USA TODAY International Edition
Power rankings: Red- hot Wizards crack top 10
USA TODAY Sports’ NBA power rankings for Week 13 ( from Jan. 22 through Saturday; records, standings and stats reflected through Saturday).
1. (—) Golden State Warriors ( 40- 7): With a 46- point beatdown of the Clippers on Saturday night — led by Stephen Curry’s 43 points and nine threepointers — the gap between the Warriors and the rest of the Western Conference is as wide as it’s been all season. The Warriors have outshot their opponents in 21 consecutive games, the longest streak in the league since 200405, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
2. (—) San Antonio Spurs ( 36- 10): The Spurs grabbed back- to- back road wins from Brooklyn and Toronto without Tony Parker ( missed four games with a sore foot) and Kawhi Leonard ( missed two games with a sore hand), who both returned for Friday’s loss to the Pelicans. The Spurs have won seven of their last 10 games, though all three losses have come to sub.500 teams.
3. (+ 1) Houston Rockets ( 35- 15): Led by MVP front- runner James Harden, the Rockets — who dropped back- to- back games ( to Milwaukee on Jan. 23 and Boston on Wednesday) for the second time all season — were able to bounce back in Philadelphia on Friday. Harden poured in 51 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists to become the first player in NBA history with multiple 50- point triple- doubles in a single season. “He played about as good as you can play,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “I’ve been around a lot of players, but it doesn’t get much better than that. I’ve never seen better than that.”
4. (- 1) Cleveland Cavaliers ( 31- 14): The NBA defending champs have lost six of their last 10 games. LeBron James has been publicly critical of the team’s roster, saying the Cavs aren’t better than last year “from a personnel standpoint” and they need to improve “if ” they want to repeat as champions. Yet they still sit comfortably atop the Eastern Conference standings.
5. (—) Toronto Raptors ( 2918): The Raptors, who have trailed the first- place Cavaliers all season, finally snapped their fivegame losing streak — the team’s longest since February 2015 — with a 102- 86 win over the Bucks on Friday.
6. (—) Utah Jazz ( 30- 19): The Jazz, just a half- game behind the Clippers for fourth place in the West, had lost three of their last four but had won seven of their last 10. They have a threeday break before hosting Milwaukee on Wednesday.
7. (—) Los Angeles Clippers ( 30- 18): With Saturday’s 144- 98 loss to the Warriors — which J. J. Redick dubbed the worst of his career — the Clippers dropped their fourth game in five tries. February won’t get much easier, as the Chris Paul- less squad must face Golden State two more times, as well as Boston, Toronto, Utah, Atlanta and San Antonio. Yet Paul remains confident. “If we win all those games ( during this past backslide), it doesn’t matter. All that matters is, ‘ Can you beat a team four out of seven times ( in the playoffs)?’ That’s how my mind works,” Paul told USA TODAY Sports’ Sam Amick. “You beat a team on a Monday night in January, coming off a back- to- back, and everybody will be like, ‘ Oh, this means that they can play ( at the highest level).’ ... We’ll be all right. I’m big picture, you know what I mean? I think we’ll be fine. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
8. (—) Boston Celtics ( 2918): All- Star point guard Isaiah Thomas is averaging 29.1 points per game ( second in the NBA) to go along with 6.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds while shooting a career- high 46.6% from the field. He’s also averaging 10 points per fourth quarter, which leads the NBA. The Celtics have won their last three games ( Houston, Orlando and Milwaukee).
9. (—) Oklahoma City Thunder ( 28- 19): The Thunder will have to dig deep without sixth man Enes Kanter, who will be out for at least a month after breaking his forearm by punching a chair out of frustration during Thursday’s win over the Mavericks. Kanter, one of the most productive scoring bigs in the league, is averaging 14.4 points and 6.7 rebounds in 21.6 minutes a night this season.
10. (+ 2) Washington Wizards ( 26- 20): The Wizards have the best record in the East since Dec. 1 ( 20- 9) and sat a half- game behind the Hawks for fourth place in the conference. “We finally got it down pat,” said Allstar point guard John Wall, who was averaging a career- high 22.9 points and 10.3 assists this season. “We’ve got the chemistry down pat, where we know where guys are going to be. ... We’re just all on one page. I think we figured it out.”
11. (—) Memphis Grizzlies ( 28- 21): Veteran big man Zach Randolph has picked up his play in January, averaging 15.9 points ( on 47.6% shooting) and 9.8 rebounds, up from his 12.4- point, 7.5- rebound, 41.8% averages in December. “I’m just in a rhythm,” Randolph said. “I had to get my legs under me and get a feel. Coach is playing me more minutes and longer stretches. I’m getting a chance to get my rhythm.”
12. (- 2) Atlanta Hawks ( 27-20): The Hawks fell to the Blake Griffin- less, Chris Paul- less Clippers by 10 on Jan. 23 and suffered a 26- point home loss to the Wizards on Friday. Their highlight of the week came against the Bulls on Wednesday, when they finished the game on a 19- 4 run to win 119- 114.
13. (+ 1) Indiana Pacers ( 24-22): Paul George has had an upand- down season, as have his Pacers, but the All- Star forward has turned it up lately, averaging 32 points ( on 48.4% shooting), 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists over the last three games. “I’m being aggressive and my teammates is following suit, and they want me to shoot the ball and be aggressive,” George said. “That’s what it’s coming down to. I’m feeling good getting into my spots and getting into a rhythm. I’m starting to form into second- half, playoff basketball.”
14. (- 1) Charlotte Hornets ( 23- 25): The Hornets are in the midst of a four- game losing streak just a week after a fivegame skid. The team was 4- 10 in January, which ranked 13th in the Eastern Conference. With a three- game road trip to Portland, Golden State and Utah on tap, the Hornets are on the brink of falling out of the playoff picture.
15. (- 1) Chicago Bulls ( 2325): From Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler calling out teammates to Rajon Rondo’s Instagram response to Butler shooting 1- for- 13 in a 100- 88 loss to the Heat on Friday — the Bulls have seen better days. “We obviously had a very emotional day,” coach Fred Hoiberg said after the loss to the Heat, which came hours after the team addressed the tension during shoot- around. “It’s not an excuse for how we played. It’s the worst game we’ve played all year, in my opinion.”
16. (+ 2) Denver Nuggets ( 21- 25)
17. (+ 2) Portland Trail Blazers ( 21- 27)
18. (- 1) Milwaukee Bucks ( 21- 26)
19. (- 3) Detroit Pistons ( 21- 26)
20. (+ 1) New Orleans Pelicans ( 19- 28)
21. (+ 1) Minnesota Timberwolves ( 18- 29)
22. (- 2) New York Knicks ( 21- 27)
23. (—) Sacramento Kings ( 19- 28)
24. (+ 1) Philadelphia 76ers ( 17- 28)
25. (+ 1) Dallas Mavericks ( 16- 30) 26. (+ 1) Miami Heat ( 18- 30) 27. (- 4) Orlando Magic ( 18- 30)
28. (- 1) Phoenix Suns ( 1532)
29. (—) Los Angeles Lakers ( 16- 34)
30. (—) Brooklyn Nets ( 938)