Week 18 NBA power rankings: Spurs creeping up on Warriors
USA TODAY Sports' NBA power rankings for Week 18 (Sunday, Feb. 26 through Saturday, March 4) of the 2016-17 season.
► MVP race: Kawhi Leonard rising, Isaiah Thomas back in top five
► ROY race: Dario Saric overtakes Joel Embiid as No. 1
TEAM (RECORD) MOVEMENT
1. Golden State Warriors (50-11) -
The biggest news of the week for the Warriors came Wednesday, when it was announced that Kevin Durant will miss at least four weeks with a Grade 2 MCL sprain and tibial bone bruise. Reigning back-to-back MVP Stephen Curry said the Warriors will "be fine" in Durant's absence, but with Tuesday night's loss to the Wizards (Durant played two minutes before leaving) and Thursday night's loss to the Bulls (the Warriors scored 87 points to Chicago's 94) — the gap between the Warriors and second-place Spurs is closing quickly.
2. San Antonio Spurs (48-13) -
Riding an NBA-best seven-game winning streak, San Antonio's last three wins came by the skin of their teeth. But they were wins all the same. On Wednesday, Kawhi Leonard hit a game-winning jumper in the final seconds to give the Spurs a one-point win over the Pacers. On Friday, the Spurs held on to beat New Orleans in overtime when a potential game-tying three-pointer from DeMarcus Cousins missed wide left. On Saturday, the Spurs fought back after a slow start to beat the Timberwolves by seven in overtime.
3. Houston Rockets (44-19) +1
The Rockets have scored an NBA-best 116.9 points per 100 possessions during their past 10 games — eight of which have been wins. They also have the NBA's eighth-ranked defense (104.7 points allowed per 100 possessions) during that span, which is an area assistant coach Jeff Bzdelik has focused on since being hired by Houston over the summer.
"These guys have been terrific. They understand the importance of defending," Bzdelik told reporters last month. "They understand that we just can't decide to turn it on come playoff time. You're gonna rely on your habits come April. So we need to constantly be developing great habits all the time."
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (42-19) -1
The Cavaliers went 2-2 this week, with wins over the Bucks (102-95 on Monday) and Hawks (135-130 on Friday) and losses to the Celtics (103-99 on Wednesday) and Heat (120-92 on Saturday). In the win over Atlanta, the defending champs knocked down an NBA-record 25 three-pointers. In the loss to Miami, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving — who combined for 81 points against Atlanta — took the night off.
5. Utah Jazz (38-24) -
The Jazz had two wins (102-92 over the Wizards; 112-97 over the Nets) and two losses (109-106 to the Thunder; 107-80 to the Timberwolves) this week. In the loss to the Thunder, Utah squandered up a four-point lead in the final minute thanks to Russell Westbrook, who hit a three-pointer and converted a three-point play. In the loss to the Timberwolves, the Jazz shot 38.9% from the field, 21.1% from beyond the arc and 54.5% from the free throw line.
6. Boston Celtics (40-22) -
With Wednesday's down-to-the-wire, 103-99 win over the Cavaliers, who were led by a LeBron James triple-double (28 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists) — the Celtics proved fully capable of competing with the defending champs. Sitting comfortably in second place in the East, Boston is just 2½ games behind Cleveland.
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7. Los Angeles Clippers (37-25) -
After losing four of five, the Clippers pulled off a much-needed win on Saturday in Chicago, led by three-time Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford, who finished with 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting. Now in fifth place in the West, expect the Clippers to fight with fourth-place Utah (the Clippers have won the first two of the four-game season series) for homecourt advantage the rest of the way.
8. Washington Wizards (36-24) +1
After stumbling out of the All-Star break, the Wizards put together a statement victory over the Kevin Durant-less Warriors on Tuesday. They followed it up with a nine-point win over the fourth-place Raptors on Wednesday, led by recently-acquired sixth man Bojan Bogdanovic (27 points). The Wizards weren't able to go back-to-back over Toronto, though, as they lost 114-106 on Friday, giving the Raptors the season series.
9. Toronto Raptors (37-26) -1
The Raptors (4-2 since All-Star break) have been able to survive without Kyle Lowry thus far, but the All-Star point guard is expected to be out until the playoffs, so Toronto will need other players to shoulder more of the scoring load moving forward. In Saturday night's loss to the Bucks, All-Star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan was held to just 11 points on 5-of-13 shooting.
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10. Memphis Grizzlies (36-27) -
Chandler Parsons, who signed a four-year, $94 million contract over the summer, has played just 32 games for the Grizzlies this season while recovering from multiple knee surgeries. He's averaging career-lows across the board: six points, 33.5% shooting (25% on threes), 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 19.7 minutes. But despite his seemingly never-ending struggles, Grizzlies coach David Fizdale is opting to keep Parsons in the starting lineup.
“(Starting is) where he’s more comfortable,” Fizdale said after Saturday's loss to the Rockets, per Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. “That’s the biggest thing – I want him to be comfortable and get connected with his teammates. I really can’t waste time bringing him off the bench where he’s not playing with the guys he’s been brought here to play with. We tossed around all of those ideas with him. But, at the end of the day, I still feel like we’re not there yet to even be thinking about him playing off the bench.”
11. Oklahoma City Thunder (35-27) -
The Thunder lost two games this week (114-109 at Portland on Thursday; 118-111 at Phoenix on Friday) despite superhuman performances from Russell Westbrook (46.5-point, 12.5-rebound, 6.5-assist averages). They also won two games this week (118-110 against New Orleans on Sunday; 109-106 against Utah on Tuesday) behind just-as-superhuman performances from Westbrook (42-point, 11-rebound, 10.5-assist averages).
12. Atlanta Hawks (34-27) -
The Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak with Monday's 114-98 win over the Celtics, which was followed by a 100-95 win over the Mavericks on Wednesday. Their lone loss of the week came on Friday to the Cavaliers, who made an NBA-record 25 three-pointers en route to a 135-130 victory. The Hawks stayed close until the final buzzer, though, outscoring Cleveland 42-29 in the fourth quarter.
"I was proud of the way the guys kept fighting," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters after the game. "We'll get better. We'll learn from tonight."
13. Detroit Pistons (30-32) +3
The Pistons were embarrassed by the Pelicans on Wednesday (109-86), shooting an abysmal 3-for-23 from beyond the arc and 3-for-17 from the free throw line, but responded with a 30-point rout of the 76ers on Saturday. They also held on to beat Portland, 120-113, in overtime on Tuesday, and stuck with the Celtics in a 104-98 loss on Sunday. The Pistons sit in eighth place in the East, one game behind the Bulls and 1½ games ahead of Miami and Milwaukee.
14. Chicago Bulls (31-31) -1
Ten of Chicago's 13 games left in March are against Eastern Conference opponents. Six of those games are against teams in the top eight of the East standings, while the three Western Conference matchups are against Utah, Memphis and Houston.
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15. Indiana Pacers (31-30) -1
After losing seven of eight games, the Pacers put together one of their best wins of the season on Monday night — a 117-108 win over the Rockets.
"It's the first game I feel like we really just stuck together," point guard Jeff Teague, who had 25 points and a pair of game-clinching free throws, told reporters. "Nobody really got down. We were just cheering each other on and competing."
The Pacers almost followed it up with a win over the Spurs, but their efforts were spoiled by Kawhi Leonard, who hit a game-winning jumper in the closing seconds.
16. Miami Heat (29-34) -1
The Heat, who have cooled down a bit (lost to Dallas on Monday and Orlando on Friday) after their 13-game winning streak, dominated the LeBron James-less, Kyrie Irving-less Cavaliers in a 120-92 win on Saturday, but have a tough road ahead, with another game against Cleveland on Monday, followed by games against Charlotte, Toronto and Indiana.
17. Milwaukee Bucks (28-33) -
After back-to-back wins over the Clippers (112-101 on Friday) and Raptors (101-94 on Saturday), the Bucks are right in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Starting shooting guard Khris Middleton, who missed Milwaukee's first 50 games with a hamstring injury, has looked like his old self as of late, scoring 19 or more points and playing 30-plus minutes in each of Milwaukee's last three games.
18. Denver Nuggets (28-34) -
The Nuggets, who won two games (125-107 over Chicago; 110-98 over Milwaukee) and lost two games (105-98 to Memphis; 112-102 to Charlotte) this week, continue to hold on to the eighth seed in the West, but the Blazers and Mavericks are hot on their trail.
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19. Charlotte Hornets (27-35) -
The Hornets have only won four of their past 15 games, which ranks 28th in the NBA, and are three games out of eighth place in the East. At the turn of the new year, they were 19-15, behind only Cleveland, Toronto and Boston in the standings.
20. Dallas Mavericks (25-36) -
On Friday, in just his fourth game in Dallas, Nerlens Noel — the former No. 6 overall pick who the 76ers traded to the Mavericks at the deadline — scored 15 points and tied a career-high 17 rebounds in a 104-100 win over the Grizzlies.
21. Portland Trail Blazers (26-35) -
With 21 games left, the underperforming Blazers — still 1½ games behind the eighth-place Nuggets — aren't going to accept a postseason absence and look ahead to next season. Not after making it to the second round of the playoffs last year despite losing four of their five starters from the season before.
"It's fun to be chasing something," Damian Lillard told reporters after Saturday night's win over the Nets. "People are saying 'Oh, you can get a pick.' And, 'They're not going to make the playoffs,' and all these things. We've been presented a challenge. That's been a challenge all year but now, it's gut-check time. It's do-or-die. That makes it fun."
22. Minnesota Timberwolves (25-37) -
After letting up 142 points to the Rockets last week, the Timberwolves have boasted the NBA's top defense over the past three games, allowing 90.4 points per 100 possessions, highlighted by a 107-80 win over the Jazz on Wednesday.
"I feel like we want it more," Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins told reporters after the win. "We want to play defense more. We've been doing a lot in practice (and) shootaround, going through it. I think it's muscle memory now, starting to kick in."
23. Sacramento Kings (25-36) -
The Kings have struggled mightily since trading away superstar center DeMarcus Cousins after the All-Star Game, and now sit 2½ games out of eighth place in the tight Western Conference race.
24. New Orleans Pelicans (24-38) -
The Pelicans have one win since DeMarcus Cousins came to town, and it was on a night he was suspended due to technical fouls. They're now four games out of eighth place in the West, with the Timberwolves, Mavericks, Kings, Trail Blazers and Nuggets all standing in the way.
25. New York Knicks (25-37) -
After a one-point loss to the Raptors on Monday and a three-point loss to the 76ers on Friday, the Knicks' postseason chances are getting smaller by the day. With 20 games to go, they're five games behind the eighth-place Pistons, who they must face two more times this season. As far as Carmelo Anthony is concerned, though, tanking isn't an option.
“I don’t know how you do that as a player," Anthony said after the loss to the 76ers, per Steve Popper ofThe Record. "I don’t know how you go into a game saying today we’re going to try to lose this game or these next 15 games, 20 games, we’re going to figure out ways to lose and tank the season and try to start thinking about draft picks. That’s a terrible way to think. I don’t think no player in any sport should be thinking like that.”
26. Philadelphia 76ers (23-39) -
With the news that both Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons won't be on the court for the rest of the season, Philadelphia's 2016-17 campaign — one that has reinvigorated the majority of the fanbase — is all but over. But don't tell rookie Dario Saric, who's averaging 18 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists over his last five games.
"Sometimes people say we don't have the main players on our team," Saric told reporters after Friday's win over the Knicks. "I don't like when people say, 'You guys are finished without those guys.' Because of that, I try to push my teammates to do a better job, and today we did that."
27. Orlando Magic (23-39) +1
The Magic, seven games behind the eighth-place Pistons in the East, are on the verge of the franchise's fifth-straight postseason absence. The silver lining? Coach Frank Vogel has the flexibility to experiment with different lineups. In the past four games, Orlando's starting five — Elfrid Payton, Terrence Ross, Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic — have been the NBA's third-ranked defense (among starting lineups), allowing just 97.9 points per 100 possessions.
"We're built better now, with our small ball attack, to play against a team like (Miami), which is playing a style of play that 75 percent of the league is playing now," Vogel told reporters after Friday night's win over the Heat. "I was proud of a third straight solid defensive performance, something we've been trying to establish ourselves with a defensive identity this year. It's been a struggle, (but) the last three games it's looked really good."
28. Phoenix Suns (20-42) -1
The Suns won back-to-back games this week (120-103 over Charlotte on Thursday; 118-111 over Oklahoma City on Friday) for just the fourth time all season, but are still well out of the Western Conference playoff picture, eight games behind the eighth-place Nuggets.
29. Los Angeles Lakers (19-43) -
First-year coach Luke Walton understands that leading the Lakers — who are a combined 84-224 over the past four years and are in the midst of a power struggle between ownership — back to the top will be a process.
“This is an incredible opportunity,” Walton told USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick in a recent interview. “We get the opportunity to try and rebuild and get the Lakers back on top, (and) yeah I get really frustrated with losing. It’s tough to sleep at night, but by the time I wake up in the morning, I’m normally very positive and excited driving into work about what we get to do for the day. That’s kind of the approach I take going into it.
30. Brooklyn Nets (10-51) -
The Nets snapped a 16-game losing streak (two games short of the franchise record for consecutive losses) with a 109-100 win over the Kings on Wednesday night.
List of voters: USA TODAY Sports' Jeff Zillgitt, Sam Amick, Kevin Spain, AJ Neuharth-Keusch and Michael Singer; The Arizona Republic's Doug Haller; The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal's Ronald Tillery; Detroit Free Press' Vince Ellis; Indianapolis Star's Nate Taylor; The (Bergen) Record's Steve Popper; HoopsHype.com's Jorge Sierra and Raul Barrigon; USA TODAY Sports Weekly's Howard Megdal.