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One team has officially booked its place in the NBA playoffs, while the past week saw huge shakeups in the race for postseason positions and in the process, the NBA power rankings. The Orlando Magic were the biggest winners for Week 21 of the regular season as they jumped back to the power rankings even as they look to continue their late surge toward a better seed.
On the other hand, the Phoenix Suns dropped out of the power rankings following their struggles this past week, while the Cleveland Cavaliers still got to move a notch higher despite their relatively off week due to the LA Clippers also slumping.
Here are the current power rankings.
NBA Power Rankings (Week 21)
#10. Orlando Magic
The Magic swept their three-game stint for Week 21 to return to the Top 10 in the overall standings and the power rankings in the process, although they beat winnable teams on paper. The Magic began the week by beating the Brooklyn Nets before sweeping the Toronto Raptors in a home-and-home set.
#9. New York Knicks
Like the Magic, the New York Knicks also went 3-0 for the past week. They began NBA Week 21 by avenging their tough loss to the Philadelphia 76ers to end Week 20 in style, holding them to just 79 again but this time blowing them out by 27 points.
The Knicks then clipped the Portland Trail Blazers before silencing the Golden 1 Center crowd by beating the Sacramento Kings. The Knicks continue their road trip in San Francisco against the Warriors in an ESPN game on Monday and in Denver against the Nuggets on Thursday before returning home to face cross-town rivals Nets in a Saturday afternoon clash.
#8. New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans played three games in four nights at home for NBA Week 21, and although they started the week slow, they bounced back in back-to-back outings.
The Pelicans were clamped by the Cavaliers on Wednesday night, but after possibly some reflections on a Thursday, the Pelicans stunned the LA Clippers and the Portland Trail Blazers in back-to-back nights. The Pelicans will spend Week 22 on the road, including a showdown on Thursday night against the Magic.
#7. LA Clippers
The second biggest loser for NBA Week 21 power ranking-wise is the Clippers, who dropped two spots to number seven after losing three of their last four games. They started the week on the wrong footing after bowing to the Karl-Anthony Towns-less Minnesota Timberwolves at home.
After bouncing back against the Chicago Bulls, the Clippers lost back-to-back games to the Pelicans and the Atlanta Hawks, the latter dealing them a 17-point defeat at home. The Clippers, though, have a chance to bounce back mightily as they face the Blazers in a two-game set in Portland to start Week 22.
#6. Cleveland Cavaliers
As it turned out, that blowout win in New Orleans was the only bright spot for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Week 21. The said victory was sandwiched between a home loss against the Phoenix Suns and a blowout loss in Houston against the Rockets. Luckily for the Cavs, though, they still moved up to number six in the power rankings thanks to the Clippers’ struggles.
#5. Milwaukee Bucks
The Kings showed the Milwaukee Bucks how tough their NBA Week 21 would be by crushing them 129-94 at home. However, upon their return to Wisconsin, the Bucks responded by venting ire on the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns. The Bucks will open Week 22 against another tough opponent, the Boston Celtics, on Wednesday night on ESPN.
#4. Minnesota Timberwolves
Thanks to explosive outings from Anthony Edwards, the Minnesota Timberwolves showed they can still win without Towns, blowing out the Clippers and the Utah Jazz to go 2-0 for the week. The Wolves will open NBA Week 22 by finishing their two-game set against the Jazz on Monday before hosting the Nuggets in the tail-end of a back-to-back on Tuesday.
#3. Denver Nuggets
Speaking of the Denver Nuggets, they had a relatively dominating NBA Week 21, opening the week with three straight wins against the Raptors, the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs.
However, that dominant run was spoiled at the very last second when Kyrie Irving hit a long floater to give the Dallas Mavericks a huge national TV game win. All eyes will be on Denver vs. Minnesota this Tuesday night as it will have a huge impact in the race for the top seed in the West.
#2. OKC Thunder
Just like last week, the OKC Thunder began NBA Week 21 with a loss, this time against the Indiana Pacers. However, the Thunder ended the week strong by beating the Dallas Mavericks and the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Thunder, though, might have to give thanks to Irving as his buzzer-beater against the Nuggets meant OKC remains number one in the West entering Week 22, which will be capped by a huge showdown against the Bucks on Sunday.
#1. Boston Celtics
Thanks to a 4-0 Week 21, the Boston Celtics did not just keep the top position in the power rankings and assured themselves a playoff spot this April. All of the Celtics’ wins this past week were by blowouts, the “closest” being a 15-point home win against the Suns.
The Celtics will again have a four-game week coming up, but one of the upcoming games will be against the Bucks in a potential Eastern Conference Finals preview on Wednesday night on ESPN.
Guess the Lakers players!
