Lakers Fall Farther In Power Rankings
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The Lakers toughest four game stretch of the season is over. After playing a back to back in Texas against Houston and San Antonio, then hosting the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers last night, the Lakers are 32-8. They currently site 1/2 a game behind Orlando for the NBA’s best record, and are 1/2 a game ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Unfortunately, the game between the Lakers and Cavs didn’t count for this week’s Power Rankings so I’d expect to see them take a leap next week.
Without any further wasted sentences, enjoy:
2008-09 Power Rankings: Week 12 RANK (LAST WK) TEAM REC. COMMENT 
1 (2) Magic 33-8 They swept their season series with the Lakers and the Spurs. They’re 17-5 on the road and 18-4 against the West. And they just beat three division leaders (Spurs, Lakers and Nuggets) on their last trip. Any questions? 
2 (3) Cavaliers 31-7 Trivia question: What was the historical significance of the Cavs’ recent victory in Memphis? Answer: It gave the league four teams that reached 30 wins in less than 40 games in the same season. Which is an NBA first. 
3 (3) Lakers 31-8 Do the absences of Delonte and Big Z and the Lakers’ own issues — Farmar’s absence, Odom’s knee, Bynum’s rebounding — make you any less excited to see Kobe duel LeBron on Martin Luther King Day? Didn’t think so. 
4 (4) Celtics 33-9 We’d be more geeked up about the champs’ Thursday trip to Orlando if the details were different. Not sure how much of a showdown it’ll be with Boston hosting Phoenix on Monday, then hitting Miami on Wednesday. 
5 (5) Spurs 26-13 We’ve all been drilled to regard the Spurs as a second-half team that finds its second-half mojo somewhere other than San Antonio. Yet even for Team Duncan, this stretch with 17 of 23 games on the road is a tall order. TEAM (LAST WEEK) REC. BREAKDOWN 1 
Orlando (3)33-8 Pace: 91.3 (10), Off: 111.8 (5), Def: 102.4 (3)
Doc Rivers: “Right now, there’s nobody in the NBA playing better than Orlando.” It’s tough to argue with the man. On their four-game, seven-day trip, the Magic beat all three Western Conference division winners and set an NBA record with 23 threes in Sacramento. Doc gets to see for himself on Thursday (8 p.m. ET, TNT).2 
Cleveland (1)31-7 Pace: 88.2 (25), Off: 114.2 (2), Def: 100.7 (1)
Now without Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Delonte West, the Cavs’ depth will really be tested as they head west for a four-game trip that begins with Monday’s Finals preview (10:30 p.m. ET, TNT). Mike Brown went with a frontline of LeBron James and Wally Szczerbiak in the fourth quarter of Friday’s win over the Hornets. He’s not likely to try it against Bynum and Gasol.3 
Boston (5)33-9 Pace: 89.4 (17), Off: 111.7 (6), Def: 101.5 (2)
The Celtics have won four straight (two each over the Raptors and Nets) without Kendrick Perkins (shoulder), but are hoping to have their center back this week, which will be tough with or without him. They face the Suns, Heat, Magic and Mavs over the next seven days.4 
San Antonio (4)26-13 Pace: 86.8 (26), Off: 110.2 (11), Def: 106.9 (7)
Who needs Robert Horry when you’ve got Roger Mason? The new guy in San Antonio hits big shots in big games, and he’ll get another chance to shoot down the Lakers on Sunday in L.A. (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC).5 
L.A. Lakers (2)31-8 Pace: 93.6 (4), Off: 115.0 (1), Def: 106.3 (5)
The Lakers can make up for their two straight losses with a win over the Cavs on Monday. That’s their second of six straight games at the STAPLES Center, including a road game against the Clippers. After that, they’re out of town for 22 of 31.NBA Power Rankings1 
Last Week: 3Orlando Magic (33-8)Jameer Nelson is staking his claim to an All-Star spot. He made all the big plays down the stretch of last Friday’s victory against the Lakers and followed it up a night later with 21 first-half points in a win at Denver, where Orlando completed a 4-0 road trip.
2 
Last Week: 1Cleveland Cavaliers (31-7)They improved to 20-0 at home with an emphatic win over New Orleans last Friday. That victory came 24 hours after an overtime loss at Chicago during which they lost starting guard Delonte West to a broken wrist. Meanwhile, LeBron James picked up an MVP endorsement from his toughest competition. “[It's] LeBron,” Kobe Bryant told reporters about the front-runner at this point. “Leave me alone with that stuff.”
3 
Last Week: 5Boston Celtics (33-9)Have they worked themselves out of their midseason slump? A 3-0 week helps. Boston picked up a boost from a pair of unlikely sources: Brian Scalabrine, starting in place of injured center Kendrick Perkins, averaged 10.3 points in the three games, and recent D-League call-up Bill Walker totaled 12 points in back-to-back victories against New Jersey.
4 
Last Week: 2Los Angeles Lakers (31-8)One trade rumor making the rounds: Jermaine O’Neal for Lamar Odom. One player the Lakers apparently won’t be pursuing is Stephon Marbury, who is still seeking his release from the Knicks. Coach Phil Jackson said there had been no substantive discussions about Marbury, and Bryant said he hadn’t heard even a “whisper” about the possibility.
5 
Last Week: 4San Antonio Spurs (26-13)Manu Ginobili torched the Lakers for 27 points (25 through three quarters) in last Wednesday’s victory and looked for the first time to be fully recovered from offseason ankle surgery. “He’s getting there,” Mason said. “He’s getting back to the Manu we’re used to seeing.”
Rank Team Prev. Comment 
1
Cleveland Cavaliers (31-7) 2Juggernaut rolls on. 2
Orlando Magic (33-8) 3Magic have swept the Lakers and Spurs in respective season series for the first time in their 20-year history. 3
Los Angeles Lakers (31-8) 1Now Lakers are going through a bit of a mini-slump. 4
Boston Celtics (33-9) 4Celtics get back on track, go 3-0 on week. 5
San Antonio Spurs (26-13) 5Spurs have won 11 of 14.
