NBA power rankings: Cavaliers, Thunder or Celtics best team this season?
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MEMPHIS – The Cleveland Cavaliers have the NBA’s best record, but they’re 1-2 against the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics.
So, should Cleveland, Boston or the Oklahoma City Thunder stand alone atop The Arizona Republic’s latest NBA power rankings.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (47-10)
Last week: No. 2 in rankings.
The Cavaliers have won their last seven games and are 11-1 in their last 12 games, with the Celtics handing them their only defeat during this stretch. Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points in Cleveland’s latest win, 129-123, against Memphis.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (46-10)
Last week: No. 1 in rankings.
OKC avenged an earlier loss to Minnesota with a 130-123 victory Sunday to end a three-game road trip. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points in the win. The Thunder and Timberwolves meet again on Monday in OKC.
3. Boston Celtics (41-16)
Last week: No. 3 in rankings.
The Celtics are on a similar tear like Cleveland. They’ve won five in a row and nine of their last 10. Jayson Tatum has been stuffing the stat sheet as of late, posting 72 points, 35 rebounds and 26 assists in his last three games.
Last week: No. 5 in rankings.
The Los Angeles Lakers snapped Denver’s nine-game winning streak. The Nuggets have a tough four-game road trip starting Monday at Indiana and continuing with matchups against Milwaukee, Detroit and Boston. The four Eastern Conference teams have a combined 136-89 record.
Last week: No. 4 in rankings.
The Grizzlies are 2-4 in their last six games. They have allowed 127.2 points in their last four defeats. Memphis clearly has to tighten up on that end. Start a five-game homestand Tuesday against Phoenix. Memphis is 2-0 versus the Suns.
Teams 6-10
New York Knicks (37-20): Cleveland thoroughly destroyed them, 142-105. Ouch, but New York still has the same record as Memphis and Denver.
Los Angeles Lakers (34-21): Luka Doncic re-introduced himself with a near triple-double effort in the Lakers’ statement win over the Nuggets — 32 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Houston Rockets (35-22): Can’t lose to Utah. Even if the game is in Salt Lake City, the Rockets can’t afford to fall to the second-worst team in the West.
Indiana Pacers (32-23): Nice win over the Los Angeles Clippers, 129-111, as Tyrese Haliburton posted 29 points and 12 assists.
Minnesota Timberwolves (31-27): The win over OKC is keeping the T-Wolves in the top 10 because they’re 1-4 in their last five games.
Dropped out of 6-10: Los Angeles Clippers (31-25).
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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