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NBA power rankings for April 5, 2016
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook is nearly averaging a triple-double the past 10 games. Allen Einstein/Getty Images

NBA power rankings for the first week of April

The unthinkable happened: The Golden State Warriors lost at home, and now, they're no lock to break the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' regular-season wins record of 72. With five games left to play, the Warriors need to win four to break that record.

Still, the reigning champs locked up home court, while the Spurs, Thunder and Cavaliers cemented their places in the playoff standings. Meanwhile, the Lakers continued their devolution with the D'Angelo Russell-Nick Young saga, while the 76ers are on pace to pass their own record of futility in a full schedule.

Really, it's all about playoff positioning for the rest of the postseason contenders, while the bottom of the league wrangles for ping pong balls.

With that in mind, here are this week's power rankings in the NBA.

30. Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia enters the week tied for the most losses (68) in the history of the NBA. With one loss in its final five games, it will hold sole possession of this dubious mark. This has been aided by a current 12-game losing streak, Philadelphia's fourth losing streak of double digits on the season. Can Ben Simmons just forgo the draft and join the Sixers now?

29. Los Angeles Lakers

With one more loss, the Lakers will match their worst record in franchise history — a feat they accomplished last season when losing 61 games. With four of their last five losses coming by double digits, the team is lacking that competitive fire. That's the sad fact with Kobe Bryant finishing up his final season in the NBA. One can only hope other players on this team will help him win at least one more game before all is said and done.

28. Phoenix Suns

The Suns can just be excited that their season is mercifully coming to an end. After starting the season with a 12-16 record, Phoenix has lost 41 of its past 49 games. Currently in the midst of a six-game losing streak, the team is also going to be without Brandon Knight for the remainder of the season. It's now all about where the Suns are going to be drafting come June and how the team is going to fix this mess.

27. Brooklyn Nets

Like most of the bottom-feeding teams around the Association, Brooklyn has pretty much mailed it in. Losers of five consecutive heading into the week, the Nets have lost those five games by an average of 19.6 points. Adding more to the issues in Brooklyn, its first-round pick is heading to the Boston Celtics by virtue of the failed Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce trade. Ouch!

26. New Orleans Pelicans

Anthony Davis, Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon and Jrue Holiday have missed a combined 110 games this season. That's pretty much as far as we need to go when detailing just how disastrous the 2015-16 campaign has been for first-year head coach Alvin Gentry. Unfortunately for the Pelicans' lottery aspirations, they are riding a two-game winning streak after handing Denver and Brooklyn losses last week. Without their young core together, wins mean very little. It's now all about getting more components for Davis moving forward. Wins won't help there.

25. New York Knicks

With rookie Kristaps Porzingis still sidelined, the Knicks are simply playing out the string under interim head coach Kurt Rambis. There is somewhat of a positive here. Rambis has finally decided to let rookie Jerian Grant strut his stuff in extended minutes over the past week. The first-round pick is averaging 26 minutes over the past three games after seeing 20-plus minutes in just three of his previous 25 outings. It hasn't translated to much success for the first-year player, but at least New York is showing some initiative to give its few young players a chance here. At 31-47, that's all that really matters right now.

24. Minnesota Timberwolves

With a decent 11-15 record in February and March, Minnesota's youngsters were looking darn good. In fact, Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins combined to average over 40 points per game while shooting 54 percent from the field. Despite teamwide struggles on the offensive end in two games this month, Wiggins is still averaging 27 points per game. While Minnesota's 25-52 record isn't indicative of a good team, the progress we've seen from these youngsters paints a picture of a bright future for the squad.

23. Milwaukee Bucks

One of the most disappointing teams in the NBA this season, Milwaukee has one saving grace in the form of Giannis Antetokounmpo. The newly minted 21-year-old point guard is averaging 19.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7.5 rebounds per game since the start of March. Those are some elite-level numbers right there. Outside of that, there's not much to see from a Bucks squad that enters this week's action 13 games under .500.

22. Sacramento Kings

Playing better basketball of late, it's too little, too late for George Karl and the Kings. Losing 21 of 28 games up until a recent stretch of action that has seen them win four of six has done this team in. Whether it's due to suspension or injury, DeMarcus Cousins has also failed to suit up in three of the past four games. That's a troubling trend for a team that has to figure out what to do with the All-Star big man this summer.

21. Denver Nuggets

A season-ending injury to Danilo Gallinari has quieted what was a decent stretch of action that saw Denver win eight of 13 prior to losing four of its past five. This very same five-game span has seen rookie Emmanuel Mudiay shoot 34 percent from the field. And that's the crux of the issue here. Denver has failed to see its young players step up down the stretch. At 32-46 on the season, that's the only thing to look at during the final week-plus of the season.

20. Orlando Magic

Victor Oladipo is averaging 21.3 points while shooting 50 percent from the field over the past 10 games. That very same span has seen Orlando rebound from an atrocious stretch of games to win four outings. More good news. All-Star-caliber center Nikola Vucevic has returned from a 13-game absence to average 23.7 points while shooting 68 percent from the field over the past three games. These could be two building blocks for a Magic team that's prepared to spend a ton of cash in free agency.

19. Washington Wizards

On the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention, the Wizards are now headed for an offseason of question marks. That will likely start with questions regarding Randy Wittman's job status as the team's head coach. After leading Washington to the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, a spring without postseason basketball could cost him his job. The good news here is that Washington faces Brooklyn twice in the final five games. The bad news, Washington is four games out of the final playoff spot with games remaining against Detroit, Charlotte and Atlanta.

18. Houston Rockets

One game out of the final playoff spot out west, Houston faces the Dallas Mavericks in a monumental matchup on Wednesday. Dallas is one game ahead of the Rockets, but Houston can win the tiebreaker with a win in Dallas. Losers of five of their past eight games, this is pretty much a do-or-die outing for the Rockets. Though, it must be noted that the team's final four games come against four of the worst teams in the Western Conference.

17. Memphis Grizzlies

Now that Mike Conley is apparently lost for the remainder of the season, the free-falling Grizzlies could very well find themselves out of a playoff spot when all is said and done. In the midst of a six-game losing streak, Memphis faces a season-ending stretch that includes games against Chicago, Dallas, Golden State (twice) and the Clippers. Just three games ahead of Houston for the final playoff spot, it's looking more and more like this squad will be on the outside looking in.

16. Chicago Bulls

Good news first. Chicago is still somewhat alive in the Eastern Conference Playoff race. It's just two games behind Detroit and Indiana for the final playoff spot. The bad news? Chicago must take on both the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers this week. Losses in both games would likely spell an end to the Bulls' playoff aspirations. Averaging 24.7 points while shooting 72 percent from the field over the past three games, Jimmy Butler is going to have to continue his recent stellar play in order for the Bulls to inch into the second season.

15. Indiana Pacers

Tied with Detroit for the seventh seed back east, Indiana has been picked up by the continued consistent play of All-Star Paul George, who has put up 20-plus points in each of the past six games. The bad news there is that Indiana boasts a 3-3 record in those six outings. This is yet another indication that he needs someone to step up down the stretch in order to help Indiana to the playoffs. This will be magnified over the next several days with the Pacers taking on Cleveland and Toronto.

14. Dallas Mavericks

Rick Carlisle's decision to rest his starters throughout the season has paid off a great deal recently. Dallas is in the midst of a four-game winning streak. The team's recent turnabout has been primarily due to elite-level defense. Dallas is yielding an average of 86 points in these four games. Outside of Wednesday's huge outing against Houston, the Mavericks face four squads with winning records, including games against the Clippers and Spurs.

13. Utah Jazz

With wins in seven of the past 10 games, the Jazz is clearly in position to earn a playoff spot out west. More than anything, the balanced scoring on this roster recently has been impressive. Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors and Rodney Hood are all averaging 15-plus points over the past 10 games. Defensively, the Jazz yields an average of 85 points during this 10-game hot streak. With games coming up against the Spurs and Clippers this week, Utah needs to be on the top of its game in order to maintain its status as a top-eight seed out west.

12. Portland Trail Blazers

At 41-37 on the season, Portland is just a half game behind the free-falling Grizzlies for the fifth seed out west. This would enable the Blazers to avoid Oklahoma City in the first round. On the other hand, it might set up a second-round matchup against a Warriors team that dropped 136 on the Blazers over the weekend. In any event, Damian Lillard broke out of his mini funk Sunday, going for 38 against the Warriors. It was his first performance of 20-plus points in nearly two weeks.

11. Detroit Pistons

Detroit finished up its massive nine-game home stand with a 6-3 record. Wins against Charlotte and Oklahoma City were impressive. Losses to Dallas and Atlanta (twice) were not. Yet to clinch a playoff spot, the Pistons are still five games over .500 and in prime position to earn a top-eight seed back east. With two games against Miami and a road outing in Cleveland to close the season, the Pistons will surely be tested here. Having failed to score more than 95 points in any of the past four games, offense is going to be key here. In short, Reggie Jackson and Tobias Harris must take their offensive games to the next level.

10. Charlotte Hornets

Currently sitting as the sixth seed back east, Charlotte is just a half game out of a top-three spot with about a week left in the season. The better news here? This team still has games remaining against Brooklyn, New York and Orlando to close out the season. Despite a nine-point loss to Cleveland over the weekend, the Hornets have won 21 of 28 games since the start of February. Now dealing with a strained knee, the play of Nicolas Batum has been the biggest key. He's averaging 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists over the past 10 games. Charlotte needs him back in the mix to make a late-season push for homecourt advantage in the first round.

9. Atlanta Hawks

Going up against the big boys in the Eastern Conference, Atlanta fell flat on its face in losses to Toronto and Cleveland last week. That mini slump immediately followed a stretch of 17 games that saw the Hawks come out victorious 14 times. Tied with Boston for the third seed, Atlanta still has Toronto, Boston and Cleveland remaining on the schedule. If the team can't show more success against upper-echelon opponents, it might very well be looking at the sixth seed back east.

8. Miami Heat

Losses to the Lakers and Blazers last week hurt big time. Fighting for a top-three seed with the potential of dropping all the way to the sixth spot, Miami needs to take care of business against inferior squads. That had been the case prior to the stinker against the Lakers. With six games over the next nine days, the remainder of Miami's schedule will come fast. Games against Detroit, Chicago and Orlando (twice) this week will tell us a lot about where this squad is entering the final few days of the regular season.

7. Boston Celtics

Boston put up one heck of a performance in ending the Warriors' NBA-record home winning streak on Friday. It was an all-around great effort spearheaded by a second-half surge from Isaiah Thomas and some great coaching from Brad Stevens. In no way was it a fluke either. Remember, Boston took Golden State to double overtime earlier this year. Now tied for the third seed back east, the Celtics will take on the lowly Pelicans and Bucks squads over the next couple days. They need to continue their outstanding play against less-than-stellar competition to earn that top-three seed. If Stevens' coaching and the players' willingness to buy in to it are any indication, this shouldn't be an issue.

6. Toronto Raptors

It's been a while since Toronto was playing its best basketball. With just a 7-5 record over the past three weeks, the Raptors pretty much blew any opportunity of earning the top seed back east. It's not the end of the world. Playing out the stretch without much in terms of seeding up for grabs, the remainder of the season is now all about Toronto getting right. It can afford to rest its stars, try a few things and fully prepare for the second season.

5. Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers have slowly been rising in these rankings over the season. Now a top-five team and locked in to the fourth seed out west, the return of Blake Griffin has to be the primary focus here. Griffin put up six points, five rebounds and four assists in his return to action against the Wizards on Sunday. In a smart decision, it appears that Doc Rivers is easing the big man back into the lineup. Griffin played just 25 minutes in that outing, his first game since Christmas.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers

Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue can finally start to rest his star players, including LeBron James. With a 3.5-game lead for the top seed back east, that race should be coming to a head here this week. Cleveland is in the midst of an impressive three-game winning streak that has seen it take out both Atlanta and Charlotte. This very same three-game span has James playing playoff-caliber basketball. He's averaging 28.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 10.7 assists. That's pretty much all Cleveland needed to see from him before the playoffs.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder

Russell Westbrook is currently playing out of his mind. The MVP candidate is averaging 22.2 points, 9.9 rebounds and 9.1 assists over the past 10 games. It's not a coincidence that Oklahoma City has won eight of those outings. Now set as the third seed out west, the Thunder can work on giving Westbrook and Kevin Durant some rest after both have been relied on a great deal over the course of the season. With a potential first-round series looming against Portland, that's going to be key here.

2. San Antonio Spurs

All I can think of here is the Eagles' "Take It Easy" song. This is exactly what Gregg Popovich has done since it became apparent San Antonio wouldn't be earning the top seed out west. It makes a ton of sense considering he's working with a veteran-laden roster. This hasn't necessarily led to a lack of strong play on the court. Having already won a franchiserecord 64 games, San Antonio is coming off a solid seven-point win over Toronto. The only question remaining here is whether Pop will rest his stars in the two games against the Warriors coming up over the next few days. Oh, and the team is looking to become the first to go undefeated at home, an accomplishment that would require taking out Golden State in San Antonio on Sunday.

1. Golden State Warriors

Now that the Warriors' home winning streak has ended, it's all about whether they can best that 72-win plateau prior to the end of the regular season. The team needs to win four of its final five in order for this to happen. Two games against the Spurs won't be easy, but two games against an injury-ravaged Grizzlies team will surely help. Steve Kerr is walking a fine line between going for the record and failing to give his players the necessary rest before the playoffs. The good news here is Golden State followed up a home loss to Boston on Friday by putting up 136 points in a blowout win over Portland on Sunday. The team surely doesn't look fatigued. Speaking of, Stephen Curry nailed nine three-pointers in that game. He's now just 22 from hitting the 400 plateau.

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