Power Rankings: Thunder, Mavs & Wolves move up

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The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors remain stuck in the 9-10 slot for the SoFI Play-In Tournament game in the Western Conference, unable to catch the eighth-place Phoenix Suns.
Things would be different, of course, if the Lakers and Warriors were in the Eastern Conference. And it was their wins on Tuesday (over the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat) that clinched a winning record for the West in interconference games this season.
The Eastern Conference had a better record in each of the last two seasons, but the West was dominant before that and this will be the 22nd time in the last 25 years that the West has had the better record.
Just two weeks ago, both the Warriors (35-31) and Lakers (36-32) had worse records than the eighth-best team in the East (37-30), so they would have been in the ninth and 10th spots in either conference.
Now, that’s no longer the case, with the Lakers having the same record as the sixth-place Indiana Pacers and the Warriors having a better record than the eighth-place Philadelphia 76ers.
On top of that, the Warriors (20-10) and Lakers (17-10) are a combined 37-20 against the East, so if they were actually in the Eastern Conference (and playing more games against it), they’d be even higher in the standings.
Alas, it’s just one of those years where staying afloat in the Western Conference is much tougher. And as good as the Lakers and Warriors are playing right now, they will need some help to climb out of that 9-10 Play-In game.
Plus-Minus Players of the Week
Teams of the Week
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East vs. West
Schedule strength through Week 23
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Movement in the Rankings
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Week 24 Team to Watch
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Previously…
OffRtg: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank)
DefRtg: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)
NetRtg: Point differential per 100 possessions (League Rank)
Pace: Possessions per 48 minutes (League Rank)
The league has averaged 114.7 points scored per 100 possessions and 99.2 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes this season.

NBA.com’s Power Rankings, released every Monday during the season, are just one man’s opinion. If you have an issue with the rankings, or have a question or comment for John Schuhmann, send him an e-mail or contact him via threads.
Record: 52-23
OffRtg: 117.7 (7) DefRtg: 112.7 (10) NetRtg: +5.0 (6) Pace: 97.3 (27)
The Nuggets have gone 3-2 as they’ve played their last five games without Jamal Murray, slipping out of first place in the Western Conference with losses to the Suns and Wolves last week.
Three takeaways
Only two of the Nuggets’ remaining seven games are against teams with winning records. They have another visit from the Wolves next week and will be in L.A to play the Clippers (whom they haven’t faced since early December) on Thursday.

Week 24: vs. SAS, @ LAC, vs. ATL
Record: 58-16
OffRtg: 122.3 (1) DefRtg: 110.7 (3) NetRtg: +11.7 (1) Pace: 98.1 (18)
The Celtics do not want to see the 34-40 Hawks in the playoffs, having lost two games in Atlanta last week. They still need three more wins to clinch the overall No. 1 seed in the postseason.
Three takeaways
Before their two losses to the Hawks last week, the Celtics were 28-1 against the bottom 12 teams in the league. The previous loss (Nov. 20) was in Charlotte, where they’ll be on Monday. They’ll have a rest advantage there and against both the Thunder and Kings later in the week.
Week 24: @ CHA, vs. OKC, vs. SAC, vs. POR
Record: 52-22
OffRtg: 118.7 (4) DefRtg: 111.5 (5) NetRtg: +7.3 (2) Pace: 100.7 (7)
The Thunder lost a nail-biter against Houston last week, but they responded to beat the Suns and Knicks, and they’re back in first place in the Western Conference, having clinched their first playoff berth in Mark Daigneault’s four seasons as coach.
Three takeaways
That includes a win over the Celtics (Jan. 2) in which the Thunder almost blew an 18-point, fourth-quarter lead. The rematch is in Boston on Wednesday, when the Thunder will be at a rest disadvantage, having played in Philadelphia the night before.

Week 24: @ PHI, @ BOS, @ IND, @ CHA
Record: 51-23
OffRtg: 115.6 (18) DefRtg: 108.2 (1) NetRtg: +6.4 (3) Pace: 97.7 (22)
The Wolves were the West’s No. 1 seed after winning in Denver on Friday, but saw that slip away when they couldn’t complete a comeback from 16 points down against the Bulls over the weekend.
Three takeaways
The only Western Conference team that the Wolves haven’t beaten is the Suns (0-1), who they’ll face twice in the last 10 days of the season. The first of those in Phoenix on Friday, when it will be interesting to see how Gobert is defending pick-and-rolls involving the Suns’ pull-up shooters.
Week 24: vs. HOU, vs. TOR, @ PHX, @ LAL
Record: 47-27
OffRtg: 118.4 (5) DefRtg: 115.0 (14) NetRtg: +3.5 (8) Pace: 100.9 (5)
Losses to the Lakers and Pelicans last week put the Bucks in danger of falling out of the No. 2 seed in the East. But they got a win in Atlanta on Saturday and are back to holding a three-game lead in the loss column over the Cavs and Knicks.
Three takeaways
The Bucks are just 17-5 (16th best) against the bottom nine teams in the league, but their next three games are against teams that are a combined 13-45 since the All-Star break. After that, their remaining five games are against teams with winning records and top-10 defenses.
Week 24: @ WAS, vs. MEM, vs. TOR, vs. NYK
Record: 45-29
OffRtg: 117.9 (6) DefRtg: 115.7 (21) NetRtg: +2.2 (12) Pace: 100.6 (9)
The Mavs have won 11 of their last 12 games and their seven straight wins are the longest active winning streak in the league because they put an end to the Rockets’ 11-game streak on Sunday.
Three takeaways
The Mavs will have a rest advantage against the Hawks on Thursday, but that’s the start of their second and final stretch of five games in seven days. This 11-1 stretch includes a win over the Warriors, who they’ll face twice in the next five days.

Week 24: @ GSW, vs. ATL, vs. GSW, vs. HOU
Record: 45-29
OffRtg: 116.6 (12) DefRtg: 111.4 (4) NetRtg: +5.2 (4) Pace: 98.8 (16)
Playing without Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans are 1-2 on what is a pretty tough six-game homestand, with the cumulative opponent winning percentage for the first five games is .657.
Three takeaways
With their 1-2 Week 23, the Pelicans are 13-13 in games played between the league’s top 10 teams (regarding winning percentage). The Suns are outside of that group, but only two games behind the Pels, with the final two meetings this week.
Week 24: vs. PHX, vs. ORL, vs. SAS, @ PHX
Record: 47-27
OffRtg: 119.0 (3) DefRtg: 115.3 (18) NetRtg: +3.7 (7) Pace: 97.6 (24)
The Clippers are holding onto fourth place in the West, having won the first three games of a four-game trip.
Three takeaways
After three games out East, the Clippers will complete their road trip in Sacramento on Tuesday. Six of their final seven games will be at home, but their visit from the Nuggets on Thursday is the start of their third stretch of five games in seven days. They’re 1-2 vs. the champs, with the last meeting having come almost four months ago (Dec. 6).
Week 24: @ SAC, vs. DEN, vs. UTA, vs. CLE
Record: 43-31
OffRtg: 117.1 (9) DefRtg: 114.4 (13) NetRtg: +2.7 (10) Pace: 99.1 (15)
Before they began the gauntlet (their final 10 games against very good teams), the Suns lost to the Spurs for a third time. They got a good win in Denver, but are 1-1 in that final-10 stretch, having been clobbered in Oklahoma City on Friday.
Three takeaways
The Suns are now 20-13 when all three stars have been available (plus -3.2 points per 100 possessions in those 33 games), so if they all play in each of their eight remaining games, that will be exactly half the season.
No team has a tougher remaining schedule, but the sixth-place Pelicans’ slate isn’t easy. Phoenix is just two games behind New Orleans, with two head-to-head meetings this week. The Suns won the first meeting (behind 52 points from Devin Booker), so they have the edge for the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Week 24: @ NOP, vs. CLE, vs. MIN, vs. NOP
Record: 44-30
OffRtg: 117.0 (10) DefRtg: 112.0 (8) NetRtg: +5.0 (5) Pace: 96.1 (30)
The Knicks were getting along fine without both Julius Randle and OG Anunoby (and possibly challenging for the No. 2 seed in the East) until losing a couple of close games over the weekend.
Three takeaways
The Knicks still have a three-game cushion over the seventh-place Heat, but if they don’t want them in the first round of the playoffs, they’d surely like to keep them in the SoFi Play-In Tournament group with a win in Miami on Tuesday. New York has won the first two meetings, with Brunson totaling 56 points on 58% shooting over the two wins.
Week 24: @ MIA, vs. SAC, @ CHI, @ MIL
Record: 41-33
OffRtg: 113.1 (21) DefRtg: 111.7 (6) NetRtg: +1.5 (16) Pace: 97.0 (28)
The Heat have been inconsistent, but they’re pretty much in the same spot they were a year ago, with a chance to chance to avoid the SoFi Play-In Tournament if they can finish the season strong.
Three takeaways
The Heat are 10-11 (with a positive point differential) in games played between the top eight teams in the East, with their last three games within the group coming this week. The biggest of those is in Indiana on Sunday, with the two teams tied both in the loss column and in the season series (1-1). That’s also the middle of the Heat’s only stretch of five games in seven days this season.
Week 24: vs. NYK, vs. PHI, @ HOU, @ IND
Record: 45-30
OffRtg: 114.7 (17) DefRtg: 111.8 (7) NetRtg: +3.0 (9) Pace: 97.5 (25)
The Cavs got both Max Strus and Donovan Mitchell back last week, but they haven’t exactly gotten back on track. They’re just 9-13 since the All-Star break and they lost in Charlotte last week.
Three takeaways
The Cavs need to figure out their road issues now, because their loss in Denver was the start of a five-game trip, and they’ll be at a rest disadvantage in Phoenix on Wednesday and again against the Clippers on Sunday afternoon. If they don’t get back on track, they’ll be starting the playoffs on the road, currently leading the fifth-place Magic by just a game in the loss column.
Week 24: @ UTA, @ PHX, @ LAL, @ LAC
Record: 43-31
OffRtg: 116.5 (13) DefRtg: 115.2 (17) NetRtg: +1.3 (18) Pace: 99.7 (12)
The Kings lost their two biggest games of the season, scoring just 102.1 points per 100 possessions as they went 0-2 against the Mavs last week. And they lost a key contributor along the way.
Three takeaways
Having lost those two games to Dallas and with six of their remaining eight games against teams no worse than the Suns, there’s now a chance that the Kings could slide down to the 9-10 Play-In game in the West.
Before the Knicks eviscerated the Raptors last week, the most efficient offensive performance for any team this season was the Celtics’ 144 points on 95 possessions (151.6 per 100) in Sacramento in late December. The Kings will be at a rest disadvantage when they face the most efficient offense in NBA history again on Friday, Game 2 of a four-game trip.
Week 24: vs. LAC, @ NYK, @ BOS, @ BKN
Record: 42-33
OffRtg: 119.9 (2) DefRtg: 117.8 (24) NetRtg: +2.1 (14) Pace: 102.2 (2)
The Pacers had a weird week, with wins against the Clippers and Lakers sandwiching a 26-point loss in Chicago. They remain in a tight battle for the final guaranteed playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, with a huge game in that regard coming this week.
Three takeaways
The sixth-place Pacers are tied in the loss column with the seventh-place Heat, so their biggest game of the season is Sunday when the head-to-head tiebreaker will be determined in Indiana. The two teams haven’t faced each other since they combined to score 134 points per 100 possessions over a two-game split in Miami on Nov. 30 and Dec. 2.
Week 24: vs. BKN, @ BKN, vs. OKC, vs. MIA
Record: 42-33
OffRtg: 115.1 (15) DefRtg: 115.0 (15) NetRtg: +0.2 (19) Pace: 101.2 (4)
The Lakers are 3-1 on a six-game road trip and have won six of their last seven overall, but they remain in ninth place in the West, two games in the loss column behind the eighth-place Suns.
Three takeaways
With the Warriors having won four straight games, the Lakers have just a one-game lead in the loss column for the 9 seed in the West. The final two games of their trip are against teams – Toronto and Washington – that are a combined 9-31 since the All-Star break, but the schedule will get more serious after that.
Week 24: @ TOR, @ WAS, vs. CLE, vs. MIN
Record: 40-34
OffRtg: 116.9 (11) DefRtg: 115.0 (16) NetRtg: +1.9 (15) Pace: 100.0 (11)
The Warriors have seemingly heard the Rockets’ footsteps, and they’ve responded by winning four straight games to build a two-game lead over Houston for the final SoFi Play-In Tournament spot in the West.
Three takeaways
The Warriors have a tougher remaining schedule than the team (the Lakers) they’re chasing for ninth place in the West, but they have an easier remaining schedule than the team (the Rockets) that’s chasing them. They’re back home for just one game and then they’re back on the road for a huge game in Houston on Thursday.
Week 24: vs. DAL, @ HOU, @ DAL, vs. UTA
Record: 43-31
OffRtg: 112.8 (23) DefRtg: 110.4 (2) NetRtg: +2.4 (11) Pace: 97.1 (26)
The Magic are 4-3 on the eight-game homestand than concludes on Monday, having lost three straight close games before taking care of business against the Grizzlies on Saturday.
Three takeaways
After the eight-game homestand concludes with a game against the Blazers on Monday, the Magic will play five of their next six games on the road. They were just 9-16 on the road at one point, but are 8-3 away from the Kia Center since late January.
Week 24: vs. POR, @ NOP, @ CHA, vs. CHI
Record: 38-36
OffRtg: 113.6 (20) DefRtg: 112.2 (9) NetRtg: +1.4 (17) Pace: 99.6 (14)
The Rockets’ 11-game winning streak ended Sunday, and because the Warriors have now won four straight, Houston needs a head-to-head win this week.
Three takeaways
Now we see if Green’s incredible March carries over into April, with the Rockets set to begin the month with a road game against the league’s No. 1 defense. They’ve scored an anemic 92 points per 100 possessions (the worst mark among all Minnesota opponents) as they’ve lost their first two games against the Wolves.
Week 24: @ MIN, vs. GSW, vs. MIA, @ DAL
Record: 40-35
OffRtg: 116.4 (14) DefRtg: 114.2 (12) NetRtg: +2.2 (13) Pace: 98.0 (20)
The Sixers got to play the Raptors on Sunday, completing a season sweep of Nick Nurse’s former team. But they’re just 2-5 on a stretch where they’re playing nine of 11 games on the road.
Three takeaways
The Sixers’ next two games are the end of a stretch where they will have played 13 of 15 against teams with winning records. After they host the Thunder on Tuesday, their final six games will be against teams that rank in the bottom 10 offensively.
Week 24: vs. OKC, @ MIA, @ MEM, @ SAS
Record: 34-40
OffRtg: 117.4 (8) DefRtg: 118.7 (27) NetRtg: -1.3 (20) Pace: 100.8 (6)
The Hawks couldn’t stop Milwaukee’s offense on Saturday, but the four-game winning streak that preceded that loss has put them in position to possibly take home-court advantage in the 9-10 SoFi Play-In Tournament game from the Bulls.
Three takeaways
The Hawks trail the ninth-place Bulls by just a game in the loss column, and they’ll have a rest advantage when the two teams meet in Chicago on Monday. The Bulls own the tiebreaker having won the first two meetings, with Young having shot just 9-for-31 (29%) over those two games.

Week 24: @ CHI, vs. DET, @ DAL, @ DEN
Record: 36-39
OffRtg: 113.9 (19) DefRtg: 115.6 (20) NetRtg: -1.7 (21) Pace: 96.9 (29)
There were a few Jekyll-and-Hyde teams last week and the Bulls led the pack, losing to the Wizards (who were without four of their five starters) and Nets, but also beating the Pacers and Wolves.
Three takeaways
The Bulls have played just six rest-disadvantage games (the fewest in the league) thus far. They have two more remaining, with the first of those (Monday in Atlanta) possibly being their biggest game of the season, as it will go a long way in determining who has home-court advantage in the 9-10 Play-In game in the East.
Week 24: vs. ATL, vs. NYK, @ ORL
Record: 29-46
OffRtg: 113.1 (22) DefRtg: 115.4 (19) NetRtg: -2.4 (22) Pace: 97.6 (23)
Bad news for the Rockets (who own Brooklyn’s first-round Draft pick): The Nets won three straight games last week, tying the Jazz with 29 wins for the season.
Three numbers on the Nets’ defense
The Nets still have some work to do to avoid finishing in the bottom 10 defensively, and they’ll face the league’s second-ranked offense in their next two games, playing with a rest disadvantage in Indiana on Monday.
Week 24: @ IND, vs. IND, vs. DET, vs. SAC
Record: 18-57
OffRtg: 109.6 (26) DefRtg: 116.5 (22) NetRtg: -6.9 (25) Pace: 101.8 (3)
The Spurs won three straight games and played spoiler last week, beating the Suns without Victor Wembanyama and beating the Knicks behind a career-high 40 points and 20 rebounds from the Kia Rookie of the Year favorite.
Three numbers on the Spurs’ defense
Even with the three-game winning streak, the Spurs still need two more wins to avoid finishing with the worst record in franchise history. Five of their seven remaining games are against teams with winning records, and two of those are against the Nuggets.
Week 24: @ DEN, @ NOP, vs. PHI
Record: 29-46
OffRtg: 114.8 (16) DefRtg: 119.3 (30) NetRtg: -4.6 (23) Pace: 100.4 (10)
The Jazz have lost nine straight games and are now 3-20 since the trade deadline, having allowed 4.0 more points per 100 possessions than any other team over that stretch.
Three numbers on the Jazz’s defense
The Jazz are one of two teams — the Blazers are the other — with more wins against the opposite conference (15-14) than they have against their own (14-32), and they’ll play their final interconference game (hosting the Cavs) on Tuesday.
Week 24: vs. CLE, @ LAC, @ GSW
Record: 24-50
OffRtg: 106.7 (30) DefRtg: 113.9 (11) NetRtg: -7.2 (26) Pace: 98.8 (17)
The Grizzlies are 0-5 with Desmond Bane since his return from injury and they got clobbered in Orlando without him on Saturday.
Three numbers on the Grizzlies’ defense
There’s a pretty big gap between Denver’s 10th-ranked defense (112.7 points allowed per 100 possessions) and that of the Grizzlies (113.9), so it will be tough for them to finish in the top 10 on that end of the floor for a fourth straight season. They have three games remaining against bottom-10 offenses, with two of those being games against the Pistons this week.
Week 24: @ DET, @ MIL, vs. DET, vs. PHI
Record: 23-51
OffRtg: 112.3 (24) DefRtg: 117.9 (25) NetRtg: -5.6 (24) Pace: 99.6 (13)
The Raptors’ losing streak is at 13 games, and the 145 points on 93 possessions (155.9 per 100) that they allowed the Knicks to score on Wednesday was the second most efficient game for any team in the 28 seasons for which we have play-by-play data.
Three numbers on the Raptors’ defense
The Raptors have a relatively tough remaining schedule, and their best chance to avoid finishing the season with a 21-game losing streak will be Sunday when they host the Wizards (who they lost to in Washington nine days ago).
Week 24: vs. LAL, @ MIN, @ MIL, vs. WAS
Record: 14-61
OffRtg: 109.9 (25) DefRtg: 118.9 (28) NetRtg: -9.1 (29) Pace: 102.9 (1)
The Wizards have followed their three-game winning streak with three straight losses (including their second home loss to the Pistons) and would somehow need to win five of their last seven games to avoid finishing with the worst record in franchise history.
Three numbers on the Wizards’ defense
The Wizards are 0-12 in the second games of back-to-backs, set to become the fifth winless team without rest in NBA history and the first in the last 33 seasons (since the 0-17, 1990-91 Kings) … unless they can beat the Lakers on Wednesday.
Week 24: vs. MIL, vs. LAL, vs. POR, @ TOR
Record: 18-56
OffRtg: 108.3 (28) DefRtg: 119.2 (29) NetRtg: -10.9 (30) Pace: 97.9 (21)
The Hornets were able to play spoiler on Wednesday, beating the Cavs behind 31 points on 11-for-19 shooting (with a career-high seven 3-pointers) from rookie Brandon Miller. But with the Spurs winning three games last week, the two teams are now tied with 18 wins, third-fewest in a scenario where the three worst teams have the best Lottery odds.
Three numbers on the Hornets’ defense
There are three teams that the Celtics haven’t beaten this season: the Nuggets, the Thunder and … the Hornets! They beat the Celtics in November and will face them twice in the last two weeks, with the first of those meetings in Charlotte on Monday.
Week 24: vs. BOS, vs. POR, vs. ORL, vs. OKC
Record: 13-61
OffRtg: 109.5 (27) DefRtg: 118.3 (26) NetRtg: -8.8 (27) Pace: 100.7 (8)
The Pistons put an end to an eight-game losing streak with an ugly win over the Wizards on Friday, finishing 2-2 against Washington and improving to 1-11 in games in which they scored less than a point per possession.
Three numbers on the Pistons’ defense
With their win in Washington on Friday, the Pistons are 9-10 in games played between the bottom nine teams in the league. They have four games remaining within the group, three of them this week and two against the Grizzlies, who they lost to in December.
Week 24: vs. MEM, @ ATL, @ MEM, @ BKN
Record: 19-55
OffRtg: 108.2 (29) DefRtg: 117.2 (23) NetRtg: -8.9 (28) Pace: 98.0 (19)
In all of NBA history, they’re have been only nine games decided by 60 or more points. The 2023-24 Blazers have lost two of the nine, with their second loss by 60-plus coming in Miami on Friday, their ninth straight defeat overall.
Three numbers on the Blazers’ defense
Three of the Blazers’ remaining eight games are against teams that rank in the bottom 10 offensively, and those are their next three. They’ll finish their seven-game trip in Boston, having allowed the top-ranked Celtics offense to score 121 points on just 91 possessions (133 per 100) three weeks ago.
Week 24: @ ORL, @ CHA, @ WAS, @ BOS