NBA power rankings for mid-March

By Rick Morris

NOTE: Start of March power rankings are in parentheses.

FIRST TIER

1 Chicago (3)

2 Oklahoma City (1)

3 Miami (2)

SECOND TIER

4 San Antonio (4)

5 Orlando (5)

6 LA Lakers (9)

7 Indiana (10)

8 Philadelphia (12)

9 Memphis (13)

10 LA Clippers (8)

11 Denver (17)

12 Atlanta (11)

13 Boston (18)

14 Dallas (7)

15 Houston (6)

16 Minnesota (15)

17 Phoenix (19)

18 Utah (21)

19 Milwaukee (22)

20 Portland (16)

21 New York (14)

22 Golden State (20)

THIRD TIER

23 Cleveland (23)

24 Detroit (25)

25 New Jersey (26)

26 Toronto (27)

27 Sacramento (24)

FOURTH TIER

28 New Orleans (28)

29 Washington (29)

FIFTH TIER

30 Charlotte (30)

BIGGEST RISERS: Denver (6 spots), Boston (5 spots), Memphis and Philadelphia (4 spots), Indiana, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee and Utah (3 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: Houston (9 spots), Dallas and New York (7 spots), Portland (4 spots), Sacramento (3 spots)

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

1 NORTHWEST 67

2 SOUTHWEST 70

3 CENTRAL 74

4 SOUTHEAST 79

5 PACIFIC 82

6 ATLANTIC 93

RANKINGS BY CONFERENCE

1 WEST 219

2 EAST 246