THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

NBA RANKINGS AND COMMENTS:

*--* Rk Team (Rec.) Comment (last week) 1 SACRAMENTO (44-19) Kings 6-1 since Webber returned with six games vs. playoff teams, three on road. (2) 2 SAN ANTONIO (42-18) Popovich: Spurs won’t seek big man in free agency -- meaning Olowokandi’s off list. (1) 3 DALLAS (48-14) Nelson giddy as Lakers move above No. 8, meaning no showdown until West finals.(3) 4 PORTLAND (40-22) Good times look over: 22-5 entering All-Star break, 8-6 after it. (5) 5 LAKERS (34-26) Kobe gets 10,000 one year younger than Shaq, who wants to see birth certificate. (6) 6 MINNESOTA (40-24) As Shaq showed, at elite level, Minnesota is like pins in a bowling alley. (4) 7 PHILADELPHIA (36-25) Brown’s teams (11-1 since break) get so hot, they glow in the dark. (11) 8 UTAH (35-27) Where’s Andre: Sloan says Kirilenko’s slump began when Kobe got 40 on him. (7) 9 INDIANA (38-24) Pacers are better than anyone in East. On other hand, they’re way dumber. (9) 10 DETROIT (38-23) Wallace is tiring, so there goes defense. Robinson is aging, so there goes offense. (8) 11 NEW JERSEY (38-25) Oops: Nets in tailspin, Spurs sound as if they’re preparing to pursue Kidd. (10) 12 BOSTON (36-26) Baker trade is problem for GM Wallace as Coach O’Brien says it wasn’t his idea. (12) 13 NEW ORLEANS (36-27) Surprising Silas as much as anyone, Hornets went 14-6 without Baron Davis. (13) 14 PHOENIX (33-28) Just in the nick of time? Hardaway is back after Suns went 10-14 without him. (14) 15 HOUSTON (32-30) Rice: “We should be worried at this point.” He more than any of Rockets. (15) 16 ORLANDO (32-31) Who is this guy? Giricek’s numbers (17-6-3) better than Miller’s were. (17) 17 MILWAUKEE (32-31) It’s always something: Cassell, Payton cool but Mason upset at not getting ball. (20) 18 WASHINGTON (30-32) Jordan says he has “a lot more desire than some of these guys” (read: kids). (16) 19 GOLDEN STATE (30-32) Foyle on late 5-0 run: “We still hate each other. That hasn’t changed.” (18) 20 SEATTLE (28-33) It was fun while it lasted: 6-1 after trade, 0-2 since, going on road. (19) 21 NEW YORK (27-35) In warm moment, Gotham thanks Ewing for memories, 2 1/2 years after he left. (21) 22 CHICAGO (22-42) Written off in Chicago, Chandler, Curry combine for 47-24 to beat Warriors. (25) 23 MEMPHIS (20-41) Writeoff: Dickerson got five-year deal, has played 10 games in first two. (24) 24 ATLANTA (24-39) Really bad news: Hawks don’t even have one player they’d like to build around. (26) 25 TORONTO (20-39) Two seasons ago, won 47 and made East semis. Now looking at 27 and lottery. (22) 26 MIAMI (20-42) Riley in agony: If Arison would let him out, you think he wouldn’t go? (27) 27 CLIPPERS (20-42) Now to float list of big-name coaches, none of whom will even interview. (23) 28 CLEVELAND (11-52) MacCrady, ex-Cav Coles say Cleveland quit. News flash: Losing teams do it all time. (28) 29 DENVER (13-50) Nuggets are the only team besides Spurs who can give Olowokandi max deal. (29)

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