NBA Power Rankings: Top Three Teams Remain Unchanged As Race For The Bottom Intensifies

The NBA regular season has hit the home stretch with just over a month left in the regular season. The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets have clearly separated themselves as the two best teams in the league, while the Toronto Raptors are playing the best basketball of any team in the East.

Those three take over the top spots in our rankings again, does the rest of the league shake out prior as we enter March?

The playoff push has brought the best out of some teams, namely Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans, who have won seven consecutive games. Teams at the bottom of the league are also engaged in a crazy tank race - eight teams have 20 losses our less.

Here are our latest NBA Power Rankings.

30) Memphis Grizzlies (18-42)
Memphis is doing their best to win the tank race, losing 11 games in a row - including losses to fellow bottom-dwellers in Atlanta and Phoenix.

29) Sacramento Kings (18-43)
Meanwhile, the Kings have lost five games in a row and are earning their place as one of the worst teams in the league. However, their promising young players are showing flashes of promise.

28) Phoenix Suns (19-44)
Phoenix snapped a 10-game losing streak with their win over the Grizzlies on Wednesday, yet that's about where the positives end with this team. Trade deadline acquisition Elfrid Payton, who will be a free agent after the season, has not clicked with star Devin Booker. The Suns have been outscored by 14.7 points per 100 possessions while scoring under a point per possession with both on the court.

27) Orlando Magic (18-43)
Not to be outdone at the bottom, the Magic have lost seven games in a row as they continue to play young players.

26) Atlanta Hawks (19-43)
Atlanta has taken a step back in the tank race by winning two of their last six games (how dare they!), but seeing John Collins in the starting lineup has been promising for them. 

25) Dallas Mavericks (19-43)
Mark Cuban says the Mavs are tanking. Dirk Nowitzki says they aren't. Either way, Dallas simply isn't that good and has lost seven of their last nine games.

24) Brooklyn Nets (20-42)
Well, well, well, look who's creeping back towards the bottom of the league! Brooklyn had a surprising amount of success early this season, but they've lost 13 of their last 15 games - something the Cavs, owners of their first-round pick, are hoping continues.

23) Chicago Bulls (20-41)
Exactly like Brooklyn, the Bulls are finding their way back to the bottom by losing 13 of their last 15 games. Defense has been an issue for them during that stretch.

22) New York Knicks (24-38)
The Knicks have been reeling since Kristaps Porzingis' injury, having lost 10 of their last 11 games. However, they were likely too good with Porzingis to enter the tank race - they're just hoping to get a top 10 pick.

21) Detroit Pistons (29-32)
Detroit is focusing on next season after the Blake Griffin trade didn't work out as they hoped. They're only 2-6 in their last eight games and Griffin has strugged shooting the ball. 

RELATED: These Are The 8 Biggest NBA Free Agents This Summer - And Where They Might Sign

20) Los Angeles Lakers (26-34)
Los Angeles is clearly out of the playoff picture but their young core is showing their upside by winning the last three games.

19) Charlotte Hornets (28-34)
Charlotte had a five-game win streak snapped by Boston on Wednesday night, and four of those wins came by 15 points or more. Still, the Hornets aren't in the playoff race.

18) Miami Heat (32-29)
Miami cooled off dramatically in February but they're still holding onto the final playoff spot in the East. The Heat went just 3-7 in the month of February.

17) Denver Nuggets (33-28)
Denver is 7-3 in their last 10 games but has been unable to turn themselves into anything more than a fringe playoff team. They have a chance to take a step forward with an easy schedule during the first half of this month.

16) Utah Jazz (31-30)
Utah has lost two of their last three games since their incredible 11-game win streak, and thus find themselves two games out of a playoff spot. Donovan Mitchell (19.3 ppg) has turned into a bonafide star.

15) Los Angeles Clippers (32-27)
The Clippers continue to remain relevant in the post-Blake Griffin era, winning seven of their last 10 games to remain in the No. 8 seed in the West.

14) Milwaukee Bucks (33-28)
Milwaukee has struggled after the All-Star break, losing three games in a row. They're 10-6 under new head coach Joe Prunty.

13) Philadelphia 76ers (32-27)
The Sixers have lost two games in a row after a seven-game win streak that put them firmly in the playoff mix. With Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid both finding their stride, Philadelphia is a team no one wants to see in the first round.

12) Indiana Pacers (34-27)
Indiana continues to prove themselves as a legitimate playoff team, winning four of their last six games. They have outscored opponents by 5.1 per 100 possessions over their last 10 games and are one of the best teams in the league on the break.

11) Portland Trail Blazers (35-26)
The Blazers have won six of their last seven games and now have eight of their next 10 games at home. This is the perfect chance for them to lock up a playoff berth as they currently sit in the five-seed in the West.

NEXT READ: Here's How Much Every NBA Team Is Valued At

10) Oklahoma City Thunder (36-27)
OKC still misses Andre Roberson on the defensive end, but Paul George could very well win Defensive Player of the Year and their offense is good enough to beat anyone. Still, consistency has escaped this team.

9) New Orleans Pelicans (35-26)
Anthony Davis is putting up historic numbers seemingly every night to put himself in the MVP race and it's benefitting the Pelicans, who have won seven games in a row. They sit just a half-game behind the Spurs for the No. 4 seed in the West.

8) San Antonio Spurs (36-26)
Just when the Spurs are preparing to get Kawhi Leonard back at the end of the month, All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge suffers a sprained ankle. They were struggling even with Aldridge, as San Antonio has lost seven of their last nine games.

7) Minnesota Timberwolves (38-26)
Minnesota is in third in the West but doesn't have Jimmy Butler for the foreseeable future due to a meniscus injury. Still, they've found a way to win three of their last four games.

6) Washington Wizards (36-26)
Washington has continued their torrid streak without John Wall by winning five of their last seven games. In total, they're 10-4 without their All-Star point guard.

5) Cleveland Cavaliers (36-24)
Cleveland continues to fit in new pieces George Hill, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson, and Larry Nance Jr. with a lot of success. They're younger, more athletic, and shoot better from deep. It will take some time for them to reach their full potential with this group, but their ceiling looks extremely high.

4) Boston Celtics (44-19)
Boston has not lost since the All-Star break, winning four games in a row. The biggest reason why? Their offense has taken off, averaging 118.5 points per game during that stretch.

3) Toronto Raptors (43-17)
The Raptors have gotten off to the best 60-game start in franchise history thanks to a 9-1 stretch that has also solidified them as the No. 1 seed in the East. Are they for real? We won't know until the postseason.

2) Houston Rockets (47-13)
The Rockets have only lost twice when James Harden and Chris Paul play together, making them a very serious challenger to the Warriors. They're currently riding a 14-game win streak, making them the first team since the 2006-07 Suns to record two separate win streaks of at least 13 games.

1) Golden State Warriors (48-14)
The champs are still the champs. Despite Houston's hot streak, Golden State is still tied with them for first in the West and have won seven of their last eight games. As long as they continue to play at a high level, they'll hold off the Rockets for No. 1 in these rankings.

Catch up on nightly NBA scores in the best sports app available - the Chat Sports App!

Back to the NBA Newsfeed

Related Topics: NBA Power Rankings, NBA News