Getty

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball in front of Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers are challenging the top teams in the NBA power rankings.

The 3-pointer sunk by Lakers wing Luke Kennard with just 0.6 seconds to go in what was a 2-point game in Orlando on Saturday kept L.A.’s season-high winning streak alive, at nine games. They’ll go for No. 10 on Monday in Detroit against the Cade Cunningham-less Pistons, then play three games against the cream of the 2025-26 tanking crop: the Pacers, Nets and Wizards. That’s gotten them to No. 3 in the NBA Power Rankings.

There’s a pretty clear path to 13 straight wins there for the Lakers. That would also mark 16 wins in a 17-game stretch, by far the best run the Lakers have had in a year.

Meanwhile, the Spurs and Thunder recline on chaise lounges, rolling their eyes and examining their fingernails. You call that a streak?

Ah yes, as much of a feel-good story as the Lakers are here in late March, it’s hard to forget that there’s probably a pretty short shelf life for this Laker love-fest. They’re clicking on all cylinders, Luka Doncic has hit ultra-MVP levels, LeBron James is kicking into a new star-role-player gig and even the defense has looked pretty remarkable.

But while this has been going on, the Thunder have steamrolled to 11 straight wins, and 14 out of their last 15. The Spurs have won 10 of their last 11, and 21 of their last 23. ESPN is highlighting the Lakers daily, while brushing past the fact that the West already has two juggernauts who have been doing it longer and better than the Lakers.

While the Lakers have gone 9-0 since March 6, the Thunder are 7-0 and the Spurs are 8-1. The Lakers’ net rating is 8.9 in that span, which is sixth. The Thunder are No. 2, at 11.6, with the best defense. The Spurs are at No. 4 at 10.6, with the best offense.

And that’s the big-picture bummer here for the Lakers. Their recent run is a nice story. But the Lakers have lost both games against OKC this year, and have lost three straight against the Spurs since a November win. They’re still likely to see the Spurs in Round 2 of the playoffs, and that is probably where the story ends. If the Lakers somehow survive, it’s the Thunder in Round 3. It’ll certainly be over by then.

NBA Power Rankings: Pistons Hanging On

The news could have been much worse for the Detroit Pistons and Cade Cunningham last week, when Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung in a win over the Wizards. Cunningham is expected to be able to return in a month, possibly meaning he can be ready for the opening of the postseason. The Pistons probably can hold off the Celtics and Knicks in the East (they have tiebreakers over both) and might have to grind through the first round with limited contributions from Cunningham. But the hope is that Cunningham would be a full go for Round 2.

1. Thunder, 56-15.
2. Spurs, 53-18.
3. Lakers, 46-25.
4. Pistons, 51-19.
5. Celtics, 47-24.
6. Knicks, 47-25.
7. Nuggets, 44-28
8. Timberwolves, 44-28.
9. Cavaliers, 44-27.
10. Rockets, 43-27.
    

    ---

    NBA Part II Rankings: Hawks on the Rise

    The Hawks sold off their two biggest-ticket items on the salary sheet ahead of the NBA trade deadline, and the payoff has been immediate. Since the All-Star break, they’ve been the hottest team in the East, at 13-2, with a revamped defense that has a rating of 106.4 since the break, second only to the Thunder. Along the way, we’ve seen the blossoming of Nickiel Alexander-Walker, who is on his fourth NBA team, but averaging 20.3 points, nearly twice his career average (10.3).

11. Hawks, 39-32
12. Sixers, 39-32.
13. Raptors, 39-31.
14. Magic, 38-32.
15. Hornets, 37-34.
16. Suns, 39-32.
17. Heat, 38-33.
18. Clippers, 35-36.
19. Trail Blazers, 35-37.
20. Warriors, 33-38.

    

    GettyNickeil Alexander-Walker #7 has the Atlanta Hawks climbing the NBA power rankings.

    ---

    NBA Power Rankings Part III: Tank-a-thon Continues

    It’s a race to the bottom for a handful of teams these days, and as much hand-wringing as there has been over tanking–those offended by it and a newly vocal group of tanking apologists–the league is not making much progress on stopping it.

21. Pelicans, 25-47.
22. Bucks, 29-41.
23. Bulls, 28-42.
24. Grizzlies, 24-46.
25. Mavericks, 23-48.
26. Jazz, 21-50.
27. Kings, 19-53.
28. Nets, 17-54.
29. Pacers, 15-56.
30. Wizards, 16-55.