Christmas Day is the unofficial start to the NBA season -- well, at least it was before the excitement of the In-Season Tournament entered our lives (feel free to read that with or without sarcasm). This year's slate did not disappoint, as we saw brilliant individual and team performances in a showcase of the league's top talent.
As far as the Power Rankings go, the top wasn't affected much this week, with the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves remaining in the top two spots despite each suffering a loss. Last week's No. 3 team, the LA Clippers, fell to No. 10 as a result of their winning streak being snapped and were the biggest fallers of the week.
Speaking of the top 10, the Miami Heat and New York Knicks each find themselves among the league's elite after strong weeks that ended in Christmas Day wins. The Heat jumped nine spots without the services of Jimmy Butler, to claim the title as the week's biggest riser.
Meanwhile the Phoenix Suns, amid rumors of Kevin Durant's discontent, dropped four more spots to No. 19 after a winless week capped by Luka Doncic dropping 50 and 15 on them on Christmas. Yeesh.
With the Christmas Day slate behind us, here's a look at this week's NBA Power Rankings.
*Please keep in mind that our NBA Power Rankings are based on weekly performance (Tuesday to Monday), not the whole season.
Biggest Movers
9
Heat
7
Clippers
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | The Celtics couldn't exorcise their Warriors demons, losing a big lead and then falling in overtime on Tuesday, but they finished up their West Coast trip with solid wins over the Kings, Clippers and Lakers. Boston boasted an absolutely absurd 135.6 points per 100 possessions in the four games, with Kristaps Porzingis, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Jayson Tatum all averaging over 23 points per game. | -- | 26-7 |
| 2 |  | The Wolves finally met their kryptonite, as Joel Embiid torched them for 51 points while handing them a loss in Philly. Minnesota bounced back nicely, however, taking down the Lakers and Kings to close out the week. Anthony Edwards averaged 29 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the three games, while Jaden McDaniels added 18 points and two steals per game on 44% 3-point shooting. | -- | 24-9 |
| 3 |  | The Bucks had their seven-game winning streak snapped in a Christmas Day loss to the Knicks, but it was still an excellent 3-1 week. Damian Lillard averaged 29 points and seven assists for the week on 45% 3-point shooting, while Giannis Antetokounmpo added 27 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists per game. | 1 | 24-10 |
| 4 |  | Joel Embiid started the Sixers' week on a high note by absolutely smashing the Timberwolves to the tune of 51 points in a statement win. They followed that up with a win over Toronto before falling to the Heat on Christmas Day with Embiid out of the lineup. Tyrese Maxey averaged 27 points and seven assists in the three games, while Tobias Harris added 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game on 53% 3-point shooting. | 1 | 23-10 |
| 5 |  | It was a perfect week for the Nuggets, who dispatched the Raptors, Nets, Hornets and finally the Warriors on Christmas Day. The defense was solid, while Nikola Jokic averaged 27 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for the week. Jamal Murray was an excellent No. 2, as always, putting up 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists per game on 46% 3-point shooting. | 3 | 24-11 |
| 6 |  | OKC split with the LA teams this week, ending the Clippers' nine-game winning streak before losing to the Lakers on Saturday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 33 points, seven rebounds and six assists per game, while Jalen Williams averaged 21 points, five rebounds and five assists on 61% shooting. | 1 | 23-10 |
| 7 |  | Miami won three straight games this week with Jimmy Butler sidelined, as Tyler Herro led the way with averages of 27 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the three games. In Butler's absence, Jaime Jaquez Jr. became just the fifth rookie in NBA history put up at least 30 points and 10 rebounds on Christmas Day in their win over the 76ers. | 9 | 20-14 |
| 8 |  | The Knicks started off the week with a win over the Nets, then lost to the Bucks before exacting revenge in a brilliant offensive performance on Christmas Day. Jalen Brunson averaged 30 points and seven assists for the week on 46% 3-point shooting, while Julius Randle added 25 points and eight rebounds per game. | 4 | 19-15 |
| 9 |  | The Mavs started off the week with losses to the Clippers and Rockets, but bounced back with wins over the Spurs and Suns. Luka Doncic put on a show on Christmas Day, going for 50 points and 15 assists despite constant defensive attention against Phoenix. He averaged 39 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds in the three games he played this week on 41% 3-point shooting. Special. | 2 | 20-15 |
| 10 |  | The Clippers beat the Mavs on Wednesday to run their winning streak to nine games, then immediately started a losing streak by falling to the Thunder and Celtics as Kawhi Leonard missed his first two games of the season with a hip injury. Paul George was out for the win over Dallas, but returned to average 21.5 points in the two losses on 52/53/100 shooting splits. James Harden averaged 18 points, nine assists and six rebounds for the week, but shot less than 40% from the field. | 7 | 21-12 |
| 11 |  | The Kings missed an opportunity to take advantage of a shorthanded Celtics team on Wednesday, then beat the Suns before losing to the powerhouse Wolves at home. De'Aaron Fox led the way with 26 points per game on 44% 3-point shooting, while Domantas Sabonis averaged a triple-double for the week with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists per game. | 5 | 20-13 |
| 12 |  | Losses to the Heat and Bucks to start the week brought the Magic's skid to four games, but they remedied that with a win on Saturday in Indiana. Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero each averaged 22 points for the week, while Wendell Carter Jr. saw his first action since early November, putting up five points and six rebounds in just over 20 minutes per game. | 3 | 19-15 |
| 13 |  | The Warriors started off the week with their best win of the season in overtime against the Celtics, then ran their winning streak to five games with victories over the Wizards and Blazers. Golden State ran out of gas on Christmas Day in Denver, however, putting an end to the hot streak. Steph Curry averaged 27 points and five assists or the week on 49/43/93 splits, while Klay Thompson continued to normalize with 20 points per game on 42% 3-point shooting. | 5 | 16-17 |
| 14 |  | A very impressive week for the Cavs, given the circumstances, as they beat the Jazz and Bulls without the services of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley -- they didn't even have Caris LeVert for Saturday's win in Chicago. Craig Porter Jr. made the most of his opportunity as lead guard, averaging 11 points, eight assists and six rebounds in the 2-1 week, while Max Strus led the way with 19 points per game. Jarrett Allen held down the middle with 17 points, 11 rebounds and four assists per game. | 1 | 19-15 |
| 15 |  | Houston started off the week with a rare defensive lapse in a home loss to the Hawks, but righted the ship in wins over the Mavericks and Pelicans. The Rockets allowed just 98.5 points per 100 possessions in the two wins, as Alperen Sengun led the offense with 29.5 points and 13 rebounds per game on 58% shooting. | 1 | 17-15 |
| 16 |  | The Pelicans lost to the Grizzlies and Rockets this week, with a win over the shorthanded Cavs in between. Brandon Ingram led the team with 23 points and six assists per game for the week, while Zion Williamson averaged over 20 points in the two games he played. Trey Murphy III seems to be nearing full strength, averaging 16 points for the week on 50% 3-point shooting. | 6 | 21-14 |
| 17 |  | The Lakers picked up a nice win in OKC, but that's the week's only good news after losses to the Bulls, Timberwolves and Celtics. The defense allowed nearly 122 points per 100 possessions, prompting Darvin Ham to insert Jarred Vanderbilt into the starting lineup ahead of D'Angelo Russell, which didn't pay immediate dividends on that end. Anthony Davis averaged 29 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in the four games, while LeBron James put up 27 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in the three games he played. | -- | 17-18 |
| 18 |  | The suddenly hot Bulls extended their winning streak to three games by beating the Lakers and Spurs to start the week, but suffered a disappointing home loss to an extremely depleted Cavs team on Saturday to end the fun. DeMar DeRozan averaged 23 points and seven assists on 60% shooting for the week, while Coby White added 19 points, six rebounds and six assists per game. | 1 | 15-21 |
| 19 |  | Rumors of Kevin Durant's discontent surely won't be helped by losses this week to the Blazers, Kings and Mavericks, as the offense ground to a screeching halt with just 107 points per 100 possessions in the three games. Durant and Devin Booker combined to average over 50 points per game, but nobody else besides Grayson Allen was a steady offensive contributor. | 4 | 18-16 |
| 20 |  | The Jazz lost to the Cavs to start the week, but finished up with wins over the Pistons and Raptors. Utah has been without a host of its regulars in recent games, but got Jordan Clarkson back for Saturday's win in Toronto. The dynamic guard didn't miss a beat, putting up 30 points in 30 minutes off the bench following a six-game absence. | 3 | 16-19 |
| 21 |  | Losses to the Knicks and Nuggets to start the week extended the Nets' skid to five games, but then the antidote came to town in the form of the lowly Detroit Pistons. Cam Thomas, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson all averaged over 18 points for the week, with Johnson shooting 53% from 3-point range. | 1 | 15-20 |
| 22 |  | What a difference a Ja makes. Morant returned from his 25-game suspension in grand fashion, hitting the game-winner against the Pelicans in his very first game back. Memphis followed that up with wins over the Pacers and Hawks with Morant averaging 28 points and nine assists on 51% shooting. Desmond Bane thrived with the defensive attention finally pointed elsewhere for a change, putting up 30 points and six assists per game this week on 37% 3-point shooting. | 6 | 11-23 |
| 23 |  | The Hawks picked up an impressive win in Houston to start the week, as Trae Young put up 30 points and 14 assists against one of the league's top defenses, but they followed that up with losses to the Heat and Grizzlies. Dejounte Murray chipped in 24 points, five rebounds and five assists per game for the week on 44% 3-point shooting. | 1 | 14-19 |
| 24 |  | The Pacers started off the week by dropping 144 points in a win over Charlotte, but then lost to the Grizzlies and Magic as the post-IST struggles continue. Tyrese Haliburton hasn't been quite as magical as earlier in the season -- that being said, he still averaged 22 points and 14 assists this week. Buddy Hield added 20 points per game on 44% 3-point shooting. | -- | 19-14 |
| 25 |  | Dark times for the Raptors, who lost all three games this week and have dropped eight of their last 10. The defense abandoned them against the Nuggets, 76ers and Jazz, allowing 122 points per 100 possessions. Scottie "Silver Lining" Barnes continued his excellent season, putting up 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists per game this week on 50% shooting. | 4 | 14-20 |
| 26 |  | Washington picked up a win this week, taking down the Blazers by a single point in Portland after leading by as many as 18. The Wizards followed that up with a loss to the Warriors to conclude their four-game West Coast swing. Tyus Jones averaged 19 points in the two games on 7-for-11 3-point shooting. | 1 | 6-27 |
| 27 |  | After starting off the week with an impressive win over the Suns, the Blazers followed that up by ... losing to the Wizards at home. Womp, womp. Another loss to the Warriors closed out the week, with Anfernee Simons averaging a robust 30 points over the three games on 47% 3-point shooting. | -- | 9-24 |
| 28 |  | The Hornets lost to the Pacers and Nuggets this week as they continue to be without multiple key players on a nightly basis. Miles Bridges averaged 20.5 points in the two games, but shot just 2 for 14 from 3-point range. | 1 | 8-24 |
| 29 |  | Winning time was short-lived in San Antonio, as the Spurs dropped road games to the Bucks, Bulls and Mavericks this week by an average margin of 19 points. It didn't help that Victor Wembanyama rolled his ankle on a Mavericks employee's foot, and was unable to play on Saturday after also missing the loss to Milwaukee. The meager offense was led by Keldon Johnson's 18 points per game for the week. | 3 | 5-28 |
| 30 |  | The Pistons missed a beaming opportunity to break their historic losing streak against a depleted Jazz team on Thursday, trailing for the entire second half in a disappointing loss. They followed that up with another non-competitive effort against the Nets to tie the single-season record at 26 straight losses. On the plus side, Jaden Ivey averaged 24 points, seven assists and five rebounds for the week on 56/46/86 shooting splits. | -- | 3-31 |
