NBA Power Rankings: Bucks take top spot back from Lakers; Pacers make huge leap; Celtics, Rockets fall
Things change quickly in the NBA. Just last week the Lakers beat the Thunder in Oklahoma City without LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and then this week they lose at home to the Magic. Go figure. It’s just one loss, but with the Bucks playing so well that’s all it took for the Lakers to relinquish the top spot this week to Milwaukee.
Meanwhile, the Pacers are on fire, skyrocketing up the rankings on the heels of a five-game winning streak. The Clippers and 76ers also moved up despite being without their stars, Paul George and Joel Embiid, for the entire week. Some bad losses in winless weeks also caused the Celtics and Rockets to take a dive.
We break down all that and a lot more in this week’s NBA Power Rankings.
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| 1 |
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Milwaukee won all three games this week, including a big one over the Celtics, to reclaim the top spot in the Power Rankings. Khris Middleton was on fire this week, hitting 62 percent of his field goals, including 7 of 12 from 3-point range, while Giannis Antetokounmpo seems to have shaken off whatever lingering back soreness he was experiencing, averaging 32.7 points and 12.7 rebounds for the week. | 1 | 38-6 |
| 2 |
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The Lakers played all three games this week without Anthony Davis, and they bounced back from a one-point home loss to the Magic by taking down the Rockets on national TV on Saturday. Dwight Howard has stepped up in Davis’ absence, averaging 12 points and 13.7 rebounds over the Lakers’ last three games. | 1 | 34-8 |
| 3 |
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The Clippers went undefeated this week, with wins over the Cavs, Magic and Pelicans. Kawhi Leonard has been on another level, averaging 38 points per game on 58.6 percent field goals and 52.4 percent 3-pointers this week with Paul George sidelined with a hamstring injury. Landry Shamet scored in double figures in each game this week, after only doing so once in his previous six games. | 2 | 30-13 |
| 4 |
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The Jazz saw their 10-game winning streak come to an end in an overtime loss to the Pelicans, but they started a new streak with a win over the Kings on Saturday. Mike Conley played in his first game in over a month in the win over the Kings, scoring three points in 15 minutes. It will be interesting to see how the Jazz incorporate Conley since they’ve been playing so well without him. | 1 | 29-13 |
| 5 |
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The Pacers went 4-0 this week to bring their winning streak to five games, including big wins over the 76ers and Nuggets. Domantas Sabonis put up his first career triple-double in the Pacers’ first victory in Denver since 2007, and Malcolm Brogdon has been excellent since returning to the lineup, averaging 19 points and 8.3 assists per game this week. Indiana is going to be incredibly scary if Victor Oladipo comes back close to his old self. | 7 | 28-15 |
| 6 |
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Denver beat the Hornets and Warriors before losing at home to the Pacers for the first time since 2007 on Sunday night. The Nuggets have figured out ways to win despite being without Jamal Murray, Gary Harris and Paul Millsap, and they’re led by the steady presence of Nikola Jokic, who averaged 21.7 points, 10 rebounds and 6.7 assists this week. An exciting development is that Michael Porter Jr. averaged 15.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and two steals per game this week with some added minutes. | 2 | 29-13 |
| 7 |
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The Sixers went 3-1 this week as they await the return of Joel Embiid. Offense has been a struggle at times, but they’re winning games with their defense, with a sparkling defensive rating of 100 over their last four games. Ben Simmons continues to lead the charge with Embiid out, leading the team with 21.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 7.3 assists over the last four games. | 1 | 28-16 |
| 8 |
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Toronto picked up wins over the Thunder, Wizards and Timberwolves this week, but more importantly, it’s finally starting to get healthy. Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol and Norman Powell played in all three games this week, while Fred VanVleet scored 29 points against the Wolves in his first game since Jan. 4. The Raptors have played well short-handed all season, so it’s exciting to think what they might be able to do with a full, healthy roster. | 2 | 29-14 |
| 9 |
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The Heat split two games with the Spurs this week, while also picking up a win over the Thunder in OKC. Jimmy Butler has struggled shooting the ball, but Kendrick Nunn picked up the slack this week, averaging 24.3 points on 61.2 percent field goals and 62.5 percent 3-pointers for the week. | — | 29-13 |
| 10 |
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The Mavs took care of business against the Warriors, Kings and Blazers this week, with Kristaps Porzingis expected to see his first game action since December on Tuesday. Dwight Powell has stepped up with Porzingis out, averaging 15.3 points and seven rebounds this week, while Luka Doncic reminded us just how special he is by taking over the game late against the Blazers. | 1 | 27-15 |
| 11 |
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It was a rough week for the Rockets, who lost to the Grizzlies, Trail Blazers and Lakers. Russell Westbrook had two monster games after missing the Grizzlies loss, averaging 33 points, 10 rebounds and 9.5 assists compared to just three turnovers. James Harden struggled shooting the ball, hitting just 34.8 percent of his field goals and 23.5 percent of his 3-pointers. | 5 | 26-15 |
| 12 |
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Another bad week for the Celtics, who have lost three straight and six of their last eight. The home loss to the depleted Pistons may have been the worst of the season, and they nearly allowed a 40-point triple-double to Devin Booker on Saturday. The defense has been horrible lately, with a rating of 119.2 over their last three games. | 5 | 27-14 |
| 13 |
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The Grizzlies won both games this week and are now officially the hottest team in the NBA with seven straight wins. Ja Morant has been spectacular, but he hasn’t done it by himself — Memphis has six players averaging double-figure scoring during the win streak, led by Dillon Brooks at 21.1 per game on 47.5 percent 3-point shooting. | 1 | 20-22 |
| 14 |
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OKC beat the Wolves and Blazers this week, while losing to the Raptors and Heat. Danilo Gallinari has been on a tear of late, averaging 25.4 points on 50 percent 3-point shooting over his last five games, but the Thunder defense let them down this week with a 114.3 rating. | 1 | 24-19 |
| 15 |
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The Pelicans won overtime games against the Pistons and Jazz to start the week before a close loss to the Clippers on Saturday. Brandon Ingram scored a career-high 49 points against the Jazz, including multiple clutch buckets. With Zion Williamson expected to make his NBA debut this week, the Pelicans have some serious momentum for a playoff push. | 3 | 16-27 |
| 16 |
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It’s always a weird week when you beat the Lakers and lose to the Warriors, but here we are. The Magic also beat the Kings and lost to the Clippers in a 2-2 week. Markelle Fultz posted a triple-double and came up huge down the stretch in the win over the Lakers, and Aaron Gordon has stepped up his scoring, averaging 17.8 points on 46.7 percent 3-point shooting over his last four games. | — | 20-23 |
| 17 |
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Phoenix rebounded from a loss to the Hawks by beating the Knicks and the Celtics to close out the week. The Suns have now won four of their last five games, with Devin Booker averaging 28.3 points per game over that stretch. Deandre Ayton has been impressive since rejoining the lineup, and it appears he’s reclaimed his spot at starting center from Aron Baynes. Ayton put up a monster game of 26 points and 21 rebounds against the Knicks, and followed that up with 26 and 15 against the Celtics. | 2 | 18-24 |
| 18 |
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The Spurs split two games with the Heat this week, with a bad home loss to the lowly Hawks in between. DeMar DeRozan finally shot less than 50 percent from the field in Sunday’s win over Miami, but he’s been playing great recently, averaging 25 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds for the week. LaMarcus Aldridge has continued to let it fly from deep, shooting over four 3-pointers per game this week. | 3 | 18-23 |
| 19 |
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This is a rough part of the schedule for the Nets, as they dropped games this week to the Jazz, 76ers and Bucks. Kyrie Irving wasted no time rocking the boat after returning to the court, saying that the team has a “glaring” need for one or two more pieces, which the team will address this summer. Irving and Spencer Dinwiddie are starting together in the backcourt, and averaged a combined 39 points per game this week. | 2 | 18-23 |
| 20 |
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Portland started the week with consecutive wins over the Hornets and Rockets, but then dropped games to the Mavericks and Thunder. The Blazers made a trade to provide some salary cap relief, a possible sign that they’re not looking to make a “win now” move before the trade deadline. CJ McCollum suffered an ankle injury against the Mavs which kept him out of the Thunder game as well — the last thing the Blazers need at this point. | 4 | 18-26 |
| 21 |
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The Bulls lost to the Celtics and 76ers this week and beat the Wizards and Cavs, as they try to piece things together in the middle with Wendell Carter Jr. out with an ankle sprain. Daniel Gafford and Luke Kornet have picked up the bulk of the center minutes, while Zach LaVine has continued to do what he does best, averaging 31.3 points for the week. | 5 | 16-28 |
| 22 |
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The Kings’ disappointing season continues, as they lost to the Magic, Mavericks and Jazz this week. It will be interesting to see if trading away Trevor Ariza and bringing in Kent Bazemore is the last move Sacramento makes ahead of the trade deadline. De’Aaron Fox was great this week, averaging 26.3 points, 10 assists and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 64.7 percent from the field in three games. | 2 | 15-27 |
| 23 |
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Somehow, some way the Pistons went 2-1 this week with a huge win over the Celtics and a 33-point blowout against the Hawks. Their loss was in overtime to the Pelicans, so it’s safe to say Detroit is playing some pretty decent basketball despite its significant injury issues. Derrick Rose averaged 24 points for the week, and entered the starting lineup for the two wins. Svi Mykhailiuk averaged nearly 20 points per game for the week, while hitting 13-of-21 3-pointers. | 5 | 16-28 |
| 24 |
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Three more losses for the Hornets this week, which brings the overall losing streak to six games. Charlotte now has the fifth-worst net rating in the NBA, just ahead of the Warriors and below the Wizards. Terry Rozier has averaged 21.3 points on 42 percent 3-point shooting during the losing streak. | 3 | 15-29 |
| 25 |
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The bad news: The Wolves lost all four games this week. The good news: Karl-Anthony Towns made his long-anticipated return from a knee injury. He played in both games of the team’s back-to-back to close out the week, which is a good sign, though his minutes were still limited. The Wolves will need Towns to be healthy and in top form if they’re going to make a second-half push. | 2 | 15-27 |
| 26 |
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The Wizards dropped all three games this week, and Bradley Beal voiced his displeasure with his team — not something that Wizards fans ever want to hear. Beal has been banged up and averaged fewer than 26 minutes per game this week, while Thomas Bryant and Davis Bertans also slowly make their way back from injuries. | 4 | 14-28 |
| 27 |
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The Hawks finally got to tally something in the win column this week, beating the Suns and Spurs before being blown out at home by the Pistons. Trae Young averaged 27.7 points and 8.7 assists for the week, while Jeff Teague put up 15 points and seven assists in 25 minutes in his return to Atlanta. | 3 | 10-34 |
| 28 |
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The Warriors lost in overtime to the Nuggets, then picked up a solid victory over the Magic with Draymond Green on the sideline. They also received the good news that Steph Curry is targeting a March 1 return from a broken hand, which should give Warriors fans at least a small reason for excitement. Golden State has really turned up its defense, and holds the eighth-best defensive rating in the NBA since the calendar flipped to 2020. | 1 | 10-34 |
| 29 |
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The Cavs didn’t gain any momentum from their big win in Denver last week, losing all four games this week. Collin Sexton averaged 23.8 points in the four losses, while Darius Garland averaged 6.3 assists, including a career-high 10 against the Clippers — a big deal for a team that doesn’t have anyone averaging more than four assists. | 4 | 12-31 |
| 30 |
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The Knicks were blown out twice to start the week, then lost a close one to the 76ers at home. Julius Randle continues to thrive after a rough start to the season, averaging 21.7 points and 11 rebounds on 46.7 percent 3-pointers over the past week. RJ Barrett also hit 6-of-9 3-point attempts in the three games this week, a promising sign for the rookie. | 3 | 11-32 |