THE TIMES RANKINGS

Mark Heisler’s NBA rankings and comments:

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

1 LAKERS (7-1): Oh no, turmoil breaks out again! How can they defend their title now? (1)

2 SAN ANTONIO (7-2): Spurs looking more like old selves, shooting 47% and holding opponents to 37%. (2)

3 SACRAMENTO (7-2): Our Vlade has grown up: averaging 16 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. (5)

4 MILWAUKEE (6-1): Sound familiar? Karl says his big three “need to stop cheating game.” (3)

5 NEW JERSEY (7-2): Who owns New York now: Nets beat Knicks by 26 in season’s first meeting. (7)

6 MINNESOTA (8-1): He likes it: Szczerbiak, just moved to guard, averaging 19, shooting 52%. (6)

7 DALLAS (6-4): Until Mavericks prove different, still limit to what they can do against big teams. (4)

8 TORONTO (6-4): Where’s Oakley when he needs him: Carter taking almost seven three-pointers a game. (11)

9 PHILADELPHIA (5-5): Could just be their MVP: Winless without Iverson, won their next five with him. (22)

10 ORLANDO (5-6): Good thing Magic is in East: Ewing, Grant escape with lives vs. O’Neal. (10)

11 HOUSTON (6-4): Best backcourt going: Francis, Mobley average 39, 14 rebounds, 9 assists. (13)

12 BOSTON (5-3): Big-timer: Pierce’s average (17-20-25-27) has gone up every season. (14)

13 DETROIT (6-2): Not all the way back: Games pre-empted on local TV by “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” (15)

14 PORTLAND (6-5): Cheeks must be dreaming of good old days, mediating between Brown and Iverson. (12)

15 INDIANA (6-6): Need one of preps to happen: Bender still nowhere but Harrington coming.(9)

16 CHARLOTTE (4-5): Our Baron has grown up: At 54%, he’s the best shooting guard in the NBA. (16)

17 CLIPPERS (4-5): Playoff update: Jazz old; Suns, Rockets and SuperSonics small; Trail Blazers confused. (18)

18 PHOENIX (5-5): Suns back to what they were before Barkley: little team with a lot of firepower. (19)

19 GOLDEN STATE (6-5): Out to change image, Jamison apologizes for sulking on bench in win vs. Grizzlies. (24)

20 SEATTLE (4-7): Remember Calvin Booth, who got $34-million deal? He’s already benched. (20)

21 UTAH (4-7): Doesn’t look good: Just lost to Hawks, Raptors and Trail Blazers by total of 71. (17)

22 NEW YORK (4-6): Spike Lee may want to get a life because Knicks are headed into new dark age.(21)

23 DENVER (5-5): Raef LaFrentz, drafted ahead of Carter and Jamison, is averaging 10-6. (23)

24 MIAMI (2-7): Riley is at his best when the heat is on, and it has never been hotter. (14)

25 ATLANTA (3-7): Ratliff, who has played two games since February, out six more weeks. (26)

26 WASHINGTON (2-7): Collins is the one going off, but you can be sure he’s talking for Jordan. (25)

27 CLEVELAND (2-9): Cavaliers say they won’t rush Ilgauskas back. Look for Z in December ... of 2002. (27)

28 CHICAGO (1-9): Bulls used to win titles amid turmoil. Now all that’s left is the turmoil. (28)

29 MEMPHIS (1-8): See if this sound familiar: Jason Williams takes 5.4 three-pointers a game, makes 31%. (29)

GAME OF THE WEEK

LAKERS at CLIPPERS

When--Tuesday Time--7:30 p.m. TV--Ch. 9.

Story line--There was a cross-town rivalry, briefly, in the ‘90s after Magic Johnson left an ordinary Laker team behind and Larry Brown led a Clipper resurgence with Danny Manning and Ron Harper. Now there’s another Clipper resurgence, but their rivals, now just down the hall, aren’t ordinary.