NBA power rankings: Jazz still No. 1 after All-Star break; Heat, Grizzlies, Hornets rising
* Through games played 3/11
1. Utah Jazz (27-9)
Last week: 1
Utah was scheduled to open the second half at home against the plummeting Rockets on Friday night, so the Jazz will probably have added another one to the win column when we publish this week’s rankings Saturday morning. The All-Star break arrived at a good time for the Jazz, which had lost three of its last four. Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley should be fresh for the start of the second half.
2. Phoenix Suns (25-11)
Last week: 2
The Suns picked up right where they left off, starting the second half with a 127-121 victory over the Trail Blazers. Devin Booker scored 35 points for the Suns, who have won five in a row and 14 of their last 16 dating back to Feb. 5. Booker looked focused and refreshed after going 3 of 17 (.176) from 3-point range in the last four games before the All-Star break.
3. Brooklyn Nets (25-13)
Last week: 3
Kevin Durant is still out with a hamstring injury, but James Harden and Kyrie Irving are capable of carrying the flag until he’s ready to return. The Nets have now won 11 of their last 12 games. Irving scored 40 points in a 121-109 victory over the Celtics on Thursday. Harden flirted with another triple-double, finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. The Nets even played a little defense, holding the Celtics to 45.1% shooting from the field and 32.5% shooting from 3-point range.
4. Philadelphia 76ers (25-12)
Last week: 4
Tobias Harris scored 24 points to help Philadelphia start the second half with a 127-105 win over the Bulls on Thursday despite a couple of key absences. MVP candidate Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are out due to contact tracing after crossing paths with a barber who tested positive for COVID-19 while they were in Atlanta for the All-Star Game. Barring setbacks, neither player was expected to miss more than a game or two. The 76ers had won seven of nine going into Friday’s game against the Wizards.
5. Los Angeles Lakers (24-13)
Last week: 5
The Lakers lost six of eight before the All-Star break, but now LeBron James says “it’s go time.” LeBron’s MVP candidacy and the health of star big man Anthony Davis were big subplots as the Lakers started the second half against the Pacers on Friday. Davis is still out with a right calf strain. He hasn’t played since Feb. 14. James lost ground in the MVP race during the Lakers’ skid before the break, but he will be a big part of the conversation if he can return his team to the top of the Western Conference.
6. Los Angeles Clippers (25-14)
Last week: 6
After losing their last three games before the break, the Clippers got back on track with a 130-104 victory over the Warriors on Thursday. Kawhi Leonard scored 28 in the win. Leonard believes the Clippers can be a championship team. We’ll see how they handle the upcoming road trip with stops in New Orleans, Dallas (2) and Charlotte.
7. Milwaukee Bucks (23-14)
Last week: 7
Two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo appears to be in top form as the second half begins. After being named MVP of the All-Star Game, Antetokounmpo posted his fifth triple-double of the season to help the Bucks blast the Knicks 134-101 on Thursday. The Greek Freak finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists while going a perfect 7 of 7 from the free-throw line. He is now averaging 28.9 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.
8. Denver Nuggets (21-15)
Last week: 8
The Nuggets won four in a row before the break. Let’s see if they can carry that momentum into the second half. Star center Nikola Jokic is averaging 27.1 points, 11.0 rebounds and 8.6 assists. There’s no question Jokic is having an MVP caliber season, but he won’t get the vote if the Nuggets don’t move up from fifth in the Western Conference. The continued excellence of Jamal Murray and the continuing emergence of Michael Porter Jr. might help Jokic make his case.
9. Portland Trail Blazers (21-15)
Last week: 9
Damian Lillard has carried the Blazers for more than two months with CJ McCollum (foot) and Jusuf Nurkic (wrist) both sidelined due to injuries. Help could be on the way. McCollum and Nurkic were expected to be reevaluated by the end of the week. Their return would take some of the pressure off Lillard, who averaged 31.5 points in January and 30.1 points in February. He had 30 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in Thursday’s loss to the Suns.
10. San Antonio Spurs (18-15)
Last week: 10
The Spurs started the second half with a 115-104 loss to the Mavericks on Wednesday despite 30 points and 11 assists from DeMar DeRozan, but the big news coming out of the break was LaMarcus Aldridge. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Aldridge and the Spurs had agreed to part ways. The Spurs will try to trade the seven-time All-Star before the March 25 deadline. Aldridge averaged 19.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in six seasons with the Spurs, but his minutes and production are down significantly this season.
11. Dallas Mavericks (19-17)
Last week: 11
The Mavericks started the second half with a 115-104 win over the Spurs, but they suffered a 116-108 loss to the Thunder on Thursday after electing to hold Luka Doncic (ankle) and Kristaps Porzingis (knee) out due to injuries.
12. Boston Celtics (19-18)
Last week: 12
The Celtics suffered a 121-109 loss to the Nets on Thursday despite 31 points from Jayson Tatum, another reminder that this team needs to add a piece or two.
13. Miami Heat (18-18)
Last week: 14
Bam Adebayo is still out with a knee injury and Miami has suspended Meyers Leonard for a week for using an anti-Semitic slur on a live stream, but Jimmy Butler had 27 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists and three steals in a win over the Magic.
14. Memphis Grizzlies (17-16)
Last week: 16
Jonas Valanciunas had monster game in a win over the Wizards on Wednesday, posting 29 points, 20 rebounds and four blocked shots.
15. New York Knicks (19-19)
Last week: 13
The Knicks will visit the Thunder on Saturday before getting another shot at the Nets on Monday.
16. Charlotte Hornets (18-18)
Last week: 18
The Hornets beat the Pistons to start the second half even though Rookie of the Year candidate LaMelo Ball was held to seven points on 3-of-11 shooting with five turnovers.
17. Golden State Warriors (19-19)
Last week: 15
New 3-Point Contest champion Stephen Curry was held to 14 points and 1-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc as the Warriors dropped their fourth in a row in a 26-point loss to the Clippers.
18. Toronto Raptors (17-20)
Last week: 17
The streaky Raptors are in another tailspin after losing five of their last six. Pascal Siakam, Fred Van Vleet, OG Anunoby, Malachi Flynn and Patrick McCaw remained out due to health and safety protocols going into Saturday’s game against the Hornets.
19. Chicago Bulls (16-19)
Last week: 19
Lauri Markkanen returned from a shoulder injury to post 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting against the 76ers on Thursday in his first game since Feb. 5.
20. Atlanta Hawks (17-20)
Last week: 21
Trae Young scored 37 points to help the Hawks beat the Raptors on Thursday for their third consecutive victory. Bogdan Bogdanovic went scoreless as he works his way back from a knee injury.
21. Indiana Pacers (16-19)
Last week: 20
Caris LeVert is expected to make his Pacers debut against the Suns on Saturday after having a small cancerous mass removed from his left kidney in late January.
22. New Orleans Pelicans (15-22)
Last week: 22
The Pelicans have lost three in a row and five of their last six. The break didn’t seem to help as they started the second half with a 135-105 loss to the Timberwolves at home.
23. Washington Wizards (14-21)
Last week: 23
After scoring 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting for Team LeBron in the NBA All-Star Game, Bradley Beal was held to 21 points on 6-of-22 shooting in a loss to the Grizzlies.
24. Sacramento Kings (15-22)
Last week: 25
Luke Walton’s job is safe for now as the Kings enter the second half of the season and the next phase of Monte McNair’s plan to build around De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton.
25. Oklahoma City Thunder (16-21)
Last week: 24
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a 33-point game in a win over the Spurs before the break and a 32-point game in a win over the Mavericks coming out of the break.
26. Cleveland Cavaliers (14-22)
Last week: 26
The Cavaliers showed some improvement while winning four of their last five before the All-Star break. They’ll start the second half with games against the Pelicans, Hawks, Heat, Celtics, Spurs and Raptors.
27. Orlando Magic (13-24)
Last week: 27
Nikola Vucevic had 24 points and 17 rebounds against the Heat on Thursday, but the Magic lost its sixth in a row.
28. Detroit Pistons (10-27)
Last week: 28
The Pistons traded Svi Mykhailiuk and a 2027 second-round pick to the Thunder on Friday for Hamidou Diallo, who is viewed as a core piece in Detroit, sources told ESPN.
29. Houston Rockets (11-24)
Last week: 29
As if things weren’t bad enough during this 14-game losing streak, now Eric Gordon is out four to six weeks with a groin strain and P.J. Tucker will be away from the team while the Rockets explore trade possibilities.
30. Minnesota Timberwolves (8-29)
Last week: 30
The Timberwolves had lost 10 in a row and 14 of their last 15 before beating the Pelicans by 30 on Thursday.
