Warriors Remain Top Team In NBA

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Golden State Warriors look strong after the long All-Star break with just one loss in three games. They remain on top of the KSL Sports NBA Power Rankings.

The Milwaukee Bucks had a great start as well, going 3-0 after the break, they have passed Toronto for the No. 2 spot.

Fans in Los Angeles are beginning to hit the panic button on the Lakers with two losses to rebuilding teams.

Here is the Week 19 NBA Power Rankings from games played on Wednesday, February 20 to Tuesday, February 26.

1. Golden State Warriors (43-17)

Week 19 Record: 2-1

Wins: vs. Sacramento, at Charlotte

Losses: vs. Houston

Recap: The Warriors lost to the Houston Rockets without James Harden, other than that, they are still dominate. Golden State beat the Kings by just two points and the Hornets by 11. They are 7-2 in the month of February.

Walked away with a win in the Queen City.#JBLxGSW showcases the best moments from last night's victory ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/HyMJec75ZO

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) February 26, 2019

Previous Ranking: 1

Next Up: at Miami, at Orlando, at Philadelphia, vs. Boston

 

2. Milwaukee Bucks (46-15)

Week 19 Record: 3-0

Wins: vs. Boston, vs. Minnesota, at Chicago

Recap: The Bucks beat the Celtics by one point and then managed to beat both the Timberwolves and Bulls by more than 10 points. Milwaukee has won their last five games and 17 of their last 19.

The break is over.

25 games to go. #FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/K4mV51oWAf

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) February 21, 2019

Previous Ranking: 3

Next Up: at Sacramento, at LA Lakers, at Utah, at Phoenix

 

3. Toronto Raptors (45-17)

Week 19 Record: 2-1

Wins: vs. San Antonio, vs. Boston

Losses: vs. Orlando

Recap: The Raptors suffered a tough loss at home to the Orlando Magic by 15 points, which snapped a seven game winning streak.

📸 • 02/26/19 • C’s pic.twitter.com/AY0NFqgWuy

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) February 27, 2019

Previous Ranking: 2

Next Up: vs. Portland, at Detroit, vs. Houston

 

4. Denver Nuggets (42-18)

Week 19 Record: 3-0

Wins: at Dallas, vs. LA Clippers, vs. Oklahoma City

Recap: The Nuggets find themselves atop the very tough Northwest Division at the break but they face the third toughest remaining schedule in the NBA when they return from the break.

Just a guy trying to help out any way he can. #MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/sTQH1SO5ca

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) February 27, 2019

Previous Ranking: 5

Next Up: vs. Utah, vs. New Orleans, at San Antonio

 

5. Oklahoma City Thunder (38-22)

Week 19 Record: 1-2

Wins: vs. Utah (2 OT)

Losses: vs. Sacramento, at Denver

Recap: The Thunder came off of the All-Star break with a thrilling double overtime win over the Jazz. Russell Westbrook scored 43 against the Jazz and 41 against the Kings. They lost by three to Sacramento and nine to Denver.

Hard fought, but tough finish on the road. pic.twitter.com/9wDya2Ljgg

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 27, 2019

Previous Ranking: 4

Next Up: vs. Philadelphia, at San Antonio, vs. Memphis, at Minnesota

 

6. Portland Trail Blazers (37-23)

Week 19 Record: 3-0

Wins: at Brooklyn, at Philadelphia, at Cleveland

Recap: The Blazers had a great road win at Philadelphia by 15 points. Jusuf Nurkic led the team in scoring in the first two games with 27 points against Brooklyn and 24 against Philly.

3 straight victories on the road.

Take a look at last night's highlights 🎥 pic.twitter.com/j8hjounm9q

— Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 26, 2019

Previous Ranking: 6

Next Up: at Boston, at Toronto, at Charlotte, at Memphis

 

7. Houston Rockets (35-25)

Week 19 Record: 2-1

Wins: at Golden State, vs. Atlanta

Losses: at LA Lakers

Recap: James Harden’s 32 games streak of scoring 30 points or more came to an end against Atlanta when he finished with 28 points. The Rockets picked up a big win on the road against the Warriors without Harden.

Previous Ranking: 7

Next Up: at Charlotte, vs. Miami, at Boston, at Toronto

 

8. Indiana Pacers (40-21)

Week 19 Record: 2-1

Wins: vs. New Orleans, at Washington

Losses: at Detroit

Recap: Just a four point loss to the Pistons is the only loss of the week for the Pacers. Indiana is 8-2 during the month of February.

Previous Ranking: 11

Next Up: at Dallas, vs. Minnesota, vs. Orlando, vs. Chicago

 

9. Philadelphia 76ers (39-22)

Week 19 Record: 2-1

Wins: vs. Miami, at New Orleans

Losses: vs. Portland

Recap: The Sixers have had ups and downs in the month of February but their only downfall was a 15-point loss to the Trail Blazers.

Previous Ranking: 9

Next Up: at Oklahoma City, vs. Golden State, vs. Orlando

 

10. Boston Celtics (37-24)

Week 19 Record: 0-3

Losses: at Milwaukee, at Chicago, at Toronto

Recap: The Celtics had a horrendous start to the post All-Star break stretch with a one point loss to the Bucks. They lost by 10 points to the struggling Chicago Bulls and suffered their worst loss of the season as they fell to Toronto by 23 points.

Previous Ranking: 8

Next Up: vs. Portland, vs. Washington, vs. Houston, at Golden State

 

11. Utah Jazz (33-26)

Week 19 Record: 1-1

Wins: vs. Dallas

Losses: at Oklahoma City (2 OT)

Recap: The Jazz lost by one point in double overtime to the Thunder with Donovan Mitchell dropping 38 points. They bounced back with a 16-point win over Dallas, where Mitchell and Ricky Rubio each scored 25 points.

Previous Ranking: 10

Next Up: vs. LA Clippers, at Denver, vs. Milwaukee, vs. New Orleans

 

12. LA Clippers (34-28)

Week 19 Record: 2-1

Wins: at Memphis, vs. Dallas

Losses: at Denver

Recap: The Clippers had a decent week despite the blowout loss to the Nuggets. Montrezl Harrell scored 30 points or more in both wins.

Previous Ranking: 14

Next Up: at Utah, at Sacramento, vs. New York, at LA Lakers

 

13. San Antonio Spurs (33-29)

Week 19 Record: 0-3

Losses: at Toronto, at New York, at Brooklyn

Recap: February hasn’t been kind to the Spurs as they are 2-8 during the month. They will be happy to be home after going 1-7 during their 8-game road trip.

Previous Ranking: 12

Next Up: vs. Detroit, vs. Oklahoma City, vs. Denver

 

14. Sacramento Kings (31-29)

Week 19 Record: 1-2

Wins: at Oklahoma City

Losses: at Golden State, at Minnesota

Recap: The Kings lost by two points at Golden State, beat Oklahoma City by three and fell to Minnesota by seven. That’s a pretty impressive by the Kings. They are still in the hunt for a playoff spot in the difficult Western Conference.

Previous Ranking: 13

Next Up: vs. Milwaukee, vs. LA Clippers, vs. New York

 

15. Brooklyn Nets (32-30)

Week 19 Record: 2-1

Wins: at Charlotte, vs. San Antonio

Losses: vs. Portland

Recap: The Nets are still surprising the NBA world with a winning record and currently in a playoff position in the Eastern Conference. They have won three of their last four games.

Previous Ranking: 17

Next Up: vs. Washington, vs. Charlotte, at Miami, vs. Dallas

 

16. LA Lakers (29-31)

Week 19 Record: 1-2

Wins: vs. Houston

Losses: at New Orleans, at Memphis

Recap: The Lakers have struggled. Since January 17, the Lakers have a unique pattern of winning one game then losing the next two. They beat the Rockets right out of the All-Star break but lost to the struggling Pelicans and Grizzlies.

Previous Ranking: 15

Next Up: vs. New Orleans, vs. Milwaukee, at Phoenix, vs. LA Clippers

 

17. Dallas Mavericks (26-34)

Week 19 Record: 0-3

Losses: vs. Denver, at Utah, at LA Clippers

Recap: The Mavericks have lost their last five games and seems to have started looking towards next year. Luka Doncic recorded his fourth triple double in their loss to the Clippers with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Previous Ranking: 16

Next Up: vs. Indiana, vs. Memphis, at Brooklyn

 

18. Minnesota Timberwolves (29-31)

Week 19 Record: 2-1

Wins: at New York, vs. Sacramento

Losses: at Milwaukee

Recap: Just a 12-point loss to the red-hot Bucks is the difference in a perfect week. Derrick Rose led the team in scoring against the Bucks and Knicks, Karl Anthony-Towns returned from a concussion suffered in a car accident to drop 34 points and 21 rebounds against the Kings.

Previous Ranking: 18

Next Up: at Atlanta, at Indiana, at Washington, vs. Oklahoma City

 

19. Detroit Pistons (29-30)

Week 19 Record: 3-0

Wins: at Atlanta, at Miami, vs. Indiana

Recap: The Pistons had a great start to the post All-Star break with three big wins to get them within one win of a winning record. They also picked up a victory over the Indiana Pacers at home.

Previous Ranking: 21

Next Up: at San Antonio, at Cleveland, vs. Toronto

 

20. Charlotte Hornets (28-32)

Week 19 Record: 1-2

Wins: vs. Washington

Losses: vs. Brooklyn, vs. Golden State

Recap: Kemba Walker had 27 points and 11 assists in their win over Washington but his 32 points wasn’t enough against Brooklyn as they lost by two.

Previous Ranking: 20

Next Up: vs. Houston, at Brooklyn, vs. Portland

 

21. Orlando Magic (28-34)

Week 19 Record: 1-2

Wins: at Toronto

Losses: vs. Chicago, at New York

Recap: The Magic picked up an impressive 15-point road win against the Raptors but lost two disappointing games to the Knicks and Bulls. They were on a five game winning streak before the All-Star break.

Previous Ranking: 19

Next Up: vs. Golden State, at Indiana, at Cleveland, at Philadelphia

 

22. Miami Heat (26-33)

Week 19 Record: 0-3

Losses: at Philadelphia, vs. Detroit, vs. Phoenix

Recap: If the Heat want a chance at reaching the postseason, their 0-3 start after the All-Star break hasn’t helped them. Especially losing to the Phoenix Suns.

Previous Ranking: 22

Next Up: vs. Golden State, at Houston, vs. Brooklyn, vs. Atlanta

 

23. Washington Wizards (24-36)

Week 19 Record: 0-2

Losses: at Charlotte, vs. Indiana

Recap: Bradley Beal scored 46 points against the Hornets and 35 against Indiana but neither performances were enough. They have lost four straight and seven of their last nine.

Previous Ranking: 23

Next Up: at Brooklyn, at Boston, vs. Minnesota

 

24. Memphis Grizzlies (24-38)

Week 19 Record: 1-2

Wins: vs. LA Lakers

Losses: vs. LA Clippers, at Cleveland

Recap: It was tough for the Grizzlies to lose to the Cavaliers, but they beat the Lakers. Jonas Valanciunas had his best game since being traded to Memphis with a 25-point, 11-rebound performance against Cleveland.

Previous Ranking: 24

Next Up: vs. Chicago, at Dallas, at Oklahoma City, vs. Portland

 

25. New Orleans Pelicans (27-35)

Week 19 Record: 1-2

Wins: vs. LA Lakers

Losses: at Indiana, vs. Philadelphia

Recap: Anthony Davis is being held on a minute restriction as he finishes what will likely be his last season in a Pelicans uniform. They did pick up a win over the Lakers by 13 points with Jrue Holiday carrying the load for New Orleans.

Previous Ranking: 25

Next Up: at LA Lakers, at Phoenix, at Denver, at Utah

 

26. Atlanta Hawks (20-41)

Week 19 Record: 1-2

Wins: vs. Phoenix

Losses: vs. Detroit, at Houston

Recap: Trae Young scored a career-high 36 points in their 8-point loss to the Houston Rockets. He had 30 against the Pistons in their first game after the All-Star break.

Previous Ranking: 26

Next Up: vs. Minnesota, vs. Chicago, at Chicago, at Miami

 

27. Chicago Bulls (16-45)

Week 19 Record: 2-1

Wins: at Orlando, vs. Boston

Losses: vs. Milwaukee

Recap: The Bulls picked up two big wins to possibly boost their confidence as they are clearly rebuilding. They beat Boston by 10 points behind Zach LaVine’s 42 points.

Previous Ranking: 27

Next Up: at Memphis, at Atlanta, vs. Atlanta, at Indiana

 

28. Cleveland Cavaliers (14-47)

Week 19 Record: 2-1

Wins: vs. Phoenix, vs. Memphis

Losses: vs. Portland

Recap: The Cavs won two straight to start the post All-Star break before losing to Portland. They went into the break off of a nine-point loss in triple overtime to Brooklyn. Kevin Love is back and trying to make his presence felt with 32 points and 12 rebounds in their win over Memphis.

Previous Ranking: 28

Next Up: at New York, vs. Detroit, vs. Orlando

 

29. New York Knicks (13-48)

Week 19 Record: 2-1

Wins: vs. San Antonio, vs. Orlando

Losses: vs. Minnesota

Recap: The Knicks won two of their first three games after the All-Star break. They snapped an 18-game losing streak before the break and their win over San Antonio snapped a 19-game losing streak at home.

Previous Ranking: 30

Next Up: vs. Cleveland, at LA Clippers, at Sacramento

 

30. Phoenix Suns (12-50)

Week 19 Record: 1-2

Wins: at Miami

Losses: at Cleveland, at Atlanta

Recap: The Suns finally snapped their franchise record 17 game losing streak with a three-point road win over Miami. It is a tough time for fans in Phoenix.

Previous Ranking: 29

Next Up: vs. New Orleans, vs. LA Lakers, vs. Milwaukee