NBA Rankings: Boston Celtics displace San Antonio Spurs; Miami Heat back in top 10
NBA fans, it is Monday again and NBA.com week’s rankings are in. Amidst major ups and downs, the Miami Heat comes back in top ten while the San Antonio Spurs lose their top spot. The Western Conference toppers had retained the
top spot for two straight weeks.
With a perfect 4-0 mark last week, the Boston Celtics moved up one spot in the rankings displacing the Spurs from the top spot. With two away and two home matches, the Celtics improved to an impressive 16-4 mark this season. The
Celtics entered the week with a three game winning streak. Defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers (106-87) in an away match, they improved it to four games. From there on it seems there was no stopping them. Defeating the Portland Trail Blazers (99-95) and Chicago
Bulls (104-92) at home and then the New Jersey Nets (100-75) last night, the Celtics have improved to a seven game winning streak. The Celtics have now improved to a four game streak at home and a three game streak on the road.
After two weeks of staying at the top, the Spurs have moved down to the second position with a 17-3 mark in the season. Although their season mark is higher than the Celtics, their tainted 3-1 record last week has cost them the
spot, and if losing was not enough, they went and lost to the Los Angeles Clippers; the team that is currently trailing the Western Conference. Although they started the week with a win against the Golden State Warriors, improving to an eight game streak on
the road, Spurs was the only team this season to go without a loss on the road. Then on Wednesday, in that fateful match the Spurs met with their first road win this season. Although they bounced right back, winning the next two matches against the Minnesota
Timberwolves (107-101) and the New Orleans Hornets (109-84), their one defeat in the week left their perfect record tainted.
Jumping up to the third position from the fifth, the rising team of Dallas Mavericks improved to a 16-4 mark this week with no loss last week. In two home and two away matches, the Mavericks hit a nine game winning streak on Saturday.
Hosting the Houston Rockets on Monday and then the Timberwolves on Wednesday, the Mavericks thrashed both teams to up their home winning streak to four games. Over the weekend, the Mavericks visited the Utah Jazz on Friday and the Sacramento Kings on Saturday
and enjoying close wins over both of them managed to maintain their winning streak.
With the Mavericks grabbing the third spot this week, the Orlando Magic (15-5) and L.A. Lakers (14-6) have moved down one spot each from last week holding the fourth and fifth positions.
A major mover in the rankings this week is the Denver Nuggets. Holding the ninth position last week, the Nuggets have jumped to sixth this week, owing to their 3-0 perfect mark this week. Defeating the Milwaukee Bucks (105-94)
on Wednesday and the Clippers (109-104) on Friday added to the close win against the Memphis Grizzlies (108-107) last night, the Nuggets have managed to move up the rankings this week. However, it remains to be seen whether they will be able to move further
up the rankings next week. With a 3-5 mark on the road, the Nuggets play four away matches this week.
Good news for the Heat this week is that with four straight wins this week, the Heat have managed to re-enter the top ten this week, moving up three spots to number nine. In one away and three home matches last week, the Heat finish
off with a perfect 4-0 mark improving to a 13-8 score for the season.
With so many changes in the rankings this week, it is difficult to predict who might top the list next week.
Tags: