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We have now reached the halfway point of the 2019-20 NBA season, and the race to qualify for the playoffs is starting to heat up. While a few teams have pulled away at the top of each respective conference, there are still more than a dozen sides jostling to either secure homecourt advantage or one of the final playoff spots. So, as we head into Week 14 of the season, here we will take a look at the latest power rankings.
#10 Boston Celtics - Record: 27-14
The Celtics opened the week with a win against the Bulls, although they went on to suffer three consecutive defeats to the Pistons, Bucks, and Suns. Nevertheless, they remain 4th in the East with a 27-14 record, and Brad Stevens' team will have the opportunity to make a major statement when they host the Lakers on Monday.
#9 Indiana Pacers - Record: 28-15
The Pacers outscored the Nuggets by 15 points in the fourth quarter on Sunday to pick up a fifth consecutive win, and Indiana is now just 1.5 games back from the East's second seed. Domantas Sabonis, T.J. Warren, and Malcolm Brogdon are all performing well and the Pacers will only get better when Victor Oladipo makes his much-anticipated return later this month.
#8 Miami Heat - Record: 29-13
The Heat fell to the Spurs on Sunday, and Erik Spoelstra's team has now made an underwhelming 5-4 start to 2020. With that said, Miami still sits second in the East with a 29-13 record, and they have still only lost once at home. A bounce-back week appears likely as they will host the Kings and Warriors, before a huge matchup against the Clippers.
#7 Toronto Raptors - Record: 28-14
Rumors persist that the Raptors may trade away a number of veteran key players ahead of the deadline, although for now at least, they remain competitive. Three consecutive wins have resulted in the Raptors climbing to 3rd in the East, and Nick Nurse's team is difficult to beat both at home (15-7) and on the road (13-7). Pascal Siakam's impact will also pick up over the next week following his return to action.
#6 Dallas Mavericks - Record: 27-15
The Mavericks took advantage of a favorable schedule last week as they extended their winning run to four games thanks to wins over the Warriors, Kings, and Trail Blazers. They face a much tougher game against the Clippers on Tuesday, although Kristaps Porzingis could finally return from injury after missing almost a month.
#5 Denver Nuggets - Record: 29-13
The Nuggets blew a big lead as they lost to the Pacers on Sunday, although they still occupy the 3rd spot in the West thanks to a 29-13 record. Nikola Jokic remains in excellent form, and it will be interesting to see how they perform against the Rockets on Wednesday evening.
#4 Utah Jazz - Record: 29-13
Utah's unbeaten start to 2020 came to an end as they suffered an overtime defeat to the Pelicans, although the Jazz have won eleven of their past 12 games to climb to fourth place in the West. Following somewhat of a dip, Donovan Mitchell has refound form, while Mike Conley has finally returned from injury to present the Jazz with yet another boost heading into the second half of the campaign.
#3 Los Angeles Clippers - Record: 30-13
The Clippers are back on track after recording a 3-0 record in Week 13 as Kawhi Leonard enjoyed his best week in an LA jersey. During wins over the Cavs, Magic, and Pelicans, Leonard averaged 38 points per contest while shooting well over 50 percent from the field. For much of the season, the Clippers have been underwhelming, although they still occupy the second spot in the West, and they could still be the team to beat come the postseason.
#2 Los Angeles Lakers - Record: 34-8
Despite the absence of Anthony Davis, the Lakers enjoyed another strong week as the likes of Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green, Quinn Cook, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope stepped up for Frank Vogel's team. While the Lakers suffered a narrow home loss to the Magic, they crushed the Cavs and also completed a second-half comeback on the road to the Rockets to improve to 34-8.
#1 Milwaukee Bucks - Record: 38-6
The Bucks were once again perfect during Week 13 as they picked up wins over the Knicks, Celtics, and Nets. Giannis Antetokounmpo and company have tasted defeat just once since the turn of the year, and a 38-6 record puts them 8 games ahead of the second-placed Heat. The top spot in the East is all but assured, and the Bucks have been the NBA's best team through the first half of the season.
