We laugh at prognosticators who say things like “if the season ended today…” and then reveal anything surprising. Well, we’re approaching the point that “if the season ended today” is becoming a possibility, with everyone keeping a closer eye on the standings with only three full weeks left in the 2020-2021 regular season. The play-in games are less than a month away, and nearly every playoff spot is up for grabs.

The Los Angeles Clippers continued their strong play to take the lead in this week’s Power Rankings, but the Brooklyn Nets are closing in on them thanks to Kevin Durant’s return. Meanwhile, the New York Knicks are also climbing, even if they couldn’t extend their winning streak to ten games with a Monday night loss to the Suns. However, they are within striking distance of the top five.

Even with facing Trae Young’s injury, the Atlanta Hawks rose four spots in this week’s rankings, and the Washington Wizards jumped a few spots as a long winning streak pushed them into play-in contention. The Boston Celtics, on the other hand, seemed to have worked things out last week, only to drop a few positions in this week’s version of the Power Rankings.

Let’s get into finding out where everyone else landed during this week’s Power Rankings.

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1. Los Angeles Clippers (43-20, Last Week’s Ranking: 5)

The Clippers have won all three games this week without Kawhi Leonard, including one against the Grizzlies with a starting lineup of Luke Kennard, Terance Mann, Marcus Morris, Amir Coffey, and Ivica Zubac — things are definitely on-par for L.A. Paul George continued his strong play this week, averaging 33 points and 12.5 rebounds in two games, while Morris has stepped up in Leonard’s absence, averaging 20.5 points on 43 percent 3-point shooting in two games this week. The Clippers have won 11 of their last 12 games and are two-and-a-half games behind the Suns for second in the West’s top seeding race.

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2. Phoenix Suns (43-18, Last Week’s Ranking: 3)

The Suns went 2-2 in the first four games of their grueling five-game road trip, winning against the Bucks and Sixers before losing to the Celtics and Nets. Chris Paul averaged 21.5 points and 9.3 assists per game this week and starting out his 18th week of the year scoring every clutch bucket down the stretch to down the Knicks and end the longest winning streak in the NBA, while Devin Booker put up 23.5 points per game on 50 percent 3-point shooting. Jae Crowder was unable to play in both of the team’s defeats this week, highlighting his significance to the team on both ends of the floor.

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3. Brooklyn Nets (41-20, Last Week’s Ranking: 4)

Kevin Durant is back from his hamstring problems, and he led the Nets to a major win over the Suns on Sunday, scoring 33 points in 28 minutes to top off a 3-1 week for Brooklyn. Though James Harden is still out, Kyrie Irving scored 27.3 points, 9.8 assists, and seven rebounds per game this week while shooting 40% from 3-point range, and Joe Harris added 17 points per game on 57 percent 3-point shooting. Brooklyn is back in the driver’s seat for No. 1 in the East, but injury concerns are arising as James Harden’s hamstring condition issued more setbacks that will further inhibit his return.

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4. Utah Jazz (44-17, Last Week’s Ranking: 2)

Thanks to a head-scratching loss to the Timberwolves, the Jazz were unable to complete a 3-0 week after defeating the Lakers and Rockets without the services of Donovan Mitchell, who is still recovering from an ankle injury. Bojan Bogdanovic’s hot shooting continued this week, as he made 44 percent of his 3-pointers while scoring 21 points per game.

Moreover, Jordan Clarkson has taken on more scoring responsibilities, averaging nearly 20 points per game this week on 39 percent 3-point shooting.

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5. New York Knicks (34-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 14)

The Knicks won three more games this past week but lost their bid at 10 straight wins games with a heart-searing loss to the Phoenix Suns down the fourth-quarter stretch, ending their winning streak at nine games. During the string, while the league’s No. 1 defense continues to stifle opposing offenses, the Knicks’ offense was remarkably dominant, scoring 118.7 points through 100 possessions.

Julius Randle, who averaged 29 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists on 57 (!) percent 3-point shooting this week, has played a key role, as have RJ Barrett, Derrick Rose, and Reggie Bullock. Game after game, the Knicks continue to look the part of an arduous playoff contender.

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6. Milwaukee Bucks (37-23, Last Week’s Ranking: 7)

The Milwaukee Bucks lost in overtime to the Suns before winning back-to-back games against the 76ers and losing to the Hawks on Sunday. Milwaukee comfortably led by double digits in the fourth quarter against Atlanta, but the game was lost due to a late Hawks run.

On 61 percent shooting, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 28.8 points and 13 rebounds per game, while Khris Middleton contributed 19.3 points on 39 percent 3-point shooting.

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7. Denver Nuggets (40-21, Last Week’s Ranking: 8)

After Jamal Murray’s devastating injury, the Nuggets have won six of their last seven games, including three of four this past week. Out of necessity, Nikola Jokic has become more aggressive in the pursuit of his own shot, scoring 28.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 7.8 assists this week, while Michael Porter Jr. has impressively assumed the position of their second scorer, averaging 25.8 points while impressively knocking down 55 percent of his averaged 10 threes attempted per game.

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8. Atlanta Hawks (34-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 12)

Atlanta jumps up four spots in this week’s rankings, and many who believe the Hawks are legit will point to their back-to-back victories over the Heat and Bucks without Trae Young. Young left the game early with an ankle injury, and the team’s only loss this week came in overtime to the blazing-hot Knicks. Bogdan Bogdanovic continues to play a key role in the offense, scoring and facilitating, while Kevin Huerter has moved into a playmaking role in Young’s absence. Atlanta is now tied with the Knicks, who they’d meet in the 4-5 matchup if the season ended today.

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9. Philadelphia 76ers (40-21, Last Week’s Ranking: 1)

What a turn of events…

Last week, the 76ers seemed to be in good shape for the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference. Now, not so much. With the Bucks quietly climbing in the East, they’re in danger of dropping to No. 3 after four consecutive defeats.

Philly faced a red-hot Steph Curry in their first game without Ben Simmons, then faced two of the league’s best teams in the Suns and Bucks. Tobias Harris also missed two games, and Joel Embiid was kept out of the team’s loss to Milwaukee on Saturday. Despite this, teams have had to find ways to win this season without having a full roster, and the 76ers are not exempt from that.

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10. Golden State Warriors (31-30, Last Week’s Ranking: 16)

Steph Curry has finally cooled off — for one night only, that is. A rough 2-14 off-night against the Wizards was sandwiched between outstanding games against the 76ers, Nuggets, and Kings in which the two-time MVP  shot 21 for 40 from beyond the arc in the other three games, averaging nearly 40 points per game.

Due to health and safety policies, Kent Bazemore and Damion Lee are out, which means Kelly Oubre Jr., who averaged 18.8 points and six rebounds this week, will have more chances to stand out.

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11. Dallas Mavericks (33-27, Last Week’s Ranking: 11)

After losing four of their previous five games, the Mavericks rebounded this week by defeating the Pistons and then sweeping the Lakers in a two-game series. Luka Doncic averaged 26 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds over the course of the week, including a game-winning step-back 3-pointer against the Lakers on Saturday. Dallas is now just one game behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the Western Conference’s fifth seed, and with the Lakers slipping through the cracks, they could very well leapfrog them in the Western Conference standings.

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12. Boston Celtics (32-29, Last Week’s Ranking: 10)

After a recent hot streak, the Celtics have lost to the Bulls, Nets, and Hornets this week, despite a strong victory over the Suns. Boston was without Jaylen Brown for two of the games, but Evan Fournier returned after a two-game absence in which he struggled to make a field goal and scored only two points in 42 minutes. Jayson Tatum cooled off a lot, shooting just 34% from the field last week. Entering the final three weeks of the season, Boston is experiencing injury woes at the most inconvenient time.

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13. Miami Heat (32-30, Last Week’s Ranking: 13)

The Heat won three games against weaker teams this week but fell to the Hawks without Trae Young in a game that could determine the Eastern Conference playoff picture. This week, Kendrick Nunn led the team in scoring, averaging 20.5 points on 47 percent 3-point shooting, while Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler continued to make consistent contributions.

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14. Washington Wizards (27-34, Last Week’s Ranking: 22)

The Wizards have enchanted the NBA, winning four more games this week to extend their winning streak to eight games, and 11 games in a row with Bradley Beal in the lineup. The offense is obviously clicking, but the defense has been impressive for a team that came close to setting an NBA record for a horrendous defensive effort last season. They allowed just 104.3 points per 100 possessions this week, and if Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook can keep this up heading into the Play-In Tournament…watch out.

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15. Los Angeles Lakers (36-25, Last Week’s Ranking: 6)

The defending champions drop even lower in this week’s rankings, and even with Anthony Davis returning to the lineup this past week, the rust on him is inconspicuous.

In his first two games back, the big man scored 10.5 points in 22.5 minutes, and he was understandably rusty. With Davis easing back into the lineup and LeBron James still out, Dennis Schroder has continued to be the offensive driver, carrying the load as Frank Vogel’s No. 1 scoring option, averaging 18.7 points and 9.7 assists on 43 percent 3-point shooting in three games this week.

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16. San Antonio Spurs (31-29, Last Week’s Ranking: 18)

The Spurs have had an ease-filled 3-1 week after a difficult schedule following the All-Star break. DeMar DeRozan’s late jumpers gave the Spurs a crucial victory over the Pelicans on Saturday and Washington on Monday, giving them some breathing space in the battle for a Western Conference play-in spot. In three games this week, DeRozan averaged 21.7 points and six assists, while Derrick White averaged 21.5 points on 40 percent 3-point shooting.

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17. Memphis Grizzlies (31-29, Last Week’s Ranking: 15)

Following a heartbreaking overtime defeat to the Nuggets on Monday, the Grizzlies lost to the Clippers before winning back-to-back games over the Blazers to tie them in losses. Jaren Jackson Jr. made his much-anticipated return to the court, which some feared would have to wait until next season. The franchise big man and former top-3 selection showed Grizzlies fans what they’d been missing since last August, as the Michigan State product averaged 19 points and 2.5 blocks in 21 minutes in two games this past week.

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18. Charlotte Hornets (30-30, Last Week’s Ranking: 17)

Charlotte drops a spot in the rankings after losing six of its previous seven games, but they ended the week on a high note, defeating both the Cavaliers and Celtics. In a balanced offensive effort against Boston, four Hornets scored 20 points or more as Miles Bridges, PJ Washington, and Terry Rozier all averaged over 18 points per game last week. They continue to hold down the fort in anticipation of Gordon Hayward and LaMelo Ball’s return.

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19. Portland Trail Blazers (32-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 9)

Portland had a difficult week, losing three games by a combined four points before losing to the Grizzlies on Sunday, extending their losing streak to five games. It’s been a difficult run for the Blazers, who are now tied for eighth place in the West with the No. 8 Grizzlies in terms of losses and are just a game and a half ahead of the No. 10 Warriors. Also, the battery in the proverbial Dame Time watch might be out of juice, considering the Weber State product shot under30 percent from 3-point range in three games this week after returning from a hamstring injury. Upon returning from his own injury, Jusuf Nurkic has continued to play well, putting up 16.7 points, 14.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in three games.

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20. Indiana Pacers (29-31, Last Week’s Ranking: 19)

The Pacers have won three straight games despite having no healthy centers on the roster. Oshae Brissett, who recently signed a long-term contract with Indiana, took advantage of the extra chance this week, scoring 15 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 41 percent from 3-point range. The offensive attack was led by Malcolm Brogdon (24.3 points per game) and Caris LeVert (22.3), with Edmond Sumner scoring 15 points per game off 54 percent shooting from deep.

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21. New Orleans Pelicans (27-34, Last Week’s Ranking: 20)

This week, the Pelicans lost to the Spurs and the Nets, with their only win coming against the Magic, making a play-in place look increasingly unlikely. This week, Zion Williamson was a beast (because of course, he was), averaging nearly 30 points and 9.3 rebounds on 67 percent shooting, while Brandon Ingram added 26.7 points and 5.7 assists.

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22. Toronto Raptors (26-35, Last Week’s Ranking: 21)

The Raptors only played two games this week, beating the Nets with a full roster for the first time before falling to the Knicks. In the two games, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Fred VanVleet each scored 22 points and went 27 for 34 from 3-point range. Kyle Lowry returned to the lineup after missing Toronto’s previous ten games, averaging nine points, seven assists, and seven rebounds per game this past week.

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23. Chicago Bulls (26-35, Last Week’s Ranking: 23)

The Bulls began the week with a major road win over the Celtics, led by Nikola Vucevic’s 29 points and nine rebounds, and later beat the Hornets after losses to the Cavs and Heat. With Zach LaVine out of the lineup, the Bulls have won three of their last five games, which is a step in the right direction.

Additionally, Coby White is finding his bearings about himself during a Sophmore Slump of a second year for the UNC product. White averaged 20.5 points and 5.3 assists on 43 percent 3-point shooting for the week – a noteworthy and commendable improvement.

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24. Sacramento Kings (25-36, Last Week’s Ranking: 24)

The Kings split with the Wolves before falling to the Warriors on Sunday, and they learned that De’Aaron Fox would be out for at least 10 days due to health and safety regulations. His absence would likely put an end to the Kings’ slim playoff hopes, but it will give Tyrese Haliburton more offensive confidence, as he averaged 15.7 points and 7.7 assists on 42 percent shooting from downtown last week.

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25. Cleveland Cavaliers (21-40, Last Week’s Ranking: 25)

With a win over the Bulls and defeats to the Pistons, Hornets, and the Wizards, the Cavs went 1-3 this week. Before sitting out Sunday’s loss to Washington, Collin Sexton averaged 28.7 points on 50 percent 3-point shooting in three games, while Darius Garland averaged 25.8 points and 6.3 assists on 48 percent 3-point shooting. Jarrett Allen also surpassed his previous high of 27 points and snatched 12 rebounds in a contest against the Wizards.

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26. Oklahoma City Thunder (20-41, Last Week’s Ranking: 26)

Three more games, three more defeats for OKC, which has now lost 13 in a row with no sign of stopping the tank. Fans must keep reminding themselves that this is the right course of action for the future, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to watch. Darius Bazley has stepped up his game this week, scoring 24 points per game despite his low productivity.

LuGuentz Dort scored 18 points in the only game he was allowed to suit up for this week while rising rookie Theo Maledon averaged 14.3 points on 53 percent 3-point shooting in three games.

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27. Minnesota Timberwolves (18-44, Last Week’s Ranking: 29)

The Wolves had somewhat of a successful week, splitting two games with the Kings before claiming a convincing victory in Utah on Saturday. With Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell in the lineup, Minnesota now has a winning record, something to build on for next season now that they’ve been formally eliminated from this year’s playoffs. Towns, Russell, and Anthony Edwards all scored at least 22 points per game and shot a combined 38 percent from three-point range this week.

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28. Detroit Pistons (19-43, Last Week’s Ranking: 28)

The Mavs, Spurs, and Pacers were Detroit’s only victories this week, and they were followed by defeats to the Mavs, Spurs, and Pacers. The Pistons have been resting a large portion of their roster almost every other game, so there will be plenty of opportunities as the season finishes up. Despite playing in just two games this week, Jerami Grant averaged 25.5 points on 45 percent shooting.

Isiah Stewart seems like a piece to keep around, as the rookie has impressed Dwayne Casey and the rest of the coaching staff once he steps onto the court and Mason Plumlee rests, averaging 13 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in two starts this week.

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29. Orlando Magic (18-43, Last Week’s Ranking: 27)

The Magic were blown out by the Hawks, Pelicans, and Pacers this past week, and at one point where it looked like their five-game losing streak was going to end in upset fashion entering the fourth quarter with a slim lead over the defending champion Lakers, they succumbed to the league’s 21st most-efficient offense, extending their losing streak to six games and 10 in a row.

Not all was sour this week, however, as six Orlando players averaged double figures in scoring, with Cole Anthony leading the way with 15 points per game. It’ll only be a matter of time before the Magic are knocked out of the playoffs and can start planning for next season.

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30. Houston Rockets (15-46, Last Week’s Ranking: 30)

Houston had a tough week of games and, predictably, lost all four, effectively eliminating the team from playoff contention. For most of the season, the Rockets have used a MASH machine to garner different makeshift starting fives throughout the year, and with John Wall recently sidelined for the rest of the season, it seems just a matter of time until other players like Christian Wood are also benched for the season.

Photo Cred: Fox Sports 1430

The race for the highest positional placing is tightening up in the Eastern Conference, and as the games between the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets are under a tight microscope, it’s growing likelier by the day that the Sixers will finish with the best record in the East. Brooklyn is mulling their options on whether to give that extra push and fight for the No. 1 spot in the East with home-court advantage through the playoffs to boot or resting their most integral championship-winning parts in the waning weeks of the last full month of the regular season, but below the two, Milwaukee, Boston, Atlanta, and New York have relatively kept their distance amidst the current standings but are inching closer as the season winds down.

That being said, the same could transpire for the West-leading Utah Jazz, who are going through their own myriad of injuries. Donovan Mitchell will have to miss a few games due to an injured right ankle and without him so far, the Jazz lost to the Lakers in a thriller where they just went flat in extra time, scoring a mere five points in a 127-115 road loss. They currently hold a 2.5 game lead over the Phoenix Suns but are eeking by as winners of six of their last 10.

Another thing to watch: at season’s beginning, the Wizards were an afterthought, always appearing as an inefficient, talent-anemic team with its reigns carried by both an initially struggling Russell Westbrook and offensive aficionado Bradley Beal. Not so much now. Washington has won four straight games and if the season were to end today, would be smack dab into the mix as a participant in the play-in tournament — thanks to Russell Westbrook returning to his old triple-double-acquiring form.

The final four weeks of the season are upon us, so let’s get to this week’s Power Rankings and see where all 30 teams lie.

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1. Philadelphia 76ers (39-18, Last Week’s Ranking: 2)

Philly got some insurance on their lead over Brooklyn in the Easter standings this past week per their downplay and outside circumstances leaning toward their benefit, and over the past seven days, they’ve moved an entire three games ahead of the Nets with only 16 games left on the schedule.

The Sixers have looked, at more times than not, the NBA’s most efficient offensive and defensive team, due to their ample spacing, an MVP candidate in Joel Embiid scoring on whoever, Ben Simmons playing as the clear Defensive Player of the Year favorite, and as a team, have possessed the league’s best net rating from April 10-18. But they’re not exactly out of the woods just yet.

Two duels in a series with the Milwaukee Bucks will be their litmus test of just how dominant they can be before the season ends, and especially so considering they’ll have to outlast either Milwaukee or Brooklyn to advance to the Finals this year.

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2. Utah Jazz (43-15, Last Week’s Ranking: 1)

Utah went 1-1 on the short week, but more importantly, they’ll be tasked with finding a contingency plan to deal with the temporary loss of Donovan Mitchell, who sprained his right ankle after going for a loose ball against the Indiana Pacers. They haven’t had difficulty in adjusting without him, since the Jazz are 3-1 in games without him this year.

Their only loss? Though some heroics by Jordan Clarkson by way of a spot-up three-ball with mere seconds on the clock sent Saturday’s tightly-contested game to overtime, the Lakers kept the perimeter-swinging Jazz to only five points in OT and gave Utah their 12th road loss on the year. That game was a back-to-back and not quite exactly a game the Jazz were sweating since they rested both Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert, but their grip on the West’s best record is slipping a bit heading into their final 16 games.

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3. Phoenix Suns (41-16, Last Week’s Ranking: 3)

Though it ended abruptly against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night, Phoenix’s 10-game winning streak was one to marvel. At one point during their streak, they stood at arm’s length and at the cusp of touching the top-seeded Jazz to claim the No. 1 seed in the West.

Chris Paul should likely land some MVP votes for how he has revitalized this franchise, dare stated, overnight, as the Jazz are primed to make the postseason with home-court advantage for the first time in 11 years. Paul also passed Maurice “Mo” Cheeks on the all-time steals list, further adding to his legacy as one of the best guards in the history of the game on both ends of the court.  Another thing to mention: CP3 passed Magic Johnson on the all-time assists list last night against the Bucks in a 128-127 barnburner.

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4. Brooklyn Nets (38-19, Last Week’s Ranking: 4)

The Nets are undergoing a bit of turbulence, which explains why they’ve fallen out of the top 3 in the Power Rankings for the first time in months. Let’s go down the list. First, they were quite undermanned and while they played until the final whistle, they couldn’t beat a fully healthy 76ers team in a marquee primetime showdown as the Sixers regained control of the East.

After that, James Harden would express further discomfort due to a hamstring strain and Kyrie Irving would miss a game due to a “personal issue” before returning to play against Philly one game later. Then, LaMarcus Aldridge, unknowingly, retires out of the blue due to an irregular heartbeat.

Finally, when it seemed like this black cloud flying over the heads of the Nets was finally passing, in came the thunder and lightning.

Kevin Durant scored eight points in nine minutes before leaving Sunday’s contest with a left quad contusion after it inadvertently made contact with Trevor Ariza’s knee on a routine drive to the hoop. The Nets then lost to the Miami Heat (who lost 3 of their last four games prior to Sunday’s contest) via a Bam Adebayo fadeaway jumper from 10 feet away from the rim.

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5. Los Angeles Clippers (40-19, Last Week’s Ranking: 6)

A seven-game winning streak came to an end this past Friday night, though it wasn’t quite a loss that the Clippers would be mulling over since star Forward Kawhi Leonard didn’t play. A fiery second-half comeback effort by the Clippers, led by Paul George’s 39 points on 14-29 shooting with four threes, came up short during their loss to the Sixers but quickly did these Clips ever rebound. Health is wealth to Tyronn Lue’s team, and the more rested they will be, the more optimal they’ll perform in the postseason.

That has to be the most emphasized point heading into the last four weeks of the season, and to see just how well they play when they’re at full strength, take a gander at what they did last night to the Timberwolves during their 124-105 home win where George scored a game-high 23 points off an efficient 9-of-17 shooting and four threes made in nine attempts. In his return, Kawhi Leonard scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds off 55 percent shooting.

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6. Los Angeles Lakers (35-23, Last Week’s Ranking: 7)

The Lakers rise a spot in this week’s rankings, thanks to a rather productive week that saw the defending champions go a pedestrian-but-acceptable 2-2 on the week. It was capped off with an upset over the top-seeded Jazz in a battle that expanded to overtime, but in that same week that they beat the Hornets and Jazz, they lost in embarrassing fashion to the Knicks and Celtics by an average of 11.5 points.

But still, Lakers fans should have their heads kept up high; Anthony Davis is making his return to the court in a matter of a few days, as his Achilles Tendinosis is all but healed up. The Lakers are already the NBA’s leader in defensive efficiency (105.8) and are still second in the league when it comes to opponent points scored per game (106.1 points allowed per 100 possessions). LeBron James’ return is also imminent, so the Lakers are likely content with finishing in the top-5 of the conference and running the table until they meet up with either the Jazz, Clippers, or Suns at some point in the playoffs.

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7. Milwaukee Bucks (35-22, Last Week’s Ranking: 5)

When it’s mentioned that the Eastern Conference is an impending dogfight just waiting to go down in the season’s last four weeks, that sentiment should not be taken lightly. Milwaukee is having one of those under-the-radar seasons where they’re in a position to knock off one of the top two seeds in their conference, but at the same time, look susceptible to succumbing to a lower seed in an early round of the postseason.

This is a big week coming up for the Bucks, who have won six out of their last 10 games and sit four games behind the first-place Sixers and two in the loss column behind the Nets. Consider this stretch of games their biggest of the season, for they’ll go against the 76ers in two games and battle the Hawks next, following their OT loss to the Suns. They have the potential to shake things up in the East down the stretch, and if this week goes according to plan for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, we’ll get a glimpse of just how good this team is and how serious their chances of coming out of the East as championship contenders are.

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8. Denver Nuggets (37-20, Last Week’s Ranking: 10)

What a horrible week to be a Nuggets fan, and that’s putting it lightly.

As said last week, Denver saw whatever chance they had of having an extensive playoff run evaporated into thin air last week, as Jamal Murray tore his ACL on a typical hop-step into the lane, and awkwardly planted his left knee into the hardwood against the Golden State Warriors inside the Chase Center in San Francisco, California during what was a comeback attempt down six points with only but a few minutes to go.

The devastating blow to the Nuggets’ backcourt will be annoyingly and inconspicuously felt throughout the rest of the regular season and the postseason, for the Kentucky product is capable of dropping 40-50 points on a nightly basis as the team’s purest isolation creator at all three levels. And while Nikola Jokic is playing like the easy choice for the MVP award this year and Aaron Gordon fulfilling the role of being the 3-and-D wing stopper and lengthy floor stretcher on the other end, it’s really hard to produce in the playoffs without your main bucket getter who can break anyone down off the dribble when spacing is non-existent.

Mike Malone has no other choice but to throw Michael Porter Jr. into the role of that No. 2 guy slot and will have to run the offense through the second-year player out of Missouri as their primary shot creator.

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9. Portland Trail Blazers (32-24, Last Week’s Ranking: 8)

Though previously hypothesized that the Blazers would’ve done better with all of their pieces fully healthy, the outcome of that experiment is anything but what was predicted. They’ve lost six of their last nine, and are only two games ahead of the Dallas Mavericks for the seventh seed after an ugly 1-3 week that saw them lose to the likes of the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, and Charlotte Hornets, in which they lost to on the road without Damian Lillard, who missed Sunday’s contest with a hamstring strain.

They’re likely looking at the play-in tournament spot for a second-straight year at this point, and certain questions arise on how the Blazers haven’t been performing to optimal standards: are opposing defenses finally catching up on how to stop Damian Lillard? Has his career-high usage (now at 31.9, previous highest usage was in 2016-17 at 31.5) finally caught up to him? They’ll have to adjust quickly if they’re to have a chance at making a deep playoff run like how they did in 2018 and last season in the bubble.

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10. Boston Celtics (31-27, Last Week’s Ranking: 15)

It’s been a long season of twists and turns, bumps and bruises, valleys and mountains, but finally, the Celtics can say that they’re playing the best ball of their season as winners of six straight.

They are a whopping 7-1 in the month of April and led by the wonderous offensive efforts of both Jayson Tatum (34.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists off 55 percent shooting, and 50 percent shooting from deep with a 91 FT percentage in his past five games) and Jaylen Brown (28.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists off 56.7 percent shooting and 41.5 percent shooting from deep with a 71.4 FT percentage in the past five games) who have led the cavalry, it’s the resurgence of Kemba Walker that is the most salient topic.

Walker has averaged a little over 18 points and 6.4 assists with 6 rebounds in the same time span, a big step forward from his abysmal first three months of 2021 where he averaged an inefficient 17.6 points per game and was more of an offensive liability than an additional asset. The return of Marcus Smart has also done wonders for this Celtics team that needed leadership and a stern, galvanizing figure to set the tone defensively.

With a fourth-place finish in a stalemate of an Eastern Conference picture looking the Celtics dead in the face, their schedule is not the easiest, to put it lightly. After Monday night’s contest against the Zach LaVine-less Bulls which resulted in a loss, the Celtics will then have to compete in some back-to-backs against the Suns and Nets, while finishing their week against the Hornets.

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11. Dallas Mavericks (30-26, Last Week’s Ranking: 9)

In a week that saw the Mavericks survive against the Memphis Grizzlies with one of the more skilled and “lucky” game-winners you’ll ever see from the likes of Luka Doncic, the underlying issues plaguing this team that’s likely primed to be a play-in tournament team are starting to come forward at the most inopportune time. In blowing an opportunity to move up the rankings with a struggling 2-5 slump by the Trail Blazers, a 1-3 week done by these Mavericks didn’t help matters at all. Losses to the Sixers, Knicks, and surprisingly, the Kings, has Dallas in the seventh seed at the moment.

And while Luka Doncic has averaged 30 points, 9 assists, and 6.3 rebounds in the Mavericks’ last four games, Kristaps Porzingis has not shown up the way Rick Carlisle has wanted him to do so. He’s still posting a horrible 110 defensive rating and is only a 47.3/35.9/85 scorer, which is, okay, but not to what the Mavericks are expecting of their second-best player.

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12. Atlanta Hawks (31-26, Last Week’s Ranking: 12)

Atlanta is in a dead-heat for the fourth seed with the likes of the Celtics and Knicks going into the final four weeks of the season, and while they’ve been productive thanks in part to a stretch of five games where they’ve gone 4-1, it hasn’t just been the Trae Young show.

While the former 3rd overall pick and Oklahoma standout guard has done everything and more to keep the Hawks within reach of the postseason for the first time since 2016, it’s been the return of Bogdan Bogdanovic and the All-NBA resume of Clint Capela built up this season. On Sunday, Capela posted 25 points and grabbed 24 rebounds against All-Star Domantas Sabonis and the Indiana Pacers, and after returning from injury, Bogdanovic has averaged 20.5 points (second behind Trae’s 25.4 points per game), 4.2 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting a little over 50.3 percent from the field and a startling 49.5 percent from deep on 8.1 attempts per game.

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13. Miami Heat (30-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 11)

When things started raining for the Heat, it started pouring. Up until the end of this week, however. They lost three straight, including an embarrassing loss to the Timberwolves. But the heroics of Bam Adebayo saved the day against Kyrie Irving’s Brooklyn Nets, as he gave Miami their 29th win of the year and kept them within reach of the fifth seed with a buzzer-beater of a 10-foot fadeaway jumper. Six of their next seven games are against teams with sub-.500 records, and with Adebayo continuously finding his confidence offensively, now averaging 19.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists over his last three games, Miami is certainly not off the radar just yet.

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14. New York Knicks (31-27, Last Week’s Ranking: 14)

What difficult schedule? These Knicks keep on winning during the Tom Thibodeau era, now winners of six straight and winners of seven of their last 10. And they aren’t just beating rinky-dink sub-.500 teams here; the Raptors, Lakers, Mavericks, and Pelicans were all put on the mantle inside the cabin of ol’ Thibs, who has given this Knicks franchise a new sense of identity as the league’s No. 1 defense who will make it known that any opponent will have to work to get their offense going.

The goal isn’t the play-in tournament any longer now — these Knickerbockers are legit and have the best chance they could hope for at this point in the season as a potential team that could finish with a top-6 record in the vaunted Eastern Conference, hanging with the likes of the Celtics, Bucks, Nets, and Sixers.

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15. Memphis Grizzlies (29-27, Last Week’s Ranking: 17)

Grayson Allen has found his place here in the NBA. Last week, the Duke standout averaged 18.5 points off 53.3 percent from the field as a veteran swingman off the bench and knocked down 20 threes out of 37 attempts in the Grizzlies’ 3-1 week. Still, this is a win-loss, results-driven league, and so he was subject to slander from both Grizz media and fans for bricking consecutive free throws with 2.2 seconds left on the clock, which was enough time to give the Grizzlies a buzzer-beating loss to Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks last Wednesday night.

You can’t hang your head with losses like that and they will have to put that mishap in the back of their minds, and quite frankly they have no other option for they’ll have a rough stretch of games up next against the Clippers with two games against the Trail Blazers, for their contest against the Nuggets ended in an undesirable way as they allowed Nikola Jokic to score 47 points and rack up 15 rebounds with eight assists to boot during a 139-137 OT loss.

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16. Golden State Warriors (29-29, Last Week’s Ranking: 18)

We have to say it again…

Look at Curry man, so inspirational.

The two-time MVP is playing some of the best ball of his 12-year career, and quite honestly, is emulating Kobe Bryant during his legendary 2006 season where it’s commonplace for him to score 40+ points with 10+ threes on a nightly basis. He did so last week and through Monday night, breaking Kobe’s record of 10-straight 30-point games by a player 33 or older. And in his last 10 games, Curry has averaged an astounding 40.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in his last 10 games.

Kicking off the week with a 53-point explosion against the Nuggets, the Warriors survived a comeback attempt from Denver and a night after that, he dropped 42 against the lowly Thunder with 11 threes to help. Then, a 33-point performance against Cleveland followed that. To finish off the week, Curry went off on Saturday primetime, scoring 47 points and knocking down 11 threes in a loss to the Celtics.

Then on Monday night, Curry kept his streak going with an even-better 49-point showcase against top-seeded Philadelphia with 10 threes. The slew of six games in which Golden State went 5-1 in helped them find a silver lining in the wake of rookie center James Wiseman’s season-ending knee surgery.

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17. Charlotte Hornets (28-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 16)

Sunday’s win over the Damian Lillard-less Trail Blazers ended a free-fall of a four-game losing skid for the Hornets, and at the moment they are well in the fight of contending for the play-in tournament with a two-game winning streak. And while they’ve felt the blow of injuries piling up and hindering their chances of competing at full strength, they could possibly look forward to the next 7-10 games in which LaMelo Ball could come back and rejoin the team, since he’s 100 percent healthy and cleared to return to basketball activities. Terry Rozier has fared well as the primary shot creator with an increased role in the wake of Ball’s absence and Miles Bridges continues to show his upward development, now averaging a little over 24 points in his last four games.

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18. San Antonio Spurs (28-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 13)

San Antonio beat the Suns 111-85 after resting DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills, and Jakob Poeltl, a decision that earned the team a $25,000 fine from the NBA for breaching the league’s player resting policy. San Antonio was a 12-point underdog going into the game against Phoenix but won by 26 points.

And then, they followed that with a 15-point win over the Pacers on Monday night, where Derrick White led all Spurs scorers with 25 points. While 4-6 in their last 10 games, they are smack dab in the middle of the play-in tournament picture as the 10th seed.

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19. Indiana Pacers (26-31, Last Week’s Ranking: 19)

It’s not uncommon to see significant discrepancies in a team’s record at home and on the road, but teams usually do much better in their own house. The Pacers aren’t your regular team this season. Indiana has a 9-17 home record, making it the only Eastern Conference team without a ten-win season, yet.

The Pacers, on the other hand, have 17 road victories, which makes them tied with Milwaukee and Philadelphia for the most in the East. They lost to San Antonio on Monday night, pushing them to ninth in the East but still within the middle of the pack for the play-in tournament.

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20. New Orleans Pelicans (25-32, Last Week’s Ranking: 20)

On Sunday, the Pelicans had a six-point lead with 1:48 remaining against the Knicks but lost in overtime, thanks in part to two poor plays on their behalf in the Knicks’ final play in regulation. It was the sixth time in Pelicans history that the team led by six points with less than two minutes remaining and failed to win.  It’s also the Pelicans’ second such occurrence this season, since it happened on January 4 against the Pacers.

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21.Toronto Raptors (24-34, Last Week’s Ranking: 23)

The resilient Raptors aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Despite all of the team’s misfortunes in recent weeks, Toronto is back in the Eastern Conference’s final play-in tournament spot after winning three straight games last week. The Raptors’ schedule doesn’t get any easier as the season progresses, but if they want to finish 10th, they should be able to fend off Chicago and Washington.

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22. Washington Wizards (24-33, Last Week’s Ranking: 25)

Don’t look now, but the Wizards’ roller-coaster season is finally starting to turn around. And it came just in time. The Wizards have won four straight games and six of their last seven, thanks to Russell Westbrook’s triple-double revival. In April, Westbrook has recorded a triple-double in 11 of his last 13 games, averaging 22.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 11.6 assists. Bradley Beal is gaining a lot of traction, scoring 30 or more in the past four contests.

Bradley Beal is gaining a lot of traction, scoring 30 or more in the past four contests. And more importantly, they’re tied with Chicago in the standings and are one game behind Toronto in the win column, making the play-in tournament a real possibility.

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23. Chicago Bulls (24-33, Last Week’s Ranking: 21)

The Bulls defeated the Cavs on Saturday to end a five-game losing streak, but it didn’t take away the sting of losing All-Star swingman Zach LaVine for an undetermined period of time due to COVID-19 protocols. LaVine’s absence highlights how far this team has fallen since acquiring Nikola Vucevic just before the trade deadline. Since making the switch, the Bulls have gone 5-9, thanks in part to an upset over the Celtis on Monday night. Also, Lauri Markkanen is averaging just 8.4 points and 4.2 assists over 10 April games.

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24. Sacramento Kings (23-34, Last Week’s Ranking: 22)

The Kings showed some signs of life on the road on Sunday, defeating the Mavericks 121-107 in a game Sacramento never trailed in. Despite the fact that Luka Doncic outscored De’Aaron Fox 37 to 30, Fox had 12 assists and zero turnovers to Doncic’s 4-4 assist-to-turnover ratio. Still, this season is all but lost considering that the Kings are 1-9 in their last 10 games.

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25. Cleveland Cavaliers (20-37, Last Week’s Ranking: 26)

This week’s matchup between the Cavaliers and Warriors was a bittersweet reminder of how much has changed since their annual NBA Finals showdown. Though Stephen Curry (33 points) and Draymond Green (10 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks) came close to matching their previous performances, Kevin Love was Cleveland’s only relic, scoring five points on 2-for-10 shooting with six rebounds.

Speaking of a blast from the past, Matthew Dellavedova (3 assists) harkened back to that golden-but-not-so-distant age from back to 2015-2018.

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26. Oklahoma City Thunder (20-38, Last Week’s Ranking: 24)

The Thunder have lost 11 games in a row, their longest losing streak since their inaugural season in OKC in 2008 when they lost 14 games in a row (which, if you remember, resulted in head coach PJ Carlesimo being replaced by a young, bushy-haired Scott Brooks). It has reduced them to the league’s fifth-worst record, only a few games behind/ahead of the Magic for the fourth-worst.

But, as has been the case throughout the season, even in the midst of a slump, positive things are happening in OKC. Luguentz Dort set a career-high with 42 points against the Jazz, then added 26 against Detroit and 29 against Toronto.

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27. Orlando Magic (18-39, Last Week’s Ranking: 27)

During Wednesday’s victory, Wendell Carter Jr. avenged himself against the Bulls, who traded him last month as part of a package for Nikola Vucevic. Carter had 19 points and 12 rebounds in his first game in Orlando against Chicago, and he has continued to impress as this season winds down.

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28. Detroit Pistons (18-40, Last Week’s Ranking: 28)

Last week, the Pistons faced the Thunder and won, despite the absence of Jerami Grant, thanks to some outstanding performances. Josh Jackson, a former lottery pick, scored 29 points, and rookies Isaiah Stewart (15 points, 21 rebounds) and Saddiq Bey (18 points) contributed significantly. Additionally, Bey, the Villanova standout, led the Pistons in scoring during their home win over Cleveland with 20 points off 6-12 shooting.

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29. Minnesota Timberwolves (15-43, Last Week’s Ranking: 30)

Although the optimistic energy that accompanied D’Angelo Russell’s return has faded, the Wolves’ success under Chris Finch must be commended. They’ve played at a faster tempo, with more discipline, and with more structure. And, perhaps most importantly, Karl-Anthony Towns’ position is changing, with him being featured in space and as a creator atop the key, similar to how the Nuggets use Nikola Jokic.

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30. Houston Rockets (15-43, Last Week’s Ranking: 29)

Jae’Sean Tate, a 25-year-old undrafted forward who started his professional career in Australia, has been a bright spot for the Rockets during their difficult season, emerging as an All-Rookie nominee. Tate, along with Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball, has averaged 11.1 points, 5.4 assists, and one steal per game.

Photo cred: Fox Sports 1430.