NBA power rankings for start of February

By Rick Morris

NOTE: Mid-January power rankings are in parentheses.

FIRST TIER

1 Oklahoma City (1)

2 Chicago (2)

3 Miami (3)

SECOND TIER

4 Indiana (9)

5 Atlanta (8)

6 Philadelphia (10)

7 Denver (12)

8 LA Clippers (6)

9 LA Lakers (5)

10 Dallas (7)

11 San Antonio (11)

12 Orlando (4)

13 Houston (18)

14 Portland (14)

15 Utah (13)

16 Memphis (17)

17 Boston (20)

18 Minnesota (19)

19 Milwaukee (24)

THIRD TIER

20 Golden State (28)

21 New Jersey (25)

22 Toronto (22)

23 Cleveland (16)

24 Phoenix (21)

25 New York (15)

26 Sacramento (23)

27 Detroit (29)

28 Washington (30)

29 New Orleans (26)

30 Charlotte (27)

BIGGEST RISERS: Golden State (8 spots), Denver, Houston, Indiana and Milwaukee (5 spots), New Jersey and Philadelphia (4 spots), Atlanta and Boston (3 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: New York (10 spots), Orlando (8 spots), Cleveland (7 spots), LA Lakers (4 spots), Charlotte, Dallas, New Orleans, Phoenix and Sacramento (3 spots)

RANKINGS BY DIVISION – 1 POINT PER RANKING SPOT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TEAM, LOWEST SCORE IS BEST

1 NORTHWEST 55

2 CENTRAL 75

3 SOUTHWEST 76

4 SOUTHEAST 78

5 PACIFIC 87

6 ATLANTIC 91

RANKINGS BY CONFERENCE

1 WEST 218

2 EAST 244