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The 2024-25 regular season enters its final week. Only a handful of games are left to determine the playoff picture. For teams at the top of the conference, it's about gaining homecourt advantage in the first round. For teams at the bottom, it's about tanking for lottery odds.
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers have long clinched the first seeds. Both will enter the playoffs as title favorites. That doesn't mean other teams aren't viable threats to make deep runs, though.
The Boston Celtics have been the hottest team in the NBA over the last month. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets messaged the Thunder that it won't be a cakewalk to the NBA Finals.
Throughout the 2024-25 season, Thunder Wire will conduct weekly NBA power rankings. Here is the latest edition for the Mar. 31-Apr. 6 week:
30. Utah Jazz (16-63)
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Previous Ranking: 30
The Jazz have lost nine in a row. Give credit to Utah, it pulled out all of the stops to bottom out and has done so over the last couple of months. They were surely paying extra attention to the Final Four in hopes of landing a top prospect soon.
29. Washington Wizards (17-61)
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Previous Ranking: 29
The Wizards are the other team that's been at the bottom of the standings. They have a strong chance to get top-three lottery odds, which is all that matters. Washington has hit the rest button and its 2024 draft class has been filled with intriguing prospects.
28. Charlotte Hornets (19-59)
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Previous Ranking: 28
It'll be another lost season for the Hornets. After questions about his long-term fit, LaMelo Ball had another mixed season riddled with nice box score stats but injuries. The Hornets enter a situation where they should seriously consider his future with the franchise after years of disappointment.
27. New Orleans Pelicans (21-57)
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Previous Ranking: 27
The Pelicans shut down Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum for the rest of the season. For Williamson, he only played 30 games. Add this to the long list of seasons where injuries cut him short. It feels like Groundhog Day at this point as New Orleans can't sustain continued success.
26. Philadelphia 76ers (23-55)
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Previous Ranking: 26
Nobody tanks better than the Sixers. They've lost 11 in a row. Philly has upped the urgency to keep its top-six protected pick and will likely be successful, barring the lottery. Joel Embiid finally underwent knee surgery and Tyrese Maxey was ruled out for the rest of the season. That puts an end to a miserable season.
25. Brooklyn Nets (25-53)
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Previous Ranking: 25
The Nets had back-to-back wins over the Mavericks and Wizards that could be costly. They've run into the too-good-to-tank category. Jordi Fernandez has made the most of his roster. He'll be a good coach for whoever Brooklyn adds in the lottery as it rebuilds.
24. Toronto Raptors (29-50)
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Previous Ranking: 24
Hovering around mediocrity at this point of the season could be detrimental to lottery odds. The Raptors have experienced that firsthand by splitting their last 10 games. RJ Barrett has played even though Toronto is better off with him out. It hopes to add a blue-chip prospect in the upcoming draft as it walks the fine line between being competitive and being in a rebuild.
23. San Antonio Spurs (32-46)
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Previous Ranking: 23
As the Spurs' season winds down, Chris Paul has pondered his future beyond this season. He'll turn 40 years old soon and has accomplished everything besides a championship. If this is it for the future Hall-of-Famer, he's been one of the greatest point guards ever.
22. Portland Trail Blazers (35-44)
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Previous Ranking: 22
The Trail Blazers won't make the postseason or have high lottery odds, but they can at least enter the offseason with some sense of direction for the first time in forever. Shaedon Sharpe scored a career-high 36 points in a win over the Raptors. He's been special this season and is one of Portland's best young players.
21. Phoenix Suns (35-43)
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Previous Ranking: 19
The Suns have lost six in a row. Their disastrous season continues to worsen. Without Kevin Durant, it looks like Phoenix will miss a chance to make the play-in tournament after basically being handed the spot with other teams sliding down. This has been an apocalyptic year where they will be forced to blow it up in the offseason.
20. Atlanta Hawks (37-41)
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Previous Ranking: 20
It won't affect their spot in the standings, but the Hawks have looked like the worst of the East play-in bunch. They've racked up losses and will enter the tournament with little momentum. The good news is they only need to win twice and Trae Young will likely be the best player in both games.
19. Miami Heat (35-43)
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Previous Ranking: 21
An up-and-down season continues for the Heat. After a 10-game losing streak, they won six straight. They've since lost two in a row. They're locked in the play-in range again this season. Miami's playoff chances will fall on Tyler Herro's shoulders as he's graduated as its top scorer since Jimmy Butler was traded.
18. Sacramento Kings (38-40)
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Previous Ranking: 18
The Kings continue to pummel down the standings. They remain in the play-in picture but only because of the Suns' incompetence. Sacramento snapped a three-game losing streak with a blowout win over the Hornets. They'll likely rely on Domantas Sabonis to carry them to two wins to capture a playoff spot.
17. Chicago Bulls (36-42)
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Previous Ranking: 17
Among the East's play-in squads, the Bulls have played the best. Josh Giddey has earned himself quite the pay raise by being a 22-point triple-double machine. Chicago could be a dangerous team in the playoffs. It's played a lot better since the trade deadline.
16. Dallas Mavericks (38-41)
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Previous Ranking: 15
Two straight losses to the Clippers show what the Mavericks could be in store for if they win their first play-in game. Anthony Davis has mostly won when he's played for his new squad but has only had one true monster outing where he's looked like an All-Star player. He needs to stay healthy and be more productive.
15. Orlando Magic (38-40)
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Previous Ranking: 16
The Magic are locked for the play-in tournament and hope to stay in the seventh-eighth range to get a couple of cracks at a playoff spot. Paolo Banchero has been a scoring machine in recent games. Orlando has struggled with consistency all season but has looked better with the postseason around the corner.
14. Detroit Pistons (43-35)
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Previous Ranking: 12
Despite A bevy of suspensions from an altercation with the Timberwolves, it was a good week for the Pistons. They finally clinched a playoff spot. It'll be their first trip back since 2019. Cade Cunningham has led Detroit's turnaround season and he will likely earn All-NBA honors for it. Offseason additions like Malik Beasley have also been a home run.
13. Memphis Grizzlies (46-32)
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Previous Ranking: 11
After a chaotic head coaching fire, the Grizzlies have calmed down and seen positive results. Ja Morant scored a game-winner against the Heat after being fined by the NBA for an in-game gesture. They then won a close game over the Pistons. Memphis hopes to avoid the play-in tournament.
12. Milwaukee Bucks (44-34)
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Previous Ranking: 14
Despite Damian Lillard's absence, the Bucks have won three straight. Giannis Antetokounmpo had one of the best games of the season with 35 points, 20 assists and 17 rebounds in a win over the Sixers. It's the first time in NBA history a player has recorded that stat line. Even though he's fallen off the MVP race, he continues to be one of the best players in the world.
11. Indiana Pacers (47-31)
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Previous Ranking: 8
The Pacers have won four in a row. They've taken advantage of a soft portion of his schedule. Indiana is likely locked at the fourth spot in the East. It's not a top-heavy squad but Tyrese Haliburton could make or break their season depending on how he does in the playoffs.
10. LA Clippers (46-32)
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Previous Ranking: 13
The Clippers are in a groove. They've won four in a row. Kawhi Leonard has turned back the clock. Everybody understands their role in LA. We even saw James Harden take a not-so-subtle shot at Paul George by saying the difference between last year and this year is personnel. The Clippers could be a scary team to face in the playoffs.
9. Minnesota Timberwolves (46-32)
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Previous Ranking: 10
The Timberwolves remain hot. They've won five in a row. They avoided disaster against the Nets when Anthony Edwards twisted his ankle after he walked backward into Fernandez. Minnesota is a prime candidate to upset one of the top teams in the first round of the playoffs. It has the makings of a sneaky contender.
8. Denver Nuggets (47-32)
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Previous Ranking: 5
The Nuggets' double-overtime loss to the Timberwolves made all the headlines for the wrong reasons. Nikola Jokic became the first player in NBA history to record a 61-point triple-double. But that became a footnote when a pair of mental errors by Russell Westbrook gifted Minnesota the game. Denver has struggled to surround Jokic was talent and this season might be the worst example of that.
7. New York Knicks (50-28)
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Previous Ranking: 7
After missing time with an ankle sprain, Jalen Brunson returned to the Knicks. His return provided a boost for New York in a win over the Hawks. It was a classic week for the Knicks where they beat up on cupcakes but were blown out by the Cavaliers. That's been their season summed up in a sentence.
6. Golden State Warriors (46-32)
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Previous Ranking: 9
The Warriors have been another team that's been red-hot. They've won five of their last six games. Other players get all the praise, but Draymond Green has skyrocketed himself to the top of the Defensive Player of the Year odds. The future Hall-of-Famer has successfully campaigned himself to win the award. Golden State is a dark horse candidate to make a deep playoff run thanks to its veterans and success.
5. Los Angeles Lakers (48-30)
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Previous Ranking: 6
Heading into their blowout win over the Thunder, the Lakers wanted to see the title favorites a message. Behind LeBron James and Luka Doncic, Los Angeles has been a wildcard selection to win the West. It's easy to see why. They've turned into a high-octane offense where Austin Reaves has turned into a legitimate third-fiddle scorer.
4. Houston Rockets (52-27)
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Previous Ranking: 4
The Rockets are another team that sent a message to the Thunder. They blew them out as Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun each scored 30-plus points. They followed that up with an impressive win over the Warriors. Houston has been one of the hottest teams over the last months but questions over its strength of schedule have cast doubt. We won't know until the playoffs but they've been one of the most improved teams.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (62-16)
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Previous Ranking: 3
The Cavaliers are on cruise control the rest of the way. They've already clinched the first seed, so there's zero motivation to play in the regular season. A three-game winning streak was snapped with a bad loss to the Kings. At this point, it's a waiting game to see if Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley can have better playoff success this time.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (64-14)
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Previous Ranking: 1
Everything said about the Cavaliers can be said about the Thunder. Two straight bad losses to the Rockets and Lakers reek of complacency. It's hard to blame them. After clinching the first seed weeks ago and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander the runaway MVP favorite, it's easy to let human nature settle in with the playoffs around the corner.
1. Boston Celtics (58-20)
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Previous Ranking: 3
It's only fitting to see the Celtics back at the top spot with a week left. The reigning NBA champions have lurked in the background for most of the season but continued to stack up wins. They might not be the winning machine they were last season, but Boston has the experience and star power to repeat. Its won 16 of its last 18 games and will enter the playoffs with all the momentum.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: NBA Power Rankings: Lakers, Rockets beat up Thunder; Celtics get hot
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