With one week to go in the regular season, several of the NBA's top teams have seen their play falter a bit. It will be interesting to see if Phoenix, Utah and Cleveland can regain their mojo in the final days. One team that doesn't have to worry about heading into the postseason in a positive frame of mind are the Spurs, who take over the top spot in this week's Rankings.
This week's high riser: Nuggets (No. 8 from No. 14)
This week's big drop: Wizards (No. 20 from No. 11)
| NBA Power Rankings |
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They trail Dallas in the standings, but with victories in 21 of 24 games, they have been the NBA's hottest team since the All-Star break. Now Tim Duncan & Co. have trained their sights on the No. 2 seed. |
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Maybe they're just catching their breath a bit after playing at such a high level through the regular season, but even Mark Cuban would have to admit they have not been as sharp of late. They managed just 71 points in last Friday's loss at Denver, their second defeat in a week. |
| 3 |
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They bounced back from last Thursday's loss at San Antonio by recording back-to-back road wins at NO/OKC and the Lakers. Still, they too have not been playing their best ball down the stretch, and Steve Nash admits there are chemistry issues that need to be worked out. |
| 4 |
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Rip Hamilton has attempted 398 free throws this season, compared to 303 a year ago. Flip Saunders says Hamilton's increased effort to attack the rim (and maybe draw contact that is not called) is one reason he has 15 technicals this season. |
| 5 |
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They lost three straight at home last week, but Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming appear to be healthy again after suffering some recent back ailments, so they should be in for a strong finishing kick. |
| 6 |
10 |
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Sam Mitchell has kept them playing together as a team and sharing the ball despite the losses of Andrea Bargnani and Jorge Garbajosa. Even late-season pickup Luke Jackson has contributed. As a result, they had won nine of 11 to hang on to the No. 3 spot in the East. |
| 7 |
9 |
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Everything is setting up nicely for them as they get ready for the playoffs. Andres Nocioni (foot) is back in the lineup, and the schedule is favorable to hold on to the No. 2 seed. The key for Scott Skiles will be figuring out how to parcel minutes between Nocioni and the emerging Tyrus Thomas. |
| 8 |
14 |
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Look out, here they come. Six straight wins, including consecutive triumphs over the Mavs, Clippers and Lakers, have lifted them into the No. 6 spot in the West and given them a confidence boost going into the playoffs. But will they suddenly revert back to their old inconsistent ways? |
| 9 |
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With four straight losses through Monday, they seem to have misplaced their swagger. They even blew a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter to lose at home to the Sonics last Saturday. Meanwhile, Andrei Kirilenko is expected to miss at least two weeks with a thumb injury. |
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8 |
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One reason they have been playing better down the stretch is that they have been sharing the ball more. With Sam Cassell and Shaun Livingston injured, Cuttino Mobley and Corey Maggette have taken on a bigger role in the offense and made them a little less predictable. |
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