NBA power rankings for mid-March

By Rick Morris

NOTE: Previous periods’ rankings in parentheses, start of season to present.

FIRST TIER

1 Miami (2-1-3-6-4-4-2)

2 San Antonio (4-3-5-3-1-1-1)

3 Oklahoma City (3-5-1-1-2-2-3)

4 Memphis (6-4-7-4-7-6-5)

5 Denver (12-18-14-9-9-7-6)

6 LA Clippers (5-7-4-2-3-3-4)

SECOND TIER

7 Indiana (7-17-12-8-11-8-7)

8 New York (10-2-2-7-6-5-8)

9 Brooklyn (14-6-11-10-10-9-10)

10 Atlanta (13-9-8-11-13-12-9)

11 Boston (8-12-16-16-17-13-12)

12 Houston (16-15-21-14-15-15-15)

13 Chicago (9-11-9-13-8-10-11)

14 Golden State (23-8-9-6-5-5-11-13)

15 LA Lakers (1-14-19-20-19-17-16)

16 Utah (18-16-15-15-12-14-14)

17 Milwaukee (19-13-13-17-14-16-17)

THIRD TIER

18 Dallas (11-19-20-22-20-19-18)

19 Portland (17-23-17-12-16-18-19)

FOURTH TIER

20 Toronto (24-27-24-21-22-21-20)

21 Cleveland (21-28-28-28-28-27-23)

22 Detroit (26-25-26-23-21-22-21)

23 Philadelphia (15-10-18-19-18-20-22)

24 Washington (29-30-30-30-29-28-24)

25 New Orleans (22-29-29-27-26-23-25)

26 Phoenix (25-22-23-25-24-26-26)

27 Sacramento (28-26-25-24-25-25-27)

28 Minnesota (20-20-10-18-23-24-28)

FIFTH TIER

29 Orlando (27-24-22-26-27-29-29)

SIXTH TIER

30 Charlotte (30-21-27-29-30-30-30)

BIGGEST RISERS: Houston (3 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: none more than 3 spots

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

1 SOUTHWEST 61

2T NORTHWEST 71

2T ATLANTIC 71

4 CENTRAL 80

5 PACIFIC 88

6 SOUTHEAST 94

RANKINGS BY CONFERENCE

1 WEST 220

2 EAST 245