Power Rankings, Week 19: Nuggets, Bucks starting to make their move – NBA.com

Boston maintains its lead at No. 1 while Oklahoma City, Denver and Milwaukee are among the teams climbing this week.
John Schuhmann
Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets are off to a solid start since the All-Star break.
In the GM Survey before the season, there were five teams picked to win the 2024 NBA Finals. And about 70% of the way through the schedule, we can’t eliminate any of the five. But as it was written in this space a week ago, three of those five teams — the Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns — needed to start playing better as soon as possible.
The Nuggets and Bucks have seemingly answered the call, going a combined 5-0 last week, with road wins over the Timberwolves, Sixers and Warriors. The Suns? Not so much, though they’re without Bradley Beal and did get a needed win over the Lakers on Sunday.
With the league’s toughest remaining schedule, there will be more opportunities for Phoenix … or maybe more roadblocks in their quest to remain a top-six team in the Western Conference.
Plus-Minus Players of the Week
Teams of the Week
* * *
East vs. West
Schedule strength through Week 18
* * *
Movement in the Rankings
* * *
Week 19 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 115.1 points scored per 100 possessions and 99.7 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: 45-12
OffRtg: 121.2 (1) DefRtg: 110.7 (3) NetRtg: +10.5 (1) Pace: 98.8 (20)
The Celtics are running away with the league’s best record, having won eight straight games to give themselves a five-game cushion in the loss column over everybody else. Their .789 winning percentage would be the best mark in the last six seasons (since the 65-17, 2017-18 Rockets).
Three takeaways
The win in New York began a stretch of seven straight games against that currently over .500 group. Two of those 11 losses have come against the Sixers and Warriors, who will be in Boston this week. The other game in their three-game homestand (amid a road-heavy, six-week stretch) is against the team — Dallas — that had a seven-game win streak before Sunday.
Week 19: vs. PHI, vs. DAL, vs. GSW
Record: 40-17
OffRtg: 114.8 (17) DefRtg: 107.9 (1) NetRtg: +6.9 (3) Pace: 98.2 (25)
The Wolves went into the break strong and had a halftime lead against the Bucks on Friday, but came up empty in the third quarter and couldn’t come back from a 17-point deficit. They did get a win, recording their best defensive mark of the season, without Rudy Gobert on Saturday, holding Brooklyn to just 86 points on 100 possessions.
Three takeaways
The Wolves’ seven-game homestand continues with a back-to-back against the Spurs and Grizzlies. Then things will get serious later in the week, with the Wolves being the only team with multiple wins and no losses against the Clippers, who will be at Target Center on Sunday afternoon.
Week 19: vs. SAS, vs. MEM, vs. SAC, vs. LAC
Record: 40-17
OffRtg: 119.6 (3) DefRtg: 111.4 (4) NetRtg: +8.2 (2) Pace: 100.9 (10)
The Thunder have won five straight games to climb back into a virtual tie with the Wolves for the best record in the Western Conference. The biggest win in that stretch was their final game within the top four, a 22-point victory over the Clippers on Thursday, in which they held the league’s fourth-ranked offense to just 107 points on 102 possessions.
Three takeaways
The Thunder are done playing the other three teams in the top four, but still have seven games remaining against the other six Western Conference teams with winning records — all of whom are potential first-round playoff opponents. They haven’t played the sixth-place Suns since they came back from a fourth-quarter deficit and won in Phoenix on Nov. 12, when the opponent was without Devin Booker. They’re back in Phoenix and will have a rest advantage for Game 2 of a four-game trip on Sunday.
Week 19: vs. HOU, @ SAS, @ PHX
Record: 37-19
OffRtg: 119.1 (4) DefRtg: 114.6 (13) NetRtg: +4.5 (6) Pace: 98.4 (23)
The Clippers have had the Western Conference’s best record (34-12) since mid-November, but they fell to 2-6 in games played between the top four teams in the West with a 22-point loss in Oklahoma City on Thursday. Three nights later, they couldn’t stop the fifth-place Kings
Three takeaways
Having lost in Oklahoma City on Thursday, the Clippers will have another huge road game this week, visiting the Wolves on Sunday afternoon. Minnesota is one of two teams (the Cavs are the other) that the Clippers (have played and) haven’t beaten since the start of this 34-12 stretch in mid-November.
Week 19: vs. LAL, vs. WAS, @ MIN
Record: 39-19
OffRtg: 117.5 (12) DefRtg: 113.4 (11) NetRtg: +4.1 (8) Pace: 97.6 (27)
Coming out of the All-Star break in fourth place in the West and with a three-game losing streak, the Nuggets needed to put their foot on the gas. They won all three of their games last week, taking care of business against two bad teams and getting a quality win at Golden State on Sunday.
Three takeaways
The Nuggets have been much better offensively (121.3 scored per 100) at home, where they’ll play six of their next seven games. They’ve won eight of their last nine at Ball Arena and will have a chance to avenge that one loss (against the Kings in the last game before the All-Star break) on Wednesday. The one road game in that stretch is in L.A. on Saturday, with the Nuggets having won seven straight against the Lakers.
Week 19: vs. SAC, vs. MIA, @ LAL
Record: 37-19
OffRtg: 115.9 (15) DefRtg: 110.4 (2) NetRtg: +5.4 (4) Pace: 98.5 (22)
The Cavs still have a two-game lead in the loss column over the Bucks for second place in the East, but are 1-2 on their first stretch of five games in seven days, which comes to an end with a home-road back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Three takeaways
The Cavs scored just 96.4 points per 100 possessions and grabbed just 46.1% of available rebounds in an early-season, home-and-home set with the Knicks, the team that eliminated them by destroying them on the glass in the first round of last year’s playoffs. They managed to win one of the two games and the season series will be determined in Cleveland on Sunday.
Week 19: vs. DAL, @ CHI, @ DET, vs. NYK
Record: 33-24
OffRtg: 117.5 (11) DefRtg: 116.4 (20) NetRtg: +1.0 (14) Pace: 100.9 (9)
The Mavs have had Kyrie Irving back in the lineup for the last eight games, and they won the first seven of those (with a big win over the Suns on Thursday) before seeing the streak come to an end in Indiana this weekend.
Three takeaways
Their loss in Indiana on Sunday began a stretch of nine straight games against the Eastern Conference. The Mavs are 12-6 (6-2 on the road) against the East, though they lost at home to both the Cavs and Celtics, who they’ll visit this week.
Week 19: @ CLE, @ TOR, @ BOS, vs. PHI
Record: 34-24
OffRtg: 117.7 (8) DefRtg: 114.6 (14) NetRtg: +3.1 (11) Pace: 99.3 (17)
The Suns came out of the break with two losses by a total of 14 points in Texas, getting outscored by 36 points from 3-point range over the two games. But they returned home on Sunday and got a good win over the improved Lakers, climbing back into the top six in the Western Conference.
Three takeaways
The Suns have more road games (13) than home games (11) remaining, but the win over the Lakers began a stretch where they’re playing six of seven at Footprint Center. They’re still just 1-4 against the top four teams in the West, having allowed 129 points per 100 possessions over those five games, and they’ll be at a rest disadvantage when they host the Thunder on Sunday.
Week 19: vs. HOU, vs. HOU, vs. OKC
Record: 37-21
OffRtg: 118.9 (5) DefRtg: 115.5 (115.5) NetRtg: +3.4 (10) Pace: 101.9 (5)
No team needed a strong start to the post-break schedule more than the Bucks. So far, so good, as they got a quality win in Minnesota and a comfortable one in Philly.
Three takeaways
The Bucks are 11-1 (with 11 straight wins) against the bottom five teams in the Eastern Conference, with five games remaining against the group. Two of those five are this week against the Hornets, who they’ve beat by 31 and 36 points.
Week 19: vs. CHA, @ CHA, @ CHI
Record: 34-23
OffRtg: 117.9 (6) DefRtg: 113.2 (9) NetRtg: +4.6 (5) Pace: 97.0 (30)
The Knicks got an important win over the similarly shorthanded Sixers (whom they now lead by a game) on Thursday, but they fell to 2-8 against the three teams ahead of them and 5-6 in this stretch without OG Anunoby and Julius Randle, suffering their fourth loss to the Celtics.
Three takeaways
The Knicks get the Pistons on Monday, but nine of their next 11 games will be against other teams with winning records, and they’re currently 12-21 within that group. After their back-to-back on Monday and Tuesday, they won’t have another until April 4 and 5.
Week 19: vs. DET, vs. NOP, vs. GSW, @ CLE
Record: 33-23
OffRtg: 117.0 (13) DefRtg: 116.2 (19) NetRtg: +0.8 (16) Pace: 100.5 (11)
The Kings are staking their claim as the best of the rest of the West, sitting in fifth place after a great road win over the Clippers on Sunday.
Three takeaways
The Kings have four games left against the top four in the West, and two of them (both on the road) are this week.
De'Aaron Fox coming up CLUTCH! 🦊🔥 pic.twitter.com/f4wR3gQCCW
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 23, 2024

Week 19: vs. MIA, @ DEN, @ MIN
Record: 33-25
OffRtg: 120.6 (2) DefRtg: 118.8 (26) NetRtg: +1.9 (12) Pace: 102.7 (2)
The Pacers have won six of their last eight games and, given the Knicks’ and Sixers’ injuries, have a shot at a top-four seed in the East.
Three takeaways
The Pacers have the league’s biggest differential between their record with rest (31-17) and their record in the second games of back-to-backs (2-8). They’re one of three teams with only three back-to-backs after the All-Star break, with their game against the Raptors on Monday being the second half of the first one. They’re 1-1 against Toronto, with the one loss (in which the Pacers blew a late, seven-point lead) having come at home in the second game of a back-to-back.
Week 19: vs. TOR, vs. NOP, @ NOP, @ SAS
Record: 31-25
OffRtg: 113.2 (22) DefRtg: 112.7 (7) NetRtg: +0.5 (17) Pace: 97.5 (28)
The Heat have won seven of their last nine games, including three straight (all on the road), and they’re tied in the loss column with the sixth-place Pacers.
Three takeaways
They’ll have two more rest-advantage games — in Sacramento and Denver — on the four-game trip that concludes this week, and those are the tougher of the three remaining games, especially with Butler out against the Kings. The Heat will be at a disadvantage in Portland on Tuesday.
Week 19: @ SAC, @ POR, @ DEN, vs. UTA
Record: 34-24
OffRtg: 116.7 (14) DefRtg: 112.4 (6) NetRtg: +4.3 (7) Pace: 99.4 (14)
The Pelicans remain an enigma. They went into the break strong (winning seven of eight) and came out of it with an easy win over the Rockets. But they dropped two straight at home over the weekend, suffering their second loss to the Bulls (blowing double-digit leads both times) on Sunday.
Three takeaways
The Pelicans will play nine of their next 13 games on the road, and all nine of those road games are against the Eastern Conference. They got an ugly, 96-87 win over the Knicks in their second game of the season and they’ll have a rest advantage at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, currently 6-4 (1-1 on the road) in rest-advantage games.
Larry Nance Jr. with AUTHORITY 😤 pic.twitter.com/CaaAUIX17c
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 24, 2024

Week 19: @ NYK, @ IND, vs. IND
Record: 33-24
OffRtg: 117.7 (7) DefRtg: 114.0 (12) NetRtg: +3.7 (9) Pace: 99.3 (16)
The Sixers opened their post-break schedule with three games within the top five in the East, going 1-2. That’s not great, but a win over the Cavs without Joel Embiid is encouraging.
Three takeaways
The Sixers are 1-2 against the Celtics this season, though they’ve outscored Boston by 25 points per 100 possessions (scoring 74 points on 60 offensive possessions) in 24 minutes with Tyrese Maxey on the floor without Embiid. Both All-Stars missed the last meeting (Dec. 1) and the final one is in Boston on Tuesday, the start of a stretch where the Sixers are playing 15 of 22 on the road.
Week 19: @ BOS, vs. CHA, @ DAL
Record: 32-26
OffRtg: 113.0 (23) DefRtg: 112.2 (5) NetRtg: +0.8 (15) Pace: 98.0 (26)
The Magic got a great win in Cleveland on Thursday, but then barely beat the Pistons and fell apart in Atlanta, with a four-point lead turning into a 16-point deficit with a 21-1 Hawks run spanning the third and fourth quarters.
Three takeaways
The Magic are 12-5 against the seven teams below them in the Eastern Conference standings, with all five losses having come against the Hawks (1-3) and Nets (0-2). They lost their two games in Brooklyn by a total of 48 points, allowing 129.7 points per 100 possessions (their worst mark against any opponent) over the two. Their first of two home games against the Nets in the next 17 days is Tuesday when Orlando will have a rest advantage.
PAOLO BANCHERO FOR THE WIN 🍿 pic.twitter.com/rhadvKOX3F
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 25, 2024

Week 19: vs. BKN, vs. UTA, vs. DET
Record: 29-27
OffRtg: 117.5 (10) DefRtg: 116.0 (18) NetRtg: +1.6 (13) Pace: 100.2 (12)
The Warriors had won 10 of 12, with a big win over the ninth-place Lakers coming out of the All-Star break. But they remain in 10th, having blown a 16-point lead to the Nuggets on Sunday.
Three takeaways
The Warriors will play 16 of their final 26 games on the road, where they’ve won five straight. They’re 13-6 (fourth-best among West teams) against the Eastern Conference and just 1-3 against the East’s top four. Golden State is set to visit the Knicks and Celtics on the four-game trip that begins Tuesday in Washington.
Week 19: @ WAS, @ NYK, @ TOR, @ BOS
Record: 31-28
OffRtg: 114.5 (18) DefRtg: 115.1 (16) NetRtg: -0.6 (19) Pace: 101.4 (6)
The Lakers will have a tough time climbing out of the bottom half of the Western Conference Play-In group, especially if they can’t beat the other teams in the West’s top 10. They got a narrow win over the Spurs on Friday, but that was sandwiched by losses at Golden State (without LeBron James) and Phoenix in which they allowed more than 126 points per 100 possessions.
Three takeaways
The Lakers have just 23 games (the fewest in the league) remaining and will play 11 of their next 12 at Crypto.com Arena, a stretch that begins with a “road” game against the Clippers. The Lakers won the first two meetings, with James totaling 60 points on 24-for-38 (63%) shooting. But he missed the third one, a loss in which the Clips scored 127 points on 101 possessions.
Week 19: @ LAC, vs. WAS, vs. DEN
Record: 27-30
OffRtg: 113.5 (21) DefRtg: 115.1 (15) NetRtg: -1.6 (20) Pace: 97.0 (29)
The Bulls continue to look like the best team with a losing record. After a 5-14 start, they’re 22-16 (fifth best in the East) since late November. A lot of that damage (14-1) has been done against other teams that currently have losing records, but they got another quality win in New Orleans on Sunday.
Three takeaways
The Bulls’ one win vs. the top four in the East was at home against the Bucks, and they’ll complete the season series Friday, playing their final game against the Cavs two nights earlier.
Week 19: vs. DET, vs. CLE, vs. MIL
Record: 25-32
OffRtg: 112.8 (24) DefRtg: 112.8 (8) NetRtg: -0.1 (18) Pace: 99.4 (15)
The Rockets’ first six games out of the All-Star break are all against the Pelicans, Suns (x 3) and Thunder (x 2). They’re 1-2 on that stretch thus far, getting a good win over Phoenix on Friday, but scoring just 105.4 points per 100 possessions over the three games.
Three takeaways
The Rockets still have four games left against the Thunder and Suns, all four are on the road (uh oh), and three of the four are in the next six days.
Week 19: @ OKC, @ PHX, @ PHX
Record: 21-36
OffRtg: 114.0 (19) DefRtg: 117.2 (22) NetRtg: -3.1 (24) Pace: 99.4 (13)
The 12th-place Raptors still have a shot at a Play-In spot, and they picked up two big wins in that regard last week, beating the 11th-place Nets (getting their first Atlantic Division win) and 10th-place Hawks.
Three takeaways
The Raptors were 1-8 in rest-disadvantage games before their win in Atlanta on Friday. They’ll now play three straight rest-advantage games, though they’re just 3-5 in those and just 8-23 (with six straight losses) against the 18 teams that currently have winning records. Three of those eight wins have come against the three above-500 opponents — the Pacers, Mavs and Warriors — they’ll face this week.
Week 19: @ IND, vs. DAL, vs. GSW, vs. CHA
Record: 25-32
OffRtg: 117.5 (9) DefRtg: 119.6 (28) NetRtg: -2.1 (21) Pace: 102.3 (4)
Trae Young is out for at least a month after suffering a torn ligament in his left pinkie, but the Hawks got a good win without their star (and ended a three-game losing streak) on Sunday, holding their opponent (Orlando) under a point per possession for just the second time this season.
Three takeaways
After the Hawks host Utah on Tuesday, they’ll play nine of their next 11 on the road. That stretch begins with two games against the Nets, who they lead by 3 1/2 games for the final Play-In spot. Both of the previous meetings (one win, one loss) went down to the wire.
Week 19: vs. UTA, @ BKN, @ BKN
Record: 27-31
OffRtg: 115.7 (16) DefRtg: 118.4 (25) NetRtg: -2.7 (22) Pace: 100.9 (8)
The Jazz opened their post-break schedule with two games against teams — Charlotte and San Antonio — that came out of the break with a combined 24-85 record. But the Jazz split the two games, blowing a seven-point, fourth-quarter lead to the Hornets.
Three takeaways
With the loss to the Hornets, the Jazz are 13-9 (6-6 on the road) against the Eastern Conference, with the only East team they haven’t faced being the Hawks. They’ll begin a three-game trip (and a stretch where they’re playing seven of eight against the East) in Atlanta on Tuesday.
Week 19: @ ATL, @ ORL, @ MIA
Record: 21-35
OffRtg: 113.6 (20) DefRtg: 116.5 (21) NetRtg: -3.0 (23) Pace: 98.5 (21)
The Nets’ last game under Jacque Vaughn was a 50-point loss in Boston. Their first game under interim coach Kevin Ollie was a 28-point loss in Toronto in which they allowed 46 fast break points. If they were hoping for a new coach bump (or just a fresh start after the All-Star break), that wasn’t much of one.
Three takeaways
The Nets are still 4-2 (best record) in games played between the four below-.500 teams — Chicago, Atlanta, Brooklyn and Toronto — with a chance for the final two Play-In spots in the East, set to play their final two games against the Hawks (1-1) this week.
Week 19: @ MEM, @ ORL, vs. ATL, vs. ATL
Record: 20-37
OffRtg: 107.5 (30) DefRtg: 113.4 (10) NetRtg: -5.8 (25) Pace: 99.1 (18)
The Grizzlies are just 1-9 (with eight straight losses) against the top four teams in the West, but they were pretty competitive (1-3, minus-5.4 points per 100 possessions) in their season series with the Clippers. They had a one-point lead with less than two minutes left on Friday before seeing LA finish the game on a 9-2 run.
Two takeaways
The Grizzlies said Thursday that both Bane and Marcus Smart will be out for at least another three weeks. They have two games remaining against each of the two teams below them in the Western Conference standings and the two against the Blazers are in Memphis this weekend, with the teams having split a two-game series in Portland back in November.
Week 19: vs. BKN, @ MIN, vs. POR, vs. POR
Record: 15-42
OffRtg: 108.9 (28) DefRtg: 119.1 (27) NetRtg: -10.2 (30) Pace: 98.8 (19)
The Hornets went into the break winning three straight games (all at home). And they came out of it winning two out of three on a trip that concludes in Milwaukee on Tuesday.
Two takeaways
The Hornets’ last game before this 5-1 stretch (and their last game before the Williams and Mann additions) was a 36-point loss in Milwaukee. They’ll return to the scene of the crime, the first of two straight games against the league’s fifth-ranked offense, on Tuesday.
Week 19: @ MIL, vs. MIL, @ PHI, @ TOR
Record: 15-41
OffRtg: 108.2 (29) DefRtg: 117.2 (23) NetRtg: -9.0 (28) Pace: 98.3 (24)
The Blazers have dropped eight straight games, a stretch that now includes losses to the Pistons and Hornets. And with those, they have the worst record (3-6) in games played between the bottom six teams in the league.
Two takeaways
It’s kind of amazing that a team ranks lower offensively than this one, and the bottom two offenses will go head-to-head twice in Memphis this coming weekend. Though Brogdon played in both, the Blazers were the less efficient team (103.9 points scored per 100 possessions) as they split two games with the Grizzlies earlier in the season. With Memphis ranking 10th on the other end of the floor, the Blazers are playing their next six (and nine of its next 11) games against teams that rank in the top 10 defensively.
Week 19: vs. MIA, @ MEM, @ MEM
Record: 11-47
OffRtg: 109.1 (27) DefRtg: 117.6 (24) NetRtg: -8.5 (26) Pace: 102.3 (3)
The Spurs are 1-7 on the rodeo trip, though they played close games against the Kings and Lakers last week.
Two takeaways
The rodeo trip ends in Minnesota on Tuesday, with all three meetings between the Spurs and Wolves (including the other clutch Spurs win since early November) having been determined by single digits.
Week 19: @ MIN, vs. OKC, vs. IND
Record: 8-48
OffRtg: 111.0 (25) DefRtg: 119.8 (30) NetRtg: -8.9 (27) Pace: 101.2 (7)
The Pistons are still stuck on eight wins, having lost five straight.
Two takeaways
With their loss to the Magic on Saturday, the Pistons are 0-19 against the eight Eastern Conference teams with winning records, set to play four more games against that group (including another against Orlando) in the next eight days. They do have a win over the ninth-place Bulls, who they’ll visit on Tuesday.
Week 19: @ NYK, @ CHI, vs. CLE, @ ORL
Record: 9-48
OffRtg: 110.5 (26) DefRtg: 119.7 (29) NetRtg: -9.2 (29) Pace: 103.7 (1)
The Wizards are the second team to surpass its loss total from last season (35-47), and they’ve done it with an 11-game losing streak over which they’ve had the league’s worst offense (105.8 points scored per 100 possessions).
Two takeaways
The Wizards are the only winless team (0-10) in the second game of back-to-backs. They have three back-to-backs remaining, with the first of those being two games in L.A. on Thursday and Friday.
Week 19: vs. GSW, @ LAL, @ LAC
Boston holds the top spot and Minnesota is on the rise to No. 2 after NBA All-Star 2024 in Indianapolis.
The Clippers' new uniforms, logo and court will pay homage to the team's history as it prepares to open the Intuit Dome in 2024-25.
Spurs superstar begins final stretch of the season with a historic performance and major off-the-court endeavor.
See how the Kia MVP Ladder has evolved throughout the 2023-24 season as international stars continue to lead the way.
Boston holds the top spot and Minnesota is on the rise to No. 2 after NBA All-Star 2024 in Indianapolis.
The Clippers' new uniforms, logo and court will pay homage to the team's history as it prepares to open the Intuit Dome in 2024-25.
Spurs superstar begins final stretch of the season with a historic performance and major off-the-court endeavor.
See how the Kia MVP Ladder has evolved throughout the 2023-24 season as international stars continue to lead the way.
The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft has arrived (LIVE, ABC/ESPN). The second round begins Thursday, June 27 (4 ET, ESPN).
Washington reportedly adds 2 first-round picks and 2 second-round picks in a Draft-night deal with Portland.
The uniforms feature a new 'W' logo, which will also be on the team's Association and Icon uniforms in 2024-25.
Trouves les réponses à tes questions sur la Draft NBA 2024 qui se déroulera le 26 juin (20:00, ET, ABC/ESPN) et le 27 juin (16:00, ET, ESPN)
Dos franceses continúan compitiendo por el puesto No. 1 mientras se intensifica la competencia general en el Draft de la NBA 2024.
Draft Simulado consensual: Zaccharie Risacher subindo para o primeiro lugar Dois franceses seguem brigando pelo primeiro lugar, enquanto a disputa geral no Draft da NBA de 2024 se intensifica.

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