NBA power rankings: Are Suns No. 1 after All-Star break? Bulls, Heat, 76ers rising in East
* Through games played 2/25
1. Phoenix Suns (49-11)
Last week: 1
Now is the time for Devin Booker to shine with Chris Paul expected to miss six to eight weeks with a right thumb avulsion fracture. Booker scored 30 points but went 10 of 24 from the field in a 117-102 loss to the Pelicans on Friday. The Suns have probably opened up a wide enough lead to hold on to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with only 23 games remaining, but they will need Paul to make another deep playoff run.
2. Golden State Warriors (43-17)
Last week: 2
The Warriors lost four of five heading into the All-Star break, but they looked refreshed in a 132-95 victory over the Blazers on Thursday. They will face the Mavericks at home on Sunday before going on the road to face the Timberwolves, Mavericks, Lakers and Nuggets. Steph Curry had 18 points and 14 assists in the win over Portland.
3. Chicago Bulls (39-21)
Last week: 4
DeMar DeRozan picked up where he left off before the All-Star break, scoring 37 points in a 112-108 victory over the Hawks on Thursday. He is closing in on Michael Jordan’s franchise record of 10 consecutive 35-point games. The Bulls have won six in a row going into Saturday’s showdown with the Grizzlies.
4. Memphis Grizzlies (41-20)
Last week: 3
The Grizzlies are coming off back-to-back losses for the first time since December. They suffered a 123-119 loss to the Blazers despite 44 points from Ja Morant in their last game before the All-Star break. Morant was held to 20 points on 7-of-25 shooting in a 119-114 loss to the Timberwolves on Thursday.
5. Miami Heat (39-21)
Last week: 5
Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry and Bam Adebayo helped Miami win six of seven before the break. They won again Friday, posting a 115-100 victory over the Knicks on the road before flying home to face the Spurs on Saturday and the Bulls on Monday in a battle between the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
6. Utah Jazz (37-22)
Last week: 8
Utah is fourth in the West after winning seven of eight. Donovan Mitchell had 33 points and Rudy Gobert grabbed 17 rebounds in a 114-109 victory over the Mavericks on Friday. They will lead the Jazz into another big shown against the Suns on Sunday.
7. Philadelphia 76ers (36-23)
Last week: 10
Joel Embiid scored 34 points and James Harden seemed to fit right in Friday night in his 76ers debut, posting 27 points, eight rebounds and 12 assists in a 133-102 victory over the Timberwolves. Philadelphia is third in the East, 2 ½ games behind the Bulls and Heat.
8. Dallas Mavericks (35-25)
Last week: 9
Luka Doncic had 49 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists to help the Mavericks go into the break with a 125-118 victory over the Pelicans, but he was held to 23 points on 8-of-24 shooting in Friday’s loss to the Jazz.
9. Boston Celtics (35-26)
Last week: 11
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have helped Boston win 12 of 14 since Jan. 23, including a 129-106 victory over the Nets on Thursday. The Celtics have jumped to sixth in the East. They have a chance to climb higher with wins over the Pistons and Pacers this weekend.
10. Milwaukee Bucks (36-24)
Last week: 6
Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 33.4 points, 11.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists over the past 10 games, but the Bucks lost three of four going into the All-Star break.
11. Denver Nuggets (34-25)
Last week: 12
The Nuggets are rolling behind reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. They’ve won four in a row and six of seven, including impressive wins over the Raptors and Warriors. On Friday, they signed DeMarcus Cousins for the rest of the season after his 10-day contract expired.
12. Cleveland Cavaliers (35-24)
Last week: 7
The Cavaliers have lost three in a row despite some big games from Darius Garland, Lauri Markkanen and Evan Mobley, and now they’ve lost Rajon Rondo, who is expected to be sidelined for two weeks with a toe sprain.
13. Toronto Raptors (32-26)
Last week: 13
The Raptors suffered back-to-back losses to the Nuggets and Pelicans before the All-Star break and then lost to the Hornets on Friday, but they’ve still won nine of 12 behind Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and Gary Trent Jr. to move into seventh in the East.
14. Minnesota Timberwolves (32-29)
Last week: 14
D’Angelo Russell scored 37 points in an impressive 119-114 victory over the Grizzlies on Thursday. The Timberwolves won eight of 11 to move into seventh in the West before losing to the 76ers on Friday.
15. Los Angeles Clippers (31-31)
Last week: 17
The Clippers have shown tremendous resiliency despite injuries to Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and, now, Normal Powell. They won three of four before the break with victories over the Mavericks, Warriors and Rockets before beating the Lakers 105-102 on Friday.
16. Brooklyn Nets (31-29)
Last week: 15
The Nets hope Kevin Durant will return against the Bucks on Saturday after missing 18 games with a sprained MCL. They need him to stop their freefall after losing 12 of 14.
17. Atlanta Hawks (28-31)
Last week: 16
Trae Young was held to 14 points on 3-of-17 shooting in a 112-108 loss to Chicago on Thursday. The Hawks have lost six of 10 with tough games coming up against the Raptors, Celtics and Bulls.
18. Charlotte Hornets (30-31)
Last week: 18
The Hornets lost three in a row and nine of 10 leading into the All-Star break, but they looked good in a 125-93 victory over the Raptors on Friday despite a rough night by LaMelo Ball, who was held to 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting.
19. Los Angeles Lakers (27-32)
Last week: 19
The Lakers have dropped three of four and eight of 11 after suffering a 105-102 loss to the Clippers on Friday. LeBron James was held to 21 points on 6-of-18 shooting.
20. Washington Wizards (27-32)
Last week: 20
Kyle Kuzma had 36 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in a crazy 157-153 double-overtime loss to the Spurs on Friday.
21. Portland Trail Blazers (25-35)
Last week: 21
Damian Lillard is still recovering from abdominal surgery, CJ McCollum was traded to the Pelicans and now Jusuf Nurkic will miss at least a month with plantar fasciitis.
22. New York Knicks (25-35)
Last week: 22
RJ Barrett electrified Madison Square Garden with a career-high 46 points against the Heat on Friday, but the Knicks lost 115-100. They’ve lost four in a row and eight of nine.
23. San Antonio Spurs (24-36)
Last week: 23
Dejounte Murray posted his 12th triple-double of the season in a wild 157-153 double-overtime victory over the Wizards on Friday, posting 31 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists.
24. New Orleans Pelicans (24-36)
Last week: 24
The Pelicans lost four of five going into the break, but they came back with an impressive 117-102 road win over the Suns on Friday behind 32 points from CJ McCollum.
25. Sacramento Kings (22-39)
Last week: 25
The Kings lost their third in a row to the Nuggets on Thursday despite a huge game from Domantas Sabonis, who had 33 points, 14 rebounds and five assists.
26. Indiana Pacers (20-41)
Last week: 26
Malcolm Brogdon returned from an Achilles injury to join new teammates Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield in the starting lineup, but the Pacers suffered a 129-125 overtime loss to the Pacers despite 29 points from Hield.
27. Oklahoma City Thunder (19-41)
Last week: 27
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 32 points in a loss to the Suns on Thursday and topped that with 36 points in a 129-125 overtime victory against the Pacers on Friday.
28. Detroit Pistons (14-45)
Last week: 29
The Pistons are coming off a couple of impressive victories. They beat the Celtics going into the All-Star break and came out of the break with a win over the Cavaliers on Thursday.
29. Orlando Magic (14-47)
Last week: 30
Chuma Okeke scored 26 points to help Orlando snap a four-game losing streak with a 119-111 victory over the Rockets on Friday.
30. Houston Rockets (15-44)
Last week: 28
The Rockets have lost eight in a row and 12 of 13, including a 31-point loss to the Clippers and a 34-point loss to the Jazz.
