The Brooklyn Nets’ drive for an NBA title took a big hit this week, as James Harden’s hamstring rehab has hit a major snag, and now he has no timetable for a return. He’s made a major push for MVP this season, but if he can’t come back to the floor, that’s a huge blow for the Nets. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers are making a push in the East, winners of four in a row, three wins coming against potential playoff teams in the Clippers, Nets and Mavericks.
Let’s take a closer look at the latest power rankings as you consider your online betting in NBA futures.
NBA News: Updated Power Rankings
#1 Philadelphia 76ers (39-17)
Philadelphia moved from a tie atop the East with Brooklyn to holding a three-game lead, including the tiebreaker. That’s huge because if the Sixers can hold on, they would only have to face either Brooklyn or Milwaukee in the playoffs, instead of both. This week will see Philadelphia host Phoenix and then head to Milwaukee for a pair of games, so stay tuned.
#2 Utah Jazz (42-15)
Donovan Mitchell’s ankle sprain will keep him out for a few games, but the Jazz are 3-1 in games he has missed this year. When he went down Friday against the Pacers, the Jazz came back to win. They did lose in overtime to the Lakers on Sunday, but Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley were resting.
#3 Phoenix Suns (40-16)
Phoenix just saw Chris Paul pass Mo Cheeks to become fifth all-time in NBA history for steals, and he passed Magic Johnson for fifth in the all-time assists list as well. His leadership has the Suns playing steady ball as the pressure increases.
#4 Brooklyn Nets (38-19)
LaMarcus Aldridge retired. KD hurt his left thigh against Miami in a tough loss. James Harden is back on the shelf. The 76ers are pulling away for the East lead. Hopefully this coming week will bring better news.
#5 L.A. Clippers (40-19)
Yes, Philadelphia beat the Clippers on Friday, but Kawhi Leonard (foot) was watching the game instead of playing. Paul George has at least 30 points in five straight games, so his offense is on fire. Serge Ibaka and Patrick Beverley need to come back off the shelf next.
#6 Milwaukee Bucks (35-21)
This week could see the Bucks make a move toward the top of the East – or fall behind Philadelphia, just like Brooklyn did last week.
#7 L.A. Lakers (35-22)
AD could return on Thursday after missing two months with a calf strain and Achilles tendinosis. The Lakers have played well in his absence, as Dennis Schroder has emerged as a leader, but the return of Anthony Davis will be huge.
#8 Denver Nuggets (36-20)
Jamal Murray blew out his left ACL and is done for the season. Now the Nuggets have brought in Austin Rivers on a ten-day deal to see if he can fill the gap. Replacing up to 50 points a night will be a tough task.
#9 Boston Celtics (31-26)
The C’s have won six in a row and eight of nine. This weekend, we’ll see how tough they are, as they host Phoenix on Thursday and then visit the Nets the next night.
#10 Portland Trail Blazers (32-24)
Portland has dropped six of nine, as Damian Lillard has had defenders making him give the ball up instead of getting his usual point total. It may be time for him to begin to force the issue.
#11 Dallas Mavericks (30-26)
Dallas has dropped five of seven, including a bad loss to Sacramento at home on Sunday. The team has stopped playing defense and boxing out – two basic elements of winning basketball. Not even Luka can outscore entire teams night after night.
#12 Atlanta Hawks (31-26)
Bogdan Bogdanovic is healthy, and he is now averaging 20.5 points per game, along with 4.2 assists and 4.1 boards, shooting 50.3% overall and 49.5% from downtown in his last 13 games. That will help the Hawks down the stretch.
#13 Miami Heat (29-28)
Miami picked up a huge win on Sunday, getting the buzzer-beater from Bam Adebayo to take down Brooklyn. After that win, they have six of seven against teams with losing records. Bam is putting up 19.3 points, 8.3 boards and 3.7 assists per game in his last three.
#14 New York Knicks (31-27)
The Knicks picked up another tough win on Sunday, taking down New Orleans in overtime at home. Can the Knicks stick around and make the top six?
#15 Memphis Grizzlies (29-26)
Memphis has won three of four, and the loss came in fluke fashion, as Luka Doncic made a ridiculous shot from behind the arc to win at the last minute. Grayson Allen has had a great week for Memphis – not only has he stopped tripping people, but he put up 18.5 points per game, shooting 53.3% from the floor, in those four contests.
#16 Charlotte Hornets (28-28)
LaMelo Ball (fractured wrist) looks to be on the mend, and Miles Bridges and Terry Rozier have been carrying the team while Ball and Gordon Hayward look to come back.
#17 Golden State Warriors (28-29)
James Wiseman is done for the season after knee surgery, but Golden State won four in a row through last week thanks to Stephen Curry’s scoring brilliance.
#18 San Antonio Spurs (27-28)
Yes, the Spurs fell to Toronto and Portland, but then they spanked the Suns by 26 despite keeping Patty Mills, Jakob Poeltl and DeMar DeRozan on the bench for rest. The NBA fined the team $25,000 for violating the player resting policy – and the Spurs still won by 26? Just another crazy 2021 headline.
#19 Indiana Pacers (26-30)
Odd fact: Indiana is 9-16 at home – and 17-14 on the road. No other East team has failed to win at least ten home games, and no other East team has more road wins.
#20 New Orleans Pelicans (25-32)
There are still growing pains with this young team, as they lead the Knicks by six with 1:48 to go in regulation before losing in overtime. That also happened against Indiana on January 4. Learning to finish games will make this team even more dangerous.
#21 Toronto Raptors (24-34)
Three wins in a row last week have the Raptors in the tenth spot in the East – the final play-in spot. They have what it takes to hold off the Bulls and the Wizards down the stretch.
#22 Washington Wizards (23-33)
Washington has won four in a row and six of seven; Russell Westbrook has 11 triple-doubles in his last 13 contests, and Bradley Beal is back, with at least 30 points in four straight games. The bottom of the East playoff standings is getting interesting.
#23 Chicago Bulls (23-33)
Zach LaVine is on the shelf for a while because of COVID-19 protocols, and trading for Nikola Vucevic hasn’t helped the offense at all. The Bulls have gone 4-9 since the trade, and Lauri Markkanen has put up just 8.4 points and 4.2 assists per game in April.
#24 Sacramento Kings (23-34)
That Sunday win over Dallas was a nice result, as De’Aaron Fox put up 30. However, it said more about Dallas’ lack of defense than any progress from the Kings.
#25 Cleveland Cavaliers (20-36)
The only players still with Cleveland from their glory days a few years back are Kevin Love and Matthew Dellavedova. Neither one is making major contributions in the Cavs’ rebuilding these days.
#26 Oklahoma City Thunder (20-37)
The tanking is real now, as the team has lost 10 in a row. One bright spot has been Luguentz Dort, who dropped 42 against Utah for a career high, and then scored 26 against the Pistons and 29 against the Raptors.
#27 Detroit Pistons (17-40)
Another team in a rebuild, the Pistons got a nice win over Oklahoma City despite missing Jerami Grant. Josh Jackson dropped 29 on the Thunder, and Isaiah Stewart had 15 points and 21 boards, not bad for a rookie.
#28 Orlando Magic (18-39)
Wendell Carter Jr had 19 points and a dozen boards against Chicago after the Bulls shipped him to Florida in the Nikola Vucevic deal. Carter has taken on some new life in Orlando.
#29 Minnesota Timberwolves (15-43)
New coach Chris Finch has the team playing with more discipline, structure and pace. Karl-Anthony Towns’ role is shifting a bit, with him more in space working as a creator. The Wolves seem to be copying Denver’s plan for Nikola Jokic, and it looks good so far.
#30 Houston Rockets (15-42)
Jae’Sean Tate, the undrafted forward, has established himself as an All-Rookie candidate. He has shot 52.7% percent from the floor, averaging 11.1 points and 5.4 boards per game. According to basketball-reference.com, he is tops in this year’s rookie class in win shares at 3.7.
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