Power Rankings, Week 22: Nuggets hold No. 1 spot, Wolves enter Top 5 – NBA.com

Denver stays in the lead and Minnesota continues its rise with 4 weeks to go in 2023-24.
John Schuhmann
The Wolves are rounding into playoff form even as Karl-Anthony Towns mends.
Only four weeks and 219 games (an average of 14.6 per team) remain.
And while some teams have seemingly checked out, there are still 21 fighting for playoff or Play-In Tournament position. The Houston Rockets are making things a little more interesting in the Western Conference, where we currently have four star-laden teams in position to play single-elimination basketball in just 29 days.
The Boston Celtics, the only team to have clinched a top-six spot in either conference, don’t have to worry about that nonsense. But they’re still No. 2 in the Power Rankings, with their loss to the top-ranked Denver Nuggets just 11 days old.
Plus-Minus Players of the Week
Teams of the Week
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East vs. West
Schedule strength through Week 21
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Movement in the Rankings
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Week 22 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 114.8 points scored per 100 possessions and 99.4 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: 47-21
OffRtg: 117.6 (7) DefRtg: 112.9 (10) NetRtg: +4.7 (5) Pace: 97.4 (27)
The Nuggets still have the league’s best record (11-2) since the All-Star break, but they couldn’t hold onto first place in the West, slipping back to second with their loss at the buzzer in Dallas on Sunday.
Three takeaways
The Nuggets’ chase for the top seed isn’t over, but they also could slip to the No. 3 spot, with three games remaining against the third-place Wolves, who they lead by just a half-game. The last two of those are at home, and they’ll have a rest advantage in Minnesota on Tuesday, but they’re currently just 3-3 (1-2 on the road) in rest-advantage games.
Week 22: @ MIN, vs. NYK, @ POR
Record: 53-14
OffRtg: 122.0 (1) DefRtg: 110.3 (2) NetRtg: +11.7 (1) Pace: 98.5 (18)
The Celtics are the first team to have clinched a playoff berth for a 10th straight season, with that being the league’s longest active streak. Since their second loss to Denver, they’ve won five straight games by at least 10 points, giving them as many double-digit victories (33) as any team had all of last season.
Three takeaways
Three of the Celtics’ five remaining in-conference games at TD Garden are against the Pistons (Monday), Hornets and Wizards. The toughest of the five is against the Bucks on Wednesday, with the top two teams in the East having split their first two meetings.
Week 22: vs. DET, vs. MIL, @ DET, @ CHI
OffRtg: 119.0 (3) DefRtg: 111.5 (5) NetRtg: +7.6 (2) Pace: 100.8 (8)
The Thunder struggled offensively without Jalen Williams against the Pacers on Tuesday, but have still won 12 of their last 15 games and remain in the top five on both ends of the floor.
Three takeaways
And after they face the 12th-place team in each conference this week, the Thunder will play 10 of their final 13 games against that over-.500 group. That includes two games against the Bucks, who they’ll visit on Sunday.
Week 22: vs. UTA, @ TOR, @ MIL
Record: 44-24
OffRtg: 118.8 (4) DefRtg: 115.4 (17) NetRtg: +3.3 (9) Pace: 101.2 (5)
The Bucks went 1-3 on a trip through California and became the sixth team to match its loss total from last season (58-24). But they returned home and picked up a pair of wins over the Sixers and Suns, the latter without Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Three takeaways
The Bucks have two games remaining against the Celtics, who they beat by 33 in their last meeting (the seventh game in five nights for Boston). Game 3 of the season series (Wednesday in Boston) is the end of this stretch of eight straight against good teams, but the Thunder will be in Milwaukee on Sunday night.
Andre Jackson Jr. took FLIGHT 😱 pic.twitter.com/gmwMYddMD9
— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 13, 2024

Week 22: @ BOS, vs. BKN, vs. OKC
Record: 46-21
OffRtg: 114.5 (18) DefRtg: 108.2 (1) NetRtg: +6.3 (3) Pace: 98.0 (22)
The Wolves are 3-2 since Karl-Anthony Towns’ injury (and on their six-game road trip that concludes on Monday), winning the most important game in that stretch.
Three takeaways
After the Wolves’ trip ends with a second straight game in Utah on Monday, 10 of their final 14 games will be at home. But they’ll be at a rest disadvantage when they host the Nuggets on Tuesday night, just the second of their four meetings with the champs.
Week 22: @ UTA, vs. DEN, vs. CLE, vs. GSW
Record: 41-26
OffRtg: 117.1 (9) DefRtg: 111.7 (6) NetRtg: +5.3 (4) Pace: 99.1 (16)
The Pelicans had an ugly outing against the Cavs on Wednesday, but rebounded with a big win over the Clippers and are 6-1 in March.
Three takeaways
They’re just a game behind the Clippers for fourth place and hold the head-to-head tie-breaker, but the Pelicans have the more difficult remaining schedule, with 11 of their final 15 games against teams with winning records. Three of the four exceptions are on the road, with the Pelicans (who’ve won nine of their last 11 on the road) visiting Brooklyn and Detroit on the four-game trip that begins Tuesday.
Week 22: @ BKN, @ ORL, @ MIA, @ DET
Record: 42-25
OffRtg: 118.7 (5) DefRtg: 114.8 (14) NetRtg: +3.9 (8) Pace: 97.9 (24)
The Clippers continue to slide. They’re just 6-8 since the All-Star break and are now in danger of losing their spot in the top four in the West.
Three takeaways
Four of the Clippers’ next five games will be against the Blazers and Sixers. They’re 2-0 against Portland, though the last meeting (Dec. 11) was a little too close for comfort with the league’s 28th-ranked offense scoring 127 points on 97 possessions, its third most efficient performance of the season.
Week 22: @ POR, @ POR, vs. PHI
Record: 39-29
OffRtg: 117.9 (6) DefRtg: 116.7 (21) NetRtg: +1.2 (15) Pace: 100.7 (9)
The Mavs have been on a roller coaster since Kyrie Irving returned from a six-game absence six weeks ago. They won their first seven games with Irving back, then lost five of six, and now they’ve won five of six, with the only loss having come in Oklahoma City without Luka Doncic. And they rebounded from that one by beating the champs on a ridiculous game-winner from Irving himself.
Three takeaways
The Mavs’ last seven games against the bottom five teams in the West (four wins and three losses) have all been decided by at least 17 points. They’ll play their next three games against the Spurs and Jazz (x 2), with their first two games against Utah (one win and one loss) having been decided by 50 and 37 points.
KYRIE CALLED GAME 😱 pic.twitter.com/32tWEeGkei
— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 17, 2024

Week 22: @ SAS, vs. UTA
Record: 39-29
OffRtg: 117.1 (8) DefRtg: 114.6 (13) NetRtg: +2.5 (11) Pace: 99.3 (15)
The Suns went 2-2 on a four-game trip in which they played the top three teams in the Eastern Conference, picking up a win in Cleveland, but having their defense torched in Boston and Milwaukee.
Three takeaways
The Suns are back home for a back-to-back before heading back out for a five-game trip that includes visits to three of the top five teams in the West. They’re 0-2 against the 15th-place Spurs, who they’ll visit for a two-game series starting Saturday.
Week 22: vs. PHI, vs. ATL, @ SAS
Record: 42-25
OffRtg: 115.0 (17) DefRtg: 110.8 (3) NetRtg: +4.2 (7) Pace: 98.0 (21)
The Cavs were one of the league’s hottest teams going into the All-Star break, but are just 6-8 since the break and certainly haven’t sewn up a top-four spot in the East.
Three takeaways
That 9-9 record includes a 5-7 mark (2-4 since the All-Star break) against other teams with winning records. The Cavs’ next four games are against that group, with three on the road. They do have their best road record (20-12) in the last 14 seasons (since 2009-10) and one of those two post-break wins came against the Wolves, who they’ll visit on Friday.
Week 22: @ IND, vs. MIA, @ MIN, @ MIA
Record: 40-27
OffRtg: 116.4 (14) DefRtg: 111.9 (7) NetRtg: +4.5 (6) Pace: 96.3 (30)
If more physical play is being allowed these days, the Knicks seem to be benefitting. They’ve won three straight games to remain in the top four in the Eastern Conference.
Three takeaways
The Knicks have four games remaining against teams that rank in the top 10 offensively. The first of those is in Denver on Thursday, the end of their four-game road trip. The first meeting was the end of a Nuggets road trip, a 38-point win for the Knicks, and the champs’ third-worst offensive game of the season.
Week 22: @ GSW, @ DEN, vs. BKN
Record: 37-30
OffRtg: 113.1 (21) DefRtg: 112.4 (9) NetRtg: +0.6 (17) Pace: 97.2 (28)
After losing four straight games, the Heat got to play two games in Detroit. The Sunday game was too close for comfort, but they got two wins to remain tied in the loss column with the sixth-place Pacers.
Three takeaways
The seventh-place Heat have six games remaining within the top eight in the Eastern Conference, with three of those this week. They have the same record as the eighth-place Sixers and would clinch the tiebreaker with a win in Philadelphia on Monday (when they’ll be at a rest disadvantage). They won the first two meetings by 11 total points, with the Sixers scoring just five points on 12 clutch possessions.
BAM WINS IT FOR MIAMI FROM DEEP 🚨 pic.twitter.com/jR0zbRPRmR
— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 17, 2024

Week 22: @ PHI, @ CLE, vs. NOP, vs. CLE
Record: 38-28
OffRtg: 116.8 (12) DefRtg: 115.8 (20) NetRtg: +1.0 (16) Pace: 100.1 (12)
The Kings are 3-2 on their second of two six-game homestands, which has included a pair of impressive wins and a pair of ugly offensive performances.
Three takeaways
The Kings are one of two teams – the Warriors are the other – with 16 games remaining. After their homestand concludes with a game against the Grizzlies on Monday, they’ll begin their only stretch of five games in seven days, which will take them from Toronto to Orlando and then back home.
Week 22: vs. MEM, @ TOR, @ WAS, @ ORL
Record: 38-30
OffRtg: 119.9 (2) DefRtg: 118.1 (25) NetRtg: +1.8 (12) Pace: 102.5 (2)
The Pacers still aren’t the offensive team they were before Tyrese Haliburton’s injury, but they’ve won three of their last four games to climb back into the top six in the Eastern Conference.
Three takeaways
The Pacers have the second-best record (14-9) in games played between the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference. They have three games remaining within the top eight, with two of those against Cleveland. They’re 2-0 against the Cavs with both meetings having come in the first two weeks of the season and third in Indiana on Monday. The Pacers will then head out on a five-game trip that includes a back-to-back in L.A.
Week 22: vs. CLE, @ DET, @ GSW, @ LAL
Record: 40-28
OffRtg: 112.8 (23) DefRtg: 111.1 (4) NetRtg: +1.8 (13) Pace: 97.6 (26)
The Magic had the league’s easiest post-All-Star schedule and, with three straight wins, they’re currently tied for the league’s third best record (10-3) since the break.
Three takeaways
Their win over Toronto on Sunday was the start of the Magic’s longest homestand of the season, eight games over 16 days. Their toughest remaining stretch in regard to opponents – four straight games against teams with winning records – begins Thursday with their first meeting with the Pelicans. Though they’re 10-3 since All-Star weekend, their last win over a team with a winning record was their first game after the break (in Cleveland).
Week 22: vs. CHA, vs. NOP, vs. SAC
Record: 35-31
OffRtg: 116.8 (11) DefRtg: 115.4 (15) NetRtg: +1.4 (14) Pace: 100.3 (11)
Climbing out of the 9-10 Play-In Tournament game remains a challenge, but the Warriors got one of their biggest wins on Saturday, beating the Lakers (and moving ahead of them for ninth place) with one of their best offensive performances of the season.
Three takeaways
They’ll try to get that home record above .500 with a three-game homestand that begins Monday. After that, nine of their next 11 games will be on the road, a stretch that begins with a tough game in Minnesota. The Warriors lost two close games to the Wolves in November, with Curry scoring 38 points in the first one and missing the second.
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS POSTER 🔥 pic.twitter.com/VR1apQBOy5
— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 12, 2024

Week 22: vs. NYK, vs. MEM, vs. IND, @ MIN
Record: 36-32
OffRtg: 115.1 (16) DefRtg: 115.7 (18) NetRtg: -0.6 (19) Pace: 101.1 (6)
After impressive wins against the Bucks and Wolves, the Lakers have lost two straight games for the first time since January, falling back to 10th place in the Western Conference.
Three takeaways
If the Lakers want to move back up the standings in their own conference, they’ll have to do it with wins against the other one. Nine of their next 10 are inter-conference games, with five of those nine against East teams with winning records. They’re 12-9 against the East thus far but have been outscored by 1.9 points per 100 possessions over those 21 games.
Week 22: vs. ATL, vs. PHI, vs. IND
Record: 37-30
OffRtg: 116.7 (13) DefRtg: 114.1 (12) NetRtg: +2.6 (10) Pace: 98.4 (19)
The Sixers were able to get a win over the Hornets on Saturday, but they’re still just 11-22 without Joel Embiid, with no real timeline for his return.
Three takeaways
That 5-11 mark includes two losses to the Heat, with whom the Sixers are tied in the standings with two head-to-head meetings remaining. The first of those is in Philadelphia on Monday, when the Sixers will have a rest advantage (though the Heat played Sunday afternoon in Detroit). After that, nine of their next 11 games will be on the road.
Week 22: vs. MIA, @ PHX, @ LAL, @ LAC
Record: 32-35
OffRtg: 112.7 (24) DefRtg: 112.1 (8) NetRtg: +0.6 (18) Pace: 99.6 (14)
The Rockets are still alive for a Play-In Tournament spot, because (after a 3-9 February) they’re 7-1 in March, including 3-0 since Alperen Sengun’s injury.
Three takeaways
The Rockets are just three games in the loss column behind the 10th-place Lakers and their next four games are against teams with losing records. They were only 11-8 within that group before the All-Star break, but are 4-0 (including 2-0 on the road) since.
Week 22: @ WAS, vs. CHI, vs. UTA
Record: 33-35
OffRtg: 113.6 (19) DefRtg: 115.4 (16) NetRtg: -1.8 (21) Pace: 96.9 (29)
The Bulls remain fairly entrenched in ninth place in the East, 4 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Sixers and 2 1/2 ahead of the 10th-place Hawks.
Three takeaways
With their next two games against that group, the Bulls can get back to .500 this week. But they’ll have to win in Houston (where the Rockets are 23-11) to do it. They’ve lost their two games against the Celtics by a total of 44 points but will have a rest advantage when they host the top team in the East on Saturday.
DEMAR DEROZAN FORCES OT IN INDY 🪣 pic.twitter.com/QUp7zghwY8
— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 14, 2024

Week 22: vs. POR, @ HOU, vs. BOS
Record: 30-37
OffRtg: 117.0 (10) DefRtg: 118.5 (28) NetRtg: -1.5 (20) Pace: 101.3 (4)
The Hawks had a rough start to their five-game road trip, shooting 3-for-13 on clutch shots and losing close games in Portland and Utah. But they left nothing to chance in L.A. on Sunday, clobbering the Clippers to get back to .500 (8-8) in games they’ve played without Trae Young.
Three takeaways
With 10 of their 15 games against teams with winning records, the Hawks have a much tougher remaining schedule than the ninth-place Bulls, who they trail by two games in the loss column. They do have two home games remaining against the Hornets, with the first of those (Saturday) the start of a five-game homestand.
Week 22: @ LAL, @ PHX, vs. CHA
Record: 29-38
OffRtg: 115.5 (15) DefRtg: 119.1 (29) NetRtg: -3.6 (23) Pace: 100.7 (10)
The Jazz got their first post-break win against a non-Lottery team, beating the Hawks (the non-Lottery team with the worst record) on Tuesday. They’re still just 3-12 over the last 5 1/2 weeks.
Two takeaways
With their losses to the Celtics and Wolves last week, the Jazz have lost their last nine games against teams that currently have winning records. And starting with the Minnesota loss, they’re playing 12 of their final 16 games against that group, with three of the four exceptions being games against the Rockets, who are currently 7-1 in March. The first of those three meetings is in Houston on Saturday.
Week 22: vs. MIN, @ OKC, @ DAL, @ HOU
Record: 26-42
OffRtg: 113.3 (20) DefRtg: 115.7 (19) NetRtg: -2.4 (22) Pace: 98.0 (23)
If the Nets hoped to make the Play-In Tournament, those hopes are probably gone after a 1-5 road trip in which they lost to the Pistons, Hornets and Spurs. And with their overtime loss in San Antonio on Sunday, they’re the only team that’s lost to each of the five teams with fewer than 20 wins, currently 6-7 against that group with games remaining against the Wizards and Pistons.
Two takeaways
The last time the Nets played the Knicks, the Barclays Center sounded like Madison Square Garden as the home team blew a nine-point, fourth-quarter lead. They’ve got two games remaining at the Garden, with the first of those on Saturday afternoon and with the Knicks having won the last four meetings.
Week 22: vs. NOP, @ MIL, @ NYK
Record: 23-45
OffRtg: 113.0 (22) DefRtg: 117.3 (24) NetRtg: -4.3 (24) Pace: 99.8 (13)
With a seven-game losing streak, the Raptors are now 7 1/2 games out of the Play-In Tournament and hold the franchise’s worst record in the last 13 seasons.
Two takeaways
With their two losses to the Magic this past weekend, the Raptors are 9-30 (1-13 since mid-January) against the 18 teams with winning records and will host the Kings and Thunder this week. Their losses in Sacramento and Oklahoma City were both by single digits.
Week 22: vs. SAC, vs. OKC, @ WAS
Record: 15-53
OffRtg: 109.7 (27) DefRtg: 117.0 (23) NetRtg: -7.3 (26) Pace: 101.9 (3)
The Spurs went 1-3 on the first half of the eight-game homestand that included two games in Austin last week, getting a (rare) comeback win over Brooklyn on Sunday.
Two takeaways
The Spurs won just four of their first 37 games against the 18 teams that currently have winning records, but they’ve got three wins against good teams (the Thunder, Pacers and Warriors) in the last few weeks, and 10 of their final 14 games will be against that group. Two of those first four wins came against the Suns, who will be in San Antonio for a two-game series starting Saturday.
Week 22: vs. DAL, vs. MEM, vs. PHX
Record: 19-48
OffRtg: 108.7 (28) DefRtg: 116.8 (22) NetRtg: -8.1 (28) Pace: 97.9 (25)
The Blazers were officially eliminated from playoff contention with their loss in New Orleans on Saturday. That makes it three straight seasons with no postseason (not even a Play-In appearance), with the league’s fourth-worst record over that stretch.
Two takeaways
The Blazers are the only Western Conference team that doesn’t have a win (they’re 0-13) against the top four teams in the conference. Their last three chances are a three-game homestand this week where they’re hosting the Clippers (x 2) and Nuggets.
Week 22: @ CHI, vs. LAC, vs. LAC, vs. DEN
Record: 23-45
OffRtg: 106.9 (30) DefRtg: 113.4 (11) NetRtg: -6.4 (25) Pace: 98.6 (17)
The Grizzlies split two games without Jaren Jackson Jr. last week, holding the Wizards under a point per possession. But Jackson wasn’t the only guy making a return over the weekend.
Two takeaways
The Grizzlies have multiple wins over three teams (all in their division), with one of them being the Spurs (2-0). They have two more meetings left on the schedule, with the first in San Antonio on Friday.
Week 22: @ SAC, @ GSW, @ SAS
Record: 17-51
OffRtg: 108.3 (29) DefRtg: 118.5 (27) NetRtg: -10.2 (30) Pace: 98.3 (20)
The Hornets split their two games within the bottom six of the league last week, losing in Detroit and winning in Memphis. They’re 6-6 within the group with one game remaining.
Two takeaways
Starting with their weekend losses to Phoenix and Philly, the Hornets are playing 13 of their final 16 games against teams with winning records. Two of the three exceptions are games in Atlanta, with the Hornets having allowed just 103.5 points per 100 possessions (the league’s best mark against the Hawks’ 10th-ranked offense) as they’ve won the first two meetings.
Week 22: @ ORL, @ ATL
Record: 12-55
OffRtg: 110.5 (25) DefRtg: 118.4 (26) NetRtg: -7.9 (27) Pace: 100.9 (7)
The Pistons held off the inevitable for a few days, picking up wins over the Hornets and Raptors last week. But they became the third team officially eliminated from playoff contention with their loss to the Heat on Friday. They’re tied with the Spurs (who were already eliminated) for the second longest active playoff drought (five straight years), with the Hornets set to take their streak to eight straight in the near future. Of course, it’s now been 16 years since the Pistons won a playoff game.
Two takeaways
The Pistons’ two losses to the Heat this weekend began a stretch of eight straight games against teams with winning records, and they’ll play the Celtics twice this week. The last time they were in Boston, the Pistons blew a 21-point lead and fell in overtime, the last loss in their 28-game losing streak.
Week 22: @ BOS, vs. IND, vs. BOS, vs. NOP
Record: 11-57
OffRtg: 110.2 (26) DefRtg: 119.7 (30) NetRtg: -9.5 (29) Pace: 103.3 (1)
Eight days ago, the Wizards got their second win (improving to 2-40) against the 18 teams that currently have winning records. They’ve dropped four straight games (including three to teams with losing records) since then, trailing all four by at least 24 points.
Two takeaways
The Wizards certainly have an opportunity to get to six (or more) home wins, with six of their 10 remaining home games against teams with losing records. That includes games against the Rockets (9-24 on the road) and Raptors (five straight road losses) this week.
Week 22: vs. HOU, vs. SAC, vs. TOR
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