NBA Power Rankings - AthlonSports.com

By Doug Word
Published: April 13th, 2009

Athlon Sports NBA Writer

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Rankings as of Monday, April 13

	1. Cleveland Cavaliers (65-15) - The concern last week was the beating the Cavs took in Orlando, but Cleveland cured those ills on Sunday with a 107-76 drubbing of Boston. Riding a four-game winning streak, the Cavs are one win away from home-court advantage in the finals. They're also just one home win away from tying the 1985-86 Celtics for the best home record ever in a season (40-1).
	2. L.A. Lakers (64-17) - A healthy Andrew Bynum in itself makes the Lakers even more formidable than last year's team that advanced to the NBA Finals. It's likely L.A. will get a preview of its first-round opponent on Tuesday night when the Jazz visit the Staples Center for the regular-season finale.
	3. Boston Celtics (60-20) - Getting drilled by the Cavs right before the playoffs begin is not a good sign for the Celtics, but you get the feeling they'll be able to turn it on once the post-season gets underway. Doc Rivers determined that Kevin Garnett will be out until the playoffs with Leon Powe scheduled to return Tuesday in Philly.
	4. Denver Nuggets (53-27) - Before Denver's 116-102 loss to the Lakers on Thursday, the team had reeled off 13 wins in 14 games. Now it appears the Nuggets will head into the post-season as the West's No. 2 seed. Sacramento and Portland remain on the docket, but this is quite a turnaround for a team that was struggling mightily just over a month ago.
	5. Houston Rockets (52-28) - Houston can claim the Southwest Division crown with wins in its final two games, and the team will get a big boost tonight against New Orleans when Yao Ming returns to the lineup from a right foot injury. Dikembe Mutombo, at 42 years of age, filled in nicely in Houston's 113-109 win on Friday night with 10 points and 15 boards.
	6. Portland Trail Blazers (52-28) - Winners of eight of their last nine, the Blazers are soaring into the playoffs. After disposing of the Spurs in San Antonio on Wednesday, Portland scored a huge home win over the Lakers on Friday. There are many deserving candidates, but Nate McMillan gets my vote for coach of the year.
	7. Orlando Magic (58-22) - Orlando has dropped four of its last seven games, and with Hedo Turkoglu (ankle) and Rashard Lewis (knee) facing injuries, the Magic are in bad shape heading into the postseason. The good news is Turkoglu and Lewis should be good to go for the playoffs. The bad news is the defensive intensity hasn't been up to snuff of late.
	8. San Antonio Spurs (52-28) - The Spurs got away with highway robbery Sunday night in Sacramento as Michael Finley's game-winning 3-pointer clearly left his hand after the shot clock had expired. Still, the Spurs will take 'em however they can get 'em these days. They're still in the running for the second seed in the West, and Tim Duncan (knees) will return to the lineup tonight against Golden State.
	9. Atlanta Hawks (46-34) - Joe Johnson and Josh Smith have been in a scoring groove lately, and it has helped the Hawks to three straight wins including two on the road where they've struggled all year long. Mike Bibby and Al Horford appear primed for the playoffs as well, and with Marvin Williams back in the lineup (back) the Hawks are close to full strength at the right time of the season.
	10. Chicago Bulls (40-40) - The Bulls, who were eight games under .500 in mid-March, are now one of the hottest teams in the league heading into the playoffs. They've won 11 of 14, and Ben Gordon is scorching after putting down 39 points in a 113-106 win over Charlotte on Saturday.
	11. New Orleans Hornets (49-31) - Sure it's LBJ's year, but Chris Paul stated his case for MVP on Sunday with a remarkable 31-point, 17-assist, nine-rebound performance in New Orleans' 102-92 home win over Dallas. Who else in the league does that?
	12. Dallas Mavericks (48-32) - Despite the loss Sunday, the Mavs are still playing good basketball down the stretch. Wins over the Suns, Jazz and Hornets were huge as Rick Carlisle's crew would much rather play the Nuggets than the Lakers in a first-round series even though Dallas is 0-7 against the two teams combined this season.
	13. Miami Heat (42-38) - Dwyane Wade's career-high 55 points Sunday in Miami's 122-105 win over the Knicks was his closing argument in the MVP race. The win gave Miami the No. 5 seed in the East which sets up an interesting first-round showdown between two up-and-coming Eastern Conference powers in the Hawks and Heat.
	14. Utah Jazz (47-33) - What has happened to the Jazz down the stretch? With playoff positioning on the line Jerry Sloan's crew has dropped six of seven including home games to the lowly Timberwolves and Warriors. The Jazz still have a shot to avoid the No. 8 seed and a first-round match-up with the Lakers, but the bigger concern is its lack of effort.
	15. Philadelphia 76ers (40-40) - This is not a good time for Philadelphia to struggle. The Sixers are sitting a game ahead of Detroit with Boston and Cleveland remaining on the schedule, but after five straight losses, the prospect of a first-round series in Cleveland is a very real possibility.

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