NBA power rankings: Boston separating as league enters fourth quarter
The NBA season is 75% complete, meaning it's time for our fourth edition of NBA power rankings. Teams have risen and fallen throughout the season, but the top spot has stayed the same. Boston, which has won nine of its past 10 games, remains No. 1.
Statistics and records are through Wednesday's games.
1. Boston Celtics (48-13) | Previous ranking: 1
The NBA feels wide open, but Boston might run away with the title. They are the best team and have been all season. The Celtics are elite on both sides of the ball, have a balanced roster and own the best point differential — 684 points, per StatMuse — in the NBA since the 2016-17 Warriors, who basically walked to a ring. Be wary of this club.
2. Denver Nuggets (42-20) | Previous: 2
Maybe NBA fans are overthinking it regarding the Western Conference. Sure, there are fun, new teams on the scene, but Denver still has the best starting lineup in the NBA, the best player in the NBA —Nikola Jokic, who's averaging 25.9 points, 12.3 rebounds and 9.2 assists — and it proved last season it can get the job done. That's a rock-solid résumé. What more must the Nuggets do to be clear favorites in the West?
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (43-19) | Previous: 3
A common argument against Oklahoma City's playoff hopes revolves around the idea that young teams never succeed in the postseason the first time they make it. While that's true, it's mostly true because young teams are rarely this good. Oklahoma City has done plenty to prove it has as good a shot as anyone to win the whole thing — not only does it win, but it wins against the best. Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Thunder are 23-13 against teams with winning records.
4. Milwaukee Bucks (41-22) | Previous: 10
Milwaukee, which has won seven of its past 10 games, has looked a tad out of sync most of the season. And each time that chemistry appears to be coming around, something makes us doubt the Bucks again. Most recently, that thing was a blowout loss to Golden State on national TV. But even with the weird lapses that Milwaukee seems to have every few weeks, Doc Rivers' team has (mostly) tightened up on both ends of the court.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves (43-10) | Previous: 4
The defense is still elite. The roster is still balanced. But the clutch-time offense? It's still pretty brutal to watch. The Wolves remain a top-five team because they're good at pretty much everything for 43 minutes, but if there's one reason to be nervous about this team falling short in the playoffs, it's moments like these, which happen far too often:
6. Cleveland Cavaliers (40-22) | Previous: 7
A comeback win against Boston on Tuesday showed how much fight these Cavs have, even with Donovan Mitchell sidelined with a knee injury. You shouldn't hold your breath waiting for Dean Wade to score 20 points in a quarter again like he did against the Celtics, but his breakout shows how many difference-makers Cleveland has.
7. Los Angeles Clippers (40-21) | Previous: 5
Panic time for the Clips? Not quite, but that dominant Los Angeles team from December to February is nowhere to be found. LAC has been in the bottom half of the league in net rating over the past 15 games, and its defense is in the bottom 10. We've seen how good this team can be. They must be that good more consistently.
8. New Orleans Pelicans (37-25) | Previous: 9
Has any good team received less attention than the Pelicans this season? New Orleans keeps trucking along in a West full of questions, sitting at fifth in the conference. The stats say the team is even better than that — New Orleans is fourth in net rating, just behind Boston, Oklahoma City and Minnesota, fifth in three-point percentage and seventh in rebounding. The Pels check a lot of boxes for a potential contender.
9. Miami Heat (35-26) | Previous: NR
Dread it all you want, but the Heat are still hanging around. Now 11-3 in their past 14, Erik Spoelstra's team is coming on strong as the regular season winds down. We know what they're capable of in the postseason, and Miami winning big before the playoffs start should be a warning sign for the rest of the league.
10. Orlando Magic (37-26) | Previous: NR
After a hot start, Orlando fizzled, which isn't uncommon for teams this young. But all of a sudden, the Magic is scorching hot again. Their solid play and injuries to other Eastern Conference teams have allowed the Magic to climb to fourth in the East. Granted, the Magic's schedule recently hasn't been full of contenders (their past five wins are against weaklings Washington, Charlotte, Detroit, Utah and Brooklyn), but who cares? You have to beat the team before you, and Orlando is doing that.
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