20. Washington Wizards (29-48, Last Week: 19): The Wizards went 2-2 last week. John Wall has been playing exceptionally well as of late.
19. Philadelphia 76ers (31-45, Last Week: 18): The Sixers went 1-2 last week during a four-game road trip which ends on Tuesday in Brooklyn.
18. Dallas Mavericks (38-39, Last Week: 15): The Mavs went 2-2 last week. Despite their relatively decent play as of late, the Mavs are virtually out of the playoff race; which is the reason for the drop in rank this week.
17. Los Angeles Lakers (40-37, Last Week: 17): The Lakers had a great win against Memphis on Friday, but then fell to the Clippers on Sunday. For a team chasing the playoffs, the Lakers can’t afford to miss any more games and are currently out of the eighth spot.
16. Milwaukee Bucks (37-39, Last Week: 21): Despite the fact that the Bucks haven’t quite played well as of late, they have clinched a playoff berth; hence the forced upswing to the Top 16 portion of these rankings.
15. Atlanta Hawks (42-36, Last Week: 14): The Hawks have lost three games in a row.
14. Boston Celtics (40-37, Last Week: 16): The Celtics went 2-2 last week in a four-game stretch containing lowly teams: the Timberwolves, Pistons, Cavaliers, and Wizards.
13. Chicago Bulls (42-34, Last Week: 13): The Bulls went 2-2 last week and stand pat here.
12. Utah Jazz (41-37, Last Week: 12): The Jazz held off the Golden State Warriors and made things even more difficult for the Lakers, who are trying to catch the Jazz for the eighth and final playoff spot. The Jazz have won seven of their last eight games.
11. Houston Rockets (43-24, Last Week: 11): The Rockets had won four games in a row before losing in Denver on Saturday.
Next Page: Knicks Take Top Spot