LeBron James keeps stacking up the individual accomplishments – but the Los Angeles Lakers keep losing. King James moved into second place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list on Saturday night, passing Karl Malone, but the Washington Wizards, the 11th-ranked team in the East, beat the Lakers in that game. They are currently mired in 10th place in the West, five games out of eighth, and so if they make the playoffs at all, it looks like it will happen through the play-in tournament. Golden State suffered another blow after Stephen Curry went down on Wednesday for a minimum of two weeks with a sprained ligament in his foot. The Warriors sit third in the West but are only two games ahead of Utah and three games ahead of Dallas, both of whom are surging right now. Take a look at our latest power rankings as you consider upcoming NBA betting choices.
NBA News: Updated Power Rankings
#1 Phoenix Suns (58-14)
Mikal Bridges has emerged as the Sun’s shutdown perimeter defender while also producing on the offensive end of the court. NBA champions need that defensive edge, even in an era when high-octane offenses are increasingly important, and Bridges could add that factor.
#2 Miami Heat (47-25)
The Heat have won three out of five, although they missed a chance to beat Philadelphia on the road on Monday night. In Saturday’s win, Tyler Herro needed only 28 minutes to put up 26 points; in March, he is averaging 25.9 points per game.
#3 Memphis Grizzlies (49-23)
Desmond Bane had an off February but has jumped back up to 20.4 points per game in March, with a 62.5% true shooting percentage. He is the secondary scoring threat after Ja Morant, who had to miss some time with knee and back ailments this last week.
#4 Milwaukee Bucks (44-27)
Could Giannis Antetokounmpo get his third MVP trophy? The Bucks are in second place in the East, and Giannis is a contender for the scoring title (putting up 29.8 points per game) AND Defensive Player of the Year. It’s hard to argue with that resume.
#5 Boston Celtics (44-28)
Since January 23, Boston is a white-hot 21-4. They have the top defense in the NBA over that stretch by almost five points per 100 possessions, and they have a +16 scoring margin per 100 possessions as well.
#6 Philadelphia 76ers (43-27)
The Sixers beat Dallas and Cleveland…and lost to Denver and Toronto. The key for Philly is the three-ball: when they make them, they are unbeatable, but they can’t generate a lot of points without those shots from downtown.
#7 Golden State Warriors (47-24)
Steph Curry is on the shelf. Draymond Green is just working his way back in after missing time with a disc issue. Klay Thompson is still rusty after an absence of 2 ½ seasons. James Wiseman has swelling in his knee and does not have a timetable to return. Jordan Poole is the lone bright spot right now, with nine straight games in which he has scored 20 or more points.
#8 Dallas Mavericks (44-28)
Ugly losses in Philadelphia and Charlotte showed that the Mavs had some fatigue to wind up a five-game East Coast swing, but the trip started in electric fashion, as Spencer Dinwiddie hit game-winning three-balls in both Boston and Brooklyn.
#9 Utah Jazz (45-26)
Donovan Mitchell hung 37 on Chicago and 36 on New York, making 16 three-pointers in the two games. That set a Utah Jazz record for three-balls in two consecutive contests.
#10 Denver Nuggets (42-30)
The Nuggets have had a solid six weeks but are still tied for seventh in the West with Minnesota with 10 games left. After getting trounced by Boston on Sunday, DeMarcus Cousins held a players-only meeting about quality of play, so I would expect a strong finish from the Nuggets.
#11 Chicago Bulls (41-29)
The Bulls have dropped eight of ten, but forward Patrick Williams returns this week after suffering torn ligaments in his wrist way back in Game 5 of the year. This should boost the defense, which has sagged to 20th overall in defensive rating.
#12 Minnesota Timberwolves (42-31)
Minnesota has won four straight and 10 of 11, and they could snag one of the West’s top six slots if they keep winning. They are a half-game back of Denver and 2 ½ games behind Dallas. They lost in Dallas on Monday but have another shot at the Mavs at home on Friday.
#13 Brooklyn Nets (37-34)
Ben Simmons continues to rehab his back injury, and the New York City vaccine mandate still has Kyrie Irving on the shelf for home games. KD has averaged 30 points per contest since he came back from an MCL sprain on March 3, but the Nets need more than KD to make a deep run.
#14 Cleveland Cavaliers (41-31)
Cleveland has won three of five, but they just lost at home to the Lakers on Monday. The Lakers are in the other conference, though, and these Cavaliers have been plugging away all season.
#15 Toronto Raptors (40-31)
Despite missing OG Anunoby and having Fred VanVleet only part of the time, this is a team on the rise, winners of six out of seven. Rookie Scottie Barnes is just the grittiest of a set of players with length and grit.
#16 Charlotte Hornets (36-35)
Can Gordon Hayward play down the stretch? He should start taking contact in the next day or two, and then he will decide his return timetable. With Hayward out, the Hornets are just 10-13 this season.
#17 LA Clippers (36-37)
The Clips look headed to the eighth spot, as Minnesota is pulling away from them in seventh, and the Lakers are showing no signs of catching up. Losers of six of eight, the Clippers are lucky to have such little movement beneath them.
#18 Atlanta Hawks (35-36)
Atlanta has virtually locked up a slot in the play-in tournament but still has a chance to catch both ninth-place Charlotte and eighth-place Brooklyn. Atlanta lost to Charlotte to tie their season series. Expect Trae Young to get a ton of time with the ball.
#19 New Orleans Pelicans (30-41)
The Pelicans are 7-6 since making Jaxson Hayes the starting power forward; in the last five games, Hayes has put up 15.6 points and seven boards per game, and when he is paired with Jonas Valanciunas, the team has a +10.2 net rating over 216 minutes since February 17.
#20 L.A. Lakers (30-41)
Russell Westbrook bailed out the Lakers with a steal, followed by a three, to tie the game against Toronto on Friday and send it to overtime, giving the Lakers a chance to pull away and win. However, their loss to Washington on Saturday means that the Lakers are still 11 games under .500 with 11 to play, within range of the San Antonio Spurs, who could still catch them and take the 10th slot in the West.
#21 Washington Wizards (30-40)
It doesn’t look like the Wizards will make the play-in tournament at this point, but Kristaps Porzingis could have a bright future in Washington. He had 27 points in the win over the Lakers, 16 coming in the fourth quarter. But can he stay healthy?
#22 N.Y. Knicks (30-41)
R.J. Barrett is shooting 37.8% from behind the arc and putting up almost 24 points per game since January 1. Can he do that for a whole season next year? If so, the Knicks will be a better team.
#23 San Antonio Spurs (28-44)
The Spurs are 2 ½ games behind the Lakers for the last slot in the play-in tournament, and forward Keldon Johnson has been a catalyst. He has hit 30 points or more three times since the All-Star break, and if the Lakers keep faltering, the Spurs will gladly take that playoff spot.
#24 Portland Trail Blazers (26-44)
Ten losses in 11 games show us that the tank is in for the Trail Blazers. Josh Hart has been terrific since coming over from New Orleans, putting up 28.6 points per game in his last five outings.
#25 Indiana Pacers (25-47)
T.J. Warren is done for the year after the discovery that his stress fractures in his foot have not healed. He has not played since December of 2020 and enters free agency this summer.
#26 Sacramento Kings (25-48)
Davion Mitchell set career bests in points (28) and assists (nine) in relief of De’Aaron Fox against Phoenix on Sunday, but the Suns still prevailed in overtime.
#27 Detroit Pistons (19-52)
Marvin Bagley III has 13.6 points and 6.9 boards per game since coming to Detroit 12 games ago, shooting 53% and occasionally starting in relief of Jerami Grant.
#28 Oklahoma City Thunder (20-51)
Darius Bazley has become an intriguing scorer for the Thunder, putting up 21.0 points per game in his last six contests, shooting 53.5% from the floor. He has put up 25 points twice and hit a career best with 29 as well.
#29 Orlando Magic (19-53)
Wendell Carter Jr had 30 points and 16 boards in a win over Oklahoma City on Sunday. Since the start of February, he is averaging more than 18 points and 11 rebounds per contest.
#30 Houston Rockets (17-54)
Houston is 2-18 in the last 20 games, and they are headed for the worst record in the NBA, which would lock them into a top-five pick. The only bright spot is Jalen Green, who has put up 18.2 points per game in those 20 games. Houston gives up 116.5 points per 100 possessions, which are numbers you only see during the tanking time of the year.
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