PBT's Week 22 NBA Power Rankings: Denver, Boston, OKC continue to lock down top spots

Not much changed in the top 10 of the NBC Sports NBA Power Rankings this week, with Denver and Boston locked into the top spots (and still looking like the Finals matchup we will see).

1. Denver Nuggets (51-21, Last Week No. 1). The Nuggets picked up wins this week in a couple of games that Jamal Murray missed (ankle) and one Nikola Jokic sat out. Denver has to balance the need for wins in the race for the top seed in the West — Oklahoma City, Minnesota and Denver are all within 1.5 games of each other — with the more important goal of being healthy when the playoffs start. As great as Denver's home-court advantage is, it's nothing if this roster isn't healthy. No matter who has played, the Nuggets have won 9-of-10 with a +10.3 net rating in that stretch. Up this week are the Suns and Timberwolves in a couple of interesting West showdowns.

2. Boston Celtics (57-15, LW 2). I put no stock in the Celtics fourth-quarter collapse against Atlanta Monday night — March basketball tends toward strange results (both in the NBA and NCAA). That quarter was a one-off for a team that had won nine straight, if you want to pick on the fact that once they got in trouble they reverted to bad isolation habits in the crunch, go ahead. I still say it's a fluke result for a team that has the best record in the NBA and is clearly the best team in the East, don't overthink a few bad minutes. Also worth noting during that nine-game win streak how bench players like Sam Hauser and and Payton Pritchard stepped up — that's a good sign for depth heading into the playoffs.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder (50-21, LW 3). Heading towards a Western Conference playoffs where matchups are going to be critical, Sunday's Thunder loss to the Bucks was a reminder of how this team struggles against size. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are a drive-and-kick team that wants to get into the paint and get the defense scrambling, and against a team that can protect the paint like Milwaukee everyone struggled. With the size of the Nuggets, Timberwolves and Lakers in the West, it's a playoff concern for OKC. The Thunder's chase for the No. 1 seed gets put to the test this week against the red-hot Rockets, then the Suns and Knicks.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves (49-22, LW 4). Minnesota has gone 6-3 without Karl-Anthony Towns in this stretch, with a +4.4 net rating in that stretch — that’s better than the Bucks’ season-long net rating. The Timberwolves defense has remained top 10 in the league over these nine games while the offense is 14th in the league. Good test Friday night against another team going to land a top-three seed in the West in Denver, but things don't get easier next Tuesday against the red-hot Rockets.

5. Milwaukee Bucks (46-26, LW 5). Milwaukee gave hope to the "this team can challenge the Celtics" crowd when it pushed Boston in a three-point loss last Wednesday without Giannis Antetokounmpo in the lineup, and then had one of their best wins of the season last weekend over the Thunder. However, Tuesday night's 2OT loss to the Lakers — when the Bucks led that game by 19 in the fourth quarter — was this team's worst loss of the season. Where does that leave the Bucks? Inconsistent, like we have seen all season, but still No. 2 in the East and maybe the biggest threat to Boston's dominance. Interesting game against the Pelicans on Thursday, then the Bucks' schedule gets soft for a stretch.

6. New Orleans Pelicans (44-28, LW 6). Whether the Pelicans can climb past the Clippers and be the No. 4 seed, or whether they slide back (maybe all the way to the play-in) will be determined in large part by their next six games — and they will have to do it without Brandon Ingram, who suffered a bone bruise in his knee and they hope to get back by the playoffs. The Pelicans fell in a tight game to the Thunder Tuesday and now host the Bucks, Celtics, Suns (the biggest game of this stretch), Magic, Spurs, then travel to the Suns again. The Pelicans need to go 3-3 in the next six to ensure a top-six seed, anything worse than that, and they open the door to trouble.

7. New York Knicks (43-28, LW 7). Mitchell Robinson is set to return on Wednesday night, the first domino in the Knicks getting healthy and becoming a serious playoff threat in the East. The center missed 50 games following ankle surgery but returns to anchor the defense and be a force on the offensive glass. That leaves everyone waiting to see when Julius Randle (shoulder) and OG Anunoby (elbow) get right and New York has has the firepower of a fully armed and operational Death Star. The Knicks are just half a game back of the Cavaliers (tied in the loss column) for the third seed, New York just needs wins. After a couple of very winnable games (Spurs, Raptors) the Knicks will be challenged by the Thunder and Heat.

8. Dallas Mavericks (43-29, LW 9). Dallas has won 9-of-10 and has climbed into the top 10, not just on the back of Luka Doncic and a comfortable and thriving Kyrie Irving, but how the big men Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II play off them. The Mavericks have a +12 net rating when Doncic and Lively are on the court together, a combination that bodes well for the playoffs (as does Dallas having the second-best defense in the league in their last 10 games). Dallas is just 1.5 games out of the No. 4 seed and hosting a first-round playoff matchup, and the team has the third easiest remaining schedule in the West — the top four is within reach.

9. Orlando Magic (42-29, LW 10). Is everyone sleeping on Orlando? This team is 12-4 since the All-Star break with the best defense in the league over that stretch and a +6.6 net rating (fifth in the league). This is a team that coach Jamahl Mosley has playing hard and executing nightly, they are 4-1 in clutch games after the All-Star Game (Mosley should get serious Coach of the Year consideration). This is a dangerous playoff team that would not roll over for the Knicks or Cavaliers in a 4/5 first-round matchup. This week the Magic host teams from the West, including the Warriors and Clippers.

10. Cleveland Cavaliers (44-28, LW 8). Donovan Mitchell remains out with both a nasal fracture and a sore knee, and the Cavaliers have a -1.3 net rating when he is off the court this season and 5-7 in the recent games he has missed (there is no timeline for his return). Those losses have the Cavaliers at risk of falling out of the No. 3 seed and into fourth (and the Celtics side of the bracket). Cleveland needs wins this week but has a schedule where they can get a few: Charlotte, shorthanded Philly, maybe not Denver but then Utah.

11. Phoenix Suns (42-30, LW 12). All season long it's been "wait until Phoenix gets its big three healthy." Well, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal have been healthy for the last eight games, and what have we gotten? A 5-3 team with a +5.3 net rating (seventh in the league), with a top-four offense but a 20th-ranked defense and a lack of depth holding them back. They've been a good but not great team. Phoenix and Sacramento are tied for the 7/8 seeds in the West, just one game back of Dallas at No. 6 (and avoiding the play-in), but the Suns have the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA and climbing out of this pit will be difficult. This week is an example of the challenge: at Denver, at OKC, at New Orleans.

12. Los Angeles Lakers (40-32, LW 14). Tuesday night's dramatic 19-point fourth quarter comeback win over the Bucks — all with LeBron James in street clothes counting out Giannis' time on the free throw line — was maybe the biggest win of the season for Los Angeles. The Lakers are 2.5 games up on the stumbling Warriors in 10th, falling back is not the concern. However, L.A. is two back of Phoenix/Sacramento for the No. 8 seed and avoiding the harder path through the play-in, they are going to need help to get there (catching Dallas at six is not going to happen). The Lakers need wins on their six-game road trip, they got one in Milwaukee and now face Memphis, Indiana, Brooklyn and Toronto — winnable games, but the Lakers need to finally be consistent. That hasn't been their strong suit this season.

13. Sacramento Kings (42-30, LW 13). Domantas Sabonis deserves the praise he got this week for passing Kevin Love on the post-merger consecutive double-double record — his consistency is a key reason Sacramento is headed back to the postseason. Sabonis deserves an All-NBA nod as well, but with the new positionless format who knows what happens. The Kings are tied for 7/8 in the West, within striking distance of sixth, but have one of the toughest remaining schedules in the league. This week that means facing Dallas, but then the stumbling Jazz and the up-and-down Clippers (that is the biggest game for Sacramento this week).

14. Indiana Pacers (41-32, LW 16). Great stat via ESPN: The Pacers are on track to become only the second team in NBA history to score at least 100 points in every game (the 1981-82 Nuggets are the other). Keeping up that scoring through Tyrese Haliburton's shooting slump is impressive. Getting in the record books would be great, but what the Pacers really want is to hold off the Heat and keep the No.6 seed in the East — Miami is 1.5 games back (one in the loss column) with an easier remaining schedule. The teams trying to hold the Pacers under 100 points this week are the Bulls, Lakers and Nets.

15. Houston Rockets (36-35, LW 17). The Rockets have won nine straight and are within striking distance of the Warriors for the final play-in spot in the West (although Golden State already owns the tiebreaker, which is an issue). Fueling the Rockets run is Jalen Green, who over his last 10 games is averaging 27.6 points a game, hitting 43% from 3, plus graving 5.8 rebounds and dishing out 3.4 assists a night — he was NBA Player of the Week last week for good reason. A huge game is coming on April 4 against the Warriors, but before that, it is a tough week with Oklahoma City, Dallas, and Minnesota.

16. Los Angeles Clippers (44-27, LW 11). Through their recent swoon, the Clippers have played with a lack of urgency, much to the frustration of Tyronn Lue. That’s why the return of Russell Westbrook this week matters. Whatever the flaws in his game at this point in his career, Westbrook brings energy and plays all-out all game — and pushes/inspires teammates to do the same. The Clippers — 3-6 in their last nine — need that as they head out on the road for a rematch against Philadelphia, Orlando, Charlotte and a big game at Sacramento.

17. Golden State Warriors (37-34, LW 18). Draymond Green isn't wrong when he says "I don't give a damn about the Rockets" — what the Warriors need to do is clean up their own house and not worry about the wolves at the door. Except that those "damn" Rockets should motivate the inconsistent Warriors (who got a quality win over the Timberwolves thanks to a hot Klay Thompson). The good news is Golden State has the easiest remaining schedule in the West, there are no excuses for falling out of the play-in. On the schedule this week is a tough one in Orlando, then at Charlotte, at San Antonio, and home to Dallas.

18. Miami Heat (39-33, LW 15). Patty Mills has found a home in Miami — Quin Snyder rarely let him off the bench in Atlanta, but Erik Spoelstra has started him for Miami the last four games. While he's not putting up big numbers (or being efficient when he does shoot), Mills knows how to play the game and make the right decision, and that matters. No matter who starts, Miami needs wins to stay out of the play-in (again), it needs consistent offense, but those have been hard to come by with Tyler Herro out (foot injury) and Jimmy Butler playing in three of the Heat's last six games. This week the Heat have a couple of winnable games against the Trail Blazers and Wizards before a big test against the Knicks next Tuesday.

19. Philadelphia 76ers (39-33, LW 19). The 76ers really need to crawl back up to the No. 6 seed, not just to avoid the play-in (although that's part of it), but also to avoid the No. 7/8 seed and a matchup with Boston or Milwaukee in the first round. However, to get those wins they need to stay healthy and not only is Joel Embiid still out (no timeline for return) but Buddy Hield and Kelly Oubre Jr. also missed time due to injuries this week. James Harden returns to Philadelphia on Wednesday night and — based on the Philly fans who traveled and filled Crypto.com Arena last weekend — he is going to hear from plenty of aggrieved fans in this one.

20. Atlanta Hawks (32-30, LW 21). I was disappointed to see that Jalen Johnson is not going to make to to 65 games and qualify for postseason awards, he would have been high on my Most Improved Player ballot. The third-year forward made a leap this year, not just in minutes but in efficiency and production averaging 16.1 points and 8.6 rebounds a game. The Hawks still have something to play for, they are just 1.5 games back of the Bulls for the nine seed in the East (and hosting that first play-in game). That's what makes Monday's game against the Bulls in Chicago so vital — that will be a big swing in the 9/10 race in the East.

21. Chicago Bulls (34-38, LW 20). Time to give Ayo Dosunmu some love, the guard has been playing well. In his last five games he has averaged 23.6 points a game, shooting 48.1% from 3, and dishing out 5.6 assists a night. Even with his play, the Bulls have struggled. Chicago has had some ugly losses this season – two to the Pistons come to mind — but Monday night's loss to the shorthanded Wizards might have been the worst of the season. Especially for a team trying to hold on to the nine seed.

22. Brooklyn Nets (27-45, LW 23). The Nets' stumbles this season have led to a lot of second-guessing of their rebuild strategy — keep Mikal Bridges and a good young core and then lure a superstar in free agency (kind of like they did with Durant and Irving). Except, superstars rarely move in free agency and are the Nets that kind of draw? They reportedly turned down a deal that would have brought suddenly-hot Jalen Green and multiple Rockets picks for Bridges, but Brooklyn stuck with its plan. The question now is, will that plan change this summer?

23. Utah Jazz (29-43, LW 22). Utah decided it wanted to keep its pick and has gone 3-16 since the All-Star break with a -10.2 net rating and the team's best players (such Lauri Markkanen) missing time. The Jazz's pick is top-10 protected, and they now have the ninth-worst record in the league (if it falls outside the top 10, it belongs to Oklahoma City). Drafting where they are could land them someone such as Dalton Knecht out of Tennessee, Cody Williams out of Colorado, or USC point guard Isaiah Collier. All guys for Jazz fans to start scouting.

24. Memphis Grizzlies (24-48, LW 25). Brandon Clarke is set to return to action this week, a huge bump for Memphis — they missed his athleticism off the bench at the five this season. He was part of their core and signed a four-year, $50 million extension before tearing his Achilles last season, but him getting a little run before the season ends, boosting him into offseason workouts, is a good thing.

25. San Antonio Spurs (16-56, LW 26). A question being asked around the league: How many Spurs not named Victor Wembanyama will be on this roster in two years? The outstanding play of the rookie means this team is on a faster timeline than some expected (including maybe some within the Spurs organization). There is no pressure to win big next year, but Wembanyama is too good to tank with him on the roster. Devin Vassell will be around, but beyond that everyone is a question mark. As much as Wembanyama has started to find a lane on offense, he is still more impactful on defense — watch how he blows up this Grizzlies fast break.

26. Toronto Raptors (23-49, LW 24). The Raptors — losers of 11 straight and down to one starter, Gary Trent Jr. — sure are trying to hold on to their draft pick this year. They owe the pick to the Spurs from the Jakob Poeltl trade but it is top-six protected — the Raptors currently have the sixth-worst record. However, the NBA Draft Lottery could easily bump the pick to No. 7 and hand it to the Spurs. On the schedule this week are the Knicks, 76ers, and Lakers.

27. Portland Trail Blazers (19-53, LW 27). Portland rolled out an all rookie starting lineup on Saturday night: Scoot Henderson, Duop Reath, Kris Murray, Toumani Camara and Rayan Rupert got to lineup against the defending champion Nuggets. The results were what one might have expected, but the rest of this season (frankly, this entire season) is not about results in Portland, it’s about growth and finding out who is part of the long term. Good news also that Shaedon Sharpe is nearing a return, he got a little practice in with the Trail Blazers G-League team and is close to stepping on the court with Portland for a few games before the season ends.

28. Washington Wizards (14-58, LW 30). Break up the Wizards! Washington has won three in a row, knocking off the Kings, Raptors and Bulls. This is actually the longest winning streak of the season for Washington and they have done it in part thanks to veteran Richaun Holmes playing so well at center. This streak means the Wizards likely will avoid having the worst record in the NBA, for whatever that's worth.

29. Charlotte Hornets (17-54, LW 28). Brandon Miller continues to show he is a piece to build around going forward, but the most critical part of his future with the Hornets we will not see until next year: How does he mesh with LaMelo Ball? Can they form the basis of something worth watching in Charlotte? Aside that, expect coaching changes and more to come to Charlotte this offseason as they chart a new path.

30. Detroit Pistons (12-60, LW 29). The Pistons — despite spending big on a new coach last summer — are on pace to have the worst record in the NBA for consecutive years. A rather dubious distinction. At least fans in Detroit will not have to watch this as eight of their final 10 games are on the road.