Seven is the lucky number in this week's NBA Power Rankings, and not because it's going to take seven days to work off all that Thanksgiving turkey. Both of the freshly minted No. 1 and No. 2 teams this week are riding seven-game winning streaks, and both have done it in surprising fashion.
Even the biggest Orlando Magic optimists likely couldn't have foreseen the team's 12-5 start, rattling off wins against the Raptors, Nuggets, Celtics and Hornets this week to earn the No. 1 spot in the rankings. The No. 2 team had much higher expectations heading into the season, but injuries to Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant made it somewhat surprising that the Phoenix Suns have been able to log a seven-game heater of their own (having Devin Booker helps).
The Magic jumped 10 spots, though they're not the biggest risers of the week. That honor belongs to the Houston Rockets, who handily disposed of the Grizzlies and the defending champion Nuggets to get back into the Top 10. Speaking of which, the New York Knicks find themselves standing just outside the front door to the Top 10 mansion after a remarkable comeback win over the Miami Heat -- who coincidentally suffered the steepest fall of the week to No. 16.
The beginning of the season has been completely unpredictable, and things could get even crazier as the In-Season Tournament progresses in the coming weeks. For now, here is the latest edition of the NBA Power Rankings.
*Please keep in mind that our NBA Power Rankings are based on weekly performance (Tuesday to Monday), not the whole season.
Biggest Movers
11
Rockets
8
Heat
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | All the Magic do is win, taking down the Raptors, Nuggets, Celtics and Hornets this week to bring the league-best winning streak to seven straight. The offense has exploded, putting up 123 points per 100 possessions in the four wins this week, while allowing just 109 on defense. Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Cole Anthony all averaged over 20 points for the week, while Jalen Suggs added 12.5 points per game on 44% 3-point shooting. Orlando is for real. | 10 | 47-35 |
| 2 |  | Despite Kevin Durant missing two games with Bradley Beal already on the shelf, the Suns managed to escape the week undefeated with wins over the Blazers, Warriors, Grizzlies and Knicks. Devin Booker played hero on Sunday at MSG, knocking down the game-winning 3-pointer from the right wing with just under two seconds remaining. He averaged 30 points and eight assists for the week on 48/43/90 shooting splits. | 8 | 49-33 |
| 3 |  | The Celtics picked up a big win over the Bucks to start the week, then were blown out by the Magic before beating the Hawks on Sunday without Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Jayson Tatum led the team with 28 points per game, but struggled from 3-point range, while Jaylen Brown added 22 points, four assists and four rebounds. | -- | 64-18 |
| 4 |  | The Wolves started off the week with a convincing win over the 76ers, then followed that up with a loss to the Kings before blowing out the Grizzlies on Sunday. The defense continues to be elite, while Anthony Edwards led the way offensively with 30 points, six rebounds and six assists per game this week. Karl-Anthony Towns was especially efficient, averaging 23 points and 10 rebounds on 56/60/92 splits. | -- | 56-26 |
| 5 |  | The 76ers opened the week with losses to the Cavs and Timberwolves (without Joel Embiid), before a close win over the Thunder and a not-so-close, 44-point win over the Lakers on Monday. Embiid averaged 32 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in the three games he played, while Tyrese Maxey put up 26 points and six assists per game for the week. They continue to be one of the most prolific duos in the NBA this season. | 1 | 47-35 |
| 6 |  | OKC handled the Bulls to start the week, then lost a close one to the 76ers on Saturday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 35.5 points and 8.5 assists over the two games, while Chet Holmgren added 25.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. | 4 | 57-25 |
| 7 |  | Milwaukee lost a showdown with the Celtics to start the week, then narrowly beat two of the worst teams in the league in the Wizards and Blazers. Sunday's win over Portland required a 26-point comeback, the largest in the NBA this season and the biggest second-half comeback in franchise history. Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez combined to average nearly 84 points over the three games this week. | 6 | 49-33 |
| 8 |  | The Kings lost their second straight game to the Pelicans to start the week (though this one was much closer), then picked up a solid road win over the Wolves on Friday. De'Aaron Fox led the way with 31 points and 8.5 assists per game, while Harrison Barnes stepped up in the absence of Keegan Murray, averaging 20 points on 6-for-13 3-point shooting over the two games. | 1 | 46-36 |
| 9 |  | The Rockets picked up two dominant victories this week, one over the Grizzlies and the other against the defending champion Nuggets. Jalen Green went off for 30 points per game on 52% shooting, while Jabari Smith Jr. put up 17 points and 12 rebounds per game on 5-for-8 3-point shooting. | 11 | 41-41 |
| 10 |  | Who would have thought the Nuggets' biggest win of the season would be led by Reggie Jackson and DeAndre Jordan? The two vets took their "revenge game" seriously, as Jackson put up 35 points and 13 assists with Jordan adding 21 points and 13 rebounds in a shocking road win over the Clippers on Monday with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon out of the lineup. The valiant effort came on the heels of a lackluster week that featured losses to the Magic and Rockets, and it seems like the sort of thing that could spark some energy in Denver as Murray nears a return. | 3 | 57-25 |
| 11 |  | The Knicks finished off a miraculous comeback to beat the Heat on Friday, erasing a 21-point deficit to the delight of the MSG crowd. On Sunday they were done in by Devin Booker, who hit a game-winning 3-pointer from the wing. Jalen Brunson averaged 30 points in the two games, shooting 61% from the field and 43% from 3-point range. Immanuel Quickley was a spark plug, putting up 19 points per game on 54% 3-point shooting. | 4 | 50-32 |
| 12 |  | Wins over the Kings and Clippers made it five victories in six games for the Pelicans, but then they ran into the Lauri Markkanen-less (and apparently unbeatable) Utah Jazz. They dropped consecutive games by a combined seven points to Utah -- disappointing results after a stretch of excellent play. Zion Williamson averaged 28 points and six assists in three games this week, while Brandon Ingram put up 26 per game in all four. CJ McCollum will reportedly rejoin the lineup sooner rather than later. | 7 | 49-33 |
| 13 |  | The Mavs split with the L.A. teams in their only two games this week. First, they rallied to beat the Lakers after watching a 20-point second-half lead disappear. They followed that up with an loss to the Clippers, as Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined to score 56 of the team's 88 points. | 3 | 50-32 |
| 14 |  | The Lakers ended a 2-2 week with a 44-point loss to the 76ers, the most lopsided of LeBron James' career, prompting the soon-to-be 39-year-old to say that "a lot" needs to change. The effort was even more disappointing on the heels of a solid victory over the Cavs in Cleveland two nights prior. Davis followed up a season-high 32 points against the Cavs with 17 against Philadelphia, as his up-and-down play continues. | 1 | 47-35 |
| 15 |  | The Pacers averaged over 140 points while going 2-1 against the Hawks, Raptors and Pistons, then managed only 110 points in a home loss to the Trail Blazers, who were on a back-to-back. That wasn't in the script. One of these days Indiana might actually play some defense, but until then let's just enjoy Tyrese Haliburton, who averaged 32 points and 13 assists in the four games on 54/50/88 splits. | 1 | 47-35 |
| 16 |  | After blowing out the Cavs to start the week, the Heat were stunned by the Knicks, who erased a 21-point deficit to steal a win at MSG. The hangover was rough the next night for Miami, losing to the Nets by double-digits without Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. continues to impress, putting up 18 points, six rebounds and three assists per game this week on 50/54/85 shooting splits. | 8 | 46-36 |
| 17 |  | Darius Garland powered Cleveland to a huge overtime road victory over the 76ers without Donovan Mitchell to start the week, but their usually stingy defense suffered a lapse in consecutive losses to the Heat and Lakers. The defense returned in strong form, however, in Sunday's win over the Raptors. The Cavs finally had their full complement of stars to close out the week, but Mitchell looked extremely rusty while averaging 16 points on 23% shooting in the two games he played. | 5 | 48-34 |
| 18 |  | Trae Young and the Hawks put up 435 points in three games to start the week, losing a shootout with the Pacers before beating the Nets and Wizards. Then they ran into a slightly more stout defensive team, scoring just 103 points in a lost to the Celtics on Sunday. Young was ridiculous this week, averaging 35 points and 8.5 assists per game on 50/50/80 shooting splits. Atlanta put up 126 points per 100 possessions in the four games, but allowed 123. | 3 | 36-46 |
| 19 |  | The Nets lost a barnburner to the Hawks in overtime to start the week, following that up with wins over the Heat and Bulls on consecutive days. Mikal Bridges had a great week, averaging 28 points, six rebounds and 4.3 assists on 51/50/90 shooting. | 1 | 32-50 |
| 20 |  | The Warriors lost to the Suns to start the week before a home victory over the Spurs -- though it wasn't exactly convincing as they committed 24 turnovers and nearly blew the game toward the end. Draymond Green is set to return from suspension on Tuesday and Golden State is certainly in need of some sort of jolt. Steph Curry had a rough shooting game in Phoenix but bounced back quickly in the win over San Antonio. Klay Thompson is beginning to break out of his early-season slump, going 9 for 18 from 3-point range in the two games this week. | 1 | 46-36 |
| 21 |  | The Raptors were blown out by the red-hot Magic to start the week, then managed to outscore the Pacers in a shootout before beating the struggling Bulls at home. They finished up with a narrow loss in Cleveland on Sunday. Six Raptors averaged double-figures for the week, led by 22 points per game from Pascal Siakam and 21 from Dennis Schroder. | 1 | 25-57 |
| 22 |  | The Clippers were on the verge of gaining some momentum with a 3-1 week, but they ran into massive roadblocks shaped like Reggie Jackson and DeAndre Jordan. The two vets (and former Clippers) led Denver to an improbable victory in L.A. on Monday without the services of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon. This has to be rock-bottom for a Clippers team that has seen some real lows since the James Harden trade. It can go one of two ways from here, and we'll have to see which one it is. | 5 | 51-31 |
| 23 |  | Turns out all the Blazers needed was Malcolm Brogdon back in the lineup, as they've won two of the first three games since his return -- they also had the Bucks on the ropes before relinquishing a 26-point lead in the loss. The big difference was the defense, which has held opponents to 106 points per 100 possessions since Brogdon's return compared to 114 before that. With some of the opponent's defensive pressure directed elsewhere for a change, Jerami Grant averaged 28 points this week on Durant-like 54/69/88 shooting splits. Scoot Henderson also returned after a lengthy absence, averaging 10 points and three assists over the team's last three games. | 7 | 21-61 |
| 24 |  | Losses to the Lakers and Blazers ran Utah's losing streak to four games, and then Lauri Markkanen missed both games against the Pelicans, so ... oh wait, the Jazz won both? Go figure. Seven Utah players averaged double-figures in the two wins, led by 17 points per game from rookie Keyonte George. Jordan Clarkson added 16 points and 10 assists per game in the victories. | 1 | 31-51 |
| 25 |  | Only two games for the Hornets this week, a comeback win over the Wizards and a loss to the Magic, but the big news was LaMelo Ball exiting the loss to Orlando with an injury to his right ankle -- the same one that he fractured last season. Miles Bridges is averaging 28 points and 10 rebounds in two games since returning from suspension. | 1 | 21-61 |
| 26 |  | After losses to the Hornets, Bucks and Hawks, the Wizards finally found a team they could beat, handing the lowly Pistons a 19-point loss on Monday. The win snapped a nine-game losing streak for Washington, which has been led by a new pass-first (well, pass-sometimes) version of Kyle Kuzma. The team's leading scorer averaged 24 points, eight rebounds and 7.5 assists in the four games, while Jordan Poole showed signs of life with three straight games of 24 points or more before a dud (ironically) in the win over Detroit. | 3 | 15-67 |
| 27 |  | It's getting bleak in Chicago with consecutive losses to the Thunder, Raptors and Nets this week. The Bulls have now dropped four games in a row and eight of their last 10. The defense was atrocious this week, allowing 127 points per 100 possessions, while Zach LaVine led the offensive attack, averaging 28 points in the two games he played on 5-for-13 3-point shooting. | 4 | 39-43 |
| 28 |  | The Spurs lost to the Clippers, Warriors and Nuggets this week to bring their overall streak to 12 games (not the worst in the league, thanks to the Pistons). Victor Wembanyama expressed optimism that things will turn around when they start executing on Gregg Popovich's game plan, but it's been tough to say the least. Wembanyama led the team this week with 22 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and three steals per game. | 1 | 22-60 |
| 29 |  | The countdown to Ja Morant's return continues, as the Grizzlies lost to the Rockets, Suns and Timberwolves by an average of 21 points to bring their overall losing streak to four games. The offense was horrendous, putting up just 96 points per 100 possessions in three games this week. | 3 | 27-55 |
| 30 |  | Yeesh. Three days off didn't help the Pistons, whose ignominious losing streak reached 13 games after falling to the Pacers and Wizards this week. The 19-point loss to Washington was especially demoralizing, since that's a team Detroit should theoretically be able to at least compete with. Cade Cunningham averaged 28.5 points in the two games, but shot just 42% from the field -- though his six assists per game to 2.5 turnovers is a marked improvement. Baby steps. | 2 | 14-68 |
