NBA Power Rankings Week 16: Where Did Lakers Place After Celtics, Magic Games?
The San Antonio Spurs are still really good, so we'll get that out of the way now.
The marquee matchup of the week, however, came just this past Sunday when the Boston Celtics took on the Miami Heat. It was the third contest between the two teams, with the Celtics winning the first two games by a combined total of 13 points.
Those two games came in late October and late November, as the Celtics took advantage of an inexperienced Heat team that couldn't nearly match up with the chemistry and cohesion that Boston has.
This time there were no excuses for the Heat. Even with Udonis Haslem out, the Celtics also had Shaquille O'Neal and Jermaine O'Neal out, as well as a few other role players, to even out the strength of each team.
Even though Ray Allen only hit one three-pointer and Paul Pierce had his worst game in over a decade, Boston still managed to eke out an 85-82 victory. Miami led by four at the break, but the Celtics broke the game open with a 20-3 run to start the third quarter.
The win gave sole possession of first place in the conference to the Celtics, as well as a tiebreaker if the two elite teams do end up tying for the pivotal No. 1 spot. The Heat are still looking for answers, as they compare Boston to a big brother that they just cannot seem to beat no matter the circumstances. Miami hadn't come this close to beating Boston, as they had a number of chances to tie it up in the final seconds, but instead saw LeBron James miss a free throw and Mike Miller miss a wide-open three-point shot.
With the road to the NBA Finals in the East clearly running through Boston still, the road in the West to the No. 2 seed is becoming quite the race between Dallas, the L.A. Lakers and Oklahoma City, as only three games separate the three teams. The first seed might be out of the question now, with the Spurs currently leading the conference by an absurd seven games.
Call it the week of the little guy too because Cleveland and Washington both had their biggest victories of the season over the past week.
The Bleacher Report NBA Power Rankings are done by averaging individual featured columnists' tallies. This week's contributors were John Friel (NBA/Heat), Brian Chappatta (Bulls), Andrew Bailey (NBA/Mavericks) and Allen Kim (NBA Team Leader).
30. Cleveland Cavaliers
1 of 30
Current Record: 9-46
How they fared this week: 1-3
February 7th: Lost 99-96 at Dallas, February 9th: Lost 103-94 vs. Detroit, February 11th: Won 126-119 vs. Los Angeles Clippers, February 13th: Lost 115-100 vs. Washington.
No typo there—that is an actual game in the win column for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They managed to top the NBA record for consecutive losses, but they did keep some sort of pride and dignity by only tying the sports record for losses in a row at 26.
It didn't come easy either, as it took an extra five minutes to defeat Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers 126-119. Antawn Jamison hit the biggest shot of the season—a dagger of a three-pointer late in overtime.
Each of the Cavs' star players came into play, as Mo Williams returned from injury to hit the shot to send the game into overtime, while J.J. Hickson blocked the Clippers' potential game-winning shot during regulation. The Cavs got a combined 62 points from Jamison and Hickson and 34 points between Williams and Daniel Gibson to support the Cavs in their first victory in nearly two months. Not even Griffin's 32 points and 13 rebounds could stop the Cavs from ending this streak once and for all.
Then they promptly gave the Washington Wizards their first road win in 26 tries. Everything's back to normal in Cleveland.
29. Sacramento Kings
2 of 30
Current Record: 13-38
How they fared this week: 1-3
February 7th: Lost 107-104 vs. Utah, February 9th: Lost 102-100 vs. Dallas, February 12th: Lost 99-97 vs. Oklahoma City, February 13th: Won 113-108 at Phoenix.
Three losses by a combined seven points for the Sacramento Kings as they cap off another disappointing week of the 2010-11 campaign.
To make it even worse, all three losses came at home with the Arco Arena crowd supporting their team and hoping for a few victories against some of the Western Conference's best teams. They did manage to salvage some of the week by avoiding a winless week with a victory on the road against Phoenix.
To make things worse, DeMarcus Cousins is appearing to become a serious problem in the organization. His attitude on and off the court is affecting the team in a negative light as he draws comparisons to Rasheed Wallace in all the wrong ways.
28. Minnesota Timberwolves
3 of 30
Current Record: 13-41
How they fared this week: 2-2
February 7th: Won 104-92 at New Orleans, February 8th: Won 112-108 at Houston, February 11th: Lost 116-105 at Indiana, February 12th: Lost 107-87 vs. Philadelphia.
It certainly has been a strange week in the NBA world, hasn't it? The Cleveland Cavaliers win a game, the Washington Wizards win on the road and now the Minnesota Timberwolves are having .500 weeks with wins against quality teams outside the friendly confines.
It appeared that the Wolves were changing direction early on this week, as they handled themselves very well with a double-digit win on the road against the Hornets and a close win against the Rockets.
However, they would drop consecutive double-digit losses to the Pacers and Sixers with the worst coming at the hands of Philadelphia, which defeated the Wolves by 20 in their arena.
The two losses won't exactly make much of a difference this season considering the team is nearly 30 games below .500, but it does keep them further away from the bottom rung of the power rankings that the Cleveland Cavaliers might forever occupy.
Oh, and Kevin Love is still getting double-doubles. He now has 40 in a row.
27. Toronto Raptors
4 of 30
Current Record: 14-40
How they fared this week: 1-3
February 8th: Lost 92-74 at Milwaukee, February 9th: Lost 111-100 vs. San Antonio, February 11th: Lost 102-96 vs. Portland, February 13th: Won 98-93 vs. Los Angeles Clippers.
There isn't much to say that hasn't already been said about the Toronto Raptors. They're losing a lot of games, and not many people are noticing.
They managed to pull out a home win against a terrible road team in the Clippers and lost to three teams that we expected them to lose to with no surprises, besides maybe only losing by 11 points to the San Antonio Spurs. The fact that they only were able to score 74 points against the Milwaukee Bucks is a cause for concern as well.
The Raptors only had two players in double figures, as they shot 36 percent as a team and missed all 10 of their attempts from downtown in their loss to Milwaukee. Even when they came back home for a home stand, they weren't able to capitalize, as they dropped the second end of a back-to-back to the Spurs and then lost two days later on their home turf to a Portland team that hasn't always performed admirably on the road. The only positive to come out of the week was the fact that they limited Blake Griffin to only one embarrassing dunk.
The time to shut down the season is looming, and three more losses this week only speed up the process.
26. Washington Wizards
5 of 30
Current Record: 15-38
How they fared this week: 2-1
February 9th: Won 100-85 vs. Milwaukee, February 12th: Lost 118-94 vs. San Antonio, February 13th: Won 115-100 at Cleveland.
Who would've guessed coming into the week that the Washington Wizards would actually have a positive week? The loss against the San Antonio Spurs was expected, and the win against the Milwaukee Bucks at home was a little surprising, but their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers was definitely the biggest game of the season thus far.
How is a game with teams that only had 23 combined wins one of the biggest? Because it might have been the best chance for the Wizards to win a game on the road.
Sure enough, they got it done. After 25 consecutive losses on the road, the Wizards went into Cleveland on a mission, as they took advantage of a Cavaliers team that was still recovering from the hangover that was winning their first game in nearly two months. Washington built up an early 20-point lead and didn't look back, as it improved its road record to 1-25 on the season.
I doubt the postseason is a possibility now, but it probably really helps the young guns on this team to finally end the slide.
Now if they can double that win total on the road, the NBA should be put on notice.
25. New Jersey Nets
6 of 30
Current Record: 17-38
How they fared this week: 2-1
February 9th: Won 103-101 vs. New Orleans, February 11th: Won 94-89 at Charlotte, February 112th: Lost 105-95 vs. New York.
Even teams that are 20 games below .500 can have their week. Their home loss to the New York Knicks was a little disheartening, but wins over the New Orleans Hornets and Charlotte Bobcats can easily make up for that.
The Nets were able to force Chris Paul into seven turnovers, while recent pickup Sasha Vujacic hit a number of crucial shots on his way to 25 points to give New Jersey a close overtime victory against a superior Hornets club.
Call it the week of abnormalities too because the Nets pulled off an extremely rare feat this season by winning on the road. Behind Brook Lopez's 31 points and 11 rebounds, the Nets were able to secure only their fourth road victory this season. Even if it was against a Bobcats team that is sub-.500 at home, the Nets got a needed boost with their second consecutive win before seeing their dreams of a perfect week crushed by the Knicks.
Also, Kris Humphries is having the season of his career. Three consecutive games of double-digit rebounds and a career-high nine points per game makes you wonder just how much of an impact Kim Kardashian holds over her athletic boyfriends.
24. Detroit Pistons
7 of 30
Current Record: 20-35
How they fared this week: 1-3
February 8th: Lost 100-89 vs. San Antonio, February 9th: Won 103-94 at Cleveland, February 11th: Lost 106-92 vs. Miami, February 13th: Lost 105-100 vs. Portland.
Just another week in Piston-land. If not for a midweek matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Pistons and their postseason hopes would have taken more of a serious hit than they already did this week, with three losses out of four games.
Detroit now finds itself 5.5 games back of the final eighth spot, but remember that nearly any team in the Eastern Conference can make the postseason. Unfortunately for the Pistons, it's the streaking Pacers that hold the eighth spot.
Aside from their loss to Miami, the other two losses were actually within winning distance. The Pistons went into the fourth quarter against the Spurs only down by five points, until they allowed San Antonio to be San Antonio and pull out a victory. They also went into the fourth quarter in their game against the Portland Trail Blazers only down by four points. However, they allowed LaMarcus Aldridge to drop 36 points to give the Blazers a victory.
In the middle of a home stand, Detroit needs to start pulling out some wins if it wants to see some postseason action in its future: 1-3 weeks like this one won't cut it.
23. Milwaukee Bucks
8 of 30
Current Record: 20-33
How they fared this week: 1-3
February 8th: Won 92-74 vs. Toronto, February 9th: Lost 100-85 at Washington, February 11th: Lost 89-86 at Memphis, February 12th: Lost 103-97 vs. Indiana.
It certainly hasn't been fear the deer this season, especially when you're losing by 15 points to the lowly Washington Wizards and your only win of the week comes against the Toronto Raptors.
Following another sub-.500 week, the Milwaukee Bucks now find themselves five games out of the final eighth spot and don't see their chances of obtaining it grow any higher, as they struggled against teams that they shouldn't be struggling against. The Bucks were gift-wrapped a week against a few .500 teams and a few sub-.500 teams and couldn't capitalize.
They were able to stay within shooting distance of the Memphis Grizzlies and Indiana Pacers but instead came away empty by ending the week on a three-game losing skid. Milwaukee had an easy chance to steal a victory in Memphis, as the Bucks took a five-point lead into the fourth quarter before allowing the Grizzlies to outscore them 26-18 in the final frame. They also allowed Danny Granger to score 14 points in a close fourth quarter during their loss to the Pacers.
The road to the postseason is coming more difficult than expected, and the Bucks will need to make some big runs and pull off a few significant winning streaks if they want a second consecutive postseason berth.
22. Los Angeles Clippers
9 of 30
Current Record: 20-33
How they fared this week: 1-3
February 8th: Lost 101-85 at Orlando, February 9th: Won 116-108 at New York, February 11th: Lost 126-119 at Cleveland, February 13th: Lost 98-93 at Toronto.
The Los Angeles Clippers might have taken at least one game out of the four they played this week, but they failed to capture the win that would have avoided a supreme case of embarrassment.
Instead, the Clippers became the first team in nearly two months to lose at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers, as they ended the team's 26-game losing streak with an overtime loss at the Q. Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams had some key offensive plays, and J.J. Hickson had a number of key blocks to lead the Cavs.
Aside from the loss to the Magic and the disappointing loss to the Raptors, the Clippers had a decent week, finally winning one on the road with an eight-point victory against a Knicks squad that beat them at Staples Center only a month prior.
Blake Griffin also did this.
21. Charlotte Bobcats
10 of 30
Current Record: 23-31
How they fared this week: 2-2
February 7th: Won 94-89 vs. Boston, February 9th: Lost 104-103 at Indiana, February 11th: Lost 94-89 vs. New Jersey, February 12th: Won 88-86 at Atlanta.
A modest week for the Charlotte Bobcats, who are just another mediocre Eastern Conference squad trying to lock up that always-open eighth spot. They couldn't make up any ground on the streaking Pacers, but they did manage to make a statement by beating up on the Boston Celtics and staging a grand comeback against the Atlanta Hawks that was ended by a buzzer-beating game-winner at the hands of Captain Jack.
Luck wasn't on their side either, as Stephen Jackson put the officiating crew in a bind at the end of their one-point loss to Indiana. In the final seconds, Jackson threw up a heave a few feet behind the three-point arc and managed to lean into a Pacers defender. That drastically affected his shot. Sometimes that could be called a foul. Under the circumstances, though, the officials turned a blind eye to what Jackson was attempting to do, and the victory was given to Indiana.
The charity that is the eighth spot is now open to three teams outside the final eight spots, with Charlotte the closest at only two games behind the current No. 8 seed in the Pacers.
20. Golden State Warriors
11 of 30
Current Record: 24-29
How they fared this week: 2-2
February 7th: Lost 104-92 vs. Phoenix, February 9th: Won 116-114 vs. Denver, February 10th: Lost 112-88 at Phoenix, February 13th: Won 100-94 vs. Oklahoma City.
A strange week for the Golden State Warriors, as they suffered two losses to the same team and gained two wins against the Northwest Division's best.
It was a definite disappointment for the Warriors—who still find themselves in the postseason race—to lose to the Phoenix Suns twice, but it was probably more of an embarrassment considering that they lost by a combined total of 36 points in those games. Monta Ellis struggled in both games, shooting under 31 percent in each contest.
If you want to look at the glass as half full, though, you'll see that the Warriors had some huge wins over the Thunder and Nuggets. Ellis scored over 30 points in both games, 37 against Denver, as he led the team to both wins.
Golden State will need to keep winning games against stellar opponents if it wants to have a glimmer of hope to make the postseason in a tough Western Conference where it's survival of the fittest.
19. Houston Rockets
12 of 30
Current Record: 25-30
How they fared this week: 1-2
February 7th: Won 108-103 at Denver, February 8th: Lost 112-108 vs. Minnesota, February 12th: Lost 106-102 vs. Dallas.
If you're attempting to make up five games and make the postseason, losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves at home won't help your cause.
The Houston Rockets started off slow and haven't exactly made any statements this season, even with a win on the road against the Denver Nuggets. They missed out on a few opportunities this week to gain some ground, as they lost close home games to the Wolves and then the Mavericks a few nights later.
It didn't help the Rockets' cause that Peja Stojakovic decided to have his first quality game in three seasons against Houston. It's also not helping the team any more that Aaron Brooks is growing disgruntled with his role on the team as Kyle Lowry sees more time at the point guard spot. Brooks was suspended earlier last week for leaving the court during their win against Memphis.
18. Indiana Pacers
13 of 30
Current Record: 24-28
How they fared this week: 3-1
February 8th: Lost 117-112 at Miami, February 9th: Won 104-103 vs. Charlotte, February 11th: Won 116-105 vs. Minnesota, February 12th: Won 103-97 at Milwaukee.
To think, the Indiana Pacers were only a few minutes away from having one of their biggest win streaks in recent franchise history.
They had managed to score 97 points in the first 36 minutes of their road game with the Miami Heat before allowing LeBron James and Chris Bosh to go off while being shut down by the Heat's fourth quarter defense. A five-point loss is nothing to be disappointed by, however, and the Pacers still managed to take advantage of a weak schedule following their date with the Heat.
Their wins weren't as easy as they should have been, but they were three quality wins nonetheless. Interim coach Frank Vogel might be earning a permanent position at the top of the ladder in Indiana, as the team has won three games in a row and eight of its past 10. Indiana only has one loss this month and is attempting to create some separation and breathing room from a number of teams that are trying to steal the eighth spot from them.
With the way Indiana's winning games, however, an eighth seed might not be enough.
17. Philadelphia 76ers
14 of 30
Current Record: 26-28
How they fared this week: 3-1
February 8th: Won 117-83 at Atlanta, February 9th: Lost 99-95 vs. Orlando, February 11th: Won 77-71 vs. San Antonio, February 12th: Won 107-87 at Minnesota.
The New York Knicks definitely have a few things to worry about now that they have the division rival Philadelphia 76ers breathing down their necks. In a week in which they took on three of the top teams in the league, the Sixers nearly made it a clean sweep, if not for a late letdown at home against the Orlando Magic.
Even with that lone loss, they still impressed by giving the Atlanta Hawks one of their worst home losses in franchise history and by keeping their stranglehold over the San Antonio Spurs in place by limiting them to 71 points.
Cap it off with a 20-point road win against the Timberwolves, and you have a quality week for a team that has been under .500 all season long.
The Sixers have been on a tear as of late and have only lost twice this month as they look towards a possible sixth seed in the upcoming postseason. Not only that, but they also look to prove that Boston and New York aren't the only teams that should be taken seriously in a weak Atlantic Division.
Philadelphia might not be getting the strongest of contributions from their No. 2 overall pick, Evan Turner, but they're getting the help where they need it, and they're finally winning games because of it. A postseason spot looms for this team as elite teams begin to grow a little fearful of a 76ers squad that took out the best team in the league and one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
16. Phoenix Suns
15 of 30
Current Record: 26-26
How they fared this week: 3-1
February 7th: Won 104-92 at Golden State, February 10th: Won 112-88 vs. Golden State, February 11th: Won 95-83 at Utah, February 13th: Lost 113-108 vs. Sacramento.
The eighth seed in the Western Conference is becoming highly coveted, as a plethora of teams are attempting to secure the final spot, one of them being the Phoenix Suns.
The week started out perfect for the Suns, as they handled the Warriors in a home-and-home before taking out the struggling Utah Jazz. Phoenix improved to 3-0 on the week and looked ready to go undefeated with a home game against the Kings looming.
Even without DeMarcus Cousins, the Kings still managed to come back and defeat the Suns. Not even Steve Nash's 22 points and 18 assists were enough to stop the Kings, which had six different players in double-figure scoring. Marcin Gortat had 20 points and 12 rebounds in the loss as he quietly is becoming one of the Suns' most productive and consistent role players.
15. New York Knicks
16 of 30
Current Record: 27-26
How they fared this week: 1-2
February 9th: Lost 116-108 vs. Los Angeles Clippers, February 11th: Lost 113-96 vs. Los Angeles Lakers, February 12th: Won 105-95 at New Jersey.
Following the impressive run they had earlier in the season, the New York Knicks have been playing near sub-.500 ball for the past two months. The hype surrounding the team has died down as the team nears the .500 mark and the talk of Amar'e Stoudemire winning the MVP flies out the window.
They could have helped restore it as they took on Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden on national television. Instead they allowed Bryant to go off (again) to the tune of 33 points, with 19 coming in the first quarter alone.
Not exactly encouraging that they lost to the other Los Angeles team at home as well. In the last meeting against the Clippers, in which they allowed Blake Griffin to have some of the best dunks of his young career, they were at least able to pull out a win on the road. This time around, they stood no chance, as they allowed Los Angeles to shoot 55 percent with six different players in double figures. Randy Foye had 17 in the fourth quarter to propel the Clippers.
It's disappointing to see that the Knicks' record will probably knock Amar'e out of the MVP race, but he deserves some consideration for the turnaround of this formerly horrid Knicks squad. He hasn't scored less than 20 points since January 22nd.
14. Memphis Grizzlies
17 of 30
Current Record: 30-26
How they fared this week: 3-1
February 7th: Lost 93-84 vs. Los Angeles Lakers, February 8th: Won 105-101 at Oklahoma City, February 11th: Won 89-86 vs. Milwaukee, February 13th: Won 116-108 vs. Denver.
The Western Conference should begin to worry about the Memphis Grizzlies because they are slowly becoming the team that we thought they would be coming into the season.
After a slow start, the Grizzlies have reeled off a few streaks and have now won eight of their past 10 games. They find themselves only one game out of the final playoff spot in the West after a quality 3-1 week with two big wins against the Thunder and Nuggets.
Their lone blemish came at the hands of an angry Los Angeles Lakers squad that was looking for revenge after an embarrassing loss the Grizz gave the Lakeshow at the Staples Center in late December.
With the final spots in West open for just about any team to take, the Grizzlies could find themselves making some significant noise in May.
13. Portland Trail Blazers
18 of 30
Current Record: 29-24
How they fared this week: 3-0
February 7th: Won 109-103 vs. Chicago, February 11th: Won 102-96 at Toronto, February 13th: Won 105-100 at Detroit.
It's a tight race for the eighth spot in the Western Conference, with only 5.5 games separating five teams. The Portland Trail Blazers currently hold the final spot and helped out their chances with an undefeated week, as they took advantage of two weaker opponents and home-court advantage against a tough Chicago Bulls team.
They should probably thank LaMarcus Aldridge, who just had one of the most absurd weeks in recent NBA history. Aldridge scored 42, 37 and 36 this week, propelling the team to close wins against all three of their opponents.
The loss of Brandon Roy has obviously hurt the team this season, but the Blazers crowd is quickly forgetting all about Roy as Aldridge becomes the center of attention in Rip City. When you average 38 points in three games, chances are that you'll get noticed easier than before.
12. Utah Jazz
19 of 30
Current Record: 31-24
How they fared this week: 1-2
February 7th: Won 107-104 at Sacramento, February 9th: Lost 91-86 vs. Chicago, February 11th: Lost 95-83 vs. Phoenix.
It was an ugly week for the Utah Jazz, as they dropped two winnable games as well as the longest-tenured coach in the NBA in Jerry Sloan.
Apparently, Sloan and Jazz point guard Deron Williams were involved in an altercation during halftime of their loss to the Chicago Bulls that ended with the former coach claiming that he had enough of coaching and was ready to quit. He did so shortly after the game, and the Jazz have suffered two consecutive losses that they didn't need at a time like this.
Utah might be in serious trouble of not making the postseason as it sees the ninth spot only 1.5 games behind them. Al Jefferson may be performing admirably in his first season with the Jazz, and Williams might arguably be the best point guard in the league this season, but life will be a lot harder for these players now that their wily veteran coach is no longer giving the team any guidance.
11. Denver Nuggets
20 of 30
Current Record: 31-24
How they fared this week: 1-3
February 7th: Lost 108-103 vs. Houston, February 9th: Lost 116-114 at Golden State, February 10th: Won 121-120 vs. Dallas, February 13th: Lost 116-108 at Memphis.
The Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups trade rumors might be reaching their boiling points, and it looks like it's beginning to affect the team after a disappointing 1-3 week against four teams it probably should have beaten.
In fact, in the one game against an elite opponent in the Dallas Mavericks, they managed to win behind an astounding game-winner from Arron Afflalo. Aside from that big win against Dallas, they suffered three embarrassing losses that they should have won. It probably makes the losses sting more considering that they were by a combined total of 15 points.
The Nuggets should consider themselves lucky, however, as this week was one amazing shot away from the team going 0-4.
10. New Orleans Hornets
21 of 30
Current Record: 33-23
How they fared this week: 1-3
February 7th: Lost 104-92 vs. Minnesota, February 9th: Lost 103-101 at New Jersey, February 11th: Won 99-93 at Orlando, February 12th: Lost 97-88 vs. Chicago.
Not exactly the week the New Orleans Hornets were hoping for. In fact, the lone game they won on the road against the Orlando Magic was the most difficult leg of the four games they had to play over the past week.
They lost an ugly game that wasn't even close to the Timberwolves at home and then lost a heartbreaker against the Nets, as Chris Paul saw his three-point attempt rim out at the buzzer. Their loss against the Chicago Bulls at home wasn't exactly encouraging either.
The Hornets are in good position for a playoff spot but still need to keep their foot on the gas if they want to avoid any sort of letdown. Losing games to the Wolves and Nets in a three-day stretch are losses that New Orleans could really not afford to have at this stage of the season.
9. Atlanta Hawks
22 of 30
Current Record: 33-20
How they fared this week: 0-2
February 8th: Lost 117-83 vs. Philadelphia, February 12th: Lost 88-86 vs. Charlotte.
Call this the week of the Snooki for the Atlanta Hawks because it was short, disappointing and embarrassing. Maybe that's a little too harsh for a Hawks team that probably already has postseason on its mind, but this might have been the worst week of the season thus far for a Hawks team that should be performing a lot more admirably than what it did this week against two foes.
It started off as ugly as possible, as they allowed Philadelphia to take a 30-point lead into halftime in their own house. The 76ers would win by 34 points to give the Hawks their worst home loss in franchise history.
Atlanta usually boasts one of the tougher stadiums to win in for the opposition, but it was the complete opposite this week, as Philly ran over them and then Stephen Jackson gave them a dagger of epic proportions. Atlanta had a 13-point lead going into the half before allowing Charlotte to come back and then finish the game off with a buzzer-beater by Jackson.
This was a week that the Hawks would like to forget, as they dropped two should-have-been wins and failed to make up any ground on the Southeast Division-leading Miami Heat, while also allowing the Orlando Magic to take back possession of second place in the division.
8. Orlando Magic
23 of 30
Current Record: 35-21
How they fared this week: 3-1
February 8th: Won 101-85 vs. Los Angeles Clippers, February 9th: Won 99-95 at Philadelphia, February 11th: Lost 99-93 vs. New Orleans, February 13th: Won 89-75 vs. Los Angeles Lakers.
The Orlando Magic might not be having the best of seasons, and another Southeast Division title is becoming more and more out of reach with the Heat going on winning streak after winning streak, but the Magic are beginning to perform up to the standards of previous seasons as they capped off the week with a big, double-digit victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Magic did manage to take back second place in the Southeast Division over the Atlanta Hawks, but the road to the NBA Finals will be more difficult than before.
A few flaws have begun to stick out for the Magic, as their dependency on the three-point shot has been either feast or famine all season. Not only that, but the trades that brought in Jason Richardson, Gilbert Arenas and Hedo Turkoglu have only made three-point shots come more often, as ESPN ponders just when Dwight Howard will grow tired of Stan Van Gundy and his antics and eventually bolt for the Los Angels Lakers. Rumors and speculation are a cruel mistress.
A quality week for the Magic, though, as they win three out of four games in a busy week. A Southeast Division title might not be on the horizon for Orlando, but that is the last thing on the minds of these championship-hungry players.
7. Oklahoma City Thunder
24 of 30
Current Record: 34-19
How they fared this week: 1-2
February 8th: Lost 105-101 vs. Memphis, February 12th: Won 99-97 at Sacramento, February 13th: Lost 100-94 at Golden State.
A considerably disappointing week for the Oklahoma City Thunder, as they failed to take advantage of a weak schedule this week.
Rather than distance themselves from the Nuggets and Jazz in the Northwest Division, they only took one game out of three during a week when only one of the teams they faced had a winning record. Even with the Memphis Grizzlies streaking, it's still no excuse for Kevin Durant and the Thunder to lose at home while allowing Tony Allen to go off.
Giving up 56 points to the Warriors' backcourt wasn't helping anyone either, as Golden State willed out a victory despite Durant's 29 and Russell Westbrook's 21.
The worst part of the week might have been their lone win, as it only came by two against the Western Conference's worst in the Sacramento Kings. Sac-town got 30 from Tyreke Evans, who would miss a game-winner at the buzzer. Durant scored 35 points and missed an uncharacteristic five free throws.
6. Dallas Mavericks
25 of 30
Current Record: 38-16
How they fared this week: 3-1
February 7th: Won 99-96 vs. Cleveland, February 9th: Won 102-100 at Sacramento, February 10th: Lost 121-120 at Denver, February 12th: Won 106-102 at Houston.
A heartbreaker of a week for the Dallas Mavericks despite the 3-1 record on the week. Each game was down to the wire, as they barely beat the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings and managed to eke out a victory on the road against the Houston Rockets but saw the undefeated week go up in flames at the hands of Arron Afflalo and the Denver Nuggets.
In a back-and-forth game that went down to the wire, Afflalo hit a miraculous buzzer-beater to give the Nuggets the win.
The No. 1 seed might be becoming out of reach for the teams like the Dallas Mavericks, but they still certainly have championship on the mind as they continue to be the regular season world-beaters that they have become over the past decade.
5. Chicago Bulls
26 of 30
Current Record: 36-16
How they fared this week: 2-1
February 7th: Lost 109-103 at Portland, February 9th: Won 91-86 at Utah, February 12th: Won 97-88 at New Orleans.
The Chicago Bulls dropped a game this week, but it's all they can ask for on the daunting road trip that they just ended. They finished the road trip 3-2 with wins over the Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz and New Orleans and losses to the Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers.
Call it the week of the point guard, as a few marquee matchups took place during the road trip as Derrick Rose took on Deron Williams and Chris Paul. Rose didn't appear to be intimidated at all as his Bulls took both games behind his leadership.
He had a combined 52 points and 13 assists as Chicago managed to salvage the road trip with wins against a struggling Jazz squad and a New Orleans team that's had quite the tough week. Rose limited Williams to only 11 points and 12 assists and Paul to 15 points and only six assists. It turns out that those were the key factors in both matchups, as Rose and his high scoring were able to triumph over the opposition in two close, key road victories.
The previous week was a bit overshadowed by LaMarcus Aldridge and his 42 points, but it's water under the bridge now for the Bulls as they look forward to taking on the NBA-best San Antonio Spurs this week.
4. Los Angeles Lakers
27 of 30
Current Record: 38-17
How they fared this week: 3-1
February 7th: Won 93-84 at Memphis, February 10th: Won 92-86 at Boston, February 11th: Won 113-96 at New York, February 13th: Lost 89-75 at Orlando.
It was a nearly perfect week for the Los Angeles Lakers, as they took three out of four games against teams that will probably all make the postseason.
They got their revenge against a Memphis Grizzlies squad that won by 20 at the Staples Center earlier in the season, exacted some more revenge against the Boston Celtics and completed the week with an easy win over the New York Knicks, in which Kobe Bryant had his usual fun at Madison Square Garden.
The only blemish came against the Orlando Magic, when they scored a season-low 75 points in a game in which Bryant only had 17 points. Pau Gasol only had 11 points as the team was manhandled by Dwight Howard, who only missed three of his 16 shots on his way to a modest 31 points and 13 rebounds in the 2009 NBA Finals rematch.
The loss ended a four-game winning streak for the Lakers, which find themselves once again winning the games that they should be winning.
3. Miami Heat
28 of 30
Current Record: 39-15
How they fared this week: 2-1
February 8th: Won 117-112 vs. Indiana, February 11th: Won 106-92 at Detroit, February 13th: Lost 85-82 at Boston.
The Miami Heat might have gotten two quality wins against the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons, but it will all be overshadowed by yet another loss to the Boston Celtics.
Dwyane Wade struggled yet again, and the Celtics held as much as a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter before the Heat utilized their scary fourth quarter defense to stage a comeback. However, LeBron James would miss a game-tying free throw, and Mike Miller would miss a game-tying three-pointer.
This is the first matchup between the two teams that can really gauge just how these two teams match up. The early matchups in October and November featured the Heat at their worst, when they were attempting to form some cohesion and chemistry that just wasn't there yet.
This time around, the Heat had no excuses, and they even had control of the game when they went up four going into the half. Boston would come out in the second half, though, with much higher energy and started a 20-3 run that the Heat just couldn't recover from.
The next matchup doesn't occur again until April, and even then it's going to be the postseason that both teams will be looking forward to.
2. Boston Celtics
29 of 30
Current Record: 39-14
How they fared this week: 1-2
February 7th: Lost at Charlotte 94-89, February 10th: Lost vs. Los Angeles Lakers 92-86, February 13th: Won vs. Miami 85-82.
Losing to the Charlotte Bobcats was a definite low-light of the season, as was splitting the season series with their Western Conference rival, the Los Angeles Lakers, with a six-point home loss.
Yet even with one win under their belt for the week, the Celtics couldn't ask for anything more, as they once again proved that the road to the NBA championship in the Eastern Conference still runs through Boston. With a three-point win over the Heat at home, the Celtics take the season series and officially hold the tiebreaker.
The Celtics dodged a bullet this week by beating the Heat, as the possibility of dropping to 0-3 this week came very close. If not for LeBron James missing a free throw in the last 10 seconds or Mike Miller missing a wide-open three pointer that would've sent the game into overtime, the C's would have been in a little bit of trouble with the Heat being at the top of the East.
However, the Celtics' staunch defense was able to keep Dwyane Wade and LeBron in check for most of the night to walk out of Boston with their third victory of the season over Miami.
The real highlight of the week came for Ray Allen, as he finally broke the all-time three-point record early in their loss to the Lakers. In the first quarter, Allen caught a ball in rhythm on a fast break and drained it to give him sole possession of most three-pointers made in a career, beating out Reggie Miller with no player even close to catching up.
1. San Antonio Spurs
30 of 30
Current Record: 45-9
How they fared this week: 3-1
February 8th: Won 100-89 at Detroit, February 9th: Won 111-100 at Toronto, February 11th: Lost 77-71 at Philadelphia, February 12th: Won 118-94 at Washington.
All they do is win. Unless it's against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The No. 1 spot will probably belong to the San Antonio Spurs for the rest of the season barring any sort of strange letdown or significant injury to a core player. They remain the only team in the NBA to not have double-digit losses while also being the lone team in the league to have over 40 wins.
That's right—they lead the second best team in the league by nearly six games as far as records go. I don't know how to explain it.
