The Philadelphia 76ers have secured the top spot in the NBA power rankings for the first time this season, thanks in part to their recent performance against the Denver Nuggets.
During a successful week where they went 4-0, the Sixers notably defeated the defending champions with a 126-121 win on the second night of back-to-back games. The Nuggets’ other win over the previous No. 1 team, the Boston Celtics, further contributed to the Sixers’ ascent to the top spot. This significant turn of events saw the 76ers jump from seventh place last week to claim the No. 1 position.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently on a hot streak, remaining undefeated since New Year’s Day in Toronto. Despite extending their winning streak to a league-best seven games, they only moved up one place in the rankings, from ninth to eighth. This success has been attributed to a favorable home schedule, including matchups against teams like the Washington Wizards (twice), four other teams with losing records, and the Milwaukee Bucks without Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks may have redeemed themselves thanks to a welcome win against Pelicans on Sunday. NBA betting fans can use the Pinnacle VIP コード to bet on all these interesting fixtures.
The LA Clippers have also continued their recent surge, entering the top five for the first time this season. Their successful week at home included victories over the then-second-ranked Oklahoma City Thunder, Brooklyn Nets, and most recently, leaders Boston Celtics. Worth noting, the Phoenix Suns made a notable climb back into the top 10 with wins against three teams with records above .500: Sacramento, New Orleans, and Indiana.
A week of intense matchups among the league’s top teams led to significant changes in the top 10 rankings. Not a single team maintained their previous position. Despite defeating the Utah Jazz and the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Oklahoma City Thunder dropped from second to fourth. This decline was influenced by back-to-back losses in Los Angeles to both the Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers at the beginning of the week.
Taking advantage of the Thunder’s slip, the Denver Nuggets secured the second spot with a notable win in Boston and a convincing performance against the struggling Washington Wizards. The Boston Celtics, after losing to Denver on their home court, slid to third place, marking their lowest ranking in recent weeks. A noteworthy trend is emerging as Boston has now lost three of its last four games against elite teams, including the Nuggets, Thunder, Timberwolves, and Bucks.