| RANK | TEAM | THE RUNDOWN | LAST |
| 1 | HEAT (61-16) |
With LeBron James taking a week off and Dwyane Wade still out, it’s lucky they didn’t win 34 in a row or they might not have all been back before training camp. | 1 |
| 2 | THUNDER (57-21) |
Demolition job they did on Spurs shows how great they still are. But after trading James Harden, if they win two titles in next three seasons, everyone will wonder if it should have been three. | 3 |
| 3 | SPURS (57-20) |
Lots of speculation behind scenes in West that Spurs wouldn’t mind falling to No. 2 to play Rockets or Warriors, rather than risk meeting Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, who, if nothing else, bring back all those bad memories. | 2 |
| 4 | GRIZZLIES (53-25) |
Rematch with Clippers, who beat them in Game 7 on their home court last spring, would be bad enough. Playing Game 7 in LA would be even worse. They go into Saturday’s home showdown with the Clippers leading the season series, 2-1. | 5 |
| 5 | KNICKS (51-26) |
How good are they with Tyson Chandler at center, Carmelo Anthony at 4-spot and Raymond Felton at point? They started 18-5 with Jason Kidd and Ronnie Brewer in three-guard lineup and just won 13 in a row with Iman Shumpert and Pablo Prigioni in three-guard lineup. | 7 |
| 6 | CLIPPERS (51-26) |
Too bad they can’t play more often: Clippers, who had lost eight of 15, sweep Lakers for first time by an average of 14.0 points, scoring 105-107-125-109. Lakers not only never led in a fourth quarter, they were only within five points for 2:08. | 8 |
| 7 | NUGGETS (53-24) |
Oooooof: With Ty Lawson already sidelined, Danilo Gallinari blows out a knee, leaving the team that went 42-10 after 11-12 start bleep out of luck in the playoffs. | 4 |
| 8 | PACERS (49-29) |
Not that Pacers necessarily mind dropping to No. 3 behind Knicks and facing Hawks, rather than having to pound a stake through never-say-die hearts of Celtics. | 6 |
| 9 | NETS (45-32) |
Oops: Nets lose to likely first-round opponent Chicago, which was minus four regulars, including Joakim Noah. Joe Johnson, who has played six games in a month, is out again, this time with back injury. | 9 |
| 10 | WARRIORS (45-33) |
Better not look back, someone’s gaining on you: Warriors have one-game lead for sixth in West over Rockets, who have won season series, 3-1. | 11 |
| 11 | ROCKETS (44-34) |
Only two teams averaging more than their 106.5 points since All-Star break: Denver, which was just decimated by injuries, and Sacramento, which made up for it by allowing 107 a game. | 10 |
| 12 | HAWKS (42-36) |
Pride of New South and home of broadcast partner Turner Sports, is numb to NBA. With fewer highlights but more heart, playoff-bound Hawks are No. 26 in attendance, ahead of Milwaukee, Detroit, New Orleans and Sacramento. | 12 |
| 13 | BULLS (42-35) |
Still no announcement by Derrick Rose, who refuses to rule out a comeback (“I’ll play whenever I’m ready to play”) but hasn’t come back yet (“Right now, all I can do is just cheer on my teammates”) while cheering on himself, too. | 13 |
| 14 | LAKERS (41-37) |
Kobe Bryant’s mission is to get them into the playoffs if it’s the last thing he does, playing 48-47-46-48 minutes before Metta World Peace returns, perhaps saving his life. Kobe only has to go 41 in win over Hornets, getting 30-5-6 with five steals. | 15 |
| 15 | JAZZ 41-38) |
A funny thing happened on the way to the garbage dump: Since losing 12 of 15 to fall two games behind Lakers, they went 7-1, helped by schedule that included one winning team — Nets, at home – before upsetting Warriors in Oakland. | 14 |
| 16 | CELTICS (40-37) |
Heart surgery returnee Jeff Green, one of most popular Celtics ever — as crowd hangs on every move, hoping he gets over hump – makes it over hump? Career 14-point scorer is at 18 ppg since March 1. | 17 |
| 17 | MAVERICKS (38-39) |
Surprise was that team that was 25-32 on March 1 even got close to .500, not that losses on road vs. Lakers and Nuggets dropped them back to No. 10 in West, presumably to stay. | 16 |
| 18 | BUCKS (37-40) |
Jim Boylan righted Scott Skiles’ reeling ship with its attitudinal young crew, helped develop Larry Sanders and returned starter status to Ersan Ilyasova, who is averaging 17-8 since break. But interim coach has yet to hear if he’ll be back. | 18 |
| 19 | BLAZERS (33-44) |
Ready to tank months ago but West race kept backing up to them. Took care of that with 11-game losing streak so LaMarcus Aldridge could stop playing hurt and wounded warrior Wesley Matthews could call it a season. | 19 |
| 20 | SIXERS (31-46) |
Doug Collins under the should-he-be-fired heat you get with approaching 50 losses, but answer is no. Whoever made Andrew Bynum deal — whether that was Collins, GM Tony DiLeo, or both — is in trouble. | 20 |
| 21 | WIZARDS (29-49) |
Wait ‘til next year for backcourt of future: With John Wall off and winging toward stardom, rookie Bradley Beal, nagged by injuries since averaging 18 in February, lost for rest of season. | 21 |
| 22 | HORNETS (27-51) |
Top pick Anthony Davis up to 15-9 with 1.5 blocks since All-Star break. That’s still not what everyone thought he would average this season but gaining on it. Personally, if I get a shot in third round of fantasy, he’s a Heisman. | 22 |
| 23 | RAPTORS (30-48) |
If you’re looking for trading partner for Pau Gasol, this is one that could give Lakers an athlete or two with Andrea Bargnani, whom D’Antoni could turn into stretch-4 he craves – if Raptors will take back enough money. | 23 |
| 24 | WOLVES (29-48) |
Appropriately for this season, Kevin Love’s hope of returning ends with decision for more surgery, this time on knee. He and Ricky Rubio played five games together in which Kevin shot 45 percent, long before Ricky was in shape. | 24 |
| 25 | PISTONS (26-52) |
Be careful what you wish for: Pistons fans enthralled as rookie Andre Drummond scores 17 on 8-of-10 shooting in return. Not as enthralled as he averages 8.0 in next five. | 28 |
| 26 | KINGS (27-50) |
Booby Prize goes 0-3 while Sacramento, Seattle bid. Isn’t something wrong with our society if a bunch of self-serving incompetents have this much civic importance? | 25 |
| 27 | CAVALIERS (24-53) |
Heat is on coach Byron Scott. For what? Not delivering newly arrived, oft-injured youngsters to Promised Land? Don’t cry for Scott, who will get another job — with his old point man Chris Paul, if Clippers turn out to need a new head man. | 27 |
| 28 | SUNS (23-55) |
Talk about slick: President Lon Babby, on Lindsey Hunter: “You’re not going to trick me into answering your question. I’m not going to give an interim report on the interim coach.” In other words, Lindsey’s gone. | 26 |
| 29 | MAGIC (19-59) |
It could have been worse – say, if Dwight Howard had stayed, put them through his 2011-12 act again, then finally left. This way, Magic gets to rebuild, as do Lakers. | 29 |
| 30 | BOBCATS (18-60) |
Charlotte Observer lauds Josh McRoberts, who went from Duke washout to NBA energy guy for “quietly transforming” dead team that started lazy Byron Mullens in 53 games. In other words, Bobcats need lots of transforming. | 30 |
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Mark Heisler is a regular contributor to SheridanHoops, LakersNation and the Old Gray Lady. His power rankings appear every Wednesday during the regular season. Follow him on Twitter.
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The Nuggets are bleep out of luck? They won the game they Gallo got hurt in, then they went and CRUSHED the Rockets without him and Lawson, putting more points than they have all year.
The Nuggets should be above both the Grizz and Clippers.
These rankings are horrible.
Knicks should be higher than Memphis you silly man.