NBA Power Rankings: New team takes over No. 1
1. San Antonio Spurs (46-16; last week's ranking: 5): The Spurs jump back to No. 1 with six straight wins and nine in their past 10 games. San Antonio also now owns the NBA's top record.
2. Houston Rockets (44-19; last week's ranking: 4): Houston has won five straight games with a big test at Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Houston is only two games behind the Thunder.
3. Los Angeles Clippers (44-20; last week's ranking: 6): The Clippers have won a season-high seven straight games. Los Angeles has scored more than 100 points in 20 straight games.
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (46-17; last week's ranking: 3): The Thunder fell to second in the West with their surprising loss to the Lakers on Sunday. Oklahoma City has split its past 10 games.
5. Indiana Pacers (46-17; last week's ranking: 1): Indiana has lost a season-high four straight. Help is on the way: The Pacers face Boston, Philadelphia (twice), Detroit and New York next.
6. Miami Heat (43-17; last week's ranking: 2): The Heat have lost three straight games and are 10-9 on the road against the East. Next up are the Wizards, who won their last meeting on Jan. 15.
7. Golden State Warriors (40-24; last week's ranking: 8): All-Star guard Stephen Curry has been dealing with a right quad injury. Steve Blake has provided quality help.
8. Portland Trail Blazers (42-21; last week's ranking: 7): Portland, losers of two straight games, continues its road trip at Memphis, San Antonio and New Orleans. Depending on how the trip goes, the Blazers could slip more.
9. Dallas Mavericks (38-26; last week's ranking: 10): Dallas has a tough road trip ahead at Golden State, Utah and Oklahoma City. The Mavericks are just 7-11 on the road versus West teams.
10. Memphis Grizzlies (36-26; last week's ranking: 11): The Grizzlies have won seven of their past 10 and are tied with the Suns for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.
11. Phoenix Suns (36-26; last week's ranking: 9): Eric Bledsoe (knee) is expected back Wednesday, Leandro Barbosa, who is recovering from a hand injury, doesn't expect to return until the playoffs, Barbosa told Yahoo Sports.
12. Toronto Raptors (35-26; last week's ranking: 12): The Raptors have won three straight games and nine of their past 11 overall to move up to third in the lackluster East playoff race.
13. Chicago Bulls (35-28; last week's ranking: 13): Joakim Noah's play should put him in consideration for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award – and possibly even first-team All-NBA center.
14. Washington Wizards (33-29; last week's ranking: 14): Washington plays at Miami on Monday, hosts Charlotte on Wednesday and then goes back to Florida to play Orlando on Friday. Not the easiest travel schedule.
15. Minnesota Timberwolves (31-31; last week's ranking: 15): Minnesota's already bleak playoff hopes in the West became dimmer after it dropped the first two games of a four-game homestand.
16. Brooklyn Nets (31-30; last week's ranking: 16): The Nets are winners of seven straight home games and seven of their past 10 games overall. They have a tough slate ahead with Toronto, Miami, Washington and Phoenix.
17. New Orleans Pelicans (26-37; last week's ranking: 18): All-Star Anthony Davis has surpassed 20 points and 10 rebounds in 22 games this season. He has 30 double-doubles.
18. Charlotte Bobcats (29-34; last week's ranking: 17): The Bobcats will likely make the playoffs. None of the struggling East teams underneath them are putting up a fight.
19. Atlanta Hawks (26-35; last week's ranking: 19): Kyle Korver told Yahoo Sports he heard "a rumor" that a coach offered money to his team if they stopped his 3-point streak, which recently ended at a record 127 games.
20. Denver Nuggets (27-35; last week's ranking: 22): The Nuggets play their next four games on the road in the East. Denver is 5-6 in away games versus East teams.
21. Sacramento Kings (22-41; last week's ranking: 23): D-League Reno assignee Royce White is averaging 5.5 points on 30.8 percent shooting from the field and 4.5 rebounds in two games.
22. Utah Jazz (22-41; last week's ranking: 24): First-year Hawks forward Paul Millsap returns to Utah on Monday. The All-Star played his first seven seasons with Utah before signing with Atlanta.
23. Los Angeles Lakers (22-42; last week's ranking: 27): Newcomer Kent Bazemore has scored in double figures in all but one of his 10 games since being traded from Golden State.
24. Cleveland Cavaliers (24-40; last week's ranking: 20): The Cavaliers' hopes of making a run at the East's final playoff seed have taken a hit with four straight losses. Over their next six games, they will face the Suns, Warriors, Clippers, Heat, Thunder and Rockets.
25. Detroit Pistons (24-39; last week's ranking: 21): The Pistons have lost seven of eight and 10 of their past 12. Center Andre Drummond has played great, despite the team's horrible season.
26. Boston Celtics (22-41; last week's ranking: 25): With his 18 assists on Sunday versus Detroit, Rajon Rondo reached 4,101 for his career, passing Bill Russell for fifth-place in team history.
27. New York Knicks (24-40; last week's ranking: 26): Even if Phil Jackson becomes the Knicks' team president, will it make a difference in Carmelo Anthony's decision to re-sign?
28. Orlando Magic (19-45; last week's ranking: 28): Orlando has the NBA's worst record on the road. The Bucks own the NBA's worst at home. Something has to give when the Magic face Milwaukee on Monday.
29. Philadelphia 76ers (15-47, last week's ranking: 29): Rookie center Nerlens Noel (knee) tweeted out "4-4-14," sparking speculation the Malden, Mass., native will debut that day at Boston.
30. Milwaukee Bucks (12-50; last week's ranking: 30): The Bucks-Magic game on Monday is also a matchup for two teams vying for top draft lottery odds. Philadelphia is in the mix, too.