The Times’ NBA rankings
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| RANKINGS, COMMENTS THROUGH SATURDAY |
| THEN THERE WERE THREE? | |
| 1. CLEVELAND (43-13) | With Jamison’s arrival, return of Mo Williams, Delonte West, went 0-2. (1) |
| 2. LAKERS (42-14) | Who says he never learns? Kobe now hibernating, as Shaq used to do. (2) |
| 3. DENVER (36-19) | Anthony gets 40 in game of pro career, hits winner in LeBron’s face. (3) |
| SHAKE-UP IN LOWER 27 | |
| 4. BOSTON (35-18) | Dead Celtics Walking 3-0 on West Coast trip, beating Lakers, Trail Blazers. (7) |
| 5. ORLANDO (37-19) | Vinsanity back as Carter gets 48-15-14-20-16 in last five; the Magic isn’t, going 3-2. (4) |
| 6. UTAH (35-19) | Kirilenko wins back starting job, averages 17 in Jazz’s 12-1 run. (6) |
| 7. DALLAS (35-21) | Key to Wizards trade, late, late bloomer Haywood gets 15-9 in win in Orlando.(8) |
| 8. ATLANTA (34-19) | Back down to No. 4 in East -- looking at Cleveland, not Orlando, in second round. (5) |
| 9. OKLA. CITY (32-21) | Best part of Durantula’s string of 25-point games: Thunder is 19-8 in them. (10) |
| 10. PHOENIX (33-23) | Now to stall Stoudemire to see if they win enough to feel like signing him. (11) |
| 11. SAN ANTONIO (31-22) | Not one of their Rodeo Trips of yore yet: 4-3, just lost to . . . 76ers? (9) |
| 12. TORONTO (31-24) | With team on a roll as deal runs out, GM Colangelo’s 2010-11 option picked up. (12) |
| 13. PORTLAND (32-25) | Roy, who feared he was out for season, gets nine -- as Celtics beat them by 19. (13) |
| 14. HOUSTON (28-26) | Happiness is T-Mac in their rearview mirror. (14) |
| 15. NEW ORLEANS (29-26) | Rookie Collison averages 17 as starter, gets 18-13-12 in win over Pacers. (17) |
| 16. MIAMI (29-28) | Pursuing Stoudemire shows how confident Heat is that Wade will stay -- not very. (19) |
| 17. CHICAGO (29-26) | At least they don’t have to look at Tyrus and remember he could have been LaMarcus. (20) |
| 18. CHARLOTTE (27-27) | MJ just needs someone to put up money to buy him the team because he won’t. (16) |
| 19. MEMPHIS (27-27) | Second half starts like first half: After winning 24 of 35, just won two of 10. (15) |
| 20. MILWAUKEE (26-28) | Grabbed Salmons because they won’t have summer cap room, unlike Bulls and Heat. (18) |
| JOHN WALL DREAMIN’ | |
| 21. PHILADELPHIA (21-34) | Think Wizards, just without the scandal or the massive salary dump. (22) |
| 22. NEW YORK (19-35) | Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Brian Windhorst on their two max slots: “Gamechanger.” (23) |
| 23. CLIPPERS (22-33) | In Clipper Nation second half of season also called the Run to the Lottery. (21) |
| 24. SACRAMENTO (18-37) | Why did they deal Kevin Martin? Four words: Omri Casspi, Donte Greene. (24) |
| 25. WASHINGTON (19-34) | Washington Post’s Michael Lee notes you can’t rebuild if you never built anything. (25) |
| 26. DETROIT (19-35) | First Bad Boy to split as Davidson family sells team: President Tom Wilson. (26) |
| 27. INDIANA (19-36) | Couldn’t dump Murphy’s salary, or get Augustin for Ford, or anything else. (27) |
| 28. MINNESOTA (13-43) | Free Darko VI: Seven feet of attitude joins sixth, presumably last, team. (28) |
| 29. GOLDEN STATE (15-39) | Will bring Nellie back next season to break Wilkens record . . . won’t they? (29) |
| BLACK HOLE OF JERSEY | |
| 30. NEW JERSEY (5-50) | GM/Coach Vandeweghe expected to disappear in swamp but President Rod Thorn OK. (30) |
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