Power Rankings, Week 9: Clippers rise as Celtics reclaim No. 1 spot – NBA.com

Boston continues to roll and LA and Dallas enter the Top 10 as marquee games on Christmas Day await.
John Schuhmann
James Harden and the Clippers are finding their way and have won 7 straight entering Week 9.
The gap between the good teams and the bad continues to grow. We entered last week with only 11 teams with losing records, and those teams went 9-33 over the last seven days, with four of those wins coming against other teams with losing records.
The gap between the two conferences also continues to grow. Through Week 4, the East was 27-24 against the West. But since then, the West is 23-11 in interconference games.
Because of the In-Season Tournament, we’re only 19% through the interconference schedule (the overall schedule is 31% complete), and this will be the busiest week to date for interconference games. There are 25 of them in the next six days, plus another (Celtics-Lakers) on Christmas.
Note: Next week’s rankings will come on Tuesday, Dec. 26.
Plus-Minus Players of the Week
Teams of the Week
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East vs. West
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Movement in the Rankings
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Week 9 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 114.4 points scored per 100 possessions and 100.0 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 Twitter.
Note: The Rankings will come on Tuesdays the next two weeks (Dec. 26 and Jan. 2).
Record: 20-5
OffRtg: 118.2 (6) DefRtg: 109.2 (3) NetRtg: +9.0 (2) Pace: 98.6 (23)
The Celtics continue to dominate at home. Two good teams came to Boston for two games apiece last week, and the Celtics swept them both, improving to 14-0 at TD Garden.
Three takeaways
One reason why the West has won 55% of inter-conference games is that the two East teams that have played the fewest are the Celtics (2) and Bucks (3). The Cs are about to add to that total, visiting all four California teams on the four-game trip that begins Tuesday. They’ll be at a rest disadvantage in Sacramento the following night, the end of their first of three stretches of five games in seven days.
It’ll be Celtics-Lakers in L.A. on Christmas. Boston won both meetings in overtime last season, and Jayson Tatum’s 44 points last December were the most any player scored against the Lakers (before the playoffs).
Week 9 + Christmas: @ GSW, @ SAC, @ LAC, @ LAL
Record: 19-5
OffRtg: 113.9 (17) DefRtg: 106.6 (1) NetRtg: +7.3 (3) Pace: 99.1 (18)
The Wolves’ top-ranked defense couldn’t stop Zion Williamson on Monday, but it held up against two top-five offenses later in the week, and this team remains comfortably atop the Western Conference.
Three takeaways
The Wolves’ Week 9 will take them from Miami to Sacramento, but they’ll have a rest advantage against the Kings on Saturday. They’ve already had the biggest differential between their number of rest-advantage games (seven with their win over the Pacers on Saturday) and rest-disadvantage games (one), and their next disadvantage game isn’t until Jan. 10.
Week 9: @ MIA, @ PHI, vs. LAL, @ SAC
Record: 18-7
OffRtg: 121.9 (2) DefRtg: 109.8 (5) NetRtg: +12.1 (1) Pace: 100.6 (12)
The Sixers have cruised through one of the easiest stretches of schedule any team will have this season, winning six straight games by an average of 27.3 points.
Three takeaways
The Sixers are now 12-0 against the 11 teams that currently have losing records, and they’ll have two more games against that group this week. But in between, they’ll host the West-leading Wolves on Wednesday, having lost in Minnesota without Embiid last month.
Week 9 + Christmas: vs. CHI, vs. MIN, vs. TOR, @ MIA
Record: 16-8
OffRtg: 117.7 (7) DefRtg: 110.9 (6) NetRtg: +6.8 (4) Pace: 101.5 (6)
The Thunder shot just 18-for-57 (32%) from 3-point range over their two big games within the top six in the West last week. But they managed to split the two, coming back from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to win in Denver on Saturday.
Three takeaways
The Thunder are still just 4-6 against the other Western Conference teams that have winning records, and the five-game homestand that begins Monday includes a few more big games within the West. They’ll have a rest advantage when they host the Clippers on Thursday.
SGA CLUTCH! ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/F05NxjS8f9
— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 17, 2023

Week 9: vs. MEM, vs. LAC, vs. LAL
Record: 17-10
OffRtg: 117.3 (9) DefRtg: 112.9 (12) NetRtg: +4.4 (7) Pace: 98.0 (27)
Statistically, the Nuggets are a better team than they were last season, when they outscored their opponents by just 3.3 points per 100 possessions, the lowest regular-season mark for an eventual champion in the 27 full seasons for which we have play-by-play data. But they’re in fourth place, not first, having dropped a big game (at home) to the second-place Thunder on Saturday.
Three takeaways
The Nuggets did get three straight wins, all against Eastern Conference teams, before the OKC loss. They’ll have a three-game trip through the East this week, but will first play the Mavs for third place in the West on Monday.
Week 9 + Christmas: vs. DAL, @ TOR, @ BKN, @ CHA, vs. GSW
Record: 19-7
OffRtg: 120.5 (3) DefRtg: 115.6 (21) NetRtg: +4.9 (6) Pace: 102.4 (5)
If Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn’t at or near the top of your list of Kia MVP candidates before last week, he is now. The 29-year-old scored 32 points as the Bucks beat the Bulls in overtime on Monday, and two nights later, he doubled that, dropping a franchise-record 64 points on the Pacers.
Three takeaways
The Bucks have won their last 13 games at Fiserv Forum and scored more than 131 points per 100 possessions over the last six of those. Their six-game homestand concludes with two fun matchups: the first meeting between Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama, and then a big game against the fourth-place Magic. The first meeting (in Orlando and without Lillard) was the only time this season that the Bucks have scored less than a point per possession.
GIANNIS JUST MADE HISTORY.
64 PTS is a career-high and a Bucks franchise record 💪 pic.twitter.com/x7xnMrUi9U
— NBA (@NBA) December 14, 2023

Week 9 + Christmas: vs. SAS, vs. ORL, @ NYK, @ NYK
Record: 15-10
OffRtg: 116.5 (11) DefRtg: 111.0 (7) NetRtg: +5.5 (5) Pace: 98.8 (22)
The Clippers had a close call against the shorthanded Blazers on Monday, but they remain perfect in December, with their seven straight victories being the league’s longest active winning streak.
Three takeaways
Six of the seven wins on this streak have been at home, and four of the seven have come against teams below .500. The Clippers now head out on a trip in which all three opponents have winning records. They’re currently 4-3 (with three straight wins) against the five teams ahead of them in the West standings, set to play a back-to-back in Dallas and Oklahoma City.
Week 9: @ IND, @ DAL, @ OKC, vs. BOS
Record: 15-9
OffRtg: 115.2 (14) DefRtg: 114.5 (14) NetRtg: +0.7 (17) Pace: 100.9 (9)
The Kings keep on beating the best teams in the league, which might mean that they’re one of the best teams in the league, though their point differential (that of a 12-12 team) doesn’t match their record.
Three takeaways
The Kings’ six-game homestand will conclude with another game against one of those top-four teams in the West, and this one — vs. Minnesota on Saturday — will be the second game of a back-to-back, so something has GOT to give. The Kings will have rest advantages against the Wizards and Celtics earlier in the week.
Week 9: vs. WAS, vs. BOS, vs. PHX, vs. MIN
Record: 16-9
OffRtg: 118.8 (5) DefRtg: 116.2 (23) NetRtg: +2.6 (11) Pace: 100.8 (10)
The Mavs have lost home games against the first and second-place teams in the Western Conference this month, but they remain in third, having won five of their last six overall.
Three takeaways
The Mavs are one of seven teams with a better record on the road (9-4) than they have at home (7-5), and their win in Portland began a stretch where they’re playing seven of 10 on the road. That stretch includes big games at Denver, Houston, Phoenix, Minnesota and Golden State.
WHAT A DIME FROM LUKA 🔥 pic.twitter.com/90jnErhjzp
— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 13, 2023

Week 9 + Christmas: @ DEN, vs. LAC, @ HOU, vs. SAS, @ PHX
Record: 16-9
OffRtg: 113.2 (18) DefRtg: 109.7 (4) NetRtg: +3.5 (8) Pace: 100.1 (15)
The Magic are good, but not “can beat the Celtics in Boston” good. Neither of their weekend games at TD Garden were close, they’ve now lost four straight on the road and they’ve slipped from second to fourth place in the East.
Three takeaways
The Magic’s set of Eastern Conference tests continues this week. They’ve already beaten the Bucks and Pacers, with those games being the worst and fourth-worst offensive games of the season for those teams, respectively. They’ll face the Heat for the first time on Wednesday.
Week 9: vs. MIA, @ MIL, @ IND
Record: 15-11
OffRtg: 112.2 (20) DefRtg: 111.7 (8) NetRtg: +0.4 (18) Pace: 100.8 (11)
The In-Season Tournament champs are just 9-11 in non-tournament games, but all their losses were against good teams … until they lost in San Antonio on Friday.
Three takeaways
After three games in Texas, the Lakers are back home for just one game before heading back to the Central time zone for another three-game trip that includes big games against the Wolves and Thunder. They’re currently 7-7 in games played between the 10 Western Conference teams that have winning records, having lost by 23 in Oklahoma City less than three weeks ago.
Week 9 + Christmas: vs. NYK, @ CHI, @ MIN, @ OKC, vs. BOS
Record: 16-11
OffRtg: 114.9 (15) DefRtg: 112.6 (10) NetRtg: +2.3 (12) Pace: 101.0 (8)
Anthony Edwards was out on Monday, but a victory over the Wolves is still a quality win. The Pelicans are now 8-4 (with five straight wins) against the six teams ahead of them in the Western Conference standings.
Three takeaways
The Pelicans are three games into a stretch of eight straight against teams that currently rank in the bottom 10 offensively, and they’ll have a rest advantage in all three of their games this week.
Week 9: vs. MEM, @ CLE, vs. HOU
Record: 13-11
OffRtg: 121.9 (1) DefRtg: 120.4 (28) NetRtg: +1.5 (14) Pace: 104.6 (1)
The Pacers avoided a loss in Detroit on Monday, getting 30 points off the bench from Bennedict Mathurin. But the post-In-Season-Tournament hangover eventually came, and they’ve lost three straight games for the first time this season.
Three takeaways
Haliburton is listed as questionable for the Pacers’ game against the Clippers on Monday. Their loss to the league’s No. 1 defense on Saturday began a stretch where they’re playing five of six against defenses that rank no worse than 11th.
Week 9: vs. LAC, vs. CHA, @ MEM, vs. ORL
Record: 14-12
OffRtg: 111.8 (23) DefRtg: 111.9 (9) NetRtg: -0.1 (20) Pace: 99.0 (21)
The Cavs have had their four returning starters together for just 11 games, they’ve been one of the league’s most disappointing teams to date, and now Darius Garland (fractured jaw) and Evan Mobley (knee surgery on Monday) are both out for a month or more.
Three takeaways
A lot more games against bad defenses are coming up … after the Cavs host the second-ranked Rockets on Monday. Ten of their next 13 games after that will be against defenses that rank in the bottom 10.
Week 9: vs. HOU, vs. UTA, vs. NOP, @ CHI
Record: 14-11
OffRtg: 117.4 (8) DefRtg: 114.5 (15) NetRtg: +2.9 (10) Pace: 97.6 (29)
Jalen Brunson (career-high 50 points) and the Knicks tore through the Suns in the second half on Friday, picking up their best win of the season. But that was preceded by a loss in Utah, and their defense has taken a big step backward over their last six games.
Three takeaways
The Knicks are still sixth in the Eastern Conference, but there are now five East teams with 11 or 12 losses. They’ll face one of the others (Brooklyn) for the first time on Wednesday before facing the Bucks twice at Madison Square Garden.
Week 9 + Christmas: @ LAL, @ BKN, vs. MIL, vs. MIL
Record: 13-10
OffRtg: 111.9 (22) DefRtg: 108.4 (2) NetRtg: +3.5 (9) Pace: 97.6 (28)
Eleven of the Rockets’ 13 wins have come as part of two winning streaks. The latter of those (five games) included their first two road wins and had them in sixth place in the West, but it came to an end with some poor shooting in Milwaukee on Sunday.
Three takeaways
Their rest-advantage loss in Milwaukee on Sunday (both their best offensive and worst defensive game of December) was the start of the Rockets’ only stretch of five games in seven days. They’ll be at a rest disadvantage in Cleveland on Monday and again in New Orleans on Saturday.
Week 9: @ CLE, vs. ATL, vs. DAL, @ NOP
Record: 14-12
OffRtg: 116.3 (12) DefRtg: 115.0 (18) NetRtg: +1.3 (16) Pace: 98.0 (26)
The Suns got 24 minutes of Bradley Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant on the floor together before Beal sprained his right ankle against New York on Friday. And they now have to wait a few more weeks before trying again.
Three takeaways
That record includes a 1-6 mark against the other Western Conference teams with winning records, with the most recent of those losses having come against the Kings 10 days ago. They’ll be in Sacramento on Friday before facing the Mavs for the first time on Christmas.
Week 9 + Christmas: @ POR, @ SAC, vs. DAL
Record: 13-12
OffRtg: 117.1 (10) DefRtg: 115.4 (20) NetRtg: +1.7 (13) Pace: 99.0 (20)
The Nets spoiled the debut of the Suns’ big three on Wednesday, but they’re 1-3 on the five-game trip that concludes on Monday, having allowed almost 124 points per 100 possessions over the four games.
Three takeaways
Both the Nets and Knicks will be coming back from West Coast trips when they play in Brooklyn (their first meeting of the season) on Wednesday. After the Nets won nine straight against the team from the other borough, the Knicks won their two post-deadline meetings by a total of 42 points last season.
Week 9: @ UTA, vs. NYK, vs. DEN, vs. DET
Record: 15-11
OffRtg: 115.3 (13) DefRtg: 114.0 (13) NetRtg: +1.3 (15) Pace: 98.2 (25)
The Heat have now been without Bam Adebayo for the last seven games. But they’ve played their last four against the Hornets and Bulls, winning three of the four thanks, in part, to Jimmy Butler’s heroics.
Three takeaways
Tyler Herro (who has missed the last 18 games) could be back this week, but there’s no indication of when Adebayo will return and the Heat’s schedule is about to get tougher. They’re just 4-9 against the other 18 teams that currently have winning records, with three games against that group in the next eight days.
JIMMY BUCKETS FOR THE WIN 🚨 pic.twitter.com/UQLZugptWd
— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 17, 2023

Week 9 + Christmas: vs. MIN, @ ORL, vs. ATL, vs. PHI
Record: 12-14
OffRtg: 114.7 (16) DefRtg: 114.6 (16) NetRtg: +0.1 (19) Pace: 100.2 (13)
Stephen Curry’s record streak of 268 straight regular season games with a 3-pointer came to an end on Sunday. But its demise coincided with the Warriors’ first winning streak since Nov. 1 and 3. Draymond Green is suspended indefinitely, but the Warriors have managed to find two ways to win over the weekend.
Three takeaways
The Warriors will play 10 of their next 11 games at home, which would be great news if this were last season, when they were 33-8 at Chase Center. This season, they’re 6-6 (with a negative point differential), and that stretch begins with their first game against the Celtics.
Week 9 + Christmas: vs. BOS, vs. WAS, vs. POR, @ DEN
Record: 10-15
OffRtg: 118.9 (4) DefRtg: 119.3 (27) NetRtg: -0.4 (21) Pace: 102.5 (4)
The Hawks have been playing a pretty tough stretch of games, with losses to the Celtics, Bucks, Sixers and Nuggets in the last few weeks. But they couldn’t take advantage of a little dip in the strength of schedule, going 1-2 on a trip through Toronto (x 2) and Cleveland.
Three takeaways
The Hawks have had just one rest-advantage game, and they dropped to 2-3 in rest-disadvantage games with their loss in Cleveland on Saturday. They get to play Detroit and Memphis this week, but they’ll be at another disadvantage against the Grizzlies, who should be getting a boost to their 30th-ranked offense.
Week 9: vs. DET, @ HOU, @ MIA, vs. MEM
Record: 10-17
OffRtg: 112.1 (21) DefRtg: 116.2 (22) NetRtg: -4.0 (23) Pace: 96.4 (30)
After winning their first four games without Zach LaVine, the Bulls have lost three of four. But those were all single-digit losses to the Bucks, Nuggets and Heat.
Three takeaways
The Bulls’ schedule remains pretty tough for the rest of this month, but their longest homestand of the season (six games over 11 days) begins Wednesday and includes their second of three games against the Spurs.
Week 9: @ PHI, vs. LAL, vs. SAS, vs. CLE
Record: 10-15
OffRtg: 112.7 (19) DefRtg: 114.9 (17) NetRtg: -2.2 (22) Pace: 99.0 (19)
Sweeping a two-game series against the Hawks might have been a sign that the Raptors could really rise above the bottom five in the East and maybe catch a team or two ahead of them. But their offense just wasn’t good enough to win two straight games against a bad defense.
Three takeaways
Four of those six games have come against teams — New York and Atlanta — that rank in the top 10 offensively. They’ll face two more top-10 offenses — those of the Sixers and Nuggets — this week, having already lost two games to Philly.
Week 9: vs. CHA, vs. DEN, @ PHI, vs. UTA
Record: 9-17
OffRtg: 110.3 (26) DefRtg: 118.5 (25) NetRtg: -8.2 (26) Pace: 100.1 (14)
The Jazz got Lauri Markkanen back last week and have shown some signs of life. Five of their nine wins have come against the Blazers and Grizzlies, but they got a good win over the Knicks as Markkanen made his return.
Three takeaways
The Jazz don’t get to play the Blazers again, but they will face the Pistons, Spurs and Pelicans (whom they’ve beaten twice) on a five-game trip that begins Wednesday in Cleveland.
Week 9: vs. BKN, @ CLE, @ DET, @ TOR
Record: 7-17
OffRtg: 111.3 (25) DefRtg: 121.1 (30) NetRtg: -9.7 (28) Pace: 99.6 (16)
The Hornets were without LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, Cody Martin, P.J. Washington and Mark Williams on Saturday. And then Terry Rozier left early in the third quarter after running into Joel Embiid’s elbow. That’s the injury. The insult was the worst loss for any team this season (53 points).
Three takeaways
The Hornets will play eight of their next nine games on the road, and only two of those nine (the first and the last) are against teams (Toronto and Chicago) that currently have losing records. They got a win over the Raptors (despite getting beat on the glass) 10 days ago.
Week 9: @ TOR, @ IND, vs. DEN
Record: 6-19
OffRtg: 108.0 (27) DefRtg: 115.0 (19) NetRtg: -7.0 (25) Pace: 98.4 (24)
The Blazers are as healthy as they’ve been all season, but they’ve lost seven straight games. And with San Antonio having won last week, that’s the league’s second-longest active losing streak.
Three takeaways
The Blazers are just 2-9 at home and just three games into a stretch where they’re playing eight of nine at the Moda Center. They’re 1-0 against the Pistons, but have yet to play the other two teams — San Antonio and Washington — that have worse records than they do. They’ll face them both in this home-heavy stretch, with the Wizards in town on Thursday.
Week 9: vs. PHX, vs. WAS, @ GSW
Record: 6-18
OffRtg: 106.5 (30) DefRtg: 112.7 (11) NetRtg: -6.2 (24) Pace: 99.1 (17)
The Grizzlies have just one more game without Ja Morant, but he hasn’t been the only guy they’ve been without. Desmond Bane missed a game for the first time last week, and Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard have each missed the last 13.
Three takeaways
That loss dropped them to just 1-11 at home, so it might be a good thing that six of the Grizzlies’ next seven games are on the road. That stretch begins with a tough back-to-back against the Thunder and Pelicans, but Morant will be able to play in New Orleans on Tuesday.
Week 9: @ OKC, @ NOP, vs. IND, @ ATL
Record: 4-21
OffRtg: 111.5 (24) DefRtg: 120.9 (29) NetRtg: -9.3 (27) Pace: 104.4 (2)
The good news is that the Wizards have led each of their last three games (all of them against teams with winning records) by at least 15 points, and they got a win over a team that’s not the Pistons. The bad news is that they lost the other two of those three games.
Three takeaways
The Wizards’ game in Sacramento on Monday (when they’ll be at a rest disadvantage) is the end of a stretch of nine straight games against teams that currently have winning records. But their four-game trip concludes with a couple of winnable games in Portland and San Francisco.
Week 9: @ SAC, @ POR, @ GSW
Record: 4-21
OffRtg: 106.8 (29) DefRtg: 118.1 (24) NetRtg: -11.3 (29) Pace: 102.7 (3)
The Spurs put an end to their 18-game losing streak, beating the Lakers pretty handily behind a career-high 36 points from Devin Vassell. They almost lost all of a 25-point lead, but never trailed, and, while they’re still just 2-9 in games they led by double-digits, half of their wins have been wire-to-wire victories.
Three takeaways
The Wemby Show is coming to a city near you, as the Spurs will play 13 of their next 18 games on the road. Two of their four wins have come on the road, and they’ll have rest advantages in Chicago and Dallas this week.
Week 9: @ MIL, @ CHI, @ DAL
Record: 2-24
OffRtg: 106.9 (28) DefRtg: 118.7 (26) NetRtg: -11.8 (30) Pace: 101.4 (7)
The Spurs’ losing streak is over, but the Pistons’ streak is still going strong, now at 23 games, tied for the third-longest single-season losing streak in NBA history.
Three takeaways
The two longest single-season losing streaks in league history — from the 2010-11 Cavs and ’13-14 Sixers — were both 26 games long. The Pistons will get there if they can’t get a win this week. It’s certainly an easier week than the one they just had, and they’ll have rest advantages against the Jazz on Thursday and in Brooklyn two nights later.
Week 9: @ ATL, vs. UTA, @ BKN
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