NBA Power Rankings: Knicks’ Climb Continues Amid Season-Best Win Streak

New York has won nine straight and is on the verge of cracking the top five as it vies for a top-four spot in the East.

The top spot in this week’s power rankings still belongs to the Bucks even after their winning streak was spoiled over the weekend.

The only change among the top five was the Nuggets swapping places with the Celtics, who have now dropped in consecutive weeks after spending many uninterrupted weeks ranked No. 1. Banging on the door of the top tier is the Knicks, winners of nine in a row, two of which came at Boston’s expense.

The Suns also moved up after an undefeated week with Kevin Durant, who made his long-awaited debut in a Phoenix uniform, and the Warriors welcomed back Stephen Curry after a month without their star. The biggest fallers this week were the Grizzlies, who will be without Ja Morant for the next few games amid a league investigation into a recent social media post.

See how things have changed since the latest release of Sports Illustrated’s NBA Power Rankings.

1. Milwaukee Bucks

Record: 46–18
Previous ranking: 1

The Bucks finally lost a game. Saturday at Fiserv Forum, the 76ers got the best of the top team in the league by three points. That was after 16 straight wins—more than a month of undefeated basketball—and it had been nearly two months since their last loss at home. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the team with 34 points and 13 boards in his head-to-head battle with fellow MVP candidate Joel Embiid. He nearly triple-doubled the next night on the road in Washington, D.C., in a six-point win over the Wizards, perhaps the start of a new winning streak.

2. Denver Nuggets

Record: 46–19
Previous ranking: 3

The Nuggets have enjoyed a light schedule as of late with just two games over the last six days. When they did take the court against the Grizzlies on Friday, they handled them with ease before beating the Raptors by five at home Monday, improving Denver’s league-best home record to 30–4. Jokić recorded his 25th triple double of the year against Memphis with 18 points, 18 boards and 10 assists.

3. Boston Celtics

Record: 45–21
Previous ranking: 2

Boston has lost three in a row after an overtime loss in Cleveland on Monday following Sunday’s loss to New York, the Celtics’ third loss to the Knicks this season and second in the past week. Joe Mazzulla’s crew was also on the wrong side of a massive upset Friday against Brooklyn, falling by 10 at home. Robert Williams III (hamstring) was sidelined for both of Boston’s most recent losses, but the Celts will need to turn it around soon to keep pace with the Bucks in the race for the East’s top seed.

4. Philadelphia 76ers

Record: 42–22
Previous ranking: 4

Philadelphia began its road trip in Miami last Wednesday and won by 23 without Joel Embiid (foot). He rejoined the team the next day in Dallas, but his 35 points were not enough to keep up with the Mavericks’ scorching offense that night. The trip got even tougher over the weekend in Wisconsin, but the 76ers held their own and ended the Bucks’ run of 16 in a row. James Harden had 38 points and 10 assists, and Embiid drained the go-ahead three in the final minute to give Philadelphia a three-point win, its second in a row over Milwaukee this season.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 41–26
Previous ranking: 5

Donovan Mitchell went toe-to-toe with Jayson Tatum in Boston last week, when his 44 points were not enough in a four-point loss for the Cavaliers. But after Cleveland reset over the weekend and beat Detroit by 24 at home, it came away with an overtime win against the Celtics with Mitchell accounting for 40 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. With the Knicks bearing down on them for fourth place in the East, the Cavaliers are on the road for their next four games with the first two in Miami later this week.

Randle has averaged 32 points in six games since the All-Star break for the surging Knicks :: Jim Rassol/USA TODAY Sports

6. New York Knicks

Record: 39–27
Previous ranking: 8

New York won’t stop winning, blowing out Brooklyn at Madison Square Garden last Wednesday and edging Miami and Boston on the road over the weekend to stretch its streak to nine. Jalen Brunson racked up 39 points on the Nets and Julius Randle, not to be outdone, scored 43 points and drained eight threes, including a step-back game-winner to beat the Heat. Brunson (foot) was held out against the Celtics, and Immanuel Quickley, who started in his place, scored a career-high 38 across 55 minutes in a double-overtime victory. The surging Knicks are back home Tuesday to host the Hornets and then they head West for a five-game road trip.

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WHAT A CRAZY SEQUENCE TO END KNICKS/HEAT 🤯

Tyler Herro steals it and scores for the lead, and Julius Randle follows with a cold-blooded game winner!

The @nyknicks have won 8 straight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SlZvM1mZSL

— NBA (@NBA) March 4, 2023

7. Sacramento Kings

Record: 38–26
Previous ranking: 6

The Kings have been hot since the All-Star break and are just behind the Grizzlies for second place in the West. They lost a high-scoring contest Saturday to the Timberwolves at home, which ended their five-game winning streak, but recovered Monday to easily top the Pelicans. On Friday, Domantas Sabonis sank the game-winning free throw in a one-point win over the Clippers, and De’Aaron Fox finished with 33 points.

8. Phoenix Suns

Record: 36–29
Previous ranking: 9

The Suns won their first three games with Durant last week, all of which were on the road. He made his debut in a double-digit win in Charlotte and tallied 23 points, while Devin Booker lit up the Hornets for 37. Durant had 20 in a blowout against the Bulls a few nights later and Booker finished with 35. And he and Booker combined for 73 points in a four-point win against Dallas on Sunday. Durant’s first home game with his fourth team is Wednesday against the Thunder, the team that drafted him.

9. Memphis Grizzlies

Record: 38–25
Previous ranking: 7

The Grizzlies will be without Brandon Clarke (Achilles) for the rest of the season and star Ja Morant for at least the next two games. The NBA is investigating Morant’s recent Instagram Live in which he appeared to show a gun at a Denver-area nightclub. Morant apologized and took responsibility for his actions in a statement and said he would be taking some time away from the team. Memphis lost to the Nuggets and Clippers over the weekend and is still without Steven Adams (knee), who last played Jan. 22.

10. Golden State Warriors

Record: 34–31
Previous ranking: 14

Stephen Curry returned to the Warriors’ lineup for the first time in more than a month Sunday. He scored 27 in his return, but Golden State still lost to the Lakers by eight on the road and ended its run of five straight wins. In the two games before, Jordan Poole went for 34 in a 24-point win over the Clippers that required a second-half comeback, and Klay Thompson racked up 27 points in a nine-point victory against the Pelicans. Andrew Wiggins has not played since Feb. 13, but the defending champs are nearly back to full strength.

Westbrook has averaged 15.3 points, 8.3 assists and four rebounds in 31.7 minutes per game in six contests since joining the Clippers :: Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports

11. Los Angeles Clippers

Record: 34–33
Previous ranking: 10

The Clippers won their first game since Russell Westbrook came on board Sunday against the Grizzlies. Morant was out for Memphis, which still gave Los Angeles a fight before it ultimately lost by six. Paul George finished with 42 points, and Kawhi Leonard added 34 to put an end to a five-game skid. Earlier in the week, L.A. lost a pair of road games to Golden State by 14 and Sacramento by one. A 3–7 stretch has quickly dropped the Clippers to the play-in tournament, though they’re home for their next four and have a forgiving schedule ahead with plenty of rest between games.

12. Dallas Mavericks

Record: 33–32
Previous ranking: 12

Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving got their first big win together last week. After a rocky start, the All-Star duo combined for 82 points in a seven-point win versus the 76ers on Thursday. The Mavericks couldn’t keep the momentum going over the weekend, however, as they came up just short against the Suns. Dallas and Phoenix, which met in the semifinals in the playoffs last year, ended up splitting the season series, 2–2. The Mavs have some work to do over the next month to stay out of the play-in tournament. Luckily, they have one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league.

13. Miami Heat

Record: 35–31
Previous ranking: 11

The Heat were on the wrong end of a blowout at home against the 76ers, who were without Embiid, last week—two days after they beat them in Philadelphia. Miami dropped its next game two nights later on a Randle game-winner, despite 33 points from Jimmy Butler. Bam Adebayo went for 30 points and 11 rebounds in a Saturday win over the Hawks, whom they also beat Monday to stay atop Atlanta in the standings as the East’s No. 7 seed. The Heat’s six-game homestand wraps up later this week after a two-game set against the Cavaliers.

14. Atlanta Hawks

Record: 32–33
Previous ranking: 13

Dejounte Murray’s 41 points lifted Atlanta to victory over Portland on Friday, and Trae Young added 23 points and 11 assists. The very next day against the Heat, the duo combined for just 18 points on 5-for-29 shooting in what was surprisingly only an eight-point loss. That was the front leg of a back-to-back in Miami for Atlanta, which produced another close loss Monday night. Not the best beginning for a four-game road trip against fellow Atlantic division teams.

15. Brooklyn Nets

Record: 36–28
Previous ranking: 15

It’s difficult to know what to make of the Nets right now. They’re 4–6 since the trade deadline but still a playoff team in the Eastern Conference and they just emerged from a lifeless, four-game skid to beat the Celtics by 10, on the road no less. Mikal Bridges scored 38 points in that game and followed that up with 33 in a 16-point win over the Hornets back at the Barclays Center. Brooklyn now hits the road for a five-game road trip that begins in Houston on Tuesday.

so smooth with it @mikal_bridges 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/S0cEAo29nI

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 4, 2023

16. Minnesota Timberwolves

Record: 34–32
Previous ranking: 18

Minnesota has moved into a top-six spot in the Western Conference after its win in Sacramento on Sunday. The Timberwolves wrapped up their 3–1 road trip over the weekend with an eight-point win over the Lakers and a four-point victory versus the Kings. Rudy Gobert recorded 22 points and 14 rebounds against L.A. and Anthony Edwards delivered 27 in a shootout with Sacramento, which had previously won five straight. Next up is a visit from the 76ers on national television Tuesday night.

17. Oklahoma City Thunder

Record: 30–34
Previous ranking: 17

A loss to the Lakers last Wednesday extended the Thunder’s losing streak to five, which matched a season high. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who missed four of those games, made his return to the lineup this past weekend. Before he came back, though, Aaron Wiggins exploded for 27 points in a 27-point win against the Jazz. And in his first game action in nearly two weeks, SGA tallied 38 points—17 of which came at the free throw line—to make it two in a row over Utah.

18. Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 31–34
Previous ranking: 19

Things are looking up in Tinseltown, where the Lakers have won six of 10 and two of their last four without LeBron James. Without James or Anthony Davis, Dennis Schröder scored a game-high 26 points in a road win over the Thunder. Davis returned to the lineup Friday and scored 38 in an eight-point loss to the Timberwolves. He followed that up with 39 points and a key win against the Warriors. Los Angeles is knocking on the door of the play-in tournament with three more games at home this week.

19. Utah Jazz

Record: 31–34
Previous ranking: 16

The Jazz lost three straight immediately after they battled back to .500, and they’re on the road for the next week. Utah was in Oklahoma City over the weekend for a two-game set Friday and Sunday and lost by 27 and 10, respectively. Lauri Markkanen had 20 points and 10 boards in the first game against the Thunder and missed the next game due to back soreness. In his absence, Jordan Clarkson led the team with 18 points, and rookie Walker Kessler logged his third consecutive double double.

20. Toronto Raptors

Record: 32–34
Previous ranking: 21

Toronto began its five-game road trip by splitting a two-game set in Washington, D.C. The Raptors lost the first contest by 11 as OG Anunoby finished with a team-high 26 points. Gary Trent Jr. led the way with 26 off the bench in a seven-point overtime win Saturday, and Fred VanVleet tallied 25 points and 10 assists. Toronto is on the road, where it has struggled all year, for the rest of the week.

Ingram has kept a severely depleted Pelicans squad afloat in the Western Conference play-in race :: Soobum Im/USA TODAY Sports

21. New Orleans Pelicans

Record: 31–34
Previous ranking: 22

Brandon Ingram willed New Orleans to a much-needed win over Portland last Wednesday. He finished with a season-high 40 points in the victory, which put an end to his team’s four-game losing streak. Unfortunately, the Pelicans’ offense then crashed on the road in losses to Golden State and Sacramento, failing to crack 100 against the Warriors and barely doing so against the Kings. In addition to Zion Williamson’s absence, the team has been without Jonas Valančiūnas (calf), Jose Alvarado (tibia) and Larry Nance Jr. (ankle).

22. Portland Trail Blazers

Record: 31–34
Previous ranking: 20

The Trail Blazers are getting passed by in the tight race for play-in position in the Western Conference despite the play of Damian Lillard. He went for 41 in an 11-point loss to the Pelicans at home last week and 33 in Atlanta as his team fell by 18. Lillard again finished with 41 on Sunday in Orlando, this time in a three-point victory, then poured in 31 in a six-point road win over Detroit on Monday. His backcourt partner Anfernee Simons reaggravated an ankle injury against New Orleans and missed the next two games.

23. Washington Wizards

Record: 30–34
Previous ranking: 23

The Wizards went 1–2 across their homestand last week and are just barely clinging onto the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference. They beat the Raptors by 11 in the first of a two-game set with Toronto and lost the second game by seven in overtime. Up against the Bucks on Sunday, the Wizards fell by six as Milwaukee teed off from beyond the arc. Bradley Beal finished with 33 points, and Kristaps Porziņģis added 24 points and 13 rebounds in the absence of Kyle Kuzma (knee).

24. Chicago Bulls

Record: 29–36
Previous ranking: 24

Chicago’s only win last week came against the worst team in its conference and even that was a close one. The Bulls outlasted the Pistons in Detroit as Zach LaVine poured in 41 points in a two-point victory. Back at the United Center, they lost to the Suns by 21 on Friday and then the Pacers spoiled LaVine’s second 40-point outing of the week when Tyrese Haliburton drained a game-winning three-pointer.

25. Indiana Pacers

Record: 29–37
Previous ranking: 26

The Pacers suffered a bad loss on the road Thursday in San Antonio with Haliburton (calf) sidelined. The offense was held under 100 points in a double-digit loss to the Spurs. The All-Star guard returned to the lineup Sunday in Chicago and lifted Indiana to victory with a 29-point, 11-assist outing, which he capped off with the game-winner from well behind the arc that concluded a 3–1 road trip for the Pacers.

26. Orlando Magic

Record: 27–38
Previous ranking: 25

The Bucks blitzed the Magic on Wednesday and connected on 26 threes en route to 139 points, the most Orlando has allowed all year. Cole Anthony finished with 28 points off the bench, but the Magic stood little chance against such a prolific shooting performance. They rebounded a few nights later with a win in Charlotte behind 31 points from Paolo Banchero and then dropped a tight game against Portland at home. Orlando has another shot at Milwaukee on Tuesday at the Amway Center.

Not much has gone right for Gordon Hayward and the Hornets this season, which was made even worse last week with LaMelo Ball’s season-ending ankle injury :: Nell Redmond/USA TODAY Sports

27. Charlotte Hornets

Record: 20–46
Previous ranking: 27

The Hornets got right back to losing with LaMelo Ball (ankle) out for the year. They had won five in a row heading into a Wednesday-night bout against the Suns, but that streak quickly spiraled into three straight losses—all by double digits. Charlotte lost to Phoenix by 14 in Durant’s debut and then Orlando by 11. Sunday in Brooklyn, the Hornets scored a season-low 86 points in a 16-point defeat. They have two more on the road in New York and Detroit this week before they return to North Carolina for a homestand.

28. Houston Rockets

Record: 15–49
Previous ranking: 29

Houston ended its 11-game skid Saturday in San Antonio. Following a 14-point loss to the Grizzlies on Wednesday at home, the Rockets picked up a rare road win over the Spurs behind 20 points from rookie Tari Eason off the bench. They drew San Antonio again the next night at home and scored a season-high 142 points in a win, 31 of which Jalen Green accounted for.

29. Detroit Pistons

Record: 15–50
Previous ranking: 28

Detroit added three more losses to its tally over the last week to extend its losing streak to a season-worst eight games. Rookie Jaden Ivey tried to call timeout against the Bulls in the waning seconds of last Wednesday’s game—only the Pistons had none left, and he was called for a technical foul in a game they went on to lose by two. The Cavaliers completed the season sweep of their division foe, Detroit, with a 24-point win over the weekend in Cleveland.

30. San Antonio Spurs

Record: 16–49
Previous ranking: 30

Immediately after the Spurs lost a franchise-record 16 straight games, they turned around and won two in a row for the first time since December. Rookie Jeremy Sochan led the team with 22 points in a convincing win over the Pacers that coach Gregg Popovich missed due to an illness days after a win against the Jazz. San Antonio played Houston twice over the weekend and lost by 12 at home and 32 on the road, though the Spurs are still a half game up on the last-place Rockets.