NBA Power Rankings Week 11: Thunder controlling title pursuit amid historic win streak

01/06/2025 12:18 PM

What the Oklahoma City Thunder are accomplishing this season is nothing short of spectacular. We all knew of this team’s potential entering the year with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the charge. Still, this young, inexperienced team has looked like a group of veterans who understand the challenge of competing for a championship. Without Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City has soared to new heights and now finds themselves at the top of the NBA power rankings after winning their 15th straight game on Sunday vs. the Boston Celtics.

Although the Thunder lost on Dec. 17 to the Milwaukee Bucks, this game technically doesn’t count against them and their current win streak since it was the championship game of the NBA Cup. Their last loss came on Dec. 1 against the Houston Rockets, a game that came down to the final minute of play.

Amid this 15-game win streak, the Thunder have not just proven that they are title contenders, but that they are one of the best defensive teams in recent seasons. During this span, Oklahoma City is allowing their opponents to score an average of only 101.6 points per game while shooting roughly 42.3 percent from the floor.

The Thunder held the Celtics to just 92 points on 36.5 percent shooting from the floor in Sunday’s 105-92 win to extend their win streak to 15 games. This season, Boston has averaged 118.5 points per game while shooting 46.0 percent from the floor as a team. After taking down the defending NBA champions in this fashion, it’s clear as to why the Thunder are the team to beat this year.

If you ask the Thunder, though, this was just another game for them. This season is all about growing after every game, which is why Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates are only focused on the task at hand instead of the bigger picture.

“It's not that significant in the grand scheme of things. It's one game," Gilgeous-Alexander said after the win. "Now, we got better tonight. And that's what we're after every day. So, it's significant in that way. But it doesn't hold any weight. Game's over. We'll learn our lessons. But we did good tonight."

Now 30-5 on the season, the Thunder remain at the top of the NBA power rankings and in control of their destiny about a serious title push.

Previous 2023-24 NBA Power Rankings: Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1 | Preseason

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (-)

Record: 30-5 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. MIN (W8), vs. LAC (W18), vs. NYK (W10), vs. BOS (W13)

Upcoming schedule: at CLE (1/8), at NYK (1/10), at WAS (1/12)

When will the Thunder lose their next game? After taking down the LA Clippers, New York Knicks, and Celtics by double-digit points in three straight games, the Thunder will be tested as they head East for clashes with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Knicks. The good news for this team is that they will have a few days to rest and prepare for their battle in Cleveland, which features the two teams with the best records in the NBA. Whoever comes out on top in this matchup will definitely hold the top spot in next week’s NBA power rankings.

No matter how you look at it, the Thunder are the best team in the NBA right now. Gilgeous-Alexander is the clear choice for MVP right now, and the team’s defensive effort is unmatched. As good as teams can be on offense, defense is what ultimately wins championships. With how well they’re playing on defense, it’s clear as to why the Thunder are title favorites right now.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers (-)

Record: 31-4 | Last Week’s Schedule: at GSW (W18), at LAL (W12), at DAL (W12), vs. CHA (W10)

Upcoming schedule: vs. OKC (1/8), vs. TOR (1/9), vs. IND (1/12)

Like the Thunder, Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs have yet to run into any problems this season. While they are also a top-10 defensive team, the Cavaliers rank first in the league with a 121.3 offensive rating. They are also second in the league in scoring at 122.5 points per game.

Versatility is what makes the Cavaliers a dangerous team, especially since secondary players like Caris LeVert, Ty Jerome, Georges Niang, and Dean Wade continue to make a difference in their nightly rotations. As long as they stay healthy, Cleveland will be on pace to win the Eastern Conference regular season pennant.

3. Boston Celtics (+3)

Record: 26-10 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. TOR (W54), at MIN (W3), at HOU (W23), at OKC (L13)

Upcoming schedule: at DEN (1/7), vs. SAC (1/10), vs. NOP (1/12)

A loss on the road against the Thunder shouldn’t overshadow the Celtics’ accomplishments from the past week. After recently losing four games in a six-game stretch, Boston bounced back with an insane 54-point win against the Toronto Raptors and a hard-fought three-point win on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jayson Tatum and the Celtics then went on the road to defeat the Houston Rockets by 23 points, Houston’s largest defeat this year.

Amid some struggles on offense as of late with injuries and shooting slumps, the Celtics are still the one team everyone is chasing. At full strength, Boston owns the league’s best starting five, and they can be deadly from three-point range. It is hard to look at their recent losing skid to close out 2024 and think this was more than just a hiccup.

4. New York Knicks (-)

Record: 24-12 | Last Week’s Schedule: at WAS (W20), vs. UTA (W16), at OKC (L10), at CHI (L13)

Upcoming schedule: vs. ORL (1/6), vs. TOR (1/8), vs. OKC (1/10), vs. MIL (1/12)

Before losing to Oklahoma City, the Knicks found themselves on a season-long nine-game win streak. While they fell apart in the fourth quarter against the Thunder, the Knicks have made it clear that they have what it takes to possibly take the top spot in the NBA power rankings by the end of the season if they can clean up their point of attack on offense late in games. That was the case yet again against the Bulls on Derrick Rose day, a game the Knicks lost 139-126 after surrendering 76 second-half points.

Following a short road trip, New York returns home and will see the Thunder visit Madison Square Garden on Friday night — another chance for Tom Thibodeau’s squad to prove their championship potential.

5. Houston Rockets (+2)

Record: 23-12 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. DAL (W11), vs. BOS (L23), vs. LAL (W4)

Upcoming schedule: at WAS (1/7), at MEM (1/9), at ATL (1/11)

The Rockets continue to showcase their defensive tenacity against the league’s best. Despite their offense failing them against Boston, the Rockets still held the defending NBA champions to 109 points, hence why they remain a top-five team in the power rankings.

However, Houston has lost three of their last five games and are averaging only 105.4 points per game during this span. If the Rockets are to be taken seriously, they must address their point of attack on offense before the trade deadline.

6. Memphis Grizzlies (-3)

Record: 23-13 | Last Week’s Schedule: at PHX (W5), at SAC (L5), at GSW (L8)

Upcoming schedule: vs. DAL (1/6), vs. HOU (1/9), at MIN (1/11)

Without Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies have taken a major hit offensively, averaging just 117.3 points per game over their last four games — a span where they’ve gone 1-3. Morant has missed each of the Grizzlies’ last four games due to an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder.

The league’s best-scoring team will face a series of tests this week, as three Western Conference foes present challenges, starting with the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night. This kicks off a string of seven straight games against playoff-looking teams in the West.

7. Los Angeles Lakers (+2)

Record: 20-15 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. CLE (L12), vs. POR (W8), vs. ATL (W17), at HOU (L4)

Upcoming schedule: at DAL (1/7), vs. CHA (1/9), vs. SAS (1/11)

Are the Los Angeles Lakers back? JJ Redick has his team finally playing at a respectable level on defense, and the Lakers have become one of seven Western Conference teams to cross the 20-win plateau. Still, the Lakers have shown lapses against some of the better teams in the league, recently falling to the Cavs and Rockets this past week.

Even after adding Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, the Lakers are still expected to be busy on the trade market. It will be interesting to see if they can add another impactful player to their second unit.

8. Denver Nuggets (+6)

Record: 20-14 | Last Week’s Schedule: at UTA (W11), vs. ATL (W19), vs. SAS (L3), at SAS (W11)

Upcoming schedule: vs. BOS (1/7), vs. LAC (1/8), vs. BKN (1/10), at DAL (1/12)

Nikola Jokic continues to carry the Denver Nuggets. His 46-point, 10-assist, nine-rebound night in the team’s 122-111 overtime win over Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs is yet another reminder of why Jokic is right at the front of the NBA MVP race with Gilgeous-Alexander.

After losing three of five games, the Nuggets have bounced back to win four of their last five, their lone loss being at home to the Spurs. In this span, Denver is averaging 127.4 points per game, with Russell Westbrook making a big difference in the starting lineup.

9. Dallas Mavericks (-1)

Record: 20-15 | Last Week’s Schedule: at SAC (L10), at HOU (L11), vs. CLE (L12)

Upcoming schedule: at MEM (1/6), vs. LAL (1/7), vs. POR (1/9), vs. DEN (1/12)

Luka Doncic has missed five straight games for the Mavs due to a calf injury, which has resulted in this team losing five of their last six. Without Doncic, Dallas has struggled to find consistent play offensively late in games. It also doesn’t help that Kyrie has been bothered by a nagging back injury.

Despite being a top five offensive team in the league this year, the Mavs have been very average defensively. Until that changes, they will struggle to find themselves in the top five of the NBA power rankings.

10. Orlando Magic (-5)

Record: 21-16 | Last Week’s Schedule: at DET (L9), at TOR (W9), vs. UTA (L13)

Upcoming schedule: at NYK (1/6), vs. MIN (1/9), vs. MIL (1/10), vs. PHI (1/12)

Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Mo Wagner, and Jalen Suggs are all injured and have missed extended time this season. Without arguably their four-best players, the Magic are still 21-16 and have cemented themselves as threats next to the likes of the Cavs, Celtics, and Knicks.

Jamahl Mosley has done a fantastic job of establishing a hard-nosed culture in Orlando, and this young team continues to push forward with that next-man-up mentality each game they play. Rookie Tristan da Silva has stepped up as of late, adding even more depth to what is already a deep-looking Magic team when at full strength. The good news for this group despite some ugly losses as of late is that Banchero is on the mend and should return sometime in the next two weeks.

11. San Antonio Spurs (+4)

Record: 18-17 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. LAC (W36), at DEN (W3), vs. DEN (L11)

Upcoming schedule: at CHI (1/6), at MIL (1/8), at LAL (1/11)

How good are the San Antonio Spurs? As Wembanyama continues to grow, so does this team as a whole. A recent win over the Nuggets certainly builds confidence for the Spurs, and now they are just two games behind the Lakers and Mavs for the 5-seed in the West.

Defensively, the Spurs are on the cusp of being a top-10 defensive team in the NBA, which is why they have reached a new season high in these power rankings. Should they pick up road wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and Lakers, the Spurs will move inside the top 10.

12. Los Angeles Clippers (-2)

Record: 20-15 | Last Week’s Schedule: at NOP (W3), at SAS (L36), at OKC (L18), vs. ATL (W26)

Upcoming schedule: at MIN (1/6), at DEN (1/8), vs. CHA (1/11)

Now that Kawhi Leonard is back, we will be able to truly evaluated the LA Clippers. Nobody thought this group would be 20-15 at the start of 2025, yet here we are looking at the Clippers as a team that could potentially grab an actual playoff spot in the West and not have to earn one via the play-in tournament.

Two tough Western Conference matchups present themselves to the Clippers this week in the form of the Timberwolves and Nuggets. LA has two wins over Denver, but two losses against Minnesota this year.

13. Sacramento Kings (+10)

Record: 17-19 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. DAL (W10), vs. PHI (W6), vs. MEM (W5), at GSW (W30)

Upcoming schedule: vs. MIA (1/6), at BOS (1/10), at CHI (1/12)

Since firing Mike Brown, the Sacramento Kings have gone 4-1 and find themselves on a four-game win streak heading into a matchup against the struggling Miami Heat. As good as they have been on offense in their two most recent wins over the Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors, the Kings seem to be playing with more urgency on defense.

This was the main concern under Brown, as the Kings’ defense had failed them too many times late in games. With Doug Christie taking over, Sacramento is finally looking like the team many thought they could be. It will be interesting to see if this is just the adrenaline of a coaching change or if the Kings have turned over a new leaf.

14. Golden State Warriors (+4)

Record: 18-17 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. CLE (L18), vs. PHI (W34), vs. MEM (W8), vs. SAC (L30)

Upcoming schedule: vs. MIA (1/7), at DET (1/9), at IND (1/10)

Right when it appeared as if the Warriors were going to surge up the NBA power rankings and build on their winning ways, they followed up a key win against the Grizzlies with a 30-point loss to the Kings. Worst of all, the Warriors lost Jonathan Kuminga to a serious ankle sprain against Memphis and the young forward will miss a minimum of three weeks.

The Warriors are already a limited offensive team, which is why this is a devastating injury for Kuminga. At 18-17 overall, the Warriors have just over four weeks to try and beef up their scoring before the trade deadline. The only reason why the Dubs moved up as much as they did in the NBA power rankings is due to everyone else they are even with losing this past week.

15. Atlanta Hawks (-4)

Record: 18-18 | Last Week’s Schedule: at DEN (L19), at LAL (L17), at LAC (L26)

Upcoming schedule: at UTA (1/7), at PHX (1/9), vs. HOU (1/11)

Three ugly road losses to begin their West Coast road trip have resulted in the Atlanta Hawks falling back to .500 overall. After suffering three straight losses, the Hawks put together a four-game win streak last week. Now, the Hawks are once again on a three-game losing skid, and things won’t get easier with the Phoenix Suns and Rockets on the schedule. Defensively, Atlanta has given up an average of 129.7 points per game over their last three contests.

16. Milwaukee Bucks (-3)

Record: 17-16 | Last Week’s Schedule: at IND (W8), vs. BKN (L3), vs. POR (L3)

Upcoming schedule: at TOR (1/6), vs. SAS (1/8), at ORL (1/10), at NYK (1/12)

Since winning the NBA Cup, the Bucks have gone 3-5 with recent back-to-back losses to the Brooklyn Nets and Portland Trail Blazers. Two losses against two teams in the bottom 10 of the NBA power rankings don’t help Milwaukee’s chances of doing anything in the East. However, the Bucks can bounce back in a big way if they can overcome the likes of the Spurs, Magic, and Knicks this upcoming week, especially with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard healthy.

17. Indiana Pacers (-)

Record: 18-18 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. MIL (L8), at MIA (W13), vs. PHX (W18)

Upcoming schedule: at BKN (1/6), vs. CHI (1/8), vs. GSW (1/10), at CLE (1/12)

Over their last 11 games, the Indiana Pacers have gone 8-3 with key wins over the Celtics, Suns, and Warriors. Offensively, the Pacers are beginning to look like the team that went to the Eastern Conference Finals a season ago, and Tyrese Haliburton has looked like his All-Star self as of late. Haliburton has averaged 24.4 points and 9.2 assists per game over his last five contests. Indiana can move above .500 for the first time since the first game of the season with a win over Brooklyn on Monday.

18. Detroit Pistons (+1)

Record: 17-18 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. ORL (W9), vs. CHA (W4), vs. MIN (W14)

Upcoming schedule: vs. POR (1/6), at BKN (1/8), vs. GSW (1/9), vs. TOR (1/11)

Here come the Detroit Pistons! Cade Cunningham is a sure-thing All-Star this season, and he proved that by leading the Pistons to a 3-0 record this past week, capped off by a massive 40-point, nine-rebound night against the Timberwolves and Anthony Edwards, who had 53 points. The Pistons have won six of their last seven games and will own a .500 record for the first time since the start of the 2023-24 season with a win over Portland on Monday.

19. Minnesota Timberwolves (-7)

Record: 17-17 | Last Week’s Schedule: at OKC (L8), vs. BOS (L3), at DET (L14)

Upcoming schedule: vs. LAC (1/6), at NOP (1/7), at ORL (1/9), vs. MEM (1/11)

The Timberwolves have lost six of their last nine games after failing to pick up a win this past week. Despite suffering key losses, Minnesota had chances against the Thunder and Celtics. The same can’t be said about a matchup in Detroit, where Edwards’ 53 points accounted for more than half of this team’s total scoring output in the game. At this point, it’s hard to imagine that the Timberwolves aren’t having doubts about trading Karl-Anthony Towns before the year began.

20. Chicago Bulls (+2)

Record: 16-19 | Last Week’s Schedule: at CHA (W7), at WAS (L18), vs. NYK (W13)

Upcoming schedule: vs. SAS (1/6), at IND (1/8), vs. WAS (1/10), vs. SAC (1/12)

Like the Pistons, the Chicago Bulls have suddenly become a storyline to watch in the East. Despite constant trade rumors surrounding Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, the Bulls have won three of their last four, including their best win of the season against the Knicks. Chicago is now in the top 20 of the NBA power rankings, and perhaps all of the celebrations held for Derrick Rose will spark some life in Billy Donovan’s squad.

21. Phoenix Suns (-1)

Record: 15-18 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. MEM (L5), at IND (L18)

Upcoming schedule: at PHI (1/6), at CHA (1/7), vs. ATL (1/9), vs. UTA (1/11)

There is nothing to celebrate about the Phoenix Suns right now, as this is a team heading in the direction of turmoil. Jusuf Nurkic and Bradley Beal are being benched given the team’s struggles, and the Suns are entering “blow it up” territory before the trade deadline. Moving Beal for Jimmy Butler seems like an obvious move at this point, but will Beal waive his no-trade clause for Phoenix? Nothing is going right for the Suns right now, and they have entered the bottom 10 of the NBA power rankings for the first time this year.

22. Philadelphia 76ers (-1)

Record: 14-19 | Last Week’s Schedule: at POR (W22), at SAC (L6), at GSW (L34), at BKN (W29)

Upcoming schedule: vs. PHX (1/6), vs. WAS (1/8), vs. NOP (1/10), at ORL (1/12)

The Philadelphia 76ers remain out of the East playoff picture being five games below .500 this season. Despite recent struggles, Philadelphia ended their six-game road trip with a 4-2 record, picking up a key win over the Celtics. The Sixers will now play five home games over their next six battles, starting with the Suns on Monday. One of these struggling teams will get a much-needed win in this game.

23. Miami Heat (-7)

Record: 17-16 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. NOP (W11), vs. IND (L13), vs. UTA (L36)

Upcoming schedule: at SAC (1/6), at GSW (1/7), at UTA (1/9), at POR (1/11)

Jimmy Butler has officially requested a trade from the Miami Heat. Now, the question becomes whether the Heat will actually trade him, as Pat Riley is not one to give in to his player’s demands. The Heat are a franchise in turmoil right now simply because they have no set direction, their confidence is lost, and this Butler divorce could get ugly. In fact, things are already ugly in Miami after a 36-point loss at home to the Utah Jazz, one of worst teams in the NBA power rankings.

24. Portland Trail Blazers (-)

Record: 12-22 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. PHI (L22), at LAL (L8), at MIL (W3)

Upcoming schedule: at DET (1/6), at NOP (1/8), at DAL (1/9), vs. MIA (1/11)

The Portland Trail Blazers have been competitive as of late, winning three of their last five games. In this span, Portland has averaged 112.4 points per game, about a +4.5 point differential compared to their season average. Anfernee Simons has been the driving force for the Trail Blazers’ recent success on offense, as he has scored at least 20 points and knocked down at least four triples in four straight games.

25. Utah Jazz (-)

Record: 9-25 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. DEN (L11), at NYK (L16), at MIA (W36), at ORL (W13)

Upcoming schedule: vs. ATL (1/7), vs. MIA (1/9), at PHX (1/11), vs. BKN (1/12)

A five-game losing streak has turned into a two-game win streak for the Jazz. This is the second time in the last month that the Jazz have won back-to-back games. Despite constant lineup changes due to injuries, Utah has seen Brice Sensabaugh step up as of late, scoring 34 points and 27 points in wins over the Heat and Magic, respectively. These two road wins have moved the Jazz to 7-13 outside of Salt Lake City this season despite their disastrous 2-12 record at home.

26. Brooklyn Nets (-)

Record: 13-22 | Last Week’s Schedule: at TOR (L17), at MIL (W3), vs. PHI (L29)

Upcoming schedule: vs. IND (1/6), vs. DET (1/8), at DEN (1/10), at UTA (1/12)

It is clear that the Nets are rebuilding after trading Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith for second-round assets. Brooklyn did pick up a win over the Bucks this past week, but that was followed up with a 29-point loss at home to the Sixers. More losses are approaching for the Nets with matchups against the Pacers, Pistons, Nuggets, and Jazz on their schedule this upcoming week.

27. Toronto Raptors (-)

Record: 8-27 | Last Week’s Schedule: at BOS (L54), vs. BKN (W17), vs. ORL (L9)

Upcoming schedule: vs. MIL (1/6), at NYK (1/8), at CLE (1/9), at DET (1/11)

Immanuel Quickley has returned to the lineup for the Toronto Raptors, and that helped them seize a 17-point win over the Nets. However, that 54-point loss to Boston was one of the worst in franchise history. The Raptors are one of five teams that have yet to pick up their 10th win of the season, which is why they are as low as they are in the NBA power rankings.

28. New Orleans Pelicans (+2)

Record: 7-29 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. LAC (L3), at MIA (L11), vs. WAS (W12), at WAS (W12)

Upcoming schedule: vs. MIN (1/7), vs. POR (1/8), at PHI (1/10), at BOS (1/12)

The New Orleans Pelicans snapped their 11 game losing streak with back-to-back 12-point wins this past week. However, these wins were against the Washington Wizards, which isn’t really saying much. Now 7-29 on the season, the Pelicans have still yet to win an actual game since Dec. 5 when they claimed a two-point win over the Suns.

29. Washington Wizards (-1)

Record: 6-27 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. NYK (L20), vs. CHI (W18), at NOP (L12), vs. NOP (L12)

Upcoming schedule: vs. HOU (1/7), at PHI (1/8), at CHI (1/10), vs. OKC (1/12)

While they have the least amount of wins in the league, the Wizards are not the worst team in this week’s NBA power rankings due to an 18-point win over the Bulls. It will be interesting to see who the Wizards sell at the trade deadline for future assets, as that’s the only exciting part of the season for Washington.

30. Charlotte Hornets (-1)

Record: 7-27 | Last Week’s Schedule: vs. CHI (L7), at DET (L4), at CLE (L10)

Upcoming schedule: vs. PHX (1/7), at LAL (1/9), at LAC (1/11), at PHX (1/12)

For the first time all year, the Charlotte Hornets find themselves at the very bottom of the NBA power rankings. The Hornets currently own the league’s longest active losing streak at 10 games, and it doesn’t appear as if anything will be getting easier with a home matchup against the Suns before heading on a five-game road trip.

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