NBA Power Rankings: Lakers Slip After Dramatic Week

10. New York Knicks (10): Who needs Linsanity when the Knicks are playing as well as they have been over the past two weeks? The only problem is that they’re likely facing the Heat in the first round, which will be an uphill battle.

9. Los Angeles Clippers (8): No matter how hard they keep pushing, the Clippers are still stuck one step behind the Lakers. To make matters worse, the prospects of playing the Grizzlies in the first round are unsettling. That No. 4 seed continues to look less and less appealing.

8. Oklahoma City Thunder (2): With the playoffs just around the corner, the Thunder aren’t looking like the team that dominated the West all season long. Plus, the indefinite loss of James Harden to a World Peace-induced concussion is going to be painful.

7. Los Angeles Lakers (3): So much for thinking that the bench stint was going to stunt Kobe’s abilities. The two blowout losses to the Spurs are worrisome, though. The Lakers without World Peace is going to be a bit challenging once the playoffs start.

6. Miami Heat (6): Even with a strong playoff positioning, it seems like injuries could become an issue as the postseason gets under way in Miami. You can never, however, count out LeBron and Co. in the early rounds of the playoffs.

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