There's something inherently appealing about cyclical stories. The Phoenix Suns have been the league's best team all season long, so it's only fitting that as we wind down the regular season and prepare for the playoffs, the Suns have once again claimed the No. 1 spot in the NBA Power Rankings.
Their main competition in recent weeks has been the Boston Celtics, who have been scorching hot the last few months. Two losses for the Celtics this week, however, meant that the Suns -- who are riding a nine-game winning streak -- deservedly slotted back into the top spot.
The Miami Heat were among the biggest risers of the week after defeating those very same Celtics, perhaps turning the corner on what has been an ugly stretch. Making jumps into the top 10 were the Toronto Raptors, who have won 10 of 12 games, the Denver Nuggets and the Charlotte Hornets.
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This week's biggest fallers were the Golden State Warriors, who lost four more games without Stephen Curry and dropped to the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. Speaking of dropping, the Los Angeles Lakers continue to struggle and briefly fell out of play-in position this week as they anticipate the return of Antony Davis.
Here are this week's NBA Power Rankings with about 10 days left in the regular season.
*Please keep in mind that our Power Rankings are based on the team's performance the previous week, not the entire season.
Biggest Movers
5
Rockets
6
Warriors
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | The Suns train just keeps on rolling, as their winning streak reached nine games with victories this week over the Nuggets, 76ers and Warriors. The win over Golden State was their 62nd of the season, tied for the most in franchise history. Safe to say that they'll likely set the new mark in the very near future. Devin Booker was on a tear this week, averaging 35.3 points and 4.7 assists per game on 39 percent shooting, while Chris Paul has shown no signs of rust since returning from injury, putting up 17 points and 11.7 assists per game this week on 62 percent shooting. It's scary to think that this team can still reach another level when Cam Johnson gets healthy. | 1 | 49-33 |
| 2 |  | Normally when your best player misses time, there's some sort of drop-off on the court -- for whatever reason, that's not the case with these Grizzlies. They won four more games without Ja Morant this week, including a dominant effort against the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks. The Killer Ds of Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks and De'Anthony Melton each averaged 20 or more points this week, while Tyus Jones handled starting point guard duties admirably, putting up 14 points and 6.8 assists per game on 48 percent 3-point shooting. Defensively, Memphis allowed just 103.3 points per 100 possessions for the week. | 1 | 27-55 |
| 3 |  | The Bucks beat the Wizards to start the week, then suffered a disappointing blowout loss to the Grizzlies without Ja Morant. They bounced back to beat the 76ers on Tuesday, however, as Giannis Antetokounmpo absolutely took over down the stretch. The Greek Freak averaged 35 points, 12.5 rebounds and five assists in two games this week, while Jrue Holiday added 21 points and 10 assists per game on 42 percent 3-point shooting. | 1 | 49-33 |
| 4 |  | Well, the Celtics are human after all. After demolishing the Wolves to start the week, they lost to the Raptors (Boston was without four of its five starters) and then fell to the Heat with a relatively full squad on Wednesday. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each averaged almost 30 points in the two games they played, though Tatum only shot 31 percent from 3-point range. The defense held up OK without Robert Williams, but that will be something to watch as we get ready for the playoffs. | 3 | 64-18 |
| 5 |  | After a blowout loss to the Wolves to start the week, the Mavs rattled off consecutive wins over the Jazz, Lakers and Cavs to clinch a playoff berth. Luka Doncic has been on another planet recently -- even by his standards -- averaging 31.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 9.5 assists for the week on 51/44/76 shooting splits. Largely thanks to his exploits, Dallas has put up a ridiculous 130.2 points per 100 possessions over its last three games. | 1 | 50-32 |
| 6 |  | The Heat's losing streak reached four games with home losses to the Knicks and Nets to start the week, but they handled Sacramento and then picked up an impressive, much-needed road win over the Celtics on Wednesday. Jimmy Butler stepped up in the two wins, averaging 25.5 points and 4.5 assists on 61 percent shooting, while Bam Adebayo put up 17.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game for the week. | 4 | 46-36 |
| 7 |  | After blowing out the Clippers to start the week, the Sixers lost to the Suns and Bucks in litmus tests against two title favorites. Joel Embiid vocalized his disappointment in watching Giannis Antetokounmpo eviscerate his team from the bench, and both losses certainly raised questions about Philadelphia's potential defensive shortcomings in the playoffs. Embiid was phenomenal, averaging 31 points, 13 rebounds and 3.7 assists for the week on 46 percent 3-point shooting. James Harden put up 25 points, nine rebounds and 8.3 assists per game on 42 percent 3-point shooting. | 2 | 47-35 |
| 8 |  | The Raptors won four more games this week, as they've now been victorious in 10 of their last 12.They're only getting stronger too, as OG Anunoby played in his first four games since February this week, averaging 16.5 points and 4.5 rebounds on 59 percent 3-point shooting. The Toronto defense has also been on point recently, allowing just 106.6 points per 100 possessions this week. | 3 | 25-57 |
| 9 |  | Denver lost to the Suns to start the week, but turned around to pick up wins over the Thunder, Hornets and Pacers to close things out. Nikola Jokic averaged 31.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists for the week on absurd 75 percent shooting, but the news that Michael Porter Jr.'s setback could prevent him from rejoining the team this season may have soured what was otherwise a good week for Denver. | 4 | 57-25 |
| 10 |  | The Hornets' only loss this week came to the Nuggets, with wins over the Jazz, Nets and Knicks as they look to move into one of the top two play-in spots. LaMelo Ball had a great week, averaging 24 points, 10 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game on 38 percent 3-point shooting. He also dished out a career-high 15 assists in Wednesday's win in New York. Miles Bridges was the other offensive star this week, putting up 27 points per game on 45 percent 3-point shooting. | 4 | 21-61 |
| 11 |  | Brooklyn picked up a big win over the Heat to start the week, then lost to the Hornets before bouncing back to beat the Pistons. Kevin Durant was outstanding, as usual, averaging 30.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists on 37 percent 3-point shooting for the week. Kyrie Irving struggled from the field in his first two home games of the season, shooting 33 percent en route to 20 points and 7.5 assists per game. | 3 | 32-50 |
| 12 |  | The Wolves picked up an impressive win over the Mavs to start the week, but things went south quickly with blowout losses to the Celtics and Raptors. Anthony Edwards led the team with 20 points per game on 45 percent 3-point shooting, with D'Angelo Russell struggling mightily from the field, shooting just 27 percent this week. Karl-Anthony Towns' numbers were modest by his standards, putting up 18.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. | 5 | 56-26 |
| 13 |  | The Bulls beat the Cavs and Wizards this week, with losses to the Pelicans and Knicks, as they try to stay above the dreaded No. 7 seed in the East. DeMar DeRozan averaged almost 30 points on 46 percent shooting in three games this week, while Zach LaVine added 26.3 points per game. After giving up 126 points in the loss to New Orleans, Chicago's defense looked much better in the next three games. | 2 | 39-43 |
| 14 |  | The Hawks rattled off wins over the Warriors, Pacers and Thunder this week, with Trae Young unsurprisingly leading the way offensively. The All-Star point guard averaged 29.3 points and 13 assists per game while shooting 51 percent from the field. Bogdan Bogdanovic has also looked good of late, averaging 24.5 points on 60 percent 3-point shooting in two games this week. | 3 | 36-46 |
| 15 |  | Steph Curry can't get back on the court soon enough, as the Warriors dropped four more games this week. They showed a lot of grit hanging with the Suns until the final seconds, but they probably regret losing to the Wizards a few days earlier. Golden State has now fallen into the No. 4 spot in the West, but Jordan Poole has at least been a silver lining during the recent slide. He averaged 28.3 points, six rebounds and 5.5 assists for the week, and tied a career-high with 38 points in the loss to Phoenix. | 6 | 46-36 |
| 16 |  | It was a rough 0-3 week for the Jazz, capped by a demoralizing loss to the Clippers on Tuesday after blowing a 25-point lead. Utah now finds itself in danger of slipping into the play-in tournament if things don't turn around quickly. Donovan Mitchell led the team with 23.7 points per game this week, but shot just 26 percent from 3-point range. Rudy Gobert averaged 10 points, 17.5 rebounds and two blocks in two games this week. | 4 | 31-51 |
| 17 |  | Already struggling since the injury to Jarrett Allen, the Cavs will now have to navigate at least the next few games without the services of Evan Mobley, who suffered an ankle injury during a 1-3 week for Cleveland. Darius Garland has done everything in his power to keep the team afloat, averaging 24 points and 9.3 assists this week on 41 percent 3-point shooting. Caris LeVert has also started to find his footing offensively, putting up 32 points on 11-for-19 shooting in Wednesday's loss to Dallas, but Cleveland's defense has been an issue since Allen went down. | 1 | 48-34 |
| 18 |  | The Knicks went 3-1 this week with wins over the Heat, Pistons and Bulls, showing signs of life as the season draws to a close. RJ Barrett led the team with 23 points per game, but shot just 27 percent from the 3-point line. Alec Burks got hot from long distance, making 44 percent of his 3-pointers en route to 17.3 points per game. | -- | 50-32 |
| 19 |  | The Clippers' week started off with a blowout loss to the 76ers, but things got considerably more optimistic after that. Paul George played for the first time since before Christmas, putting up 34 points, six assists and four steals while bringing the Clippers back from a 25-point deficit in a wild win over the Jazz on Tuesday. Isaiah Hartenstein had a great week, averaging 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists in 24 minutes per game. | -- | 51-31 |
| 20 |  | The Pelicans continued their march toward the play-in with wins over the Bulls, Lakers and Blazers this week, with their only loss coming to the Spurs. Brandon Ingram made his long-anticipated return following a three-week absence and looked solid, averaging 22.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in two games. CJ McCollum averaged 25 points for the week, while rookie Trey Murphy has earned more minutes with his strong play, averaging 15.5 points and five rebounds over his last two games on 46 percent 3-point shooting. | -- | 49-33 |
| 21 |  | The Spurs beat the Pelicans and Rockets to start the week, then nearly ran their winning streak to five games but fell just short against the Grizzlies on Wednesday. San Antonio is now well within striking distance of the play-in, and has two matchups with the Blazers forthcoming. Dejounte Murray led the way this week with 27 points, 10.3 rebounds and nine assists per game on 42 percent 3-point shooting, while Keldon Johnson added 21.7 points and eight rebounds per game. | 1 | 22-60 |
| 22 |  | The Kings beat the Magic and Rockets this week, while suffering a blowout loss to the Heat in between. The story of the late-season has been Davion Mitchell, who has showcased some intriguing offensive upside recently as the lead playmaker. He led the team with 22.3 points and 8.7 assists per game this week, while defending the other team's best guards on a nightly basis. Damian Jones has also thrived of late, putting up 18 points and 6.7 rebounds per game this week on 72 percent shooting. | 1 | 46-36 |
| 23 |  | The Lakers fell out of the final play-in spot this week with losses to the Pelicans and Mavs -- not great -- but they should get Anthony Davis back for the final stretch of the regular season. That might not matter if LeBron James isn't healthy, but it's hard to imagine him sitting out if the team's postseason hopes are in the balance. James scored 39 points as the Lakers blew a late lead to New Orleans, and Malik Monk averaged 25.5 points for the week on 44 percent 3-point shooting. | 2 | 47-35 |
| 24 |  | The Wizards had a jam-packed week with five games, going 3-2, and the good news is that Kristaps Porzingis played in all of them. The big man averaged 23.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and four assists per game for the week, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope put up 18.2 points per game on 52/43/85 shooting splits. Deni Avdija and Rui Hachimura have also had some strong moments with the extra opportunity they've gotten from Kyle Kuzma's injury. | 3 | 15-67 |
| 25 |  | The Rockets went 2-2 this week, but they conceivably could have won every game had things fallen a little bit differently in the final seconds of losses to the Spurs and Kings. Jalen Green has really come alive toward the end of his rookie season, averaging 27.5 points this week while hitting 46 percent of his 12.5 (!) 3-point attempts per game. Kevin Porter Jr. has also had some monster games of late, putting up 30 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in the loss to Sacramento on Wednesday. | 5 | 41-41 |
| 26 |  | The Pistons dropped three close games this week, as Cade Cunningham continued his late Rookie of the Year push with 24.7 points and 7.3 assists per game, including a career-high-tying 34 points in a loss to the Nets. Marvin Bagley III continued his impressive play since joining Detroit, averaging 21 points and 5.7 rebounds this week on 72 percent shooting. | 1 | 14-68 |
| 27 |  | The tank rolled on for the Pacers this week, losing to the Grizzlies, Raptors, Hawks and Nuggets. They showed a lot of fight in coming back from a 31-point deficit against Denver to take the lead on Wednesday, but they were unable to contain the reigning MVP down the stretch. Buddy Hield led the team with 17.8 points per game this week on 54 percent 3-point shooting, while Tyrese Haliburton put up 14 points, 11.3 assists and four rebounds per game. | 3 | 47-35 |
| 28 |  | The Magic lost to the Kings, Cavs and Wizards this week, bringing their overall skid to four games. Franz Wagner averaged 19 points and 5.7 rebounds this week on 38 percent 3-point shooting, while Markelle Fultz had his best game of the season in the loss to Washington, putting up 19 points, seven assists, three steals and two blocks on 7-for-14 shooting in just 21 minutes. | 2 | 47-35 |
| 29 |  | OKC found a team it could beat this week, taking down the Blazers in overtime while losing to the Nuggets and Hawks. Theo Maledon has taken advantage of a shortened roster, leading the team with 20.3 points per game this week on 44 percent 3-point shooting. NBA Twitter favorite Aleksej Pokusevski averaged 13.7 points and eight assists per game this week on 44 percent 3-point shooting. | -- | 57-25 |
| 30 |  | The Blazers had a chance to get a win or two against some lesser opponents this week, but that didn't happen. They lost handily to the Rockets in consecutive games, then fell in overtime to the Thunder before losing to the Pelicans. Drew Eubanks has taken advantage of some extra playing time with all of Portland's absences, averaging 20 points and 11 rebounds for the week on 75 percent shooting. Ben McLemore has also been thrust into a primary scoring role, and he put up 17.5 points per game this week on 39 percent 3-point shooting. | 2 | 21-61 |
