DENVER — Just a reminder for those unaware.
The NBA Cup championship game doesn’t count in the regular season standings or statistics.
So even though Oklahoma City lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in Las Vegas, it still has the league’s longest active winning streak at seven straight games.
Should the Thunder still drop in The Arizona Republic’s latest NBA power rankings after that 97-81 defeat?
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (25-4)
Last week: Tied for second with the Boston Celtics.
The Cavs have won their last four with the third one coming against the NBA Cup champion Bucks, 124-101, in Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points in the win. Cleveland remains the only NBA team shooting at least 50% from the field (50.5%) and at least 40% from 3 (40.5%).
2. Oklahoma City Thunder (22-5)
Last week: First.
The Thunder didn’t have an answer for NBA Cup MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (26 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists) and shot an arctic 5-of-32 from 3. They bounced back with road wins over Orlando and Miami.
Dec 19, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla reacts after called for a technical foul as they take on the Chicago Bulls in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
3. Boston Celtics (22-6)
Last week: Tied for second with the Cavaliers
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla had jokes after Boston’s loss to Chicago, but the NBA didn’t find his actions funny. He was fined $35,000 for “aggressively pursuing and directing inappropriate language toward a game official.” Two days later, the Celtics won the rematch by 25 points as Jayson Tatum dropped 43.
4. Memphis Grizzlies (20-9)
Last week: Fourth.
The Grizzlies ambushed Golden State, 144-93, on a historic night. Memphis not only cashed a record 27 made 3s in the largest margin of victory for any team this season, Warriors' superstar Stephen Curry and forward Draymond Green didn’t make a shot from the field in a game together for the first time ever.
Dec 19, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Knicks forward Karl-Anthony Towns (32) smiles as he rests on the bench in the fourth quarter of the game with the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
5. New York Knicks (18-10)
Last week: Teams 6-10
Karl-Anthony Towns reminded the Minnesota Timberwolves and their fans who he is in delivering a massive double-double of 32 points and 20 rebounds in his return game that ended in a 133-107 win for the Knicks.
Teams 6-10
Dec 21, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) smiles after his team scored against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
Houston Rockets (19-9) — Nice response win over New Orleans after NBA Cup semifinals loss to OKC.
Dallas Mavericks (18-10) — Seven players reach double figures in win over Clippers without injured Luka Doncic (left heel contusion).
Milwaukee Bucks (15-12) — No shame losing to Cleveland, especially with Damian Lillard sidelined due to a right calf strain that he played through in the NBA Cup final.
Orlando Magic (18-12) — The injuries continue to pile up as Mo Wagner will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL.
Los Angeles Lakers (16-12) — The Lakers have won their last three games with LeBron James back after missing a couple of games. Yeah, they missed the almost 40-year-old.
Fell out of 6-10 – Miami Heat (13-13).
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: NBA power rankings: Towns, Knicks rise into top 5, Thunder slight dip
