NBA Power Rankings, March Madness edition: Blake Griffin back, Serge Ibaka, Manu Ginobili down
By Mark Carman
5 Houston Rockets
Some teams are better when there best player scores less. That is not the case for the Rockets who need MVP candidate James Harden to score the basketball. The Rockets are 24-4 when Harden scores at least 30. Harden had 34 in a win over the Clippers after scoring 15 and 18 in losses to Utah and Portland where he was a combined 0-8 from the 3-point line. Dwight Howard will return to practice this week, but is still a week or two away from returning to the court. Howard has already missed 22 games. The Rockets could use his rebounding help if nothing else.
4 San Antonio Spurs
Up by three with 4.3 seconds left against Cleveland Thursday night, Kawhi Leonard missed two free throws, Kyrie Irving made an absurd 3 with Leonard in his face to send the game into overtime and the Spurs lost their toughest game of the year. Irving finished with 57 incredible points, making LeBron James an afterthought. Upset Spurs fans should remember they would not have won the NBA championship last year without finals MVP Leonard.
The Spurs bounced back from one of the worst losses you could have by bludgeoning Minnesota three nights later by 26. Unfortunately, Manu Ginobili will be out for a week to 10 days after he suffered an ankle sprain in the win. The Spurs have won seven of eight and will get a chance to see old friend Mike Budenholzer and the Atlanta Hawks Sunday.
3 Golden State
The Warriors lost a basketball game last week to Denver because they sat Stephen Curry, Andrew Bogut, Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson. The NBA is mad because there product is being compromised more and more by teams resting up for the playoffs. The Warriors, with the best record in the Western Conference have earned the right to do so. Steve Kerr should not have to apologize for resting his players during an absurd scheduling stretch where the Warriors play nine games in 14 nights. The email should come from commissioner Adam Silver on why the NBA is so greedy. Less preseason games would mean less back-to-backs. Take a little bit of money off the table and the product will be that much better. Meanwhile, the Warriors are 6.5 games up on Memphis and should take more resting liberties down the stretch.
2 Atlanta Hawks
Speaking of resting stars, Mike Budenholzer continues to do what is best for his Hawks sitting three starters – Paul Millsap, DeMarre Carroll Jeff Teague – and still beat the Lakers Sunday night. Budenholzer also lost Kyle Korver in the second quarter to a broken nose. No big deal for this Hawks train which keeps rolling, 12- 6, since the absurd 33 wins in 35 games early season run. A marquee match-up is on tap Wednesday night at Golden State where the best record in the league and home court advantage throughout the playoffs will be on the line.
1 Cleveland Cavaliers
Another perfect week on the road no less for LeBron, Kyrie and the terrifyingly-good Cavs who went 3-0. The entire NBA was watching or has seen the highlights of Irving’s 57-point clutch masterpiece against the Spurs. How scary a thought is, LeBron doesn’t have to be at this best and the Cavs can still beat the defending champion red-hot Spurs on the road? Add-in a 33-point win at Dallas and a 15-point cruise job at Orlando and you realize the Cavs are ready for the playoffs right now. Despite a loss last week to Atlanta, they are still the NBA’s best.