NBA power rankings: Suns rise in West with win over Jazz; Grizzlies up and Spurs down
* Through games played 4/7
1. Phoenix Suns (36-14)
Previous ranking: 2
The Suns move into the top spot this week after beating the Jazz 117-113 in overtime Wednesday night behind 35 points from Devin Booker. Phoenix has won seven in a row and 10 of 11. The Suns only won 19 games in 2018-19 and failed to reach the playoffs last season despite their 8-0 run in the NBA bubble, but here they are with a chance to win the West for the first time since 2004-05.
2. Utah Jazz (38-13)
Previous ranking: 1
Utah has lost two in a row for just the third time this season. The Jazz suffered a 111-103 loss to the Mavericks on Monday and a 117-113 overtime loss to the Suns on Wednesday. Donovan Mitchell had 41 in the loss to Phoenix. The Jazz will get another shot at the Suns on April 30.
3. Brooklyn Nets (36-16)
Previous ranking: 4
James Harden is expected to miss at least 10 days with a strained hamstring, but Kevin Durant returned in a 139-111 victory over the Pelicans on Wednesday after missing 22 games with his own hamstring injury. Durant came off the bench to score 17 points on 5-5/2-2/5-5 shooting with seven rebounds and five assists in 19 minutes. The Nets have won six of seven.
4. Philadelphia 76ers (35-16)
Previous ranking: 3
The 76ers suffered a 116-100 loss to the Grizzlies on Sunday with Joel Embiid, who recently returned from a knee injury, sitting out on the second night of a back-to-back. The MVP candidate returned to score 35 points in a 106-96 win over the Celtics on Tuesday.
5. Denver Nuggets (33-18)
Previous ranking: 5
The Nuggets have won seven in a row and 11 of their last 13. Nikola Jokic, another leading MVP candidate, is now averaging 26.4 points, 10.9 rebounds and 8.6 assists. Michael Porter Jr. has four double-doubles in the last six games and Aaron Gordon has been a big addition.
6. Los Angeles Clippers (34-18)
Previous ranking: 6
The Clippers are coming off back-to-back wins over the Lakers and Blazers, improving to 8-2 over their last 10 games. Paul George scored 36 points in the win over the Blazers. Kawhi Leonard had 29 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.
7. Milwaukee Bucks (32-18)
Previous ranking: 7
Two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo missed Saturday’s win over the Kings and Tuesday’s loss to the Warriors due to knee soreness. He is doubtful against the Mavericks on Thursday.
8. Los Angeles Lakers (32-19)
Previous ranking: 8
The Lakers have gone 4-6 since LeBron James (ankle) joined Anthony Davis (calf) on the injured list. Davis, out since Feb. 14, could be ready to return when the Lakers welcome fans back to Staples Center for the first time in their April 15 game against the Celtics. James could be back by the end of April.
9. Portland Trail Blazers (30-20)
Previous ranking: 9
The Blazers have lost two of their last three games, suffering a 127-109 loss to the Bucks and a 133-116 loss to the Clippers. Damian Lillard was held to 11 points after making just 2 of 14 from the field against the Clippers.
10. Dallas Mavericks (28-22)
Previous ranking: 10
The Mavericks had won five in a row before suffering a fluky loss to the Rockets on Wednesday. Luka Doncic struggled in the loss, making 9 of 26 from the field and 1 of 9 from 3-point range.
11. Memphis Grizzlies (26-23)
Previous ranking: 17
The Grizzlies vault six spots in this week’s rankings after winning four in a row and five of six. Oddly enough, Ja Morant didn’t lead the team in scoring in any of those wins, but Grayson Allen did. He had a season-high 30 in a 131-113 win over the Hawks.
12. Atlanta Hawks (27-25)
Previous ranking: 11
The Hawks had won four in a row before losing to the Grizzlies. Bogdan Bogdanovic has come alive for Atlanta, averaging 21.3 points, 5.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds in April.
13. Miami Heat (26-25)
Previous ranking: 13
Jimmy Butler scored 38 points and Bam Adebayo posted a triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but Miami’s four-game winning streak ended with a loss to the surging Grizzlies.
14. Charlotte Hornets (26-24)
Previous ranking: 15
LaMelo Ball is out with a broken wrist and now Gordon Hayward will miss at least four weeks with a right foot sprain. Ball is scheduled to be reevaluated in a couple of weeks with the hope he will be able to return.
15. Boston Celtics (26-26)
Previous ranking: 16
The Celtics are seventh in the Eastern Conference after winning three of their last four games, including wins over the Hornets and Knicks. Boston is just a half-game behind the Heat and one game behind the Hornets and Hawks.
16. San Antonio Spurs (24-25)
Previous ranking: 12
The Spurs have fallen to ninth in the West after losing four in a row and nine of their last 11. Holding onto a play-in spot won’t be easy. Their remaining schedule is brutal with games against the Nuggets, Mavericks, Blazers (2), Suns (3), Pacers, Heat (2), Celtics, 76ers, Jazz (2), Bucks and Nets.
17. New York Knicks (25-27)
Previous ranking: 14
The Knicks are seventh in the East after losing five of their last six games. That stretch included a one-point loss to Minnesota and two-point losses to Brooklyn and Boston.
18. Golden State Warriors (24-27)
Previous ranking: 18
Stephen Curry scored 36 points against the Heat and 37 against the Hawks, but that wasn’t enough so Curry scored 41 to beat the Bucks, ending the Warriors’ three-game losing streak.
19. Indiana Pacers (23-27)
Previous ranking: 21
The Pacers have won two of their last three despite the absence of star big man Domantas Sabonis, who is out with a sprained ankle. Sabonis is averaging 19.9 points, 11.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists.
20. Chicago Bulls (21-28)
Previous ranking: 22
The Bulls picked up a couple of nice wins over the Nets and Pacers after losing eight of their previous nine games. Recent trade acquisition Nikola Vucevic had 32 points and 17 rebounds in the win over Indiana.
21. New Orleans Pelicans (22-29)
Previous ranking: 20
Brandon Ingram has missed the past five games with a toe injury. The Pelicans went 1-4 in those games, yielding point totals of 115, 126, 115, 123 and 139.
22. Sacramento Kings (22-29)
Previous ranking: 19
The streaky Kings won five in a row to get back into the Western Conference play-in race, but now they’ve lost four in a row. Fortunately for them, the Warriors, Spurs and Pelicans aren’t winning either, so there’s still hope with 21 games remaining.
23. Toronto Raptors (20-31)
Previous ranking: 25
The Raptors won back-to-back games against the Warriors and Wizards. Then they lost to the Lakers after OG Anunoby was ejected for his single-leg takedown on Dennis Schroder.
24. Oklahoma City Thunder (20-31)
Previous ranking: 23
The Thunder has lost seven of eight, but the rookies have had some nice moments lately. Theo Maledon had a career-high 33 points against the Suns. Aleksej Pokusevski had a career-high 25 points against the Hornets.
25. Washington Wizards (18-32)
Previous ranking: 24
Russell Westbrook has recorded a triple-double in six of the last seven games. He had 23 points, 15 assists and 14 rebounds to help the Wizards snap a four-game losing streak with a win over the Magic.
26. Cleveland Cavaliers (18-32)
Previous ranking: 26
Darius Garland, the No. 5 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, erupted for a career-high 37 points in a win over the Spurs on Monday, helping the Cavs snap a five-game losing streak.
27. Orlando Magic (17-34)
Previous ranking: 27
The Magic has lost three in a row since posting back-to-back wins over the Clippers and Pelicans. Wendell Carter Jr. averaged 15.0 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in his first five games for Orlando.
28. Detroit Pistons (15-36)
Previous ranking: 28
Jerami Grant scored 29 points in a loss to the Nuggets on Tuesday. He was expected to miss Thursday’s game against the Kings due to right knee soreness.
29. Minnesota Timberwolves (13-39)
Previous ranking: 29
D’Angelo Russell scored 25 points in his return from knee surgery, leading the Timberwolves to a 116-106 victory over the Kings.
30. Houston Rockets (14-37)
Previous ranking: 30
John Wall scored 31 points to help the Rockets snap a five-game losing streak with a surprising 102-93 win over the Mavericks.
