NBA power rankings: Suns rise above Warriors for No. 1?; Bucks, Hawks, Wolves climb higher

* Through games played 12/1

1. Phoenix Suns (18-3)

Last week: 2

The Suns are a clear-cut choice as the new No. 1 team in the NBA this week after running their winning streak to 17 games with a 104-96 victory over the Warriors on Tuesday. Devin Booker left the game early with a hamstring injury, but even that could not stop the Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton and the Suns, who haven’t lost a game since the Kings beat them Oct. 27.

2. Golden State Warriors (18-3)

Last week: 1

The Warriors were knocked off their pedestal with Tuesday’s loss to the Suns. Golden State had won seven in a row and 14 of 15. The Warriors will try to start another winning streak when they face the Suns again Friday night. They’ll need a better game from Stephen Curry, who was held to 12 points on 4-of-21 shooting Tuesday.

3. Brooklyn Nets (15-6)

Last week: 3

The Nets took a six-point loss to the Suns on Saturday despite 39 points from Kevin Durant and a triple-double from James Harden, but this team is still playing at a very high level. They’ve won 13 of their last 16 games. Their only losses over that stretch came against the Bulls, Warriors and Suns.

4. Utah Jazz (14-7)

Last week: 4

Donovan Mitchell produced his first 30-point game since Nov. 6 in Monday’s 129-107 victory over the Blazers. The Jazz need to get Mitchell going following some recent struggles. He was held to 16 points on 6-of-21 shooting in a 98-97 loss to the Pelicans and 18 points on 5-of-20 shooting in a 119-118 loss to the Grizzlies.

5. Chicago Bulls (14-8)

Last week: 6

The Bulls couldn’t beat the Heat on Saturday, but they bounced back with a 133-119 win over the Hornets on Monday behind a big game from Nikola Vucevic. Vucevic had season highs of 30 points and 14 rebounds with five assists with two blocked shots. Lonzo Ball had 18 points, seven rebounds and 13 assists.

6. Milwaukee Bucks (14-8)

Last week: 14

The Bucks have won eight in a row after going 6-8 to start the season. Giannis Antetokounmpo put up 40 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists to help the Bucks beat the Hornets 127-125 on Wednesday. The two-time MVP is averaging 27.0 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists.

7. Washington Wizards (14-8)

Last week: 8

Montrezl Harrell scored a season-high 27 points on a tidy 11-of-12 shooting in a 115-107 win over the Timberwolves on Wednesday. The Wizards lost four of five during a tough stretch in mid-November, but they’ve won three of their last four, including a road win over the Mavericks.

8. Miami Heat (13-9)

Last week: 5

Miami is coming off back-to-back home losses to the Nuggets and Cavaliers, but suddenly that’s the least of the Heat’s concerns. The team learned Wednesday center Bam Adebayo will need surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. He will be sidelined indefinitely and is likely to miss four to six weeks.

9. Atlanta Hawks (12-10)

Last week: 15

The Hawks are on a roll after going 4-9 to start the season. They suffered a 99-90 loss to the Knicks on Saturday, but they’ve won eight of their last nine games. Trae Young is riding a streak of five consecutive 30-point games, including back-to-back 33-point games against the Knicks and Pacers.

10. Boston Celtics (12-10)

Last week: 9

The Celtics picked up wins over the Raptors and 76ers after losing a couple of games to the Nets and Spurs. Jayson Tatum had a big game in Wednesday’s 88-87 win over the 76ers, posting 26 points and 16 rebounds. Tatum went 9 of 20 from the field after going 15 of 55 (.273) in the three previous games.

11. Charlotte Hornets (13-11)

Last week: 7

The streaky Hornets have hit another skid, dropping three in a row to the Rockets, Bulls and Bucks. They got a career-high 36 points from 2021 Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball on Wednesday, but that wasn’t enough in a 127-125 loss to the Bucks. Terry Rozier was held to 10 points after back-to-back 31-point games.

12. Dallas Mavericks (11-9)

Last week: 10

The Mavericks took out their frustrations with a 139-107 win over the Pelicans on Wednesday after losing five of six. Luka Doncic had 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting with 14 assists after posting a triple-double in a loss to the Cavaliers. Kristaps Porzingis had his fourth double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

13. Portland Trail Blazers (11-11)

Last week: 11

The Blazers dropped three in a row to the Kings, Warriors and Jazz before beating the Pistons on Tuesday. They’re dealing with a bigger loss now with Damian Lillard out for at least 10 days due to lower abdominal tendinopathy. That stretch could be very difficult with upcoming games against the Spurs, Celtics, Clippers, Warriors, Timberwolves and Suns.

14. Memphis Grizzlies (11-10)

Last week: 18

The Grizzlies won their first two games without Ja Morant, beating the Kings 128-101 and the Raptors 98-91. The Grizzlies hope there’s more where that came from with Morant expected to miss at least a “couple of weeks” due to a left knee sprain. Over the next two weeks the Grizzlies will play the Thunder, Mavericks (2), Heat, Lakers, Rockets and 76ers.

15. Minnesota Timberwolves (11-11)

Last week: 20

The Timberwolves have won seven of nine since going 4-9 to start the season. They’re getting huge contributions from Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, D’Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt, who is averaging 11.7 rebounds over the past seven games. Towns took a hard fall in Wednesday’s loss to the Wizards, but X-rays were negative.

16. Denver Nuggets (10-11)

Last week: 12

Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic returned from a wrist injury to help the Nuggets snap a six-game losing streak, but then they suffered a 108-103 loss to the Magic on Wednesday despite 18 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists from Jokic. Denver has lost seven of eight with upcoming games against the Knicks and Bulls.

17. New York Knicks (11-10)

Last week: 16

The Knicks have lost three of their last five, but those losses came against the Bulls, Suns and Nets. They have a rematch with the Bulls on Thursday. The Knicks will be hoping for another big game from Julius Randle, who had 34 points and 10 rebounds in a 109-103 loss to Chicago on Nov. 21.

18. Los Angeles Clippers (11-10)

Last week: 13

The Clippers drop five spots this week after losing three in a row to the Warriors, Pelicans and Kings. Paul George had 30 points against the Warriors and 27 against the Pelicans. The Clippers elected to rest George against the Kings after he logged 190 minutes over the previous five games, averaging 38 minutes per game.

19. Cleveland Cavaliers (12-10)

Last week: 21

The Cavs have won three in a row with wins over the Magic, Mavericks and Heat since rookie center Evan Mobley returned from a sprained elbow. Mobley had 17 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots in a 111-85 victory over the Heat on Wednesday. Tough stretch ahead with games against the Wizards, Jazz, Bucks, Bulls and Timberwolves.

20. Philadelphia 76ers (11-11)

Last week: 17

Joel Embiid is back, but he said “it’s going to take a while” for him to return to top form following a difficult battle with COVID-19. Embiid had 42 points and 13 rebounds in 45 minutes in his first game back against the Timberwolves on Saturday, but he went 4 of 16 from the field against the Magic on Monday and 3 of 17 against the Celtics on Wednesday.

21. Los Angeles Lakers (12-11)

Last week: 19

The Lakers improved to 5-7 without LeBron James with a 117-92 win over the Kings on Tuesday, the same day James entered NBA health and safety protocols after testing positive for COVID-19. James will be out 10 days or until he returns two negative tests at least 24 hours apart.

22. Sacramento Kings (8-14)

Last week: 24

The Kings have won three of their last five under interim coach Alvin Gentry, who took over when Luke Walton was fired Nov. 21. They had one of their best performances in a 141-137 triple-overtime win over the Lakers on Friday and one of their lowest moments in a 117-92 loss to the Lakers on Tuesday. They bounced back with a 124-115 win over the Clippers on Wednesday with a rematch coming up on Saturday.

23. Toronto Raptors (9-13)

Last week: 22

The Raptors went 6-3 to start the season, but they are 3-10 over the last 13 games with three three-game losing streaks. Their latest losing streak includes losses to the Pacers, Celtics and Grizzlies with upcoming games against the Bucks on Thursday and Wizards on Sunday. Leading scorer OG Anunoby (20.1 ppg) has been out since Nov. 15 with a hip injury.

24. San Antonio Spurs (6-13)

Last week: 26

Dejounte Murray scored 29 points to help San Antonio snap a six-game losing streak with a 96-88 victory over the Celtics on Friday. The Spurs followed that up with a 116-99 win over the Wizards on Monday behind 24 points from Derrick White. A tough road trip awaits with games against the Blazers, Warriors and Suns.

25. Indiana Pacers (9-15)

Last week: 23

The Pacers have struggled lately, losing three in a row and four of their last five. The schedule has been difficult with recent games against the Bulls, Lakers, Bucks, Timberwolves and Hawks, but it won’t get any easier with upcoming games against the Heat, Wizards, Knicks, Mavericks, Warriors and Bucks.

26. Houston Rockets (5-16)

Last week: 30

The Rockets seem to have put their 15-game losing streak behind them. They move up four spots this week after winning four in a row with victories over the Bulls, Hornets and Thunder (2). Jae’Sean Tate had a huge game in Wednesday’s 114-110 win over the Thunder, finishing with 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, five blocked shots and two steals.

27. Oklahoma City Thunder (6-15)

Last week: 25

Oklahoma City has lost seven in a row and nine of its last 10. The Thunder is coming off back-to-back losses to the Rockets. Three of Houston’s five wins this season have come against the Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a season-high 39 points in a 114-110 loss to the Rockets on Wednesday.

28. New Orleans Pelicans (6-18)

Last week: 29

The Pelicans were blown out in a 139-107 loss to the Mavericks on Wednesday, but they had won three of their last four with victories over the Wizards, Jazz and Clippers. Jonan Valanciunas had 39 points and 15 rebounds in the win over the Clippers on Monday. Zion Williamson (foot) could make his season debut soon after being cleared for full team activities.

29. Orlando Magic (5-18)

Last week: 28

Orlando picked up a rare and surprising victory Wednesday, snapping a seven-game losing streak with a 108-103 win over the Nuggets. Cole Anthony had 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the win. Rookie Franz Wagner had 27 points in Monday’s loss to the 76ers.

30. Detroit Pistons (4-17)

Last week: 27

The Pistons have lost seven in a row to the Warriors, Lakers (2), Heat, Bucks, Clippers and Blazers with another tough game against the Suns coming up Thursday. Rookie Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA draft, had a career-high 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting (5 of 7 from 3-point range) in Tuesday’s loss to Portland.