THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

RANKINGS, COMMENTS (WITH LAST WEEK’S RANK)

BIG EAST

1. BOSTON (57-15)

So far ahead, next team should be No. 5: Just went 13-3, winning by 10 a game. (1)

2. DETROIT (52-21)

Afflalo, whom they love for his demon work ethic, gets career-high 15. (4)

BIG MESS, ER, WEST

3. NEW ORLEANS (49-22)

2-2 vs. Spurs, but Hornets control second tiebreaker, record vs. West. (3)

4. SAN ANTONIO (50-23)

Back to their old, creaky selves: Just went 6-0, re-signed Brent Barry. (7)

5. PHOENIX (49-24)

We don’t know if they’re back to being great, but they’re done being awful. (6)

6. UTAH (48-25)

Young is young: Had to rally to beat Seattle at home after team party. (5)

7. HOUSTON (49-23)

Back to real life: 3-3 since NBA’s second-longest winning streak ended. (8)

8. LAKERS (49-24)

Picked a bad time to reenact last season’s stretch run. (2)

9. ORLANDO (47-27)

Jameer Nelson just got second concussion by being run over by Dwight Howard. (9)

10. DENVER (45-28)

Just won season series with Dallas and took 2-1 lead over Golden State. (12)

11. DALLAS (45-27)

Better beat a winning team soon: two games vs. Warriors this week. (11)

12. GOLDEN STATE (44-28)

Everyone’s first-round nightmare matchup not in first round now at No. 9. (10)

13. CLEVELAND (40-33)

Last season’s 50-game winners won’t get close to that: Just lost four of six. (13)

14. WASHINGTON (38-34)

Just what doctor didn’t order: 7-2 with Butler back, face Lakers tonight. (17)

15. PHILADELPHIA (37-36)

New GM Stefanski told Cheeks to go small. Now if they had just kept Korver. (14)

16. PORTLAND (38-36)

Management has a cow when Oden says he was out playing pickup games. (15)

17. TORONTO (37-35)

Bosh calls out teammates: Insiders say he meant Bargnani, who was then benched. (16)

18. SACRAMENTO (32-40)

With 17-13 record vs. East, think of where they might finish back there. (18)

STILL IN EAST RACE AND FUBAR

19. ATLANTA (32-40)

With 12-17 record vs. West, think of where they might finish out here. (19)

20. NEW JERSEY (31-43)

Now two games behind Hawks in No. 8. In this race, that’s a lot. (20)

FOULED UP BEYOND ALL RECOGNITION

21. INDIANA (30-43)

Good luck: Bird gets sole control -- just in time to dump Tinsley, et al. (21)

22. CHICAGO (29-44)

In latest incident guaranteeing Boylan won’t return, Nocioni goes off on him.(22)

23. CHARLOTTE (28-45)

Averaging 13-11, Okafor’s OK but it was once a tossup between him and Howard. (23)

24. MILWAUKEE (24-48)

Krystkowiak, expected to be one and done, says “I haven’t done a good job.” (24)

25. MINNESOTA (18-53)

Rookie years don’t come much worse: No. 7 pick Brewer averages 5.5, shoots 36%. (27)

26. CLIPPERS (22-51)

Gilbert come home: Point guards projected in lottery suspect one way or other. (25)

27. MEMPHIS (19-54)

Not all they hoped for either: No. 4 pick Conley at 8.5 points, 4.2 assists. (28)

28. SEATTLE (17-56)

No one can say the team didn’t hold up its end trying to get out of Seattle. (26)

29. NEW YORK (20-52)

Can still lose 60, setting record even woeful ‘50s teams never reached. (29)

BLACK HOLE OF MIAMI

30. MIAMI (13-59)

Can still lose 68, which first team that started 0-17 didn’t even reach. (30)