The Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder are set to meet in one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the season this weekend as Kevin Durant makes his highly anticipated return to the Chesapeake Arena. While the Warriors remain at the top of the NBA pyramid, the Thunder are now looking up at four teams at the very least in the absolutely loaded Western Conference including a team making its first appearance in our power rankings this season. Here is a look at the NBA top five power rankings for this week.
1. Golden State Warriors (44-8)
Last Week: 1
NBA Championship Odds: -135
An overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings created some outrage on the west coast but the reality is that even the best teams in NBA history experience some highs and lows throughout the season. The Warriors were coming off a pair of double-digit wins over the Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers as part of a five-game win streak and they bounced back with a 31-point win over the Chicago Bulls three nights later. Golden State leads the NBA in both offensive and defensive efficiency so it doesn’t make sense to overreact to a rare letdown. Now all eyes will be on the Warriors heading in to Kevin Durant’s highly anticipated return to Oklahoma City for a clash with the Thunder on Saturday night
2. San Antonio Spurs (40-12)
Last Week: 2
NBA Championship Odds: +850
San Antonio began its annual Rodeo Road Trip with a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night but bounced back with a win over the Philadelphia 76ers two nights later to get back on track. The Spurs will have six more on the road before returning home and it will be interesting to see how they fare with a relatively easy slate. The Clippers and Indiana Pacers are the only opponents on San Antonio’s current trip with records above .500 so they should be able to keep pace with Golden State throughout this stretch.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (36-16)
Last Week: 4
NBA Championship Odds: +300
The Cavaliers climb back in to the third spot on this list after stringing together four straight wins to open their lead atop the Eastern Conference standings to 3.5 games. But they gave one back on Thursday with a loss and are now just 2.5 up on the Celtics. Cleveland survived an overtime thriller against the Washington Wizards on Monday night and while they still aren’t close to the championship form they showed during last year’s title run they have shown flashes. The Cavaliers should be in position to add at least one more piece before the NBA trade deadline and consistency will remain the key the rest of the way as they look to lock up the top seed in the East.
4. Houston Rockets (39-17)
Last Week: 3
NBA Championship Odds: +2500
Houston opened the month of February in the same fashion they finished January as they continue to struggle with consistency. The Rockets dropped a home date to the Atlanta Hawks before needing overtime to bounce back with a win over the Chicago Bulls, and then they took down the lowly Orlando Magic at home. James Harden has been playing at an elite level but this team is still in obvious need of at least one more key piece to put them over the top. Houston is probably still the third best team in the Western Conference though and a relatively easy schedule should help them get back on track.
5. Utah Jazz (34-20)
Last Week: –
NBA Championship Odds: +5000
The Jazz make their first appearance on this list following a stretch of four straight wins and with an 11-3 record over their last 14 games. Utah has climbed to fourth in the Western Conference over that stretch and is just three games back of the Rockets for third in the standings. The Jazz has compiled a plus-4.1 scoring margin that ranks sixth in the NBA so it’s clear they are for real. Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert have emerged as a legitimate dynamic duo while Joe Johnson has proved to be an effective power forward. Utah needs to stay healthy in order to continue to maximize its potential but they could be on their way to challenging for the title of best team in the Western Conference behind the Warriors and the Spurs after finally breaking in to our NBA power rankings.
Bet on all of the big games this week at Diamond Sportsbook! Get the latest NBA betting lines right here.
