the season into some entertaining primetime television.

The Brooklyn Nets don’t have the first or second seeds locked down yet and as winners of five of their last 10, health is playing a major factor in determining their final position in the Eastern Conference standings. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers have won eight straight games and look to keep that momentum heading into the postseason, and could permanently lock up the top seed in the conference for the first time since the 2000-01 season with a win over either the Pacers, Heat or Magic this week.

Sixth-seeded Miami took a huge leap forward while leaving the now seventh-seeded Boston Celtics in the dust with a convincing six-point win, and should they defy a defiant Boston rally as the Celtics get healthy come playoff time, they could avoid the Play-In Tournament altogether and ensure a first-round rematch against the Milwaukee Bucks (should the Bucks fail to topple the Brooklyn Nets in the standings).

Out West, the formation of the play-in tournament is finishing up, and surprisingly, the sixth-seeded Lakers will headline the one-game elimination series while possibly setting up a first-round series against either the Utah Jazz or Phoenix Suns with a knockout win over the Portland Trail Blazers. And despite a concerning loss to the LeBron James-less Lakers, the Phoenix Suns are still in the driver’s seat now two games behind the Jazz for the conference lead.

We’ll get into more of those details in our final weekly Power Rankings, and see where all 30 teams lay heading into the final few days of the season.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Utah Jazz (50-19, Last Week’s Ranking: 1)

While Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley Jr. continue to rehabilitate from their injuries, Bojan Bogdanovic continues to be a blessing in disguise as a perennial  50/40/90 (.576/.479/.905) scorer over the course of the Jazz’s last seven games – his best run of the season, by far. And in their past ten games where Bogdanovic has averaged over 28 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists, Utah is 6-4 with a significant 1.5-game lead over the Phoenix Suns. They couldn’t extend the momentum against the Warriors Monday night but with the league’s best record, win percentage, third-best offensive and defensive rating, Utah looks as poised as ever to enter the playoffs for not only the fifth year in a row, but enter the postseason with the West’s highest seed for the first time in nearly 23 years.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Philadelphia 76ers (47-21, Last Week’s Ranking: 3)

The magic number to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference is one, and these Sixers have a favorable schedule to earn their spot atop the Eastern food chain with a signature win over either the Pacers, Heat, or Magic in a two-game series to close out their 2020-21 campaign. Joel Embiid and Nuggets Center/Forward Nikola Jokic are the two most probable finalists for the MVP award this season, but it’s unlikely Embiid gets heavy playing time with the playoffs literally right around the corner. Rest and optimal health should be what Doc Rivers has in the minutes’ distribution, as different rotational pieces like rookie Tyrese Maxey and Dwight Howard earn more time on the floor as the season winds to a close.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Phoenix Suns (48-20, Last Week’s Ranking: 2)

Philadelphia and Phoenix swap places in this week’s rankings, mainly due to Phoenix’s inability to grab momentum by the horns and drop four of their last 10 to teams like the Hawks and the Lakers. Sure, convincing wins over the New York Knicks, Western-leading Jazz, and Los Angeles Clippers stood out on the board, but losing to the Los Angeles Lakers – their likeliest opponent in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs should the Lakers drop to the seventh seed this week – is worrisome, considering that the next time they play them, the playoff version of LeBron James (who has yet to lose in the first round of the playoffs in his career) will be healthy, active in the starting five, and on their doorstep.

Looking at the positives for a second, it’s fair to throw Chris Paul’s name in the hat for the league’s Most Valuable Player award, as the prescribed “Point Gawd” put up double-double after double-double this past week. registering 16 assists without a turnover in a win against the Cavaliers, and then not too long after dished 11 assists to beat the Knicks, the league’s most efficient defensive team.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Milwaukee Bucks (43-25, Last Week’s Ranking: 5)

Their five-game winning streak may have ended Monday night, but the (opinionated) most dangerous team on the Eastern radar not named the Philadelphia 76ers or Brooklyn Nets continue to build an established sense of synergy and connectivity with such a fresh and new starting five. The Bucks are now 1.5 games away from prying the second seed out of the Brooklyn Nets’ hands, who themselves could enter the playoffs with the proverbial blown tire of injury woes with the unknown status of James Harden (hamstring) as they’ve lost five of their last 10.

The Nets are beginning to hear footsteps from Milwaukee, who started the week off poorly in a 21-point loss to the Spurs but still have only Orlando, Indiana, Miami and Chicago left on the schedule. That gives them all the more incentive to push to the finish line and accumulate as many wins as possible so they can surpass the Nets in the standings and potentially host two playoff series.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Brooklyn Nets (44-24, Last Week’s Ranking: 4)

Speaking euphemistically here – the Nets need James Harden back, and without him, disorganization in how the offense is run looks like a giant red flag with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant ironically struggling to direct traffic in the halfcourt. Harden (hamstring) hasn’t played or participated in organized basketball activity since April 5, but he’s said that he “remains confident” that he’ll return at some point in the regular season, namely sometime in the final week of the season.

Though a comeback win over a banged-up-but-highly-seeded Nuggets teams maintains an adage of comfortability and a sense of “we got this”, there are certain intangibles that the 6’5 playmaking two-guard brings to your basketball team that, when it’s not there, makes the chasm of the lack of a true separation-creating floor general all the more glaring.

And while their finish to the season looks promising, Brooklyn has to keep their head on a swivel for any trap game against either the Bulls, Spurs, or Cavaliers (who they’ve lost twice to on the season with Brooklyn’s ravenous trio on the floor at the same time). The Nets are playing with fire, and with Milwaukee on their coattails, avoiding a war of a first-round series against the Miami Heat while still reeling from injuries sounds like a good plan A.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Los Angeles Clippers (45-23, Last Week’s Ranking: 7)

Los Angeles is slowly inching towards getting 100% healthy in preparation for the playoffs, in which they are looking to shake things up a bit and not just advance to the NBA Finals with arguably the most complete and balanced roster in the NBA. And the best thing about the Clips hitting their stride at the moment is that they haven’t even hit the pinnacle of their potential.

The Clippers are still an elite offensive team who possess the league’s mark of having the second-most-efficient offense, and every now and then they’ll put on a dud of a performance, like the one they had Sunday afternoon during their loss to the Knicks. They’ve lost four of their last six, but face teams this week that are either a late entry into the play-in tournament or are selected to miss the playoffs as a whole. So, they’ll likely try and continue to stay competitive down the stretch while keeping their chemistry alive.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Denver Nuggets (44-24, Last Week’s Ranking: 6)

After going 11-1 following Jamal Murray’s season-ending torn ACL during a loss to the Warriors, the Nuggets have dropped three of their last four games, and all losses were close losses to playoffs contenders in the Lakers, Jazz, and Nets. Nikola Jokic is finishing up his MVP case, and it was even further supplanted in the coming weeks following April 12, which is when their second-best scorer Murray went down. In the last 14 games, Jokic has been spectacular, averaging 27.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 7.2 assists.

Also, he’s scored 30+ points in four of the Nuggets’ last seven games. That type of productivity usually comes with some hardware, considering that the Nugs have been largely undermanned in more ways than one this year (Monte Morris and Will Barton continue to miss time prior to the playoffs). Still, there’s no reason to panic, since the Nuggets own the tiebreaker over the Clippers at the moment and slightly trail them by a full game entering the final week of the season.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. New York Knicks (38-30, Last Week’s Ranking: 8)

Still in fourth place, still surviving, still thriving. That’s (probably) been Tom Thibodeau’s mantra all season in his first year as the head coach of the New York Knicks. Sunday afternoon’s gargantuan win over the Clippers locks them in fourth place with a full-game lead over the Heat and Hawks. And if all else stands, the Knicks will have clinched their first playoff berth since the 2012-13 season. A win over the Lakers – in which LeBron James could return in after healing up from his ankle sprain – would mean that they’d finish the season feeling good about where they stand, considering it’s the only difficult game on the weekly schedule. They’ll do battle with the Spurs, Hornets and Celtics to close out the year.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Dallas Mavericks (40-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 10)

The Mavericks are going to take the SouthWestern division this year, and might be cleared to avoid the play-in tournament as the fifth-seeded team out West. They hold a full-game lead over the Trail Blazers and two-game lead over the Lakers, and look prepared to duel the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs next week. One problem though: Kristaps Porzingis has missed the last six games due to right knee soreness.

Yes, that same knee that was surgically repaired a few years ago following his ACL tear as a Knick.

Since being drafted in 2016, Porzingis has yet to play a full season in the NBA, which is extremely off-putting, and even moreso since head coach Rick Carlisle doesn’t anticipate – or even have a timetable on – Porzingis’s return before the end of the regular season. The usual 20.2 points per game from Porzingis has been filled in by none other than the Mavs’ second-leading scorer in Tim Harday Jr., who’s averaged 27 points off 53 percent shooting from deep over Dallas’ last six games.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. Portland Trail Blazers (40-29, Last Week’s Ranking: 11)

That’s now seven of the last eight games that have funneled into the win column for Portland, and Dame Time’s clock just got a whole new battery entering the playoffs, now averaging an insane 33.8 points per game off 52 percent shooting over the course of this winning streak. Portland earned arguably their biggest win of the season over the Lakers last Thursday, which granted them an entire one-game lead over the defending champions and a potential immunity card from the play-in tournament. Should they handle business in what’s to be a turbulent week for them (starts with a game against Houston and finishes with back to back road games against the Jazz and Suns, and finishes with a home game against the Nuggets), they’ll be primed to square off with the Clippers in the first round, which means that a rematch between Paul George and Damian Lillard is to come.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

11. Los Angeles Lakers (38-30, Last Week’s Ranking: 9)

Laker nation – chin up. What we’ve seen from Anthony Davis since his return has been nothing but positive, and he’s seemingly caught that second wind fans have wanted him to have following his comeback from Achilles Tendonosis. A 2-1 week only filled Laker faithful with optimism that these defending champs can run the table and make it back to the NBA Finals should health be on their side, and if so, they could have a case.

Davis went off for 36 points during their loss to the Trail Blazers on the road, and followed that performance with another signature 42-point, 12-rebound, five-assist, three-block, three-steal statsheed-stuffer of a night against the second-seeded Suns, who could do nothing against them all Sunday night. With reports about LeBron’s explosiveness and cutability basically returning back to near-optimal levels as well as Dennis Schroder’s quarantine period ending up, this Lakers team is reassembling at the most opportune time and could be the most dangerous team in the West if teams take their injury woes for granted.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. Miami Heat (37-31, Last Week’s Ranking: 13)

Miami enters the last week of this season tied for fifth in the East with the Atlanta Hawks, and a whole game behind the Knicks (who the Heat own the tiebreaker over) for the fourth spot. Don’t be surprised if these Heat start playing spoiler like how they did a season ago as they advanced to the Finals as the West’s fourth-seeded team in the Bubble, because if Jimmy Butler finds a way to get it going consistently like how he did against the Celtics down the stretch on Sunday afternoon – how’s 26 points and 11 assists sound? – look out.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. Atlanta Hawks (38-31, Last Week’s Ranking: 12)

Injuries ravaged the first half of Atlanta’s miraculous season, and it leaves much to the imagination if key guys like Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari, and De’Andre Hunter never missed all of that accumulated time. Hunter, the former National Champion, and Virginia standout has only played two games since the tail end of January but in the time that he has been on the floor, he’s averaged 16 points and a little over five rebounds while shooting an efficient 50 percent from the field. How Atlanta and Nate McMillan re-enters him into the lineup remains to be seen, but the Hawks have a favorable schedule to continue to etch him into the starting lineup, for they’ll finish off their two-game series against the Wizards, and conclude their season against the Magic and Rockets.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

14. Golden State Warriors (36-33, Last Week’s Ranking: 14)

Stephen Curry is doing all he can to ensure the Dubs a spot in the inaugural Western Conference play-in tournament, scoring 49 points in three quarters against the Oklahoma City Thunder and dropping 11 threes against one of the league’s most skilled and tenacious young defenders in Luguentz Dort. Make that 11 of the past 16 games that have resulted in wins for the Warriors, who look to be the team everyone wants to avoid come tournament time. This past Monday night, they did battle with the Utah Jazz (who were still without Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley Jr.) and while it was a barnburner, they survived a Jordan Clarkson 41-point explosion and earned an upset win over the best team in the NBA. Now the Warriors are a full game-and-a-half ahead of the Grizzlies for the eighth seed in the play-in tournament.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

15. Washington Wizards (32-37, Last Week’s Ranking: 19)

And Voila – here’s the team no one wishing for a playoff spot in the play-in tournament wants to see. Triple-double machine Russell Westbrook is out for blood with aspirations of getting the Wizards to the playoffs for the first time in nearly four years and made NBA history as he tied “The Big O” Oscar Robertson’s in career Triple-Doubles on Saturday night in an Overtime win against the Pacers without Bradley Beal on the floor, and then earned the most-coveted Triple-Double No. 182 on Monday night, albeit in a loss to the Hawks that he nearly won himself with a heave from the J with mere seconds remaining.

The first half of their Back-to-back games against the Hawks showcased a milestone moment in sports history – like Cal Ripken’s 2,000th hit in the beginning of the 21st century – but more importantly, they hope to at least split the series against the Hawks, and get some positive results in their home games against the Hornets and Cavaliers. Don’t look now, but the “lowly” Wizards are only a game-and-a-half away from clutching the eighth seed and advancing to the play-in tournament.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

16. Boston Celtics (35-33, Last Week’s Ranking: 15)

Sunday’s near comeback against Miami was cut short due to the heroics of Jimmy Butler, and likely shoved Boston into the play-in tournament instead of in the regular playoff picture. Even worse news: Celtics star Forward Jaylen Brown is expected to miss the rest of the season due to a procedure to his left, and non-shooting, wrist, leaving Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker to fend for themselves in what should be a first-round exit in the playoffs. A second home game against Miami followed by trips to Cleveland, Minnesota and the Madison Square Garden in New York City await to close out their regular season.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

17. Memphis Grizzlies (35-33, Last Week’s Ranking: 16)

When you’re chasing a playoff spot, losing to the Pistons is never a good thing, but Memphis is in good shape to earn a play-in spot after a 2-2 week. Jaren Jackson Jr. is getting back into form, averaging 17 points and almost 24 minutes per game over the last three weeks. With six players averaging double figures, the Grizzlies continue to spread out their offense. Ja Morant led the team with 19.3 points per game this past week.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

18. Charlotte Hornets (33-35, Last Week’s Ranking: 17)

The Hornets defeated the Pistons and Magic this week, but lost to the Bulls and the Pelicans, who were shorthanded. They’ve almost locked up a spot in the play-in tournament as they prepare for Miles Bridges and possibly Gordon Hayward’s return. Terry Rozier led the team in scoring this week with 25.3 points per game, including 43 in the Pelicans’ loss on Sunday. On 60 percent 3-point shooting, PJ Washington scored 20.3 points and nine rebounds per game, while the returning LaMelo Ball had 19 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

19. San Antonio Spurs (33-35, Last Week’s Ranking: 18)

The Spurs have lost three of their last four games, allowing the Pelicans or Kings to sneak into the No. 10 slot. San Antonio still has a chance to make the playoffs, but even with an upset 21-point victory over Milwaukee Monday night, they entered Monday’s contest having lost six of their last seven games, with games against the Nets, Knicks, and Suns (twice) scheduled for the final week. DeMar DeRozan led the team in scoring with 18.3 points per game during an offensive disaster-class of a week for the Spurs.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

20. Indiana Pacers (32-36, Last Week’s Ranking: 20)

The Pacers went 1-3 this week in some wild games, reportedly due to tension between head coach Nate Bjorkgren and his team. With the exception of a 93-point performance against the Kings, Indiana scored 135 points per game in the other three games this week, with Caris LeVert leading the way with 28.3 points per game on 45 percent 3-point shooting. Since returning from injury, Domantas Sabonis has been a beast, averaging 27.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game while shooting 68 percent from the field.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

21. New Orleans Pelicans (31-38, Last Week’s Ranking: 22)

Now a full 2.5 games behind the Spurs for the 10th seed, hope is quickly fading for the Pels’ playoff hopes, and even more so with a 115-110 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night while still trying to find some semblance of offense in the wake of Zion Williamson being sidelined for the rest of the year due to a broken finger.

To keep hope alive prior to the loss on Monday night, the Pels nearly stunned the 76ers on Friday, then beat the Hornets on Sunday, led by Eric Bledsoe’s 24 points and 11 assists. For the week, Lonzo Ball averaged 17.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists, while Jaxson Hayes and Willy Hernangomez filled in admirably for Steven Adams, who has been out for six of the team’s last eight games.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

22. Sacramento Kings (30-38, Last Week’s Ranking: 23)

The Kings have won three of their last four games despite the absence of De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton, and Harrison Barnes. The Spurs’ loss was particularly painful because they are the team Sacramento is chasing for the final play-in spot. Terence Davis, who was acquired from the Raptors shortly before the trade deadline, led the team with 17.5 points per game this week, while Delon Wright, who was also acquired at the deadline, averaged 17 points, 7.8 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Whether they qualify for the play-in tournament or not, the Kings deserve credit for fighting until the end in an abridged season.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

23. Chicago Bulls (29-39, Last Week’s Ranking: 24)

The Bulls went 3-1 this week to keep their ever so fading playoff hopes alive, and Zach LaVine’s return from Health and Safety protocols provided a much-needed boost, as he scored 22.7 points on 41 percent 3-point shooting in the Bulls’ final three games of the week, all of which were wins for Chicago. Nikola Vucevic contributed as well, scoring 25.3 points, 14.7 rebounds, and five assists while shooting 40 percent from three-point range. Chicago is but a mere 2.5 games behind the Pacers for the final play-in tournament spot entering the final week of their season.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

24. Toronto Raptors (27-41, Last Week’s Ranking: 21)

For the first time in eight years, the Toronto Raptors will miss out on the postseason.

The Raptors lost to the Clippers, Wizards, and Grizzlies this week, potentially ending their chances of making the playoffs, which they seem to be fine with considering their history of resting key players. Pascal Siakam averaged 28.7 points and seven rebounds per game, while Fred VanVleet added 24.5 points and nine assists per game, making him one of the few Raptors regulars to play all three games this week. Now, they can look forward to returning to Scotiabank Arena, and Toronto, Canada as a whole, next season after an atypical season that forced them to play in Tampa, Florida as a result of the pandemic.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

25. Minnesota Timberwolves (21-47, Last Week’s Ranking: 25)

The Wolves started the week with losses to the Grizzlies and Heat before dominating the Magic on Sunday. The trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, and Anthony Edwards has looked promising…on that end, at least. Minnesota put up an impressive 121.4 offensive rating for the week. In a loss, Edwards had perhaps the best week of his young career (so far), scoring 42 points on 22 shots against Memphis.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

26. Orlando Magic (21-47, Last Week’s Ranking: 27)

Orlando won a tank-off against the Pistons on Monday but then, of course, lost their next three games convincingly. This week, Dwayne Bacon led the team in scoring with 18.8 points per game, which tells you what you need to know about the Orlando Magic’s current situation. In Orlando’s three games without Wendell Carter Jr., Mo Bamba has performed impressively as the starting center, averaging 10.3 points, 12.7 assists, and 3.3 blocks.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

27. Cleveland Cavaliers (21-48, Last Week’s Ranking: 26)

After taking the Suns to overtime, the Cavs were blown out three times in a row to finish the week with an 0-4 record. Cleveland, which has now lost ten games in a row, can’t wait for the offseason to arrive. In the absence of Darius Garland, Collin Sexton has led the offense, scoring 23.8 points per game this week, while rookie Isaac Okoro has averaged 16.5 points per game on 43 percent 3-point shooting.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

28. Detroit Pistons (20-49, Last Week’s Ranking: 28)

The Pistons only won one of their five games this week, a solid performance against the Grizzlies. In a loss to Charlotte, Hamidou Diallo set a career high with 35 points, but he only appeared in one other game this week, while Saddiq Bey continued his good rookie season. As he consumes extra playing time from the unavailable Pistons on the injury report, Sekou Doumbouya has had some eye-opening stretches.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

29. Oklahoma City Thunder (21-48, Last Week’s Ranking: 29)

So, there you have it. The Thunder have now lost four games in a row, with their last three defeats averaging nearly 30 points each. After an incredibly strong start to the season, they’ve now lost 24 of their last 26 games, a tank job of epic proportions. This is an important time for players like Darius Bazley and Theo Maledon to improve, but being in more than one close game per week will be beneficial.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

30. Houston Rockets (16-53, Last Week’s Ranking: 30)

The depleted Rockets had the anticipated results this week against the 76ers, Bucks, and Jazz, but they held it tight in the final two games. Kenyon Martin Jr. has taken advantage of his increased playing time this week, averaging 25.3 points, nine rebounds, and five assists per game while shooting 55 percent from three-point range. It’s time to look forward to the lottery, and the Rockets’ increasing chances of landing the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft.

Photo cred: Fox Sports 1430

The NBA season officially wraps up in 12 days, and a plethora of questions have yet to be answered and are still on the table: Will the Philadelphia 76ers fend off the Brooklyn Nets and head into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference? Are the Phoenix Suns, fresh off of claiming their first postseason berth in 11 years, capable of getting the top seed in the West and keeping it away from the Jazz long enough in the coming days to enter the playoffs with the NBA’s best record? Are the Lakers, who just got LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Marc Gasol back (while missing Dennis Schroder – Health and Safety protocols) good and consistent enough to keep the 5th seed and avoid the play-in tournament? Can teams like the Washington Wizards and Golden State Warriors muster enough wins to qualify for the play-in tournament?

And with the Knicks essentially locking up the fourth seed and claiming their first winning season since 2013, what will the plan be for Tom Thibodeau’s team – rest or continuous effort to try and nab a higher seed? These next two weeks will answer all questions for all 30 teams heading into the final stretch of the season.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Utah Jazz (47-18, Last Week’s Ranking: 4)

While finishing the season with the league’s best record sounds enticing, actually having an all-healthy roster sounds just as sweet, if not sweeter. They got the first seed in the Western playoffs back with a 110-99 home win against the Spurs last night, and are certainly up to the task of defending the No. 1 seed if need be. But with Utah staring down a potential showdown with the winner of the Lakers or Clippers’ 4/5 matchup that’ll likely determine the course of action for Quin Snyder’s gameplan down the final stretch of the season, making sure that Donovan Mitchell (sprained ankle) and Mike Conley Jr. (hamstring) are good to go seems like the ideal way to go. They’ll have another duel with the Spurs at home before they have to defend home court against Denver and Houston and from there, they’ll finish off their 2020-21 regular season next week.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Phoenix Suns (46-18, Last Week’s Ranking: 1)

With a playoff seed all to themselves, seeding is the only thing that matters to the Suns. Sure, prioritizing health and optimal performance is a necessity, but these Suns are shooting for the moon. Full speed ahead is the agenda for Monty Williams, Chris Paul and Devin Booker (who will finally make his postseason debut!) and if the No. 2 seed in the West can relegate the Jazz to the No. 2 seed, they’ll have to do so with an increasingly difficult schedule; Cleveland, Atlanta, New York, and the Lakers are up next this week.

If the Suns can claim the No. 1 seed the rest of the way and pull off the impossible, since literally, no one saw this type of season emanating from the lowly Suns who were projected to just miss out on the playoffs with an “aging” Chris Paul, the inexperienced young duo of Booker and DeAndre Ayton, and impressionable-yet-still-developing young core with guys like Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson, then the Phoenix Suns will have made it to the postseason with the top record out West for the first time since 2005. The other time they pulled off that feat? 1993 – the year Charles Barkley won MVP and the Western-best Suns went on to battle the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Philadelphia 76ers (44-21, Last Week’s Ranking: 9)

Thanks to saving themselves from an embarrassing loss to the Spurs on Sunday evening from an OT tip-in game-winner by Ben Simmons as well as a “handled business” type of win over Chicago on Monday night, the Sixers strengthened their grip on the East’s No. 1 seed with a near two-game lead (tiebreaker included) over the Brooklyn Nets. And with eight games left to play, they are in prime position to snag that home-court advantage all throughout the playoffs. Additionally, the 76ers’ schedule isn’t too hard to finish off: only one of their final games are against Miami, and the rest are against teams that aren’t even in their respective playoff seeding.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Brooklyn Nets (43-22, Last Week’s Ranking: 3)

Sunday’s loss to the Bucks wasn’t one of worry to the Nets, since those types of losses can be taken with a grain of salt. The atmosphere of that game was palpable enough to give off a playoff feel, and since it’s likely the two teams cross paths in the playoffs, we got a small simulation of how the spacing will look, and what matchups will happen when the two teams play each other in a few weeks.

But, a loss is a loss, and with the Sixers gaining momentum with a 1.5-game lead over the Nets, Brooklyn is in a bit of a pickle. Milwaukee is gaining ground and is in striking distance of getting the second seed, and should the season end today, the second-seeded Nets wouldn’t be able to avoid either Milwaukee or Miami in the second round. So, health is wealth, but make no mistake about it: rest is out of the question.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Milwaukee Bucks (40-24, Last Week’s Ranking: 6)

A massive win over Brooklyn on Sunday with your MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo giving the Nets’ frontcourt all they can handle and more does a lot for your team’s confidence heading down the final stretch of the season. And they’ll have another chance to crack a jab at the East’s No. 2 team again on Tuesday, and this time, the stakes are a little bit higher. Should they win, they’ll move up an official game behind the Nets in the loss column, and in the final 12 games of the season, could play spoiler and threaten the Brooklyn Nets’ hopes of maintaining a top-two spot and perch atop the Eastern Conference.

However, Milwaukee will have the same plan B if losses start piling up down the stretch, and resting key guys like Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday might become a possibility if a third-place finish is in their cards.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Denver Nuggets (43-22, Last Week’s Ranking: 7)

Since losing Jamal Murray to a season-ending ACL tear nearly 12 days ago, the Nuggets had yet to truly feel the side effects of his absence with their initial 9-1 record without him on the court entering Monday night’s contest against the slipping Lakers. And then the game happened, where MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic had arguably one of his worst games of the season (if you consider 32 points on 12-28 shooting “bad”) where he couldn’t score much at all when the returning Marc Gasol was matched up with him during the game’s final two minutes, leading to a tough 93-89 loss when LeBron James wasn’t even active. Those are the type of games the Nuggets will look back and scratch their head at, and ponder what’s next for them.

Even with Jokic having an all-world season while carrying the offensive load every night for an average of 26.1 points on a nightly basis, the lack of a true No. 1 option off the dribble who can maneuver wherever and attack any matchup against space-anemic defensive schemes will be felt all the more in a playoff setting, and nary made more so than last night during their loss to the Lakers.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Los Angeles Clippers (43-22, Last Week’s Ranking: 1)

Los Angeles is going through it right now, with a three-game losing streak looming over their heads like a black cloud. Their most significant loss of the skid came by way of the Nuggets, where Denver not only won the four-game season series against the team they came back down 3-1 in the bubble last year to advance to the Western Conference Finals, but they currently have the tiebreaker advantage over them and the third seed in the West, even with both teams having the same record. Seeding is important, but Tyronn Lue’s goal this season wasn’t to grab all the regular-season accolades and fight to get the West’s best record, but rather to make sure that both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are healthy enough to share the same floor with one another. Also, should they stay in fourth place in the West, it’s likely that the battle of Los Angeles will take place in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs.

Luckily for them, getting healthy is getting easier. Serge Ibaka is returning as is Patrick Beverley soon enough, and since the NBA universe knows how indomitable of a force they can be when 100% healthy, it might make sense to dial back a few levels and rest some key starters.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. New York Knicks (37-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 5)

Though the Knicks have dropped three spots in the weekly rankings, it’s still inconceivable to consider that they’ve survived to maintain their spot in the postseason picture for this long. They’ve won nine of their last 10, are winners of 12 of their last 13, are clear favorites to lock up the fourth seed with only 12 days to go in the regular season with a 1.5-game lead over the Hawks, and are by far the hottest team in the Eastern Conference.

Another thing of note: when Derrick Rose suits up for them, they win. They’re 21-8 with him in the rotation, and Rose scored a season-high 25 points in their win over Memphis off an efficient 11-15 shooting performance. Still, a hard Western voyage awaits the Knicks, for they’ll have to play the Nuggets, Suns, and Clippers all on the road this week.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Los Angeles Lakers (37-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 15)

And just like that, crisis mode may be over for the LakeShow.

Marc Gasol and Anthony Davis resembled their playoff-succeeding selves during a huge win over the Denver Nuggets Monday evening, and defensively, kept the Jamal Murray-less Nugs to only 89 points while LeBron James didn’t even suit up as a preventative measure to rest his healing sprained right ankle on the second night of a back-to-back.

The muscle is back for the Lakers, and while they weren’t able to muster any prior resemblance of their former selves with consecutive losses to the Kings and Raptors during LeBron James’ return, they got the fifth seed back from the Mavericks, thanks to their upset win on Monday night. A slew of eight tough-but-winnable games awaits the defending champs with only a week and 1/3 left in the season.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. Dallas Mavericks (36-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 11)

Sacramento handed Dallas all three of their losses in their last nine games, and with the Lakers winning on Monday night and reclaiming the fifth seed, that puts the Mavericks in the tough spot of having to work their hardest to avoid the play-in tournament. And due to the three-way tiebreaker rules, they’d have to enter the playoffs as the sixth seed if things don’t go their way in the final 12 days of the regular season. They’ll have to get past the finish line as efficiently as possible if they want to avoid that scenario altogether, and hope that Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic can, at the least, man the charge and stay healthy. Porzingis missed the Mavericks’ last five games due to a sprained left ankle and sore right knee.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

11. Portland Trail Blazers (36-29, Last Week’s Ranking: 19)

Barring a loss to Atlanta that many could see forthcoming, (it was a weird day for the Hawks and Blazers, who almost had their game canceled due to tornado warnings) Portland is hitting their stride at the most convenient time. They are 4-1 in their latest stretch of games, all on the road, Damian Lillard isn’t quite struggling much anymore, and CJ McCollum is starting to look like his pre-injury self. They have a likable schedule in their future, with only Cleveland, Los Angeles, and San Antonio coming up next on the schedule, which means their optimism at a deep playoff run and the chances of potential avoidance of the play-in tournament are relatively high.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. Atlanta Hawks (36-30, Last Week’s Ranking: 8)

Atlanta at one point in the season was staring down another finish out of the playoff picture, and when Lloyd Pierce as their head coach, Atlanta was 11th in the Eastern Conference with what felt like forever until the end of the season. And when Nate McMillan replaced Pierce as the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, what a quick turnaround of aspirations it was for a Hawks team that hadn’t reached the playoffs since 2016. Now six games over .500 with a chance to earn home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, they’re in a dead heat with the Celtics and Heat for the fourth and fifth spots in the East. A win over Portland kept their momentum afloat, and games against the Suns at home and Pacers on the road can keep that momentum going even stronger heading down the chute of the final 12 days of the season.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. Miami Heat (35-30, Last Week’s Ranking: 13)

With four wins in five games, Miami is getting back into that mode of ferocity that earned them a trip to the NBA Finals last October. Bam Adebayo continues to rake in All-NBA Defensive First Team votes and game-by-game improves as a confident scorer at all three levels with 19.4 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists over his past five games. The same, ironically, can be said for Kendrick Nunn, who is additionally rounding into shape as a reliable option at the guard spot. Nunn, during that same stretch, has averaged 20.4 points. Currently, the Heat are locked in a battle with the Atlanta Hawks for the fifth seed, and want more in the waning weeks of the regular season; they’re a whole 2.5 games away from blowing past the fourth-seeded Knicks for their seed and home-court advantage.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

14. Golden State Warriors (33-32, Last Week’s Ranking: 10)

With a resounding and comfortable double-digit win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday Evening, a game in which Stephen Curry (41 points off 14-26 shooting, eight threes 46 Hero Points) and Draymond Green (10 points, 15 assists, 13 rebounds, 47 Hero Points) traded places as the nightly leader in Hero Points during ESPN2’s exclusive Marvel’s Avengers-style broadcast known as the “Arena of Heroes”, Draymond Green got to call himself an Honorary Avenger while being “recruited” by Dr. Strange.

The Dubs stand a whole one-game lead ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies, who lost on Monday night to the Knicks and currently, it’s quite obvious that no one team will want to play the Golden State Warriors come play-in tournament time. With 41 points against the Pels last night, Stephen Curry will likely be the league’s scoring champion this season, and the oldest player in league history to win the award since Michael Jordan in 1997-98.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

15. Boston Celtics (34-31, Last Week’s Ranking: 12)

When it seemed like things were getting back on track for Boston, off went the wheels again. Far greater concern has to lie in the health and ability to put your most integral pieces on the floor to compete on a nightly basis, and that prerequisite was severely challenged when in the final moments of the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scrambled for a loose ball inching towards the scorer’s table and subsequently collided with one another. Tatum was fine, but Jaylen Brown’s condition has still not been addressed and publicized.

Both of Boston’s best players had to leave the game, a loss to the Blazers during a 2-2 week that saw the Celtics both historically erase a 32-point deficit to the visiting San Antonio Spurs in which Tatum became only the second Celtic ever to score 60 points in a single game and become a point shy of breaking a record that’s lasted for 36 years while simultaneously racking up the most points by a Celtic in a three-game span ever…and embarrassingly lose to a tanking Thunder team. But, no matter how Boston does over their final seven games, potentially not having Jaylen Brown for an extended period of time does more harm than good for a team that’s clawing to get out of a play-in tournament berth.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

16. Memphis Grizzlies (32-32, Last Week’s Ranking: 17)

Now a whole game and more behind the Golden State Warriors, Memphis is trying their best to get back into the postseason picture, and stay there, but must do better as losers of four of their last five. Also, they’re still fixing out the kinks of etching Jaren Jackson Jr. back into the minutes rotation, an adjustment that’s hindered their chemistry a little as the Michigan State product is still finding his way back from missing most of the season due to a torn meniscus suffered in the bubble last season.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

17. Charlotte Hornets (31-33, Last Week’s Ranking: 18)

As losers of six of their last ten with new concerns about  Health and Safety protocols that Miles Bridges must undergo as a result of the third-year forward potentially testing positive for COVID-19, Charlotte won’t have the luxury of coasting into the playoffs with a comfortable lead over anyone in the standings and will be playing in the play-in tournament as the eighth seed.

However, LaMelo Ball’s return to the court gave Charlotte a much-needed jolt in the arm as the rookie guard returned to the floor for the first time since March 20, and threw a litany of full-court passes while playing in the rhythm of the offense while averaging a little over 12 points with 6.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists in his last two games.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

18. San Antonio Spurs (31-33, Last Week’s Ranking: 16)

The Spurs would like to forget what was a pretty forgettable week as a team that’ll probably struggle down the stretch of their final eight games. They’re 1-4 in their last five contests, and likely will need all the help they can get, both by themselves and with the help of others as the West’s current 10th seed, as they’re 1.5 games out of the ninth-seeded Grizzlies’ spot and 2.5 games away from the eighth-seeded Warriors.

Their previous week included some doozies: After outlasting the Washington Wizards on the road, they suffered a five-point loss to the Heat, a loss (and blown-32-point lead) to the Celtics, and an OT loss to the Philadelphia 76ers by way of a Ben Simmons putback tip-in at the buzzer. And on Monday night, they were vociferously beaten by the Utah Jazz, and even worse: they found out prior to that game that Derrick White won’t be able to come back this season due to a sprained right ankle.

Whew.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

19. Washington Wizards (30-35, Last Week’s Ranking: 14)

Washington is 11-2 in their last 13 games, with only two losses coming by way of San Antonio and Dallas. And oddly enough, the team that had the most adversity of any other squad in the league, due to their COVID outbreaks that kept the Wizards – as a team – off of the hardwood for weeks that turned into what felt like months, is the team with the likeliest odds of beating out everyone else for the final playoffs spot as the winners of the first-ever Eastern play-in tournament.

Their first win of a two-game series against Indiana Monday night was significant; Russell Westbrook racked up his 178th Triple-Double of his career with the most Russell Westbrook stat line imaginable — 14 points, 21 rebounds, and 24 assists — during Washington’s 154-141 win over Indiana, and their 30th win of the year.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

20. Indiana Pacers (30-34, Last Week’s Ranking: 20)

There was some good history on the Pacers’ side this week. Indiana gave the Oklahoma City Thunder their worst loss in franchise history, a 152-95 road win that saw Doug McDermott lead the Pacers in scoring with 31 points off 11-14 shooting with six threes to boot. But on Monday, momentum was halted as they game up a season-worst 154 points to Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal’s Washington Wizards, and only possess a slim lead over Washington for that ninth seed, with their only advantage being one less in the loss column than Washington.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

21. Toronto Raptors (27-38, Last Week’s Ranking: 22)

Despite their impressive road victory over the Lakers on Sunday night, the Raptors still have a long way to go to qualify for the play-in tournament, as they are 2.5 games behind the Wizards with nine games left.

What will definitely matter most to the Raptors, in the end, is where they finish in the NBA draft lottery with the Bulls and Kings for positions seven through nine.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

22. New Orleans Pelicans (29-36, Last Week’s Ranking: 21)

Zion Williamson is having one of the most offensively impactful seasons in NBA history, as the 20-year-old is having the greatest volume shooting season in NBA history. But, the Warriors are four games ahead of the Pelicans in the running for the play-in tournament, and those two teams play each other in the final contests of the regular season. With the Warriors beating the Pelicans in the first of two games this week, New Orleans can start getting ready for the offseason.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

23. Sacramento Kings (37-47, Last Week’s Ranking: 24)

Sacramento is 4.5 games behind the Spurs, who have lost three in a row, for the final play-in spot after two wins in a row, including Sunday’s victory over the Mavericks. While it’s possible the Kings could fix up a quick solution to get into the postseason, Tyrese Haliburton’s status is up in the air due to a bad knee, which he injured in the win over the Mavs. That could seriously jeopardize the team’s playoff drive.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

24. Chicago Bulls (26-39, Last Week’s Ranking: 23)

The Bulls are three games behind the Wizards for the Eastern Conference’s final play-in spot. And more importantly, the Bulls’ high expectations following the acquisition of Nikola Vucevic have vanished. Because of COVID-19 protocols, Zach LaVine hasn’t played since April 14. The Bulls are 4-11 in their last 15 games, and they have a tough final two weeks of the season ahead of them, which includes Monday’s game against the Sixers (they lost, 106-94) and two games against the Nets.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

25. Minnesota Timberwolves (20-45, Last Week’s Ranking: 27)

Despite the fact that they don’t have anything to play for, the Timberwolves are aiming to win a few more games in the coming weeks as winners of six of their last 10. They might rest starters in the hopes of securing another top-three selection, but the Wolves want to start building a winning mindset and momentum heading into next season.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

26. Cleveland Cavaliers (21-43, Last Week’s Ranking: 25)

With eight games remaining, the Cavs are still in contention for a play-in slot, trailing No. 10 Washington by eight games. But, with Cleveland’s record of 1-9 in its last ten games and the Wizards’ record of 8-2, it’s unlikely they reach the play-in tournament.

Additionally, given the Cavaliers’ odd week, that was the least of their worries. Kevin Love had to apologize to his teammates for carelessly batting a ball inbounds against the Raptors and then attempting zero shots in 22 minutes the next game.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

27. Orlando Magic (21-44, Last Week’s Ranking: 29)

Cole Anthony’s buzzer-beater to defeat the Grizzlies on Saturday night was one of the best highlights of a tough season. Anthony had a total of 26 points. The 20-year-old rookie guard’s pairing with Markelle Fultz next season will be fascinating to watch.

The Magic are well out of the playoff picture and are hoping for lottery luck; they own the Bulls’ first-round pick in 2021 should it land in the top four.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

28. Detroit Pistons (19-46, Last Week’s Ranking: 28)

The Pistons’ late-season struggles — they’ve now lost nine of their last 12 games — do have a silver lining: they’re already out of playoff contention, ensuring they’ll retain their first-round selection in 2021.  As part of the November sign-and-trade deal for Christian Wood, the Pistons owe Houston a first-round pick, but it is a top-16 pick secured this year. Pistons general manager Troy Weaver will have that selection, plus three second-rounders, to work on the rebuild this offseason.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

29. Oklahoma City Thunder (21-44, Last Week’s Ranking: 26)

The Thunder’s 57-point loss to the Pacers was likely their lowest point of the season, but it wasn’t entirely unexpected. They’ve been playing fewer and fewer NBA rotation players in recent weeks, instead opting for a more developmental and experimental approach. They’ve made significant strides toward achieving top-4 lottery chances, and are ranked fifth-worst. So, in a way, things are looking up for Sam Presti’s Thunder.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

30. Houston Rockets (16-49, Last Week’s Ranking: 30)

The Rockets are almost likely to finish in the bottom three, which means they’ll be among the teams with the best draft lottery chances. The Rockets’ young core, especially 20-year-old guard Kevin Porter Jr., will be developed for the rest of the season.

In a stunning success against the Bucks, he became the youngest player in NBA history to record a 50-point double-double. He’s been a bright spot in what’s been a dark year in the history of H-Town’s franchise.

Photo cred: Fox Sports 1430

We laugh at prognosticators who say things like “if the season ended today…” and then reveal anything surprising. Well, we’re approaching the point that “if the season ended today” is becoming a possibility, with everyone keeping a closer eye on the standings with only three full weeks left in the 2020-2021 regular season. The play-in games are less than a month away, and nearly every playoff spot is up for grabs.

The Los Angeles Clippers continued their strong play to take the lead in this week’s Power Rankings, but the Brooklyn Nets are closing in on them thanks to Kevin Durant’s return. Meanwhile, the New York Knicks are also climbing, even if they couldn’t extend their winning streak to ten games with a Monday night loss to the Suns. However, they are within striking distance of the top five.

Even with facing Trae Young’s injury, the Atlanta Hawks rose four spots in this week’s rankings, and the Washington Wizards jumped a few spots as a long winning streak pushed them into play-in contention. The Boston Celtics, on the other hand, seemed to have worked things out last week, only to drop a few positions in this week’s version of the Power Rankings.

Let’s get into finding out where everyone else landed during this week’s Power Rankings.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Los Angeles Clippers (43-20, Last Week’s Ranking: 5)

The Clippers have won all three games this week without Kawhi Leonard, including one against the Grizzlies with a starting lineup of Luke Kennard, Terance Mann, Marcus Morris, Amir Coffey, and Ivica Zubac — things are definitely on-par for L.A. Paul George continued his strong play this week, averaging 33 points and 12.5 rebounds in two games, while Morris has stepped up in Leonard’s absence, averaging 20.5 points on 43 percent 3-point shooting in two games this week. The Clippers have won 11 of their last 12 games and are two-and-a-half games behind the Suns for second in the West’s top seeding race.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Phoenix Suns (43-18, Last Week’s Ranking: 3)

The Suns went 2-2 in the first four games of their grueling five-game road trip, winning against the Bucks and Sixers before losing to the Celtics and Nets. Chris Paul averaged 21.5 points and 9.3 assists per game this week and starting out his 18th week of the year scoring every clutch bucket down the stretch to down the Knicks and end the longest winning streak in the NBA, while Devin Booker put up 23.5 points per game on 50 percent 3-point shooting. Jae Crowder was unable to play in both of the team’s defeats this week, highlighting his significance to the team on both ends of the floor.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Brooklyn Nets (41-20, Last Week’s Ranking: 4)

Kevin Durant is back from his hamstring problems, and he led the Nets to a major win over the Suns on Sunday, scoring 33 points in 28 minutes to top off a 3-1 week for Brooklyn. Though James Harden is still out, Kyrie Irving scored 27.3 points, 9.8 assists, and seven rebounds per game this week while shooting 40% from 3-point range, and Joe Harris added 17 points per game on 57 percent 3-point shooting. Brooklyn is back in the driver’s seat for No. 1 in the East, but injury concerns are arising as James Harden’s hamstring condition issued more setbacks that will further inhibit his return.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Utah Jazz (44-17, Last Week’s Ranking: 2)

Thanks to a head-scratching loss to the Timberwolves, the Jazz were unable to complete a 3-0 week after defeating the Lakers and Rockets without the services of Donovan Mitchell, who is still recovering from an ankle injury. Bojan Bogdanovic’s hot shooting continued this week, as he made 44 percent of his 3-pointers while scoring 21 points per game.

Moreover, Jordan Clarkson has taken on more scoring responsibilities, averaging nearly 20 points per game this week on 39 percent 3-point shooting.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. New York Knicks (34-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 14)

The Knicks won three more games this past week but lost their bid at 10 straight wins games with a heart-searing loss to the Phoenix Suns down the fourth-quarter stretch, ending their winning streak at nine games. During the string, while the league’s No. 1 defense continues to stifle opposing offenses, the Knicks’ offense was remarkably dominant, scoring 118.7 points through 100 possessions.

Julius Randle, who averaged 29 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists on 57 (!) percent 3-point shooting this week, has played a key role, as have RJ Barrett, Derrick Rose, and Reggie Bullock. Game after game, the Knicks continue to look the part of an arduous playoff contender.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Milwaukee Bucks (37-23, Last Week’s Ranking: 7)

The Milwaukee Bucks lost in overtime to the Suns before winning back-to-back games against the 76ers and losing to the Hawks on Sunday. Milwaukee comfortably led by double digits in the fourth quarter against Atlanta, but the game was lost due to a late Hawks run.

On 61 percent shooting, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 28.8 points and 13 rebounds per game, while Khris Middleton contributed 19.3 points on 39 percent 3-point shooting.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Denver Nuggets (40-21, Last Week’s Ranking: 8)

After Jamal Murray’s devastating injury, the Nuggets have won six of their last seven games, including three of four this past week. Out of necessity, Nikola Jokic has become more aggressive in the pursuit of his own shot, scoring 28.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 7.8 assists this week, while Michael Porter Jr. has impressively assumed the position of their second scorer, averaging 25.8 points while impressively knocking down 55 percent of his averaged 10 threes attempted per game.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Atlanta Hawks (34-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 12)

Atlanta jumps up four spots in this week’s rankings, and many who believe the Hawks are legit will point to their back-to-back victories over the Heat and Bucks without Trae Young. Young left the game early with an ankle injury, and the team’s only loss this week came in overtime to the blazing-hot Knicks. Bogdan Bogdanovic continues to play a key role in the offense, scoring and facilitating, while Kevin Huerter has moved into a playmaking role in Young’s absence. Atlanta is now tied with the Knicks, who they’d meet in the 4-5 matchup if the season ended today.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Philadelphia 76ers (40-21, Last Week’s Ranking: 1)

What a turn of events…

Last week, the 76ers seemed to be in good shape for the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference. Now, not so much. With the Bucks quietly climbing in the East, they’re in danger of dropping to No. 3 after four consecutive defeats.

Philly faced a red-hot Steph Curry in their first game without Ben Simmons, then faced two of the league’s best teams in the Suns and Bucks. Tobias Harris also missed two games, and Joel Embiid was kept out of the team’s loss to Milwaukee on Saturday. Despite this, teams have had to find ways to win this season without having a full roster, and the 76ers are not exempt from that.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. Golden State Warriors (31-30, Last Week’s Ranking: 16)

Steph Curry has finally cooled off — for one night only, that is. A rough 2-14 off-night against the Wizards was sandwiched between outstanding games against the 76ers, Nuggets, and Kings in which the two-time MVP  shot 21 for 40 from beyond the arc in the other three games, averaging nearly 40 points per game.

Due to health and safety policies, Kent Bazemore and Damion Lee are out, which means Kelly Oubre Jr., who averaged 18.8 points and six rebounds this week, will have more chances to stand out.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

11. Dallas Mavericks (33-27, Last Week’s Ranking: 11)

After losing four of their previous five games, the Mavericks rebounded this week by defeating the Pistons and then sweeping the Lakers in a two-game series. Luka Doncic averaged 26 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds over the course of the week, including a game-winning step-back 3-pointer against the Lakers on Saturday. Dallas is now just one game behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the Western Conference’s fifth seed, and with the Lakers slipping through the cracks, they could very well leapfrog them in the Western Conference standings.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. Boston Celtics (32-29, Last Week’s Ranking: 10)

After a recent hot streak, the Celtics have lost to the Bulls, Nets, and Hornets this week, despite a strong victory over the Suns. Boston was without Jaylen Brown for two of the games, but Evan Fournier returned after a two-game absence in which he struggled to make a field goal and scored only two points in 42 minutes. Jayson Tatum cooled off a lot, shooting just 34% from the field last week. Entering the final three weeks of the season, Boston is experiencing injury woes at the most inconvenient time.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. Miami Heat (32-30, Last Week’s Ranking: 13)

The Heat won three games against weaker teams this week but fell to the Hawks without Trae Young in a game that could determine the Eastern Conference playoff picture. This week, Kendrick Nunn led the team in scoring, averaging 20.5 points on 47 percent 3-point shooting, while Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler continued to make consistent contributions.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

14. Washington Wizards (27-34, Last Week’s Ranking: 22)

The Wizards have enchanted the NBA, winning four more games this week to extend their winning streak to eight games, and 11 games in a row with Bradley Beal in the lineup. The offense is obviously clicking, but the defense has been impressive for a team that came close to setting an NBA record for a horrendous defensive effort last season. They allowed just 104.3 points per 100 possessions this week, and if Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook can keep this up heading into the Play-In Tournament…watch out.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

15. Los Angeles Lakers (36-25, Last Week’s Ranking: 6)

The defending champions drop even lower in this week’s rankings, and even with Anthony Davis returning to the lineup this past week, the rust on him is inconspicuous.

In his first two games back, the big man scored 10.5 points in 22.5 minutes, and he was understandably rusty. With Davis easing back into the lineup and LeBron James still out, Dennis Schroder has continued to be the offensive driver, carrying the load as Frank Vogel’s No. 1 scoring option, averaging 18.7 points and 9.7 assists on 43 percent 3-point shooting in three games this week.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

16. San Antonio Spurs (31-29, Last Week’s Ranking: 18)

The Spurs have had an ease-filled 3-1 week after a difficult schedule following the All-Star break. DeMar DeRozan’s late jumpers gave the Spurs a crucial victory over the Pelicans on Saturday and Washington on Monday, giving them some breathing space in the battle for a Western Conference play-in spot. In three games this week, DeRozan averaged 21.7 points and six assists, while Derrick White averaged 21.5 points on 40 percent 3-point shooting.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

17. Memphis Grizzlies (31-29, Last Week’s Ranking: 15)

Following a heartbreaking overtime defeat to the Nuggets on Monday, the Grizzlies lost to the Clippers before winning back-to-back games over the Blazers to tie them in losses. Jaren Jackson Jr. made his much-anticipated return to the court, which some feared would have to wait until next season. The franchise big man and former top-3 selection showed Grizzlies fans what they’d been missing since last August, as the Michigan State product averaged 19 points and 2.5 blocks in 21 minutes in two games this past week.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

18. Charlotte Hornets (30-30, Last Week’s Ranking: 17)

Charlotte drops a spot in the rankings after losing six of its previous seven games, but they ended the week on a high note, defeating both the Cavaliers and Celtics. In a balanced offensive effort against Boston, four Hornets scored 20 points or more as Miles Bridges, PJ Washington, and Terry Rozier all averaged over 18 points per game last week. They continue to hold down the fort in anticipation of Gordon Hayward and LaMelo Ball’s return.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

19. Portland Trail Blazers (32-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 9)

Portland had a difficult week, losing three games by a combined four points before losing to the Grizzlies on Sunday, extending their losing streak to five games. It’s been a difficult run for the Blazers, who are now tied for eighth place in the West with the No. 8 Grizzlies in terms of losses and are just a game and a half ahead of the No. 10 Warriors. Also, the battery in the proverbial Dame Time watch might be out of juice, considering the Weber State product shot under30 percent from 3-point range in three games this week after returning from a hamstring injury. Upon returning from his own injury, Jusuf Nurkic has continued to play well, putting up 16.7 points, 14.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in three games.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

20. Indiana Pacers (29-31, Last Week’s Ranking: 19)

The Pacers have won three straight games despite having no healthy centers on the roster. Oshae Brissett, who recently signed a long-term contract with Indiana, took advantage of the extra chance this week, scoring 15 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 41 percent from 3-point range. The offensive attack was led by Malcolm Brogdon (24.3 points per game) and Caris LeVert (22.3), with Edmond Sumner scoring 15 points per game off 54 percent shooting from deep.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

21. New Orleans Pelicans (27-34, Last Week’s Ranking: 20)

This week, the Pelicans lost to the Spurs and the Nets, with their only win coming against the Magic, making a play-in place look increasingly unlikely. This week, Zion Williamson was a beast (because of course, he was), averaging nearly 30 points and 9.3 rebounds on 67 percent shooting, while Brandon Ingram added 26.7 points and 5.7 assists.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

22. Toronto Raptors (26-35, Last Week’s Ranking: 21)

The Raptors only played two games this week, beating the Nets with a full roster for the first time before falling to the Knicks. In the two games, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Fred VanVleet each scored 22 points and went 27 for 34 from 3-point range. Kyle Lowry returned to the lineup after missing Toronto’s previous ten games, averaging nine points, seven assists, and seven rebounds per game this past week.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

23. Chicago Bulls (26-35, Last Week’s Ranking: 23)

The Bulls began the week with a major road win over the Celtics, led by Nikola Vucevic’s 29 points and nine rebounds, and later beat the Hornets after losses to the Cavs and Heat. With Zach LaVine out of the lineup, the Bulls have won three of their last five games, which is a step in the right direction.

Additionally, Coby White is finding his bearings about himself during a Sophmore Slump of a second year for the UNC product. White averaged 20.5 points and 5.3 assists on 43 percent 3-point shooting for the week – a noteworthy and commendable improvement.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

24. Sacramento Kings (25-36, Last Week’s Ranking: 24)

The Kings split with the Wolves before falling to the Warriors on Sunday, and they learned that De’Aaron Fox would be out for at least 10 days due to health and safety regulations. His absence would likely put an end to the Kings’ slim playoff hopes, but it will give Tyrese Haliburton more offensive confidence, as he averaged 15.7 points and 7.7 assists on 42 percent shooting from downtown last week.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

25. Cleveland Cavaliers (21-40, Last Week’s Ranking: 25)

With a win over the Bulls and defeats to the Pistons, Hornets, and the Wizards, the Cavs went 1-3 this week. Before sitting out Sunday’s loss to Washington, Collin Sexton averaged 28.7 points on 50 percent 3-point shooting in three games, while Darius Garland averaged 25.8 points and 6.3 assists on 48 percent 3-point shooting. Jarrett Allen also surpassed his previous high of 27 points and snatched 12 rebounds in a contest against the Wizards.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

26. Oklahoma City Thunder (20-41, Last Week’s Ranking: 26)

Three more games, three more defeats for OKC, which has now lost 13 in a row with no sign of stopping the tank. Fans must keep reminding themselves that this is the right course of action for the future, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to watch. Darius Bazley has stepped up his game this week, scoring 24 points per game despite his low productivity.

LuGuentz Dort scored 18 points in the only game he was allowed to suit up for this week while rising rookie Theo Maledon averaged 14.3 points on 53 percent 3-point shooting in three games.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

27. Minnesota Timberwolves (18-44, Last Week’s Ranking: 29)

The Wolves had somewhat of a successful week, splitting two games with the Kings before claiming a convincing victory in Utah on Saturday. With Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell in the lineup, Minnesota now has a winning record, something to build on for next season now that they’ve been formally eliminated from this year’s playoffs. Towns, Russell, and Anthony Edwards all scored at least 22 points per game and shot a combined 38 percent from three-point range this week.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

28. Detroit Pistons (19-43, Last Week’s Ranking: 28)

The Mavs, Spurs, and Pacers were Detroit’s only victories this week, and they were followed by defeats to the Mavs, Spurs, and Pacers. The Pistons have been resting a large portion of their roster almost every other game, so there will be plenty of opportunities as the season finishes up. Despite playing in just two games this week, Jerami Grant averaged 25.5 points on 45 percent shooting.

Isiah Stewart seems like a piece to keep around, as the rookie has impressed Dwayne Casey and the rest of the coaching staff once he steps onto the court and Mason Plumlee rests, averaging 13 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in two starts this week.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

29. Orlando Magic (18-43, Last Week’s Ranking: 27)

The Magic were blown out by the Hawks, Pelicans, and Pacers this past week, and at one point where it looked like their five-game losing streak was going to end in upset fashion entering the fourth quarter with a slim lead over the defending champion Lakers, they succumbed to the league’s 21st most-efficient offense, extending their losing streak to six games and 10 in a row.

Not all was sour this week, however, as six Orlando players averaged double figures in scoring, with Cole Anthony leading the way with 15 points per game. It’ll only be a matter of time before the Magic are knocked out of the playoffs and can start planning for next season.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

30. Houston Rockets (15-46, Last Week’s Ranking: 30)

Houston had a tough week of games and, predictably, lost all four, effectively eliminating the team from playoff contention. For most of the season, the Rockets have used a MASH machine to garner different makeshift starting fives throughout the year, and with John Wall recently sidelined for the rest of the season, it seems just a matter of time until other players like Christian Wood are also benched for the season.

Photo Cred: Fox Sports 1430

The race for the highest positional placing is tightening up in the Eastern Conference, and as the games between the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets are under a tight microscope, it’s growing likelier by the day that the Sixers will finish with the best record in the East. Brooklyn is mulling their options on whether to give that extra push and fight for the No. 1 spot in the East with home-court advantage through the playoffs to boot or resting their most integral championship-winning parts in the waning weeks of the last full month of the regular season, but below the two, Milwaukee, Boston, Atlanta, and New York have relatively kept their distance amidst the current standings but are inching closer as the season winds down.

That being said, the same could transpire for the West-leading Utah Jazz, who are going through their own myriad of injuries. Donovan Mitchell will have to miss a few games due to an injured right ankle and without him so far, the Jazz lost to the Lakers in a thriller where they just went flat in extra time, scoring a mere five points in a 127-115 road loss. They currently hold a 2.5 game lead over the Phoenix Suns but are eeking by as winners of six of their last 10.

Another thing to watch: at season’s beginning, the Wizards were an afterthought, always appearing as an inefficient, talent-anemic team with its reigns carried by both an initially struggling Russell Westbrook and offensive aficionado Bradley Beal. Not so much now. Washington has won four straight games and if the season were to end today, would be smack dab into the mix as a participant in the play-in tournament — thanks to Russell Westbrook returning to his old triple-double-acquiring form.

The final four weeks of the season are upon us, so let’s get to this week’s Power Rankings and see where all 30 teams lie.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Philadelphia 76ers (39-18, Last Week’s Ranking: 2)

Philly got some insurance on their lead over Brooklyn in the Easter standings this past week per their downplay and outside circumstances leaning toward their benefit, and over the past seven days, they’ve moved an entire three games ahead of the Nets with only 16 games left on the schedule.

The Sixers have looked, at more times than not, the NBA’s most efficient offensive and defensive team, due to their ample spacing, an MVP candidate in Joel Embiid scoring on whoever, Ben Simmons playing as the clear Defensive Player of the Year favorite, and as a team, have possessed the league’s best net rating from April 10-18. But they’re not exactly out of the woods just yet.

Two duels in a series with the Milwaukee Bucks will be their litmus test of just how dominant they can be before the season ends, and especially so considering they’ll have to outlast either Milwaukee or Brooklyn to advance to the Finals this year.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Utah Jazz (43-15, Last Week’s Ranking: 1)

Utah went 1-1 on the short week, but more importantly, they’ll be tasked with finding a contingency plan to deal with the temporary loss of Donovan Mitchell, who sprained his right ankle after going for a loose ball against the Indiana Pacers. They haven’t had difficulty in adjusting without him, since the Jazz are 3-1 in games without him this year.

Their only loss? Though some heroics by Jordan Clarkson by way of a spot-up three-ball with mere seconds on the clock sent Saturday’s tightly-contested game to overtime, the Lakers kept the perimeter-swinging Jazz to only five points in OT and gave Utah their 12th road loss on the year. That game was a back-to-back and not quite exactly a game the Jazz were sweating since they rested both Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert, but their grip on the West’s best record is slipping a bit heading into their final 16 games.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Phoenix Suns (41-16, Last Week’s Ranking: 3)

Though it ended abruptly against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night, Phoenix’s 10-game winning streak was one to marvel. At one point during their streak, they stood at arm’s length and at the cusp of touching the top-seeded Jazz to claim the No. 1 seed in the West.

Chris Paul should likely land some MVP votes for how he has revitalized this franchise, dare stated, overnight, as the Jazz are primed to make the postseason with home-court advantage for the first time in 11 years. Paul also passed Maurice “Mo” Cheeks on the all-time steals list, further adding to his legacy as one of the best guards in the history of the game on both ends of the court.  Another thing to mention: CP3 passed Magic Johnson on the all-time assists list last night against the Bucks in a 128-127 barnburner.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Brooklyn Nets (38-19, Last Week’s Ranking: 4)

The Nets are undergoing a bit of turbulence, which explains why they’ve fallen out of the top 3 in the Power Rankings for the first time in months. Let’s go down the list. First, they were quite undermanned and while they played until the final whistle, they couldn’t beat a fully healthy 76ers team in a marquee primetime showdown as the Sixers regained control of the East.

After that, James Harden would express further discomfort due to a hamstring strain and Kyrie Irving would miss a game due to a “personal issue” before returning to play against Philly one game later. Then, LaMarcus Aldridge, unknowingly, retires out of the blue due to an irregular heartbeat.

Finally, when it seemed like this black cloud flying over the heads of the Nets was finally passing, in came the thunder and lightning.

Kevin Durant scored eight points in nine minutes before leaving Sunday’s contest with a left quad contusion after it inadvertently made contact with Trevor Ariza’s knee on a routine drive to the hoop. The Nets then lost to the Miami Heat (who lost 3 of their last four games prior to Sunday’s contest) via a Bam Adebayo fadeaway jumper from 10 feet away from the rim.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Los Angeles Clippers (40-19, Last Week’s Ranking: 6)

A seven-game winning streak came to an end this past Friday night, though it wasn’t quite a loss that the Clippers would be mulling over since star Forward Kawhi Leonard didn’t play. A fiery second-half comeback effort by the Clippers, led by Paul George’s 39 points on 14-29 shooting with four threes, came up short during their loss to the Sixers but quickly did these Clips ever rebound. Health is wealth to Tyronn Lue’s team, and the more rested they will be, the more optimal they’ll perform in the postseason.

That has to be the most emphasized point heading into the last four weeks of the season, and to see just how well they play when they’re at full strength, take a gander at what they did last night to the Timberwolves during their 124-105 home win where George scored a game-high 23 points off an efficient 9-of-17 shooting and four threes made in nine attempts. In his return, Kawhi Leonard scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds off 55 percent shooting.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Los Angeles Lakers (35-23, Last Week’s Ranking: 7)

The Lakers rise a spot in this week’s rankings, thanks to a rather productive week that saw the defending champions go a pedestrian-but-acceptable 2-2 on the week. It was capped off with an upset over the top-seeded Jazz in a battle that expanded to overtime, but in that same week that they beat the Hornets and Jazz, they lost in embarrassing fashion to the Knicks and Celtics by an average of 11.5 points.

But still, Lakers fans should have their heads kept up high; Anthony Davis is making his return to the court in a matter of a few days, as his Achilles Tendinosis is all but healed up. The Lakers are already the NBA’s leader in defensive efficiency (105.8) and are still second in the league when it comes to opponent points scored per game (106.1 points allowed per 100 possessions). LeBron James’ return is also imminent, so the Lakers are likely content with finishing in the top-5 of the conference and running the table until they meet up with either the Jazz, Clippers, or Suns at some point in the playoffs.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Milwaukee Bucks (35-22, Last Week’s Ranking: 5)

When it’s mentioned that the Eastern Conference is an impending dogfight just waiting to go down in the season’s last four weeks, that sentiment should not be taken lightly. Milwaukee is having one of those under-the-radar seasons where they’re in a position to knock off one of the top two seeds in their conference, but at the same time, look susceptible to succumbing to a lower seed in an early round of the postseason.

This is a big week coming up for the Bucks, who have won six out of their last 10 games and sit four games behind the first-place Sixers and two in the loss column behind the Nets. Consider this stretch of games their biggest of the season, for they’ll go against the 76ers in two games and battle the Hawks next, following their OT loss to the Suns. They have the potential to shake things up in the East down the stretch, and if this week goes according to plan for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, we’ll get a glimpse of just how good this team is and how serious their chances of coming out of the East as championship contenders are.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Denver Nuggets (37-20, Last Week’s Ranking: 10)

What a horrible week to be a Nuggets fan, and that’s putting it lightly.

As said last week, Denver saw whatever chance they had of having an extensive playoff run evaporated into thin air last week, as Jamal Murray tore his ACL on a typical hop-step into the lane, and awkwardly planted his left knee into the hardwood against the Golden State Warriors inside the Chase Center in San Francisco, California during what was a comeback attempt down six points with only but a few minutes to go.

The devastating blow to the Nuggets’ backcourt will be annoyingly and inconspicuously felt throughout the rest of the regular season and the postseason, for the Kentucky product is capable of dropping 40-50 points on a nightly basis as the team’s purest isolation creator at all three levels. And while Nikola Jokic is playing like the easy choice for the MVP award this year and Aaron Gordon fulfilling the role of being the 3-and-D wing stopper and lengthy floor stretcher on the other end, it’s really hard to produce in the playoffs without your main bucket getter who can break anyone down off the dribble when spacing is non-existent.

Mike Malone has no other choice but to throw Michael Porter Jr. into the role of that No. 2 guy slot and will have to run the offense through the second-year player out of Missouri as their primary shot creator.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Portland Trail Blazers (32-24, Last Week’s Ranking: 8)

Though previously hypothesized that the Blazers would’ve done better with all of their pieces fully healthy, the outcome of that experiment is anything but what was predicted. They’ve lost six of their last nine, and are only two games ahead of the Dallas Mavericks for the seventh seed after an ugly 1-3 week that saw them lose to the likes of the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, and Charlotte Hornets, in which they lost to on the road without Damian Lillard, who missed Sunday’s contest with a hamstring strain.

They’re likely looking at the play-in tournament spot for a second-straight year at this point, and certain questions arise on how the Blazers haven’t been performing to optimal standards: are opposing defenses finally catching up on how to stop Damian Lillard? Has his career-high usage (now at 31.9, previous highest usage was in 2016-17 at 31.5) finally caught up to him? They’ll have to adjust quickly if they’re to have a chance at making a deep playoff run like how they did in 2018 and last season in the bubble.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. Boston Celtics (31-27, Last Week’s Ranking: 15)

It’s been a long season of twists and turns, bumps and bruises, valleys and mountains, but finally, the Celtics can say that they’re playing the best ball of their season as winners of six straight.

They are a whopping 7-1 in the month of April and led by the wonderous offensive efforts of both Jayson Tatum (34.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists off 55 percent shooting, and 50 percent shooting from deep with a 91 FT percentage in his past five games) and Jaylen Brown (28.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists off 56.7 percent shooting and 41.5 percent shooting from deep with a 71.4 FT percentage in the past five games) who have led the cavalry, it’s the resurgence of Kemba Walker that is the most salient topic.

Walker has averaged a little over 18 points and 6.4 assists with 6 rebounds in the same time span, a big step forward from his abysmal first three months of 2021 where he averaged an inefficient 17.6 points per game and was more of an offensive liability than an additional asset. The return of Marcus Smart has also done wonders for this Celtics team that needed leadership and a stern, galvanizing figure to set the tone defensively.

With a fourth-place finish in a stalemate of an Eastern Conference picture looking the Celtics dead in the face, their schedule is not the easiest, to put it lightly. After Monday night’s contest against the Zach LaVine-less Bulls which resulted in a loss, the Celtics will then have to compete in some back-to-backs against the Suns and Nets, while finishing their week against the Hornets.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

11. Dallas Mavericks (30-26, Last Week’s Ranking: 9)

In a week that saw the Mavericks survive against the Memphis Grizzlies with one of the more skilled and “lucky” game-winners you’ll ever see from the likes of Luka Doncic, the underlying issues plaguing this team that’s likely primed to be a play-in tournament team are starting to come forward at the most inopportune time. In blowing an opportunity to move up the rankings with a struggling 2-5 slump by the Trail Blazers, a 1-3 week done by these Mavericks didn’t help matters at all. Losses to the Sixers, Knicks, and surprisingly, the Kings, has Dallas in the seventh seed at the moment.

And while Luka Doncic has averaged 30 points, 9 assists, and 6.3 rebounds in the Mavericks’ last four games, Kristaps Porzingis has not shown up the way Rick Carlisle has wanted him to do so. He’s still posting a horrible 110 defensive rating and is only a 47.3/35.9/85 scorer, which is, okay, but not to what the Mavericks are expecting of their second-best player.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. Atlanta Hawks (31-26, Last Week’s Ranking: 12)

Atlanta is in a dead-heat for the fourth seed with the likes of the Celtics and Knicks going into the final four weeks of the season, and while they’ve been productive thanks in part to a stretch of five games where they’ve gone 4-1, it hasn’t just been the Trae Young show.

While the former 3rd overall pick and Oklahoma standout guard has done everything and more to keep the Hawks within reach of the postseason for the first time since 2016, it’s been the return of Bogdan Bogdanovic and the All-NBA resume of Clint Capela built up this season. On Sunday, Capela posted 25 points and grabbed 24 rebounds against All-Star Domantas Sabonis and the Indiana Pacers, and after returning from injury, Bogdanovic has averaged 20.5 points (second behind Trae’s 25.4 points per game), 4.2 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting a little over 50.3 percent from the field and a startling 49.5 percent from deep on 8.1 attempts per game.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. Miami Heat (30-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 11)

When things started raining for the Heat, it started pouring. Up until the end of this week, however. They lost three straight, including an embarrassing loss to the Timberwolves. But the heroics of Bam Adebayo saved the day against Kyrie Irving’s Brooklyn Nets, as he gave Miami their 29th win of the year and kept them within reach of the fifth seed with a buzzer-beater of a 10-foot fadeaway jumper. Six of their next seven games are against teams with sub-.500 records, and with Adebayo continuously finding his confidence offensively, now averaging 19.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists over his last three games, Miami is certainly not off the radar just yet.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

14. New York Knicks (31-27, Last Week’s Ranking: 14)

What difficult schedule? These Knicks keep on winning during the Tom Thibodeau era, now winners of six straight and winners of seven of their last 10. And they aren’t just beating rinky-dink sub-.500 teams here; the Raptors, Lakers, Mavericks, and Pelicans were all put on the mantle inside the cabin of ol’ Thibs, who has given this Knicks franchise a new sense of identity as the league’s No. 1 defense who will make it known that any opponent will have to work to get their offense going.

The goal isn’t the play-in tournament any longer now — these Knickerbockers are legit and have the best chance they could hope for at this point in the season as a potential team that could finish with a top-6 record in the vaunted Eastern Conference, hanging with the likes of the Celtics, Bucks, Nets, and Sixers.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

15. Memphis Grizzlies (29-27, Last Week’s Ranking: 17)

Grayson Allen has found his place here in the NBA. Last week, the Duke standout averaged 18.5 points off 53.3 percent from the field as a veteran swingman off the bench and knocked down 20 threes out of 37 attempts in the Grizzlies’ 3-1 week. Still, this is a win-loss, results-driven league, and so he was subject to slander from both Grizz media and fans for bricking consecutive free throws with 2.2 seconds left on the clock, which was enough time to give the Grizzlies a buzzer-beating loss to Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks last Wednesday night.

You can’t hang your head with losses like that and they will have to put that mishap in the back of their minds, and quite frankly they have no other option for they’ll have a rough stretch of games up next against the Clippers with two games against the Trail Blazers, for their contest against the Nuggets ended in an undesirable way as they allowed Nikola Jokic to score 47 points and rack up 15 rebounds with eight assists to boot during a 139-137 OT loss.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

16. Golden State Warriors (29-29, Last Week’s Ranking: 18)

We have to say it again…

Look at Curry man, so inspirational.

The two-time MVP is playing some of the best ball of his 12-year career, and quite honestly, is emulating Kobe Bryant during his legendary 2006 season where it’s commonplace for him to score 40+ points with 10+ threes on a nightly basis. He did so last week and through Monday night, breaking Kobe’s record of 10-straight 30-point games by a player 33 or older. And in his last 10 games, Curry has averaged an astounding 40.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in his last 10 games.

Kicking off the week with a 53-point explosion against the Nuggets, the Warriors survived a comeback attempt from Denver and a night after that, he dropped 42 against the lowly Thunder with 11 threes to help. Then, a 33-point performance against Cleveland followed that. To finish off the week, Curry went off on Saturday primetime, scoring 47 points and knocking down 11 threes in a loss to the Celtics.

Then on Monday night, Curry kept his streak going with an even-better 49-point showcase against top-seeded Philadelphia with 10 threes. The slew of six games in which Golden State went 5-1 in helped them find a silver lining in the wake of rookie center James Wiseman’s season-ending knee surgery.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

17. Charlotte Hornets (28-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 16)

Sunday’s win over the Damian Lillard-less Trail Blazers ended a free-fall of a four-game losing skid for the Hornets, and at the moment they are well in the fight of contending for the play-in tournament with a two-game winning streak. And while they’ve felt the blow of injuries piling up and hindering their chances of competing at full strength, they could possibly look forward to the next 7-10 games in which LaMelo Ball could come back and rejoin the team, since he’s 100 percent healthy and cleared to return to basketball activities. Terry Rozier has fared well as the primary shot creator with an increased role in the wake of Ball’s absence and Miles Bridges continues to show his upward development, now averaging a little over 24 points in his last four games.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

18. San Antonio Spurs (28-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 13)

San Antonio beat the Suns 111-85 after resting DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills, and Jakob Poeltl, a decision that earned the team a $25,000 fine from the NBA for breaching the league’s player resting policy. San Antonio was a 12-point underdog going into the game against Phoenix but won by 26 points.

And then, they followed that with a 15-point win over the Pacers on Monday night, where Derrick White led all Spurs scorers with 25 points. While 4-6 in their last 10 games, they are smack dab in the middle of the play-in tournament picture as the 10th seed.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

19. Indiana Pacers (26-31, Last Week’s Ranking: 19)

It’s not uncommon to see significant discrepancies in a team’s record at home and on the road, but teams usually do much better in their own house. The Pacers aren’t your regular team this season. Indiana has a 9-17 home record, making it the only Eastern Conference team without a ten-win season, yet.

The Pacers, on the other hand, have 17 road victories, which makes them tied with Milwaukee and Philadelphia for the most in the East. They lost to San Antonio on Monday night, pushing them to ninth in the East but still within the middle of the pack for the play-in tournament.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

20. New Orleans Pelicans (25-32, Last Week’s Ranking: 20)

On Sunday, the Pelicans had a six-point lead with 1:48 remaining against the Knicks but lost in overtime, thanks in part to two poor plays on their behalf in the Knicks’ final play in regulation. It was the sixth time in Pelicans history that the team led by six points with less than two minutes remaining and failed to win.  It’s also the Pelicans’ second such occurrence this season, since it happened on January 4 against the Pacers.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

21.Toronto Raptors (24-34, Last Week’s Ranking: 23)

The resilient Raptors aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Despite all of the team’s misfortunes in recent weeks, Toronto is back in the Eastern Conference’s final play-in tournament spot after winning three straight games last week. The Raptors’ schedule doesn’t get any easier as the season progresses, but if they want to finish 10th, they should be able to fend off Chicago and Washington.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

22. Washington Wizards (24-33, Last Week’s Ranking: 25)

Don’t look now, but the Wizards’ roller-coaster season is finally starting to turn around. And it came just in time. The Wizards have won four straight games and six of their last seven, thanks to Russell Westbrook’s triple-double revival. In April, Westbrook has recorded a triple-double in 11 of his last 13 games, averaging 22.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 11.6 assists. Bradley Beal is gaining a lot of traction, scoring 30 or more in the past four contests.

Bradley Beal is gaining a lot of traction, scoring 30 or more in the past four contests. And more importantly, they’re tied with Chicago in the standings and are one game behind Toronto in the win column, making the play-in tournament a real possibility.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

23. Chicago Bulls (24-33, Last Week’s Ranking: 21)

The Bulls defeated the Cavs on Saturday to end a five-game losing streak, but it didn’t take away the sting of losing All-Star swingman Zach LaVine for an undetermined period of time due to COVID-19 protocols. LaVine’s absence highlights how far this team has fallen since acquiring Nikola Vucevic just before the trade deadline. Since making the switch, the Bulls have gone 5-9, thanks in part to an upset over the Celtis on Monday night. Also, Lauri Markkanen is averaging just 8.4 points and 4.2 assists over 10 April games.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

24. Sacramento Kings (23-34, Last Week’s Ranking: 22)

The Kings showed some signs of life on the road on Sunday, defeating the Mavericks 121-107 in a game Sacramento never trailed in. Despite the fact that Luka Doncic outscored De’Aaron Fox 37 to 30, Fox had 12 assists and zero turnovers to Doncic’s 4-4 assist-to-turnover ratio. Still, this season is all but lost considering that the Kings are 1-9 in their last 10 games.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

25. Cleveland Cavaliers (20-37, Last Week’s Ranking: 26)

This week’s matchup between the Cavaliers and Warriors was a bittersweet reminder of how much has changed since their annual NBA Finals showdown. Though Stephen Curry (33 points) and Draymond Green (10 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks) came close to matching their previous performances, Kevin Love was Cleveland’s only relic, scoring five points on 2-for-10 shooting with six rebounds.

Speaking of a blast from the past, Matthew Dellavedova (3 assists) harkened back to that golden-but-not-so-distant age from back to 2015-2018.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

26. Oklahoma City Thunder (20-38, Last Week’s Ranking: 24)

The Thunder have lost 11 games in a row, their longest losing streak since their inaugural season in OKC in 2008 when they lost 14 games in a row (which, if you remember, resulted in head coach PJ Carlesimo being replaced by a young, bushy-haired Scott Brooks). It has reduced them to the league’s fifth-worst record, only a few games behind/ahead of the Magic for the fourth-worst.

But, as has been the case throughout the season, even in the midst of a slump, positive things are happening in OKC. Luguentz Dort set a career-high with 42 points against the Jazz, then added 26 against Detroit and 29 against Toronto.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

27. Orlando Magic (18-39, Last Week’s Ranking: 27)

During Wednesday’s victory, Wendell Carter Jr. avenged himself against the Bulls, who traded him last month as part of a package for Nikola Vucevic. Carter had 19 points and 12 rebounds in his first game in Orlando against Chicago, and he has continued to impress as this season winds down.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

28. Detroit Pistons (18-40, Last Week’s Ranking: 28)

Last week, the Pistons faced the Thunder and won, despite the absence of Jerami Grant, thanks to some outstanding performances. Josh Jackson, a former lottery pick, scored 29 points, and rookies Isaiah Stewart (15 points, 21 rebounds) and Saddiq Bey (18 points) contributed significantly. Additionally, Bey, the Villanova standout, led the Pistons in scoring during their home win over Cleveland with 20 points off 6-12 shooting.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

29. Minnesota Timberwolves (15-43, Last Week’s Ranking: 30)

Although the optimistic energy that accompanied D’Angelo Russell’s return has faded, the Wolves’ success under Chris Finch must be commended. They’ve played at a faster tempo, with more discipline, and with more structure. And, perhaps most importantly, Karl-Anthony Towns’ position is changing, with him being featured in space and as a creator atop the key, similar to how the Nuggets use Nikola Jokic.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

30. Houston Rockets (15-43, Last Week’s Ranking: 29)

Jae’Sean Tate, a 25-year-old undrafted forward who started his professional career in Australia, has been a bright spot for the Rockets during their difficult season, emerging as an All-Rookie nominee. Tate, along with Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball, has averaged 11.1 points, 5.4 assists, and one steal per game.

Photo cred: Fox Sports 1430.