Advertisement

NBA Power Rankings: Don't look now, but here come the Clippers

NBA Power Rankings: Don't look now, but here come the Clippers

1. San Antonio Spurs (50-16; last week's ranking: 1): In addition to winning 10 straight games overall, San Antonio has won five straight on the road. The Spurs visit the Lakers on Wednesday.


Los Angeles
Los Angeles

2. Los Angeles Clippers (47-20; last week's ranking: 3): The Clippers have won 11 straight and are suddenly making a run at one of the West's top two playoff seeds.


Indiana
Indiana

3. Indiana Pacers (49-17; last week's ranking: 5): Indiana has won three straight games after its recent skid. Andrew Bynum is averaging 11.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in his first two games.


Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City

4. Oklahoma City Thunder (48-18; last week's ranking: 4): Kevin Durant is now 14 games shy of tying Michael Jordan's streak of 40 straight games with at least 25 points set during the 1986-87 season.


Houston
Houston

5. Houston Rockets (44-22; last week's ranking: 2): The Rockets are in the midst of a three-game losing streak, which quickly cooled their threat of advancing to one of West's top two spots.


Golden State
Golden State

6. Golden State Warriors (42-26; last week's ranking: 7): The Warriors have won a franchise-record 15 road games of their past 21. Golden State plays its next five games at home.


Miami
Miami

7. Miami Heat (45-19; last week's ranking: 6): Miami started Greg Oden at center in Sunday's win over Houston. It was his 100th career game after being drafted No. 1 overall in 2007.


Portland
Portland

8. Portland Trail Blazers (43-24; last week's ranking: 8): The Blazers desperately need LaMarcus Aldridge back. The All-Star has missed the past two games with a lower back contusion.


Dallas
Dallas

9. Dallas Mavericks (40-27; last week's ranking: 9): Dallas is 7-1 in games in which Dirk Nowitzki has scored at least 30 points.


Memphis
Memphis

10. Memphis Grizzlies (39-27; last week's ranking: 10): After facing Utah on Wednesday, Memphis plays the East's elite back-to-back with games at Miami on Friday and against Indiana on Saturday.


Phoenix
Phoenix

11. Phoenix Suns (38-28; last week's ranking: 11): Don't give up on the Suns making the postseason. Phoenix has won two straight and has lots of winnable games on the schedule.


Toronto
Toronto

12. Toronto Raptors (37-28; last week's ranking: 12): Toronto is 14-13 against the West. One win in the Raptors' final three games versus the West ensures its first .500 record in 14 years.


Chicago
Chicago

13. Chicago Bulls (37-29; last week's ranking: 13): Chicago has two big games this week against the Thunder and Indiana. The Bulls are just a half-game behind the East's third-seeded Raptors.


Washington
Washington

14. Washington Wizards (35-31; last week's ranking: 14): The Wizards are expected to sign forward Drew Gooden for the rest of the season, a source told Yahoo Sports.


Minnesota
Minnesota

15. Minnesota Timberwolves (33-32; last week's ranking: 15): The T'wolves are 5½ games out of the West playoff race. If they want to make up ground, they need to do well in their next four games against Dallas, Houston, Phoenix and Memphis.


Brooklyn
Brooklyn

16. Brooklyn Nets (33-31; last week's ranking: 16): The Nets have posted a 23-10 record since the start of 2014, best in the East and fifth best overall in the NBA.


Charlotte
Charlotte

17. Charlotte Bobcats (33-34; last week's ranking: 18): The East's seventh-seed Bobcats have won four straight games and are on the heels of Washington and Brooklyn in the standings.


Atlanta
Atlanta

18. Atlanta Hawks (29-35; last week's ranking: 19): After losing 14 of the previous 15 games, Atlanta has showed fight in its hopes to land a playoff berth with three straight victories.


New Orleans
New Orleans

19. New Orleans Pelicans (27-39; last week's ranking: 17): Barring a draft-day deal for his rights, Turkey Fenerbahce Ulker's Pierre Jackson will likely play for New Orleans' summer league team.


New York
New York

20. New York Knicks (27-40; last week's ranking: 27): The Knicks will be riding a six-game winning streak when Phil Jackson is introduced as president on Tuesday.


Denver
Denver

21. Denver Nuggets (29-37; last week's ranking: 20): The injury-plagued Nuggets, who lost Danilo Gallinari for the season to injury, have used 20 different starting lineups this season.


Sacramento
Sacramento

22. Sacramento Kings (23-44; last week's ranking: 21): Royce White will be signed to a second 10-day contract and could be available to make his NBA debut on Tuesday against Washington.


Los Angeles
Los Angeles

23. Los Angeles Lakers (22-44; last week's ranking: 23): The Lakers have already been eliminated from the playoffs. They last missed the playoffs in 2005.


Utah
Utah

24. Utah Jazz (22-45; last week's ranking: 22): Utah was eliminated from the playoffs for the third time in the past four years and is currently last in the West after four straight losses.


Cleveland
Cleveland

25. Cleveland Cavaliers (26-40; last week's ranking: 24): After playing Golden State and the Clippers, Cleveland's tough stretch continues with games against Miami, Oklahoma City and Houston.


Detroit
Detroit

26. Detroit Pistons (25-41; last week's ranking: 25): Detroit is five games out of the eighth and final East playoff spot. Any reason to think the Pistons can rally?


Boston
Boston

27. Boston Celtics (22-45; last week's ranking: 26): The Celtics have dropped four straight games and six straight on the road. Boston's next eight games are against winning teams.


Orlando
Orlando

28. Orlando Magic (19-48; last week's ranking: 28): Orlando has dropped five straight games. Next up is a West road trip with two back-to-backs.


Milwaukee
Milwaukee

29. Milwaukee Bucks (13-54; last week's ranking: 30): The Bucks have dropped four straight games to maintain the NBA's worst record, but the Sixers are making a dash for the cellar.


Philadelphia
Philadelphia

30. Philadelphia 76ers (15-51, last week's ranking: 29): The Sixers have lost 20 straight games to match the 1972-73 team's franchise record. They'll likely break it with their next game against Indiana.