NBA Power Rankings: SGA leads MVP race over Jokic; Cavs win franchise-best 16 straight

Thunder Wire NBA power rankings

The 2024-25 regular season has less than a month left. Everybody besides the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers is jockeying for better seeding. It'll be an exciting finish for the non-first-place squads.

The Cavaliers had won a franchise-best 16 games in a row before they lost to the Orlando Magic. This season has seen two historically dominating regular-season squads that hope their success translates to the NBA playoffs.

Meanwhile, the MVP race continues to heat up. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went off for 48 points against the Pistons and beat the Boston Celtics, but Nikola Jokic had a near 40-point triple-double in an upset loss to the Washington Wizards. Gilgeous-Alexander appears ahead right now, but a lot can change in these final three weeks.

Throughout the 2024-25 season, Thunder Wire will conduct weekly NBA power rankings. Here is the latest edition for the Mar. 10-16 week:

30. Utah Jazz (15-53)

Mar 14, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) and Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett (9) fight for the loose ball during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 30

The Jazz have usurped the Wizards for the NBA's worst record. A nine-game losing streak has helped with that. An impressive feat for Utah. Plenty of teams have tanked, but they've taken it a step further. In fact, the NBA fined them $100K for it. It's a cheap price to pay to get a blue-chip prospect.

29. Washington Wizards (15-51)

Mar 15, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) (center) celebrates with teammates following his three-point basket in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 29

Despite jeopardizing their worst record title, the Wizards enjoyed an upset win over the Nuggets. That's the second time this season. Jordan Poole scored on a game-winning 3-pointer and Alex Sarr had 34 points. If Gilgeous-Alexander wins MVP, Washington will be invited to his speech as a surprise donor to his campaign.

28. New Orleans Pelicans (18-50)

Mar 11, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) reacts after a dunk against the Los Angeles Clippers during the fourth quarter at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 27

Even though the Pelicans were eliminated from the playoffs, Zion Williamson has quietly had a good season. He's finally been healthy and has been New Orleans' top scorer. It's a shame his year has gone under the radar because injuries to the rest of their roster ruined it.

27. Charlotte Hornets (17-50)

Mar 14, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) shoots over San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) during the second half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 28

The Hornets have won three of their last four games. They set a franchise-record 26 3-pointers in a win over the Spurs. It's a bittersweet stretch as Charlotte hopes to get top-three lottery odds. A win streak this late in the season could ruin those hopes.

26. Brooklyn Nets (23-45)

Mar 16, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson (2) is defended by Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 26

The Nets have lost eight of their last 10 games. They've pulled all the stops to nosedive in the standings. They shut down Cam Thomas for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury. Brooklyn has done everything it can to rack up on losses.

25. Philadelphia 76ers (23-44)

Mar 16, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes (5) looks to score as Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) defends during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 24

The Sixers have lost six of their last eight games. Paul George could be the next player they shut down. He's dealt with injuries all season. There's no point in playing him in meaningless games as Philadelphia has pivoted to hoping to keep its top-six protected pick. Quentin Grimes might ruin that, though.

24. Toronto Raptors (24-44)

Mar 10, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley (5) drives to the net against Washington Wizards forward Tristan Vukcevic (00) during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 25

The Raptors are another basement dweller that has sabotaged their lottery odds. They've won six of their last 10 games. Immanuel Quickley has gotten hot as a scorer. While it's fun to see the role players step up, Toronto needs a high lottery pick to truly get back on track.

23. Miami Heat (29-38)

Mar 15, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Miami Heat small forward Andrew Wiggins (22) drives into Memphis Grizzlies forward Jalen Wells (0) in the first quarter of the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Smith-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 20

The Heat have lost seven in a row. It's been a weird season, but they'll still make the postseason picture because of how bad the East is. Andrew Wiggins has been forced to be Miami's top scorer, but he simply isn't a one-for-one replacement for their former franchise player.

22. San Antonio Spurs (28-38)

Mar 12, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox (4) has the ball against Dallas Mavericks guards Spencer Dinwiddie (26) and Brandon Williams (10) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 23

The Spurs have pulled the plug on their season. De'Aaron Fox had finger surgery to knock him out for the rest of the year. San Antonio will spend the final month hoping to get a worse record. That's been their goal since the All-Star break after flirting with a possible postseason berth.

21. Portland Trail Blazers (29-39)

Mar 16, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) shoots the ball over Toronto Raptors guard Ochai Agbaji (30) in the first half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 22

The Trail Blazers had lost five in a row before a close win over the Raptors. Any faint chances of a postseason push are over. At least most of their recent losses have been by thin margins. Portland has a bevy of young guards who've shown flashes from Anfernee Simons to Scoot Henderson.

20. Chicago Bulls (28-39)

Mar 10, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) is helped off the court during the second half against the Indiana Pacers at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 21

After being in a rut, the Bulls rattled off four straight wins. There was no real danger of falling out of the postseason picture because of how bad the East is, but Chicago has enjoyed being on a hot streak. Josh Giddey has played like an All-Star since the All-Star break and has graduated as their best player.

19. Orlando Magic (32-37)

Mar 16, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) dribbles beside Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter (12) in the first quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 19

The Magic have yet to find a rhythm. For every step they take forward, they take two back. Perhaps a statement win over the Cavaliers can boost them to a run. Paolo Banchero had 24 points in the signature victory. Orlando has been stuck in this position for most of the season.

18. Dallas Mavericks (33-36)

Mar 16, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) reacts in front of Philadelphia 76ers guard Ricky Council IV (14) during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 18

It's been a miserable season for the Mavericks. They lost Dante Exum for the rest of the season with a hand fracture. At this point, it's just hilarious how badly Dallas has torpedoed its season, both voluntarily and involuntarily. They still hold onto the 10th spot, but their lead continues to dwindle with a real chance of missing out on the postseason altogether.

17. Phoenix Suns (31-37)

Mar 14, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) reacts against the Sacramento Kings during the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 17

Even though the Suns will divorce Kevin Durant in the offseason, they still have a slight hope to extend their marriage. The Mavericks' downfall has given Phoenix a chance to sneak into the postseason picture. After that, it'll be on Durant and Devin Booker to carry their roster as far as they can take them.

16. Sacramento Kings (33-33)

Mar 14, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) reacts against the Phoenix Suns during the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 14

Perfectly mediocre. Like the Kings hope to be. A four-game losing streak has knocked them back down to an exact .500 record. Three losses being lopsided doesn't paint a pretty picture. What makes it worse is that Domantas Sabonis might've aggravated his hamstring strain. Those are always tricky to return from.

15. Atlanta Hawks (32-36)

Mar 12, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) and head coach Quin Snyder on the bench against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 16

The Hawks had a four-game win streak snapped by the Clippers. They beat up on basement dwellers during the streak. Trae Young had 35 points in a blowout win over the Hornets. Atlanta is back in a familiar spot as a play-in tournament team. It's stuck there until the postseason starts.

14. Indiana Pacers (37-29)

Mar 11, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers teammates swarm and celebrate the game tying basket made by guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) in the second half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 12

The Pacers made headlines this past week. In a desperate situation, Tyrese Haliburton forced a four-point play when he was fouled on his outside attempt. He shocked the Bucks with the unlikely win. It was a thrilling finish in a possible playoff matchup.

13. Detroit Pistons (37-31)

Mar 15, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) reacts to being called for a foul in the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 13

With a chance to collect a statement win, the Pistons let their anger get the best of them against the Thunder. Five technical fouls were handed out and Cade Cunningham was eventually ejected. Detroit lost, but JB Bickerstaff made headlines with his epic postgame rant about the referees. The Pistons will be a tough playoff matchup.

12. LA Clippers (38-30)

Mar 16, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) looks to pass against Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (5) during the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 15

It was an easy week for the Clippers. They faced off against several East basement dwellers. They padded their record. James Harden and Kawhi Leonard each scored 25 points in a blowout win over the Hawks. LA's playoff hopes will ride on that duo. They could have a competitive first-round series.

11. Milwaukee Bucks (38-29)

Mar 16, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) drives for the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) in the second quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 9

The Bucks had two exciting games against the Pacers this past week. They suffered a heartbreaker in the first game as Haliburton scored an improbable game-winner. They barely escaped with a win in the second game as the Pacers made a late run. This could be an exciting first-round series between the two teams.

10. Minnesota Timberwolves (40-29)

Mar 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts after missing a shot against the Utah Jazz in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 11

The Timberwolves have gotten hot at the right time. They've won eight in a row. Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle have been a deadly scoring duo. The best win of their streak was a blowout over the Nuggets. They've had their number dating back to last year's playoffs. Minnesota is well-positioned to avoid the play-in tournament.

9. Los Angeles Lakers (41-25)

Mar 14, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) steals the ball away from Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) as center Christian Koloko (10) and guard Jordan Goodwin (30) defend in the fourth quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 4

Nobody else has had as drastic of a fall as the Lakers. That is what happens when they lost four in a row. They snapped the streak with a win over the Suns. It's not a coincidence that Los Angeles has struggled without LeBron James. He's missed time with a groin injury. While Luka Doncic can be a one-man show, the Lakers need both to threaten to capture the second seed.

8. Memphis Grizzlies (43-25)

Mar 15, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies power forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) drives into defender Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) in the third quarter of the game against the Miami Heat at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Smith-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 6

With the chance to collect a statement win, the Grizzlies faltered to the red-hot Cavaliers. Such is Memphis this season. Its beaten up on the bottom of the league but has struggled to show out against other contenders. At least Jaren Jackson Jr. returned this past week. But it's difficult to envision the Grizzlies past the second round.

7. New York Knicks (42-24)

Mar 12, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; New York Knicks small forward Mikal Bridges (25) celebrates with teammates after making the game-winning shot in overtime against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 7

The Knicks survived the Trail Blazers after Mikal Bridges scored a game-winner. That's the type of luck they must have with Jalen Brunson still out with an ankle sprain. His absence has been loudly felt. New York struggled to score without their best player in a loss to the Warriors.

6. Golden State Warriors (39-28)

Mar 15, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates after the three point basket against the New York Knicks during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 10

The Warriors have continued to be a winning machine since the trade deadline. They've won seven in a row. Stephen Curry made history when he reached 4,000 career 3-pointers in a win over the Kings. He's the sole player in NBA history to be in that club. Golden State looks scary as it plays its best basketball with the playoff near.

5. Houston Rockets (43-25)

Mar 14, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (17) dunks against the Dallas Mavericks in the first half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 8

The Rockets have won six straight games. They've taken advantage of a soft spot in their schedule. Like all season, it's been a group effort where anybody can go off any night. Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun combined for 52 points in a win over the Bulls. Before that, Tari Eason had 30 points in a win over the Mavericks.

4. Denver Nuggets (43-25)

Mar 10, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) smiles after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 5

The Nuggets started their week with an impressive win over the Thunder. They scored 140 points in regulation against them. They then ended it with a second upset loss to the Wizards. Nikola Jokic had a near 40-point triple-double in the defeat. That sums up Denver's season pretty well. It's been an up-and-down year masked by the reigning MVP's historic dominance.

3. Boston Celtics (49-19)

Mar 12, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) makes the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) in the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 3

In a possible NBA Finals preview, the Celtics lost to the Thunder for the second time this season. Jayson Tatum went off, but Jaylen Brown was a no-show. It looks like OKC is a nightmare matchup for Boston. But those are problems the Celtics will gladly deal with if they get there. Besides that, they continue to be a winning machine. They have the second seed basically locked up.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (56-12)

Mar 15, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) dribbles in the second half against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 2

This was a fantastic week to push for Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP case. A signature win over the Celtics without Jalen Williams was shown on national television. Next game, he scored 48 points in an unlikely win over the Pistons. Then, they went to blowout the Bucks on national television. Less than a month remains and he looks to be in the lead for the MVP race right now.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (56-11)

Mar 9, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) dribbles between Milwaukee Bucks guard AJ Green (20) and Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. (3) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Previous Ranking: 1

The Cavaliers set a new franchise record with 16 straight wins. It was their third 12-plus win streak of the season. The Magic snapped it, but it shouldn't discredit Cleveland's utter dominance. They've run away with the first seed and could end up with the NBA's best record. The Thunder and Cavaliers have played hot potato with the top two spots in these rankings all season and expect that to continue.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: NBA Power Rankings: SGA lead MVP race over Jokic; Cavs win 16 straight

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