Ric Bucher
FOX Sports NBA Analyst
The Philadelphia 76ers have claimed the No. 1 rung in the FOX Sports NBA power rankings for the first time this season, and they have the Denver Nuggets, in part, to thank for it.
The Sixers went 4-0 last week, a stretch that included a 126-121 win over the defending champions on the second night of a back-to-back set of games for Philadelphia. Coupled with the Nuggets’ win a few nights later over the previous No. 1 team, the Boston Celtics, and a turbulent week for several other top-ranked teams, the 76ers vaulted from seventh last week all the way to the top spot.
Another hot team right now is the Cleveland Cavaliers, who haven’t lost since New Year’s Day in Toronto. Extending their winning streak to a league-best seven games only moved them up one place, from ninth to eighth, because the streak has been built on a cushy home schedule that included the Washington Wizards (twice), four other teams with losing records and the Milwaukee Bucks without Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The LA Clippers also continued their recent surge, moving into the top five for the first time this season with a light week of work at home, beating the then second-ranked Oklahoma City Thunder and Brooklyn Nets. Joining them on the rise were the Phoenix Suns, who climbed back into the top 10 with wins over three above-.500 teams: Sacramento, New Orleans and Indiana.
A week of matchups between the league’s titans prompted an extensive reshuffling of the top 10. Not one team maintained the status quo. The Thunder slid from second to fourth, despite knocking off the ultra-hot Utah Jazz and the Minnesota Timberwolves because the week started with back-to-back losses in LA to both the Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers. The Nuggets took their spot at No. 2 with the win in Boston and their handling of the wilting Wizards in Washington. The Celtics slid to third, their lowest ranking in weeks, with the loss to Denver on their home floor. A trend worth watching: Boston has now lost three of its last four games against elite teams (Nuggets, Thunder, Timberwolves, Bucks).
NBA Power Rankings
- Philadelphia 76ers: +6
- Denver Nuggets: +2
- Boston Celtics: -2
- Oklahoma City Thunder: -2
- LA Clippers: +1
- Minnesota Timberwolves: -2
- Milwaukee Bucks: -2
- Cleveland Cavaliers: +1
- New York Knicks: -1
- Phoenix Suns: +7
- Dallas Mavericks: =
- New Orleans Pelicans: -2
- Sacramento Kings: -1
- Orlando Magic: =
- Miami Heat: =
- Utah Jazz: -3
- Indiana Pacers: -1
- Chicago Bulls: +1
- Houston Rockets: -1
- Los Angeles Lakers: =
- Atlanta Hawks: +4
- Golden State Warriors: -1
- Brooklyn Nets: +1
- Memphis Grizzlies: -2
- Toronto Raptors: -2
- Portland Trail Blazers: +2
- San Antonio Spurs: -1
- Charlotte Hornets: +1
- Washington Wizards: -2
- Detroit Pistons: =
Ric Bucher is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. He previously wrote for Bleacher Report, ESPN The Magazine and The Washington Post and has written two books, “Rebound,” on NBA forward Brian Grant’s battle with young onset Parkinson’s, and “Yao: A Life In Two Worlds.” He also has a daily podcast, “On The Ball with Ric Bucher.” Follow him on Twitter @RicBucher.
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