NBA Power Rankings: Rockets, Spurs, Bulls in top 10

1. Golden State Warriors (63-14, Previous: 1) – The Warriors ran into a hot Spurs team on the road, but there’s really nothing to worry about. A four-game homestand to close the season is a pretty sweet deal.Time to rest up.

2. Houston Rockets (53-24, Previous: 3) – Good win in Oklahoma City over the weekend, as the Rockets were able to hang on after James Harden (41 points) fouled out late in the fourth. Dwight Howard’s 22 points (10-15 from the field) werea great sign as well.

3. Atlanta Hawks (57-19, Previous: 2) – The Hawks crushed the Nets over the weekend, but it cost them Paul Millsap for the next two games with a right shoulder injury. Millsap can use the time to rest up before what he hopes will be a long playoff run.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers (50-27, Previous: 4) – Cavs head coach David Blatt thought the Bulls went “a little overboard” in the way they handled LeBron James over the weekend. Well, teams are only going to go harder on him in the playoffs. Bron Bron is a big boy though.He can handle it.

5. Los Angeles Clippers (52-26, Previous: 5) – A close, tough loss in Golden State last week is the only mark against this Clippers team since Mid-March. They’re playing their best basketball as the regular season closes. One question: Is their bench deep enough?

6. San Antonio Spurs (47-26, Previous: 8) – OFCOURSE the Spurs would steamroll the best team in the NBA (Warriors) over the weekend. They are the Spurs, after all. That’s 17 wins over the last 20 games. And this is starting to sound all too familiar as the playoffs near.

7. Portland Trail Blazers (50-27, Previous: 6) – One concerning fact about the Blazers right now: They haven’t beaten a playoff team since March 15 in Toronto. That includes losses out West to the Grizzlies, Warriors, and Clippers.

8. Memphis Grizzlies (52-25, Previous: 7) – The Grizzlies have fallen from the second to the thirdseed thanks to the Rockets, and will play the Clippers this weekend in a game that has huge playoff seeding implications. Memphis could fall to the fifth seed if they aren’t careful.

9. Dallas Mavericks (46-31, Previous: 10) – Pretty much locked into the seventh seed, the Mavs enjoyed three days off before they get ready for the final five games in eight days. Based on what we’ve seen, though, it’s hard to believe they’ll get out of the first round.

10. Chicago Bulls (46-31, Previous: 11) – Derrick Rose is scheduled to return any day now, and with three more games this week, there’s a good chance Rose gets at least three regular season games back before the playoffs. But how effective will he be?

11. Oklahoma City Thunder (42-35, Previous: 9) – Uh oh. While it looked like the Thunder were going to hold onto the eighth seed last week, things have changed. Three straight losses and the Pelicans are right on their heels again.

12. Toronto Raptors (45-32, Previous: 12) – The Raptors lost both games of a back-to-back last week to the Nets and Celtics. They’re also still without starting point guard Kyle Lowry, who is dealing with back spasms.

13. Washington Wizards (44-33, Previous: 13) – After it seemed as though the Wizards were pretty set in the fifth spot, they’re on a three-game winning streak and just two games out of the No. 3 seed. Somebody tell President Obama the team needs support, not more trash talk.

14. New Orleans Pelicans (41-35, Previous: 14) – First, the good news: The Pelicans own the tiebreaker over the Thunder, who they currently trail by a half-game from the 8 seed. The bad news: With six games remaining for New Orleans, four are against the Warriors, Grizzlies, Rockets, and Spurs.

15. Milwaukee Bucks (38-39, Previous: 19) – You wouldn’t say that the Bucks righted the ship, but they’ve won just enough key games over the last two weeks – Miami, Indiana, Boston, Chicago – to prevent an epic collapse.

16. Boston Celtics (35-42, Previous: 16) – The Legend of Brad Stevens continues. It was another after-timeout, game-winning play for Stevens and the C’s against the Raptors over the weekend. We haven’t even SEEN what playoff Brad Stevens has in store for us. Will we?

17. Brooklyn Nets (36-41, Previous: 20) – Who saw this one coming? Certainly not many. The Nets have inexplicably gone 11-3 over their last 14 games, and are 7-1 over their last eight. They now hold the seventh seed by one game over the Celtics.

18. Phoenix Suns (39-38, Previous: 18) – Technically speaking, the Suns still have a mathematical chance at the playoffs, but with the hardest remaining schedule in the NBA record-wise, it’s only a matter of a couple games before that changes.

19. Utah Jazz (35-42, Previous: 17) – The Jazz will have a chance to muck up some playoff seedings down the stretchas they will play the Griz, Blazers, Mavs, and Rockets to close out the season. Lots of positives to take from this season, too.

20. Miami Heat (34-43, Previous: 15) – Choke! Choke! Does anybody know the Heimlich maneuver? Four straight losses for the Heat who recently had the seventh seed, and are now on the outside looking in.