The Complex NBA Power Rankings (Week 14)

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Record: 7 - 39
Last Week's Rank: 30
Last Week's Results: L vs. Philadelphia 80-105, (Mon); L vs. Milwaukee 92-112, (Fri); L @ New Jersey 89-102, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Boston, Monday (3/26); vs. Minnesota, Wednesday (3/28); vs. Denver, Friday (3/30); @ Detroit, Saturday (3/31)
Just when you think that the Bobcats have taken measurable strides towards some semblance of a competitive NBA team, they pull a week like this. Charlotte lost to Philadelphia and Milwaukee by 20 points or more. But these are the type of lumps you gotta expect when building a team into a (hopeful?) future contender. Hey, even Rome wasn't built in a day. —Jose Martinez

Record: 11 - 37
Last Week's Rank: 29
Last Week's Results: W @ New Jersey 108-89, (Wed); L vs. Indiana 83-85, (Thu); L vs. Atlanta 92-95, (Sat); L @ Boston 88-76, (Sun)
This Week: vs. Detroit, Monday (3/26); @ Indiana, Thursday (3/29); vs. Philadelphia, Friday (3/30); @ Toronto, Sunday (4/1)
With JaVale McGee and his crazy antics gone, the Wizards need a presence in the middle. Nene just may be the answer. This past week, the newly acquired forward/center recorded two 20-plus point, 10-plus rebound games. Then, he was ruled out with back spasms for Sunday's contest against the Celtics. But even though he was out, Trevor Booker and Kevin Seraphin filled in nicely. As long as these guys can stay healthy, a frontcourt that includes Nene, Booker and Seraphin could be a decent replacement for the void left by McGee. —Jose Martinez

Record: 12 - 36
Last Week's Rank: 28
Last Week's Results: L vs. Golden State 92-101, (Wed); W vs. LA Clippers 97-90, (Thu); L vs. San Antonio 86-89, (Sat)
This Week: @ LA Clippers, Monday (3/26); @ Golden State, Wednesday (3/28); @ Portland, Thursday (3/29); @ LA Lakers, Saturday (3/31); @ Phoenix, Sunday (4/1)
Another week of (mostly) losing for the Hornets, but NOLA showed a little fight with a violent foul on Blake Griffin in Thursday's win against the Clippers. Hornets forward Jason Smith was suspended for two games when he dropped a flying haymaker on Griffin. After being ejected from the game, Smith waved his arms to pump up the crowd of about a dozen people. New Orleans may finish the season with less than eighteen wins, but they do have some fight in them—literally. —Sean Evans

Record: 16 - 34
Last Week's Rank: 27
Last Week's Results: L vs. Cleveland 100-105, (Mon); L vs. Washington 89-108, (Wed); L @ Atlanta 84-93, (Fri); W vs. Charlotte 102-89, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Utah, Monday (3/26); vs. Indiana, Wednesday (3/28); @ Golden State, Friday (3/30); @ Sacramento, Saturday (3/31)
Poor Nets. They've lost 7 of their last 9 and are just going through the motions after being dissed by Dwight Howard. Not to mention the guy they were going to trade to get Howard in Newark is out another two weeks due to that nagging foot injury. Oh, and the pick they sent to Portland for Gerald Wallace is only top-3 protected. Ay bendito, did Isiah Thomas infiltrate the Nets front office? No sleep til Brooklyn. —Angel Diaz

Record: 17 - 31
Last Week's Rank: 26
Last Week's Results: W vs. Memphis 119-110, (Tue); L vs. Utah 102-103, (Thu); L @ Golden State 108-111, (Sat)
This Week: @ Houston, Monday (3/26); vs. San Antonio, Wednesday (3/28); @ Utah, Friday (3/30); vs. New Jersey, Saturday (3/31)
After a couple .500 weeks, the Kings got back to their losing ways by going 1-2. Sacramento made headlines this week when reports came out of club president Geoff Petrie being close to signing a contract extension. A claim which both Petrie and Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof deny. Petrie is in his 18th season with the Kings and was named NBA Executive of the Year in 1999 and 2001. It says something about your squad when the only two significant awards won over the last two decades went to the club president and not any of the players or coaches. Sacramento, where you at? *Dre voice* —Ralph Warner

Record: 16 - 32
Last Week's Rank: 24
Last Week's Results: L @ Denver 115-116, (Wed); L vs. Miami 73-89, (Fri); L @ New York 79-101, (Sat)
This Week: @ Washington, Monday (3/26); @ Cleveland, Wednesday (3/28); @ Chicago, Friday (3/30); vs. Charlotte, Saturday (3/31)
Normally, we wouldn't have anything good to say about the Pistons right now. They've lost five games in a row and there's very little to cheer about in Detroit right now. But, let's look at the bright side: They play the Wizards, the Cavaliers, and the Bobcats this week! So that five-game losing streak is definitely going to end this week. Er, right, guys? Please say yes.—Chris Yuscavage

Record: 16 - 33
Last Week's Rank: 25
Last Week's Results: L @ New York 87-106, (Tue); L vs. Chicago 82-94, (Wed); W vs. New York 96-79, (Fri); L @ Chicago 101-102, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Orlando, Monday (3/26); vs. Denver, Wednesday (3/28); vs. Miami, Friday (3/30); vs. Washington, Sunday (4/1)
Toronto has lost 4 out of 5 games, but Andrea Bargnani is finally on the floor and hitting Js again. They blew the streaking Knicks out and Loul Deng his a buzzer-beater in OT. DeMar DeRozan is playing well and Calderon continues to be the leader in assist/TO ratio at 4.18. I guess you can say they're ending the season on a high note. They have a very tough week ahead of them in which they play Orlando, Denver, and Miami. Can the playoffs start already? —Angel Diaz

Record: 17 - 29
Last Week's Rank: 22
Last Week's Results: W @ New Jersey 105-100, (Mon); L @ Atlanta 102-103, (Wed); L @ Orlando 80-93, (Fri); L vs. Phoenix 108-83, (Sun)
This Week: @ Philadelphia, Tuesday (3/27); vs. Detroit, Wednesday (3/28); vs. Milwaukee, Friday (3/30); @ New York, Saturday (3/31)
Here's all you need to know about the Cavs right now: They're giving PT to Luke Walton. Yep, the same Luke Walton who was basically glued to the bench as a member of the Lakers this season. But, hey, maybe that's a good thing. After all, more minutes for Walton equals a better chance of Cleveland snagging a higher lottery pick in June, right? So maybe Cavs fans should encourage Byron Scott to give Walton all the playing time he wants. It's not like the team is going to the playoffs anyway.—Chris Yuscavage

Record: 20 - 27
Last Week's Rank: 23
Last Week's Results: L vs. Minnesota 93-97, (Mon); W @ New Orleans 101-92, (Wed); L @ Houston 83-109, (Thu); W vs. Sacramento 111-108, (Sat); L @ Portland 90-87, (Sun)
This Week: vs. LA Lakers, Tuesday (3/27); vs. New Orleans, Wednesday (3/28); vs. New Jersey, Friday (3/30); @ LA Lakers, Sunday (4/1)
This past week was the most entertaining one of the season for Golden State and it had absolutely nothing to do with play on the court. The Warriors got the national attention they crave—though not exactly the kind they were looking for—when the fans sonned owner Joe Lacob during Chris Mullin's jersey retirement ceremony on Monday. As mentioned last week, Golden State's moves before the deadline definitely warranted some backlash but no one could have really pictured what went down on Monday night. The Warriors' play during the week was pretty bad but not nearly as embarrassing as the events during the ceremony. Golden State went 2-3 with their only wins coming against bottom barrel teams like Sacramento and New Orleans. Despite their dismal record, the Warriors average 97.9 PPG (9th in the league) while giving up 99.8 to opposing teams. A very slim margin for a team currently sitting in 13th place out West. —Ralph Warner

Record: 23 - 26
Last Week's Rank: 21
Last Week's Results: L vs. Milwaukee 87-116, (Tue); W vs. Memphis 97-93, (Thu); L @ LA Lakers 96-103, (Fri); W vs. Golden State, 90-87 (Sun)
This Week: vs. Oklahoma City, Tuesday (3/26); vs. New Orleans, Thursday (3/28); @ LA Clippers, Friday (3/29); vs. Minnesota, Sunday (4/1)
The Blazers had a better week than anticipated, considering all the changes. They went 2-2, losing to the teams they should have (Bucks, Lakers) and beating one team they should have (Golden State) and one they probably shouldn't have (Memphis). Against Golden State, Raymond Felton was the leading scorer with 24 and Jamal Crawford managed just four points on 1-10 from the floor—so maybe that question is finally answered, at least. (Then again, against the Lakers they managed just 16 points combined on 5-25 shooting. Can Jonny Flynn start?)—Russ Bengtson

Record: 24 - 26
Last Week's Rank: 20
Last Week's Results: W @ Golden State 97-93, (Mon); L @ San Antonio 100-116, (Wed); L @ Oklahoma City 140-149, (Fri); W vs. Denver, 117-100 (Sun)
This Week: @ Memphis, Tuesday (3/27); @ Charlotte, Wednesday (3/28); vs. Boston, Friday (3/30); @ Portland, Sunday (4/1)
Say what you want about the Minnesota Timberwolves, just never even suggest that Kevin Love isn't pulling his weight. With Nikola Pekovic and Michael Beasley out, Love scored a franchise-high 51 points in a double-overtime loss to the Thunder, a performance that included seven threes and 14 offensive rebounds. And on Sunday, he led the undermanned Wolves to a much-needed win over the Nuggets with 30 points and 21 boards. Other guys have been stepping up, too — J.J. Barea had a triple-double against OKC — but Love is cementing himself as one of the League's true superstars. —Russ Bengtson

Record: 22 - 26
Last Week's Rank: 19
Last Week's Results: W @ Portland 116-87, (Tue); L vs. Boston 91-100, (Thu); W @ Charlotte 112-92, (Fri); L vs. Indiana 104-125, (Sat)
This Week: @ New York, Monday (3/26); vs. Atlanta, Tuesday (3/27); @ Cleveland, Friday (3/30); vs. Memphis, Saturday (3/31)
Despite being four games under .500, Milwaukee sits just 1.5 games out of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. That should be good news, right? Except, it's not. They're only 1.5 games back, but they're 1.5 games behind the suddenly red-hot Knicks who appear ready to pull away from the Bucks in the playoff picture. So, if they want to avoid getting another lottery pick this summer, they need to pick up their game and start keeping pace with the Knicks. And, there's no better way to do that than to beat them when the two teams play on Monday night.—Chris Yuscavage

Record: 25 - 24
Last Week's Rank: 17
Last Week's Results: L @ Miami 95-99, (Tue); L @ Orlando 93-103, (Wed); W @ Indiana 113-111, (Fri); W @ Cleveland 108-83, (Sun)
This Week: vs. San Antonio, Tuesday (3/27); @ LA Clippers, Wednesday (3/28); vs. New Orleans, Sunday (4/1)
The Suns went .500 this week but are hanging tough out West. No NKOTB. Anyway, the vets in Phoenix won the games they were supposed to (@ Indiana and Cleveland) and lost the ones that most expected them to (@ Miami and Orlando). All things considered, they're still only 1 game behind the 8th-seed Rockets and 2.5 games behind the 4th-seed Clippers. Yup, things are tighter than a *insert your own inappropriate joke here* out West. —Ralph Warner

Record: 24 - 25
Last Week's Rank: 18
Last Week's Results: W vs. Toronto 106-87, (Tue); W @ Philadelphia 82-79, (Wed); L @ Toronto 79-86, (Fri); W vs. Detroit 101-79, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Milwaukee, Monday (3/26); vs. Orlando, Wednesday (3/28); @ Atlanta, Friday (3/30); vs. Cleveland, Saturday (3/31)
The Knicks have had a tumultuous 23-24 season. They found a point guard, brought in new faces, had a coach quit and are still only 3 games back in the Atlantic. All this without their two highest paid players living up to the billing. Maybe it's not Mike Woodson inspiring the club as of late as much as it's the players knowing it's on them. When D'Antoni quit, the focus shifted back onto them. The team has to live up to the hype now. They've won 6 out 7 and have a big game tonight against the Bucks. These next few weeks are going to tell all about this team. —Angel Diaz

Record: 26 - 23
Last Week's Rank: 11
Last Week's Results: L vs. Dallas 95-112, (Mon); W vs. Detroit 116-115, (Wed); L @ Utah 102-121, (Fri); L @ Minnesota 117-100, (Sun)
This Week: @ Chicago, Monday (3/26); @ Toronto, Wednesday (3/28); @ Charlotte, Friday (3/30); @ Orlando, Sunday (4/1)
Welp, so much for the Nuggets moving up. They went 1-3 last week, with the sole win being a one-point victory over the Pistons. As for the losses, they were double-digits all: by 17 to Dallas, by 19 to Utah, and by 17 to Minnesota. The fact that a) two of those losses were in their division, and b) they gave up at least 112 points in each game, doesn't bode well. And losing Danilo Gallinari (again) for up to a month with a fractured thumb isn't quite balanced by the re-acquisition of Wilson Chandler. —Russ Bengtson

Record: 26 - 23
Last Week's Rank: 16
Last Week's Results: W vs. Oklahoma City 97-90, (Tue); W @ Sacramento 103-102, (Thu); W vs. Denver 121-102, (Fri); L @ Atlanta, 139-133 (Sun)
This Week: @ New Jersey, Monday (3/26); @ Boston, Wednesday (3/28); vs. Sacramento, Friday (3/30); @ LA Clippers, Saturday (3/31)
This is the way things go for the Jazz—they drop a heartbreaker in four overtimes to the Hawks on Sunday, and travel to Newark to face the Nets on Monday. While this may be good for their eventual draft position, it's probably not good for head coach Ty Corbin's stomach. That said, their other three games last week were wins, including a demolition of Denver, so maybe their draft pick won't be that terrific, either. Alas. —Russ Bengtson

Record: 26 - 23
Last Week's Rank: 15
Last Week's Results: W vs. LA Lakers 107-104, (Tue); W vs. Golden State 109-83, (Thu); L vs. Dallas 99-101, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Sacramento, Monday (3/26); @ Dallas, Tuesday (3/27); vs. Memphis, Friday (3/30); vs. Indiana, Sunday (4/1)
Were it not for a heroic effort by Dallas Saturday night, Houston would have had a perfect 3-0 record this week. Their success is especially impressive because the Rockets have done it all with a depleted bench and injured backcourt. If the playoffs started today, the Rockets would be the first team out. Neither Kevin Martin or Kyle Lowry appear to be returning anytime soon so taking advantage of the slumping Mavs and Grizzlies this week will be vital to getting back in the playoff picture. —Sean Evans

Record: 26 - 22
Last Week's Rank: 14
Last Week's Results: W @ Atlanta 79-76, (Mon); W @ Milwaukee 100-91, (Thu); L @ Philadelphia 86-99, (Fri); W vs. Washington 88-76, (Sun)
This Week: @ Charlotte, Monday (3/26); vs. Utah, Wednesday (3/28); @ Minnesota, Friday (3/30); vs. Miami, Sunday (4/1)
The Celtics are finally playing like the Celtics. They went 2-1 this past week and started this one off with a W over the new-look Wizards with the help of Avery Bradley's career high 23 points. Mikael Pietrus had a scary moment when he fell and caught whiplash against the Sixers which resulted in a concussion. Hopefully he can come back soon, he's been a much needed addition since he signed on. Boston has the division in their cross hairs with them being just a half a game back with 18 left to play. If they somehow win the division, they'll be the fourth seed and have home court in the first round. Never underestimate veteran savvy. —Angel Diaz

Record: 28 - 22
Last Week's Rank: 13
Last Week's Results: W @ Denver 112-95, (Mon); L vs. LA Lakers 93-109, (Wed); L @ San Antonio 87-104, (Fri); W @ Houston 101-99, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Houston, Tuesday (3/27); @ Miami, Thursday (3/29); @ Orlando, Friday (3/30)
The Mavs clutched up on the Rockets in a win Rick Carlisle called the, “biggest game of the year.” Why? If the Mavs had lost, they would have fallen out of the playoff picture altogether. That's right, the defending champs are dangerously close to missing the postseason. With away games against the Magic and Heat this week, Tuesday's game against Houston is as must-win if Dirk and Co. want to keep pace in the West. —Sean Evans

Record: 30 - 20
Last Week's Rank: 12
Last Week's Results: L vs. Boston 76-79, (Mon); W vs. Cleveland 103-102, (Wed); W vs. New Jersey 93-84, (Fri); W @ Washington 95-92, (Sun); W @ Utah 139-133, (Sun)
This Week: @ Milwaukee, Tuesday (3/27); vs. Chicago, Wednesday (3/28); vs. New York, Friday (3/30); @ Philadelphia, Saturday (3/31)
If it wasn't bad enough that the Hawks had to play 5 games in 7 days, they had to get involved in that 4 OT marathon match against the Jazz. Yet these guys have shown glimpses of their fighting spirit and coming out victorious over Utah should be a huge building block as they head into another tough week against teams like Chicago, Philadelphia and the resurgent Knicks. With all of the aforementioned teams playing in the Eastern Conference, Atlanta should use these upcoming matches as a way to see how their team competes against some playoff-bound squads. —Jose Martinez

Record: 27 - 22
Last Week's Rank: 9
Last Week's Results: W @ Charlotte 105-80, (Mon); L vs. New York 79-82, (Wed); W vs. Boston 99-86, (Fri); L @ San Antonio 93-76, (Sun)
This Week: vs. Cleveland, Tuesday (3/27); @ Washington, Friday (3/30); vs. Atlanta, Saturday (3/31)
Philly is holding on to the Atlantic Division for dear life. The lead is down to three with 17 games left to play. This next month is going to be a good test for this young team. They went 2-2 this week, but started this one off with a loss to the Duncan-less Spurs. A couple things haven't changed: their chemistry and willingness to play defense for 48 minutes. Even with their inconsistent play in the second half of the season, the young 76ers are going to be a tough out. Word to Spencer Hawes. —Angel Diaz

Record: 28 - 19
Last Week's Rank: 10
Last Week's Results: W vs. LA Clippers 102-89, (Tue); W @ Washington 85-83, (Thu); L vs. Phoenix 111-113, (Fri); W @ Milwaukee 125-104, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Miami, Monday (3/26); @ New Jersey, Wednesday (3/28); vs. Washington, Thursday (3/29); @ San Antonio, Saturday (3/31); @ Houston, Sunday (4/1)
On the court, the Pacers handled their business last week. The Suns loss notwithstanding, they held their position as the fifth-best team in the Eastern Conference, which they'll need to continue to do as we come down the stretch. But, behind the scenes, the Pacers future is very much in doubt thanks to a recent report that said that Larry Bird will be stepping down as the team president at the end of the year. Will that become a distraction and affect their chances of making a playoff push? Eh, we doubt it. But it's something to keep an eye on. Well, that and the big matchup the team has against the Heat on Monday. It's time to show that you're for real, Indy. Put the distractions aside and make some moves.—Chris Yuscavage

Record: 26 - 21
Last Week's Rank: 8
Last Week's Results: L @ Sacramento 110-119, (Tue); L @ Portland 93-97, (Thu); L @ LA Clippers 85-101, (Sat); W @ LA Lakers 102-96, (Sun)
This Week: vs. Minnesota, Tuesday (3/27); @ Houston, Friday (3/30); @ Milwaukee, Saturday (3/31)
What's going on in Memphis? The addition of Zach Randolph was supposed to catapult the Grizz into legitimacy. Instead, Memphis is slumping and the team's general manager copped to signing Gilbert Arenas after seeing the idea posted on a fan's blog. If Randolph can avoid a setback as he eases into more minutes and so long as their GM stays off of the fantasy basketball message boards, we expect Memphis to get back on track Tuesday at home against Minnesota. —Sean Evans

Record: 27 - 21
Last Week's Rank: 7
Last Week's Results: L @ Indiana 89-102, (Tue); L @ Oklahoma City 91-114, (Wed); L @ New Orleans 90-97, (Thu); W vs. Memphis 101-85, (Sat)
This Week: vs. New Orleans, Monday (3/26); vs. Phoenix, Wednesday (3/28); vs. Portland, Friday (3/30); vs. Utah, Saturday (3/31)
Vinny Del Negro still has his job! Other than that, it was another lackluster week for the Lob City Crew. They dropped three straight before beating the Grizzlies decisively on Saturday. Since the All-Star break, L.A. has gone 7-10 and lost their division lead to the Lake Show. All of that has led to talk of Del Negro's job being in jeopardy. Kind of ridiculous considering the Clippers are tied for 4th in the West, although the 9th-seed Denver Nuggets are only 1.5 games behind them. We'll see how long it is before Donald Sterling makes one of his trademark irrational decisions. —Ralph Warner

Record: 30 - 19
Last Week's Rank: 6
Last Week's Results: L @ Houston 104-107, (Tue); W @ Dallas 109-93, (Wed); W vs. Portland 103-96, (Fri); L vs. Memphis 102-96, (Sun)
This Week: @ Golden State, Tuesday (3/27); vs. Oklahoma City, Thursday (3/29); vs. New Orleans, Saturday (3/31); vs. Golden State, Sunday (4/1)
Just when it looked like the Lake Show was making a push for the 2nd seed in the Western Conference and working together with little drama, Mike Brown benched Kobe Bryant. Not only did he bench the Black Mamba but he did it for a pretty ridiculous reason during a critical point in Sunday's game against Memphis. During the 4th quarter, Brown subbed Metta World Peace in for Bryant after the league's leading scorer pounded his chair in frustration during a timeout. SMH, he pulls him out for that yet he had no problem leaving Kobe in while he shot 3 for 20 last Sunday. Oh yeah, aside from that the Lakers went .500 this week and still hold a 2.5 game lead over the Clippers in the Pacific. For now...*cues the soundtrack*—Ralph Warner

Record: 31 - 18
Last Week's Rank: 4
Last Week's Results: L vs. Chicago 59-85, (Mon); W vs. Phoenix 103-93, (Wed); W vs. Cleveland 93-80, (Fri)
This Week: @ Toronto, Monday (3/26); @ New York, Wednesday (3/28); vs. Dallas, Friday (3/30); vs. Denver, Sunday (4/1)
OK, do we just count that game against the Bulls as an aberration? While they did rebound nicely with wins over Phoenix and Cleveland, as any Orlando fan knows, they have the potential to put up some absolute dud performances from time to time. However, they rebounded nicely and salvaged the week. With a playoff-berth on the horizon, this team is learning early on how to recover from a heartbreaking loss. Maybe it will come in handy later on. —Jose Martinez

Record: 33 - 14
Last Week's Rank: 5
Last Week's Results: W vs. Minnesota 116-100, (Wed); W vs. Dallas 104-87, (Fri); W @ New Orleans 89-86, (Sat); W vs. Philadelphia 93-76, (Sun)
This Week: @ Phoenix, Tuesday (3/27); @ Sacramento, Wednesday (3/28); vs. Indiana, Saturday (3/31)
The Spurs are winning games but losing players. San Antonio had a perfect week going 4-0, but a hamstring injury to Tony Parker, Sunday's “resting” of Manu Ginobili, and TJ Ford's injury-related retirement have the Spurs backcourt looking like an infirmary. San Antonio was unusually noisy around the trade deadline, mostly to keep a core of aging stars healthy for the postseason. Adding Stephen Jackson, Boris Diaw, and Patty Mills should help to offset the grind on Parker and Ginobili. —Sean Evans

Record: 35 - 12
Last Week's Rank: 3
Last Week's Results: W vs. Phoenix 99-95, (Tue); W @ Detroit 88-73, (Fri); L @ Oklahoma City 103-87, (Sun)
This Week: @ Indiana, Monday (3/26); vs. Dallas, Thursday (3/29); @ Toronto, Friday (3/30); @ Boston, Sunday (4/1)
Every NBA fan was eyeing that Thunder/Heat game because it could very well be a preview of this year's Finals. If that's the case, every Miami fan may want to hope that Oklahoma City gets bounced in the earlier rounds. While the Big 3 held Russell Westbrook to a 4-16 shooting night, Bosh, Wade and James also committed 15 of the team's 21 turnovers. The Heat will recover and probably easily defeat their opponents this coming week, but it won't mean anything until they make a statement on April 4th when they face Durant & Co. at home. —Jose Martinez

Record: 37 - 12
Last Week's Rank: 2
Last Week's Results: L @ Utah 90-97, (Tues); W vs. LA Clippers 114-91, (Wed); W vs. Minnesota 149-140, (Fri); W vs. Miami, 103-87 (Sun)
This Week: @ Portland, Tuesday (3/27); @ LA Lakers, Thursday (3/29); vs. Chicago, Sunday (4/1)
Well, that was fun. After dropping their first game of the week to the Jazz and emerging on the right side of a double-overtime 149-140 shootout with the Wolves (where Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant combined for 85 points), the Oklahoma City Thunder hosted the Miami Heat and gave them a proper welcome — a 103-87 loss. Durant posted 28, 9 and 8, and all Thunder who played save Nick Collison were on the + side of the +/-. Something to think about, perhaps, come Finals time. Next week the Thunder get a visit from the East-leading Chicago Bulls — we'll have to wait and see what sort of reception KD and company give them. —Russ Bengtson

Record: 40 - 10
Last Week's Rank: 1
Last Week's Results: W @ Orlando 85-59, (Mon); W @ Toronto 94-82, (Wed); W vs. Toronto 102-101, (Sat)
This Week: vs. Denver, Monday (3/26); @ Atlanta, Wednesday (3/28); vs. Detroit, Friday (3/30); @ Oklahoma City, Sunday (4/1)
We know it's past the NBA trade deadline. But, is there any way David Stern can make an exception and let the Bulls trade Derrick Rose? Clearly, they don't need him. They walloped the Magic earlier this week without him, handled their business on the road against the Raptors without him, and then—despite a scare—bested Toronto again at home on Saturday night without him thanks to Luol Deng's buzzer-beating layup in overtime. All that leads us to believe that they'd be just fine without the reigning NBA MVP...OK, fine. Relax, Bulls fans. We're just kidding. But, can't you at least TRY and make the end of the NBA season fun for the rest of the league? You still have 16 games left to play and you've already clinched a playoff spot! And the domination is only gonna worse for opposing teams once D-Rose makes his way back into the lineup.—Chris Yuscavage