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The Times’ NBA rankings

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LIE-FLAT FIRST CLASS

1. OKLAHOMA CITY (25-7) You won’t like them when they’re mad: Thunder 6-1 after losses this season. (1)

2. SAN ANTONIO (27-9) These guys are fine despite being old and slow; what’s the Lakers’ excuse? (3)

3. CLIPPERS (27-8) Having won Battle of L.A. via KO, focus shifts to conference heavyweights. (4)

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4. MIAMI (22-9) Partying in South Beach on hold until LeBron gets through knee crisis. (2)

EXIT-ROW AISLE

5. NEW YORK (23-10) Spurs victory quells talk about this becoming Team Dysfunction again. (5)

6. GOLDEN STATE (22-11) Lakers analyst Mychal Thompson will have a team to root for in playoffs. (7)

7. MEMPHIS (20-10) Rudy Gay leaves fans cheerless with last-second miss against Portland. (6)

8. ATLANTA (20-12) Hawks would prefer to emulate Heat in other ways besides losing to Detroit. (8)

BULKHEAD

9. INDIANA (20-14) Like an undead creature missing half its limbs, Pacers keep coming at you. (9)

10. CHICAGO (18-13) Derrick Rose update: He tied his left shoe before his right today. (10)

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11. HOUSTON (20-14) All-Star game could have an Asian import if Lin gets nod from fans. (16)

12. BROOKLYN (19-15) If this keeps up, P.J. Carlesimo could be the interim coach who never left. (13)

13. DENVER (19-16) Left the Lakers and Clippers a mile-high mess in the span of a week. (12)

ECONOMY PLUS

14. MILWAUKEE (16-16) Only 2-8 against the West, Bucks aren’t in favor of realignment. (11)

15. MINNESOTA (15-15) The party’s on hold again until everyone’s back. (14)

16. UTAH (17-18) Mo Williams’ injury can’t stop him from giving teammates thumbs up. (18)

17. LAKERS (15-17) Aging team worries about defense, potentially lost Social Security benefits. (17)

18. PORTLAND (18-15) Blazers getting it done with smoke and mirrors before and during games. (19)

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19. BOSTON (16-17) Time to break up the Big Three? Oh, right, they already did that. (15)

20. PHILADELPHIA (15-20) Win over Lakers makes 76ers consider leaving Bynum behind more often. (20)

NEXT TO THE BATHROOM IN ECONOMY

21. DALLAS (13-21) Coach Rick Carlisle needs to suspend whoever put this roster together. (22)

22. ORLANDO (12-21) Was all the fuss worth it given the plight of Dwight Howard’s current team? (21)

23. PHOENIX (12-22) One franchise victory shy of 2,000, Suns may get there by season’s end. (23)

24. TORONTO (12-21) Recent success mostly a function of soft pocket in schedule. (24)

25. SACRAMENTO (13-21) DeMarcus Cousins is calm one in Villanueva-Thomas dustup. (25)

26. DETROIT (13-22) Pistons hope winning streak doesn’t go down as their season’s Final Four. (26)

27. CHARLOTTE (8-24) Losing 19 of 20 games makes fans suddenly pine for last season. (27)

28. NEW ORLEANS (8-25) New nickname should be joined by new names on every jersey. (28)

29. CLEVELAND (8-27) Masked-man Kyrie Irving’s late heroics leave Bobcats feeling robbed. (29)

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SEAT 44F WITH NO RECLINE

30. WASHINGTON (4-27) Wizards are 0-5 in OT and nearly as hopeless in regulation. (30)

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