THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

MARK HEISLER’S NBA RANKINGS AND COMMENTS:

Team (record) Comment (last week’s rank)

1 LAKERS (17-3) Better than anyone else in their sleep, which is how they play a lot of games. (1)

2 SAN ANTONIO (17-4) Wait till he grows up: With Parker, old defense-minded Spurs No. 2 in scoring. (3)

3 SACRAMENTO (17-7) Looks like Kings have to get reacquainted: Went 15-5 without Webber, 2-2 with him. (2)

4 MINNESOTA (16-6) Someone deserves lot of credit for all this overachieving, Saunders or Garnett. (4)

5 DETROIT (14-6) Now he gets it: Stackhouse’s scoring is down 27% but assists are up 20%. (8)

6 NEW JERSEY (14-7) Not that Nets’ fans don’t believe, but 9,542 average attendance is by far NBA’s worst. (6)

7 DALLAS (15-9) Who’s Der Mann? The Mavericks are 11-6 with Dirk Nowitzki and 3-3 without him. (5)

8 MILWAUKEE (13-7) Karl eases up on his stars and goes after someone named Rafer Alston. (7)

9 UTAH (11-13) Mailman, happy to be in Utah (again), averages 27 as the Jazz goes 5-1. (15)

10 PHOENIX (14-11) Rogers came in blimp-size as usual, averaged 6.8 in 4-4 start, 15 since. (10)

11 BOSTON (14-7) There are four teams that haven’t shot as many three-pointers as Antoine Walker. (13)

12 TORONTO (12-11) Try going to hole: Four starters don’t shoot a free throw in loss to Suns. (9)

13 INDIANA (13-12) Jalen wants more minutes, shots, etc.. Isiah tells him, “Get a thicker skin.” (14)

14 CLIPPERS (12-11) Brent Barry, ex-Clipper: “It’s about time people complimented Elgin Baylor.” (18)

15 PORTLAND (11-11) If there’s one playoff team Clippers can scramble past, this looks like it. (11)

16 CHARLOTTE (11-12) Noncontender with cheapskate owners: Hornets would fit right in at the Pond. (17)

17 NEW YORK (11-12) How’d you like your honeymoon, Don Chaney? Knicks beat Pacers, then go 0-4. (12)

18 ORLANDO (12-13) Looks bad: Hill said he’d be back last week, then had another setback. (16)

19 WASHINGTON (10-12) Knock off scoffing: Wizards defend like banshees, give up 84 a game, go 5-0. (27)

20 PHILADELPHIA (9-14) With Snow, 76ers at full strength. Now, will they rally or start in on each other? (19)

21 CLEVELAND (9-14) No longer woebegone, the Cavaliers go 6-2 as Lamond Murray averages 19. (24)

22 SEATTLE (10-15) Party! Gee, what could’ve gotten into them between Laker, Clipper games? (20)

23 DENVER (9-14) McDyess injury, Rider follies, now this: What’ll Nuggets do next, sign Rodman? (22)

24 ATLANTA (9-14) Kruger’s college teams had great shot selection but this is Launch City. (26)

25 MIAMI (5-17) Lineup--Mourning, Grant, Jones, Strickland, Jackson--looks fine, but then game starts. (25)

26 HOUSTON (7-18) Memo to D. Falk: In six seasons Rice’s average has gone 27-22-18-16-12-9. (21)

27 GOLDEN STATE (9-15) Brian Winters is their seventh coach since the Nellie debacle of ’95. (23)

28 MEMPHIS (5-17) Kids could actually do something with better coach than Lowe or Versace. (28)

29 CHICAGO (4-18) Prize for someone: Bulls have to dump Oakley because they can’t shut him up. (29)

GAME OF THE WEEK

CLIPPERS AT PHOENIX

When--Tuesday. Time--5 p.m. TV--TBS.

The Clippers, getting a rare national spotlight, aren’t only entertaining, they’re contending for a playoff spot. Of course, they will have played 18 of 24 at home by this game and have to start winning some they aren’t supposed to ... like this.