NBA Power Rankings: Week 25 | Miami back in top 3 as Lakers start to sweat Play-In spot

Less than a week remains in the NBA’s regular season, and there will be some high drama in the final haul for postseason spots and seeding. The Suns are sitting comfortably as they have been for the last few months, but the Lakers are feeling the noose start to tighten as they continue to self implode.

1) Phoenix Suns, 62-16 (1 last week)

1-2 last week. A rare week for Phoenix, who had more losses than wins. They played the two team right behind them in the West who still have something to play for so the Suns level of intensity wasn’t up to the Grizzlies or Warriors who were at the moment in a battle for 2nd place.

2) Memphis Grizzlies, 55-23 (2 last week)

3-0 last week. What the Suns have done this season has been outstanding, but the most impressive team this season has been the Grizzlies. What they are doing without Ja Morant has been sensational, and they will get the two seed in the West for their troubles.

3) Miami Heat, 51-28 (7 last week)

4-0 last week. I may have jumped the gun on the Heat’s implosion. But they bounced back from an 0-4 week and a sideline dust up between Jimmy Butler, Udonis Haslem and Coach Spoelstra with a perfect week to climb back to the top of the Eastern Conference.

4) Boston Celtics, 49-30 (3 last week)

2-2 last week. The Celtics had their first average week in over a month after splitting a four game set. Jayson Tatum’s stats have been a bit more modest, but Boston still has a chance to get the two seed although they have a brutal close out to the regular season against the Bulls, Bucks and Grizz.

5) Milwaukee Bucks, 48-30 (4 last week)

2-2 last week. Milwaukee started the week with a dramatic win over the Sixers on Tuesday night, and followed it with an overtime win in a playoff type atmosphere in Brooklyn. With no Khris Middleton or Giannis Antetokounmpo the Bucks got stomped by the Clippers, giving up 153 points.

6) Golden State Warriors, 50-29 (5 last week)

2-2 last week. The Warriors definitively lost the second seed over the week, which should come as no surprise considering their struggles with out Steph Curry.

7) Philadelphia 76ers, 48-30 (6 last week)

1-2 last week. The one seed is a miracle away from the Sixers, but they won’t mind too much. They have played good basketball in preparation for the playoffs, if you don’t count the 102-94 loss to the Pistons on Friday night.

8) Dallas Mavericks, 49-30 (10 last week)

3-1 last week. For a brief moment the Dallas Mavericks were in third place in the West, but have since been bounced back to fourth. They will have a sprint to the finish with the Warriors who have been slumping with no Steph Curry.

9) Denver Nuggets, 47-32 (11 last week)

3-1 last week. How about Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets jumping over the Utah Jazz and are now eying home court in the first round of the playoffs. It doesn’t look like it will be easy to take the four spot from the Mavs, but if Jokic continues to play at the level he has and the Mavs slip up the boys from the Mile High City could be hosting Dallas in Game 1.

10) Utah Jazz, 46-32 (9 last week)

1-2 last week. The Jazz are in trouble if they think they can go into the post season playing as they have been playing. They got leapfrogged by the Nuggets and are unthinkably in danger of having to get through the Play-In Tournament after losing six of their last seven.

11) Toronto Raptors,45-33 (10 last week)

3-1 last week. Toronto continues to fly over the radar, drifting in the midst of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. They are guaranteed to make the first round and that should allow them to breathe a sigh of relief. Something that their first round opponents won’t be doing once they see the Raptors in the opening round of the playoffs.

12) Chicago Bulls, 45-33 (13 last week)

2-2 last week. You have to hand it to the Bulls, who looked like they were in the thick of a free fall down the standings. Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso have righted the ship, but this looks like half the team it was two months ago.

13) Minnesota Timberwolves, 45-34 (12 last week)

2-1 last week. After all the work they had done, are the T’Wolves going to end up fighting for their lives in the Play-In Tournament? Defense has become a bit of problem of over the last couple games which might show signs of a tired team, but they have a pretty light schedule over the last three games of the season.

14) Atlanta Hawks, 41-37 (17 last week)

4-0 last week. It’s about time Atlanta got a glimpse of what used to be. The Hawks are shifting in to gear at the right time, and if they continue to play the way they did over the last week, they could one Play-In win away from the first round. If they even have to play in the Play-in Tournament.

15) Cleveland Cavaliers, 43-36 (14 last week)

2-3 last week. The Cavs are fading fast. Which is unfortunate because their recent slide had been brought on by injuries. A banged up team having to play five games over the last week won’t do Cleveland any favors. The Hawks are on their heels for the 6th spot in the East, and the Cavs are going to have to play the desperate Nets, and the Bucks who are looking for their highest seed possible in the last two games of the season.

16) Los Angeles Clippers, 39-40 (18 last week)

3-1 last week. The Clippers finally showed glimpses of the teams that came out of the All-Star Break scorching hot. They have been in a tough spot for a while, because they are just floating in the 8th seed with no one near them. Not in the 7th or 9th spot, which will surely has give them a bit of freedom in the final stages of the season. Getting Paul George back has been a huge plus. They only game they have lost since he came back on March 30th was an overtime thriller against the Bulls.

17) Charlotte Hornets, 40-38 (15 last week)

1-2 last week. The Hornets have split their last six after winning five straight. They still have a chance at the 8 seed, but will need the Hawks to slow down if they want to have a win and your in situation in the Play-In.

18) San Antonio Spurs, 33-45 (20 last week)

3-1 last week. The way the Spurs are playing shouldn’t surprise us. Not much was expected of this team, but the deeper they went in to the season, the more and more chance of them making the Play-In became a reality. Los Angeles are in a free fall and Gregg Popovic’s side has pounced on the wounded Lakers.

19) New Orleans Pelicans, 34-44 (19 last week)

2-1 last week. New Orleans has beaten the Lakers twice over the last eight days, and that may prove to be what extends their season, and ends the Lakers miserable campaign.

20) Brooklyn Nets, 40-38 (16 last week)

1-2 last week. Getting Kyrie Irving back to playing games in Brooklyn was supposed to help the Nets, but since the announcement that New York was lifting the mandate the Nets have slid down the standings. KD scored 55 against the Hawks, and Irving added 31 but the Nets still lost. They can look good against great teams, like they did against the Bucks on Thursday night, but seem to struggle against middle of the table teams.

21) New York Knicks, 35-44 (22 last week)

2-1 last week. The Knicks are out of Play-In contention and without Julius Randle for the rest of the year. Not much to get to excited about in the Big Apple, other than the possibility of Obi Toppin getting some run in the final three games.

22) Washington Wizards, 34-44 (23 last week)

2-2 last week. Up and down week for the Wizards who gave a great showing in the 35 point win over the Mavs in Kristaps Prozingis’ return, but then got smoked by the Celtics by 42 right after.

23) Sacramento Kings, 29-50 (24 last week)

2-2 last week. Damion Jones continues to be one of the very few talking points for the Kings in the final stretch of the season. The former Commodore is making a case to get more minutes in Sac Town next season.

24) Los Angeles Lakers, 31-47 (21 last week)

0-4 last week. What a disaster LA has been. The thing that no one could have ever imagined, no matter how bad they played, is happening. The Lakers are out of Play-In position after losing their last six. LeBron James has played in just one of the last four games with an ankle injury, and with out the King the Lakers chances of the postseason get even slimmer.

25) Portland Trail Blazers, 27-51 (25 last week)

0-4 last week. If Portland could have, they would have waved the white flag weeks ago. They have lost their last seven, and if they don’t beat the Thunder on Tuesday night, they could be looking at ending the season on an 11 game losing streak.

26) Indiana Pacers, 25-54 (26 last week)

0-4 this week. The Pacers are the Trail Blazer of the East. They have lost seven in a row all though their last four have been single digit losses, which comes as very little consolation for Indiana fans, I’m sure.

27) Detroit Pistons, 23-56, (28 last week)

3-1 last week. After sinking to the bottom of the Power Rankings last week, the Pistons responded by keeping it close against the Nets and then beating the Sixers to start a three game winning streak. They have a tough last three games, but can use these final minutes as prep for next year.

28) Oklahoma City Thunder, 23-55 (28 last week)

2-2 last week. They may have been without Devin Booker, but not many people were expecting the Thunder to beat the Suns on Sunday night. That was their first win against a team above .500 since March 3rd, and only their third win over the last month.

29) Houston Rockets, 20-59 (29 last week)

0-4 last week. The Rockets are on a four game losing streak and in a battle with the Magic for worst record in the league. It looks like who ever wins next will get the penultimate spot in next week’s Rankings.

30) Orlando Magic, 20-59 (27 last week)

0-4 last week. The Magic are on a four game losing streak and in a battle with the Rockets for worst record in the league. It looks like who ever wins next will get the penultimate spot in next week’s Rankings.