The New Years hangover is over and now regularly scheduled practices and games are underway yet again. With teams recovering from their New Years day partying, there has been quite a mix up at the top of the NBA hierarchy as some teams rise and some teams plummet. There weren't any key match-up's like on Christmas day, but the past week has had a marquee of its own.

The week of the injury bug.

The Dallas Mavericks have been hurting with the loss of Dirk Nowitzki and the Boston Celtics welcome back the return of Rajon Rondo, but wish their best to Kevin Garnett in the process as he suffers injuries over the past week. However with Dirk returning as soon as later this week, Garnett set to return within two weeks, and Pierce's injury not too serious, all shall return to normal soon enough.

For the Los Angeles Lakers however, normalcy is as far as it gets considering just how tumultuous of a week it has been. Despite being the back-to-back defending NBA champions, the Lakers look as vulnerable as ever with two consecutive weeks of the look of a different team.

Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom have already voiced their displeasure of the team's play of late, but following a 19 point home loss to Memphis, problems might be more serious than we expected for Los Angeles. They continue to slip in the Western Conference standings, as does their spot in this weeks power rankings.

With the new year upon us, a few teams might need to make some new resolutions in hopes of a quality 2011.

The Bleacher Report NBA Power Rankings are done by averaging individual featured columnists' tallies. This week's contributors were Allen Kim (NBA), James Schmidt (Rockets), John Friel (Heat), Patrick Harrel (Rockets), Brian Chappatta (Bulls), Andrew Bailey (NBA/Mavericks), and Bryan Toporek (NBA Team Leader).

30. Cleveland Cavaliers

Current Record: 8-26.

How they fared this week: 0-4

December 28th: Lost 110-95 vs Orlando, December 29th: Lost at Charlotte 101-92, January 1st: Lost at Chicago 100-91, January 2nd: Lost vs Dallas 104-95.

No longer do Sacramento Kings fans see their team on the first slide, the Cleveland Cavaliers did their worst this past week to ensure that they get the dreaded last spot in the NBA power rankings. In fact, they did so bad that they couldn't beat a Dirk-less Dallas Mavericks that had lost to the Toronto Raptors at home only a week earlier.

The Cavaliers went an absolutely embarassing 1-14 in December with their lone win an overtime victory against the New York Knicks in the middle of the month. Since then, the Cavs have lost seven consecutive games with little resistance. Noted that three of their opponents are a part of the upper tier, but another week without a win must be upsetting to the people of Cleveland.

With LeBron James and the Miami Heat streaking, it must hurt even worse.

Antawn Jamison's 35 points and Ramon Sessions near triple-double against Dallas was good for a change, but the team needs to do some serious work to get out of this hole that they have dug themselves into. With the trade deadline around the corner and talks of Andray Blatche possibly joining the team, it doesn't get much worse than the possibility of having a player as bad as that joining an already bad team.

Good luck in the lottery, Cleveland.

29. Sacramento Kings

Current Record: 7-24

How they fared this week: 2-1

December 29th: Win vs Memphis 100-98, January 1st: Loss at Denver 104-86, January 2nd: Win vs Phoenix 94-89.

Sacramento needed a shot like this. They had won only five games going into last week and were about to lose their ninth game in a row after O.J. Mayo hit a ridiculous shot to stun Sacramento and put Memphis up by one with a few seconds remaining. Instead of an expected missed attempt at the buzzer, Tyreke Evans put on some theatrics of his own by nailing the 50-footer to give the Kings a needed 100-98 win. 

It appeared normalcy returned back to Sac-town with an 18 point loss to Denver, but they surprised the NBA world once again with a comeback victory over the Phoenix Suns. They held the Suns to 16 fourth-quarter points as DeMarcus Cousins scored 28 points and the Kings team as a whole out rebounded Phoenix 60-32. The 2-1 record over the past seven days marks the most successful week since the beginning of the season when they started out 3-1.

The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Kings as they face Atlanta and Denver at home before heading out to Toronto and Washington. However, with a few more wins under their belt, they might be riding some sort of momentum to pull off a few upsets within the week. There also might be a shake up coming soon with the possibility of Carl Landry and Omri Casspi being traded.

With Cousins performing admirably of late as well, the internal struggles between himself and the coaching staff might be dying down as well. For now, we'll let the Kings revel in their recent stretch of winning.

28. New Jersey Nets

Current Record: 9-25

How they fared this week: 0-3

December 29th: Loss at Oklahoma City 114-93, December 31th: Loss at Chicago 90-81, January 1st: Loss at Minnesota 103-88.

When it comes to losing, there aren't many better teams at it than the Cavaliers. The New Jersey Nets however are trying their hardest to become next week's last place team in the power rankings. With a five game losing streak already under their belt and a week where the Bulls and Bucks come into town with a road game against the Wizards mixed in, there might not be too much resistance of this ending up at eight by the end of the week.

There was no bright spot or silver lining to this week as they lost two of the three games by 15 or more. Their loss to the Timberwolves might have just been the worst of the season thus far as they were blown out by 15 to a Wolves team that was just as bad. Their inability to eclipse double-digits in the third quarter was the peace de resistance on an overall embarrassing week for a Nets team that is reeling.

22 points from Sasha Vujacic in the loss has to have some sort of significance, right?

Right?

27. Washington Wizards

Current Record: 8-24

How they fared this week: 1-2

December 29th: Win vs Indiana 104-90, December 31st: Loss at Indiana 95-86, January 1st: Loss vs New Orleans 92-81.

Hard to believe, but the Washington Wizards are still winless on the road. At 0-16, the Wizards are the last team in the NBA to still not have a win on the road. Not even a date with the Indiana Pacers could solve their problems as they allowed five Pacers to hit double-digits in the scoring column.

The return of John Wall and the arrival of Rashard Lewis finally garnered a win for the Wizards to break a three-game losing streak, but they kept up their normal pace as they began another losing streak with a loss at Indiana and a home loss to Chris Paul and the Hornets. Wall might have had two double-double's in the past three games, but he has a combined 15 turnovers in the teams past two games.

Even after a five game lay off, 15 turnovers in two games is inexcusable for a point guard who's supposed to be the new face of Wizards basketball. The newest face of the team in Lewis has had five consecutive games of double-digits in scoring, but he has yet to make too much of an impact for his new team as he hit 3 of 8 from deep in the teams past two losses.

Luckily for Washington, the schedule makers gave them a break with Philadelphia, New Jersey, Charlotte, and Minnesota all set to play the Wizards within the week. Whether they'll take advantage of it is a feat that we can only imagine will happen.

26. Minnesota Timberwolves

Current Record: 9-26

How they fared this week: 1-2

December 29th: Loss vs Denver 119-113, January 1st: Win vs New Jersey 103-88, January 3rd: Loss at Boston 96-93

Life is good if you're Kevin Love the individual. If only we can say the same for Kevin Love the member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He has managed to maintain his league leading 15 rebounds and now has 21 consecutive games of recording a double-double. The only problem with that streak is that the Timberwolves have only won five of those games.

Not even Love's 24 rebounds against Boston was enough as the Wolves fell apart late. Minnesota has impressed us over the past few weeks with two consecutive wins on a back-to-back before failing to convert down the stretch against the better teams of the league as they couldn't hold off the Nuggets or Celtics late in the game. The Wolves have lost by more than 10 points once in the past three weeks.

Minnesota also continues to impress as well as he rids himself of the bust label that he received in his two years with Miami. He was coming off a streak where he had five consecutive games of 20 points or more, but has also struggled in his past two outings as he has recorded nine turnovers in the past two games. By this point now though, the Wolves can take any win they can get.

They play the next two at home as they host Charlotte and Portland before having the worst home and home of any NBA team this season as they take on the San Antonio Spurs twice in three days.

25. Toronto Raptors

Current Record: 11-22

How they fared this week: 1-2

December 28th: Win at Dallas 84-76, December 31st: Loss at Houston 114-105, January 2nd: Loss vs Boston 93-79

The two losses seem normal enough for the Toronto Raptors, but a win in Dallas where they held the Mavericks to 76 points is definitely an abnormality. If not for that being the first game Dallas was playing without Dirk Nowitzki all season, we'd be singing a different tune, but for Toronto a win is a win.

Even against the Dirk-less Mavs. With wins coming as infrequent as possible for the Raptors, they'll take whatever they can get. They finished off December losing four of five and are now in the midst of a two-game losing streak after dropping a loss on the road to Houston and a home loss to the Celtics who were playing without Kevin Garnett. The loss to the Rockets wasn't all that ugly, as they saw their rising star in DeMar DeRozan drop 37 points on 12 of 21 shooting.

DeRozan proved it was no fluke either as he scored 27 a few nights later against Boston. He has been forced to play the role as primary scorer since center Andrea Bargnani strained his left calf a week ago. With an actual pure center in the starting lineup, the Raptors have experimented with Joey Dorsey as their starter over the past three games. He has proved that Toronto does in fact need Bargs in the lineup.

As for the week ahead, the Raps have a three game road trip where they visit Chicago, Cleveland, and Boston for the second time in a week in the span of four days before coming back home to play Sacramento on Sunday.

24. Detroit Pistons

Current Record:

How they fared this week:

December 29th: Win vs Boston 104-92, December 31st: Loss at Phoenix 92-75, January 3rd: Loss at Utah 102-97

The game against Phoenix says it all. Just when you thought a team couldn't get any worse, they score only 75 points against one of the NBA's worst defenses. Detroit managed to only shoot 41% in the game as they also missed an amazing 10 of their 18 free throws. To make things worse, they allowed the Suns to make 12 three-pointers on their way to an easy 17 point win.

The bad loss nearly offset's the rest of the week as they took advantage of the Celtics losing Kevin Garnett and the Jazz not playing efficient enough to put away the Pistons. Tracy McGrady was the star in each each game as he scored a team high 21 points in their win against Boston and was a rebound away from a triple-double in their close loss at Utah.

The Pistons need to take what they can get from this week even if their only win is against a team that was learning to play without one of their best players and their All-Star point guard already in the process. They gave up 33 to Paul Pierce, but a win is a win when you're Piston these days.

Life gets no easier for Detroit as they face the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday before taking a three day break that has them play their next against Philadelphia on Saturday before flying to Chicago to take on the streaking Bulls. A win in any of those games would come as a complete surprise to just about anyone.

23. Charlotte Bobcats

Current Record: 11-21

How they fared this week: 1-2

December 29th: Win vs Cleveland 101-92, December 31st: Loss vs Golden State 96-95, January 3rd: Loss vs. Miami 96-82

It's just another week if you're in Charlotte. The team might have a different philosophy now that Paul Silas is their coach, but the outcome of the past three games is just as you'd expect. Stephen Jackson's 38 points was enough to beat up on an awful Cavs team that only shot 41% from the field and an astounding 18% from deep as they missed 18 of their 22 from shots from beyond the arc.

Their game against the Warriors was their only competitive game of the week as their fourth quarter rally fell short. Even against a Golden State squad that doesn't exactly know how to play defense, the Bobcats couldn't work their offense to score over 100 points and could only shoot 42% overall as they received 22 from Jackson and 20 from Gerald Wallace. Their offensive ineptness continued against Miami as they fell flat following an otherwise productive first quarter.

The 'Cats managed to score 28 first quarter points against the Heat, but only 54 points for the rest of the game as the Heat defense stepped up to completely shut down the Bobcats offense. The fact that Gerald Wallace sat out wasn't helping Charlotte's cause anymore either as they shot an even more embarrassing 38% from the field. Jackson and point guard D.J. Augustin were the only players to reach double figure's in scoring.

Luckily for Charlotte, they get a bit of a break as they travel to Minnesota on Wednesday before coming back home to take on Washington later this week. They finish off the weekend with their second game of a three game home stand against Memphis.

22. Los Angeles Clippers

Current Record: 10-24

How they fared this week: 0-2

December 29th: Loss vs Utah 103-95, January 2nd: Loss vs Atlanta 107-98

A quiet week for the Los Angeles Clippers as they played in only two games this week that they lost. The losses came after a stretch where they had won three of their past four, but it could easily have been a winning streak had they converted in the final minute and held on to their big leads. Behind Blake Griffin, the Clippers had a huge chance to upset the Jazz and Hawks on their home floor.

Instead, they were outscored 30-13 in the third quarter by Utah and 37-24 in the fourth quarter by Atlanta. Griffin had a combined 61 points and 27 rebounds in the two games, but could not get enough help from his teammates to secure the upsets. The Clippers are no strangers to heartbreaking close losses, but it must be even more upsetting to have a player like Griffin putting up the numbers he has been producing only to come up with a loss.

It's another short week for Los Angeles as they see another week with only two games to play. The competition isn't as daunting with Denver and Golden State at the Staples Center, but it would be a good way to gauge how far the Clippers have come now that the Baron Davis and Blake Griffin duo is heating up and that the team has had a bit of a hot streak.

Personally, I wish this team would play everyday just to see what Griffin does next.

21. Golden State Warriors

Current Record: 13-21

How they fared this week: 1-3

December 29th: Loss at Atlanta 103-93, December 31st: Win at Charlotte 96-95, January 1st: Loss at Miami 114-107, January 3rd: Loss at Orlando 110-90

Considering just how much this potential team has, a 13-21 mark overall is as bad as it gets. However, a 1-3 mark this week might be all the Warriors could have asked for as they finish off their Southeast division road trip that ended in Orlando with a 20 point loss. The Warriors allowed eight members of the Magic to score in double figures while only having three of their own in a game where they held a nine point halftime advantage only to be outscored by 29 in the second half.

Golden State had a strong outing against Atlanta as Dorell Wright had another break out game with 32 points and 11 rebounds to lead the team. It came as a problem though that their famed back court in Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis could only manage a combined 21 points in the loss. Overall, Golden State shot 45% in one of their more competitive losses of the week.

Their biggest disappointment however came in Miami when they managed to blow a 20 point first half lead and a 14 point halftime lead. Despite having Wright score 30 points, they managed to score only 35 points in the second half after scoring 72 points against a Miami defense that tied for most amount of points give up in a half this season. The 70% they shot in the first half completely evaporated as they finished at 47% for the game.

The Warriors finish off their road trip in New Orleans before coming home to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers and then departing once again to take on the Los Angeles Clippers.

20. Philadelphia 76ers

Current Record: 13-21

How they fared this week: 1-2

December 29th: Win at Phoenix 123-110, December 31st: Loss at Los Angeles Lakers 102-98, January 3rd: Loss at New Orleans 84-77

To prove just how bad the rest of the Eastern Conference is outside of Miami, Boston, Chicago, Orlando, and Atlanta, the Philadelphia 76ers at 13-21 are actually fighting for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference and are in fact only 1 1/2 games out behind Milwaukee. Even more surprising from Philadelphia is that they were completely capable from having a perfect week if not for some late-game meltdown's.

Their rallying win in Phoenix was a definite feat for a Sixers team that had lost by an absurd 42 points the week before. Top it off with a win against Denver earlier in the week and it appears Philadelphia's week wasn't as bad as it could have been. The only problem for the 76ers is that they could have just as easily marched into the Staples Center to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers and into New Orleans to beat the Hornets.

But they didn't. Instead it's just another week for a 76ers squad that's just struggling to keep their head above water despite already being eight games below .500. They got production all week from Jrue Holiday as he recorded at least 12 points and six assists in each game. They couldn't get it consistently from anyone else though as the rest of the team would fail to step up when it counted most. In fact, they were only four points away from pulling off the upset in L.A. and only had two starters in double figures.

It'll be a busy week for Philadelphia as they take on Washington on Wednesday before taking on Chicago and Detroit in a back-to-back. They finish off the week with another game against a Central Division opponent in Indiana next Tuesday.

19. Milwaukee Bucks

Current Record: 13-18

How they fared this week: 1-1

December 28th: Loss at Chicago 90-77, January 1st: Win vs Dallas 99-87

Turns out the Raptors weren't the only one to take advantage of the Mavericks while Dirk Nowitzki was out rehabbing his injury. Thanks in part to the 5'5" Earl Boykins and John Salmons, the Bucks were able to take out the Mavericks to secure one win during a week where they played only two games.

They weren't as lucky against Chicago who were playing without Joakim Noah, but still had Carlos Boozer and Derrick Rose to lead the Bulls to an easy home victory against a Bucks team that had five players in double-digit scoring. The Bucks have once again suffered from the injury bug as they have now lost Carlos Delfino, Drew Gooden, and Brandon Jennings all to injuries.

Instead, the Bucks had a makeshift starting lineup of Keyon Dooling, John Salmons, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Ersan Ilyasova, and Andrew Bogut with Earl Boykins as their sixth man off the bench. With the injuries piling up and a tough January schedule ahead of them, the Bucks could find themselves in a bit of trouble as they face the Heat twice, the Magic, and the Nets in the span of a week.

Lucky for the Bucks they had only two games to play last week, the next few weeks unfortunately not so much.

18. Indiana Pacers

Current Record: 14-18

How they fared this week: 1-3

December 28th: Loss vs Boston 95-83, December 29th: Loss at Washington 104-90, December 31st: Win vs Washington 95-86, January 2nd: Loss at New York 98-92

An otherwise ordinary week for an under-achieving Indiana Pacers squad. They got their usual production from just about every member of the team on any given night only to come away with a 1-3 record for the week against one opponent that has had trouble winning all year and two opponents that could have just as easily given up a loss to Indiana.

Indiana had led Boston all game before giving it all away in a fourth quarter where they were outscored 29-16 and saw no offensive work put in by anybody. The team shot 37% as a whole and got the most points out of Brandon Rush who scored 17. Their usual primary offensive contributor in Danny Granger dropped 15 points as he missed 16 of his 21 shots.

It was a different story in New York from each individuals standpoint, but it was also just another game that Indiana could have easily won. Granger led the team with 25 points and 17 rebounds only to see it go to waste as the team shot 37% again as only two members of the bench were able to actually shoot 50%. They managed to hold New York to 42% only to come away with a disappointing loss at Madison Square Garden.

The Pacers are currently in the middle of a four day break that doesn't start again until Friday when they take on the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks in a back-to-back. Those two games will be their only of the week.

17. Phoenix Suns

Current Record: 14-18

How they fared this week: 1-2

December 29th: Loss vs Philadelphia 123-110, December 31st: Win vs Detroit 92-75, January 2nd: Loss at Sacramento 94-89

It was originally set to be a turnaround week for the Phoenix Suns as they took on three of the league's most disappointing teams in the 76ers, Pistons, and Kings. With two of those games at home, you would at least expect that Steve Nash and the Suns could at least pull out a winning record from this week. Instead you see Phoenix giving up an absurd 123 points to the 76ers, while only managing to drop 89 against the Kings.

The Suns controlled their game against Philadelphia for most of the way before allowing the Sixers to outscore them by 12 in the second half and to shoot 55% for the game as they had seven players in double figures in scoring. Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, and Andres Nocioni each scored over 20 points in the disappointing loss as Nash was the only Sun to score over 20 points.

Their game against the Pistons was exactly what you would expect, but their loss to Sacramento was a disappointing way to end the week in an already disappointing season. They were able to corral Tyreke Evans to six points, yet still managing to allow DeMarcus Cousins to score 28 and swing man Francisco Garcia to score 20 points. Steve Nash had a perfect night from the field and saw only minimal production from the rest of the team.

Phoenix was out rebounded 60-32 in the loss. It was that bad.

Life get's no easier as they take on the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks in three nights before taking on the Cavaliers to end the week.

16. Memphis Grizzlies

Current Record: 15-19

How they fared this week: 1-2

December 29th: Loss at Sacramento 100-98, January 1st: Loss at Utah 98-92, January 2nd: Win at Los Angeles Lakers 104-85.

Talk about an up and down week. Give up a Tyreke Evans buzzer beater while also giving away a win to the Utah Jazz and still have a week worth noting. The Memphis Grizzlies became the latest team to stun the Los Angeles Lakers on their home court as they completely annihilated the team by 19 points behind Rudy Gay's 27 points and Zach Randolph's 21. They managed to limit only three Lakers to double figures in scoring.

The rest of the week was the Randolph show as he had a combined 62 points and 33 rebounds in the two losses. Either way, the Grizzlies couldn't get enough defense stops and big offensive scores to beat the Kings and Jazz. Not even an off-balanced 20 footer from O.J. Mayo to give the Grizzlies a one point lead with a few seconds remaining was enough against Sacramento as Evans converted on a 50 foot buzzer beater from half-court.

Their loss against Utah was just another loss to Utah as they allowed five Jazz players to drop at least 10 points while shooting only 43% on their own accord. The fact that they could only get six points from their bench was a definite cause for concern as the starting lineup attempted to pick up most of the slack in a futile effort.

The Grizzlies get no break this week as they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight before having a back-to-back on the weekend with Utah and Oklahoma City again before finishing the week off in Charlotte.

15. Houston Rockets

Current Record: 16-18

How they fared this week: 1-3

December 29th: Loss vs Miami Heat 125-119, December 31st: Win vs Toronto 114-105, January 2nd: Loss vs Portland 100-85, January 3rd: Loss at Denver 113-106

Aside from their expected win over Toronto, it was an otherwise lackluster week for the Houston Rockets as they allowed each of their opponents to score at least 100 points. In fact, it was so ugly that the Rockets actually gave up an average of 111 points per game. While teams like Miami, Toronto, and Denver have played admirably on offense, it's still a cause for concern when you're scoring 119 points in a game and still losing.

In all but one game did the Rockets allow at least one player to score at least 30 points in a game as they allowed Dwyane Wade to score a season high 45 points, DeMar DeRozan to net a season high 37 points, and Carmelo Anthony on his way to 33 points. Against Portland, they still gave up 25 points to LaMarcus Aldridge. It's numbers like that in otherwise close games that usually kill a teams chances of winning.

One out of four games won is all you can ask for from a Rockets team that just flat out refused to play defense over the past week. The offense was there for most of the week, aside from the 15 point loss to Portland, but trading baskets with better teams can only get you so far before the other team begins to make defensive stops while Houston can only attempt to score and make an attempt to play defense as well.

In one of the worst weeks imaginable, the Rockets have the honor of taking on Trail Blazers, Magic, Jazz, and Celtics in the span of six days.

14. Portland Trail Blazers

Current Record: 18-16

How they fared this week: 2-1

December 28th: Loss at Denver 95-77, December 3rd: Win vs Utah 100-89, January 2nd: Win vs Houston 100-85

An up and down week for the Portland Trail Blazers yet again as they managed to score only 77 points against Denver before somehow beating the Utah Jazz for the second time in four days and capping the week off with an easy win over a Houston team that didn't play defense this week. A 2-1 mark is all the Blazers could ask for considering just how difficult the schedule was and losing out on Brandon Roy.

It didn't appear the Blazers would get on the right track as they could only get three players into double figures in the scoring column. The team shot 40% overall and shot only eight free throws the entire night compared to the Nuggets who shot 26. It's clear from stats alone that Portland was not making a conscious enough effort to drive the lane and draw fouls.

It appeared that the team wasn't well off without Roy providing his theatrics, but Wesley Matthew's 30 points against Utah was all the team needed to forget about what had happened two nights prior in Denver. LaMarcus Aldridge had another strong outing with 27 points as he then followed that up with 25 a few nights later against Houston.

Aldridge has become the new face of the team since Roy was listed as inactive for the rest of the season due to a knee injury that has hampered his performance all season. They have a busy week ahead of them as they take on Dallas, Houston, and Minnesota on the road before coming back home to take on Miami.

13. New York Knicks

Current Record: 19-14

How they fared this week: 1-2

December 28th: Loss at Miami 106-98, December 30th: Loss at Orlando 112-103, January 2nd: Win vs Indiana 98-92

You truly couldn't ask for that much from the New York Knicks this week as they took on two of the Eastern Conference's top teams. The injury to Danillo Gallinari that will keep him out for 2-3 weeks is a bit much though as the Knicks lost him late in their win against the Indiana Pacers. Gallinari had been one of the Knicks largest contributors on offense before the injury and it's going to be interesting to see how well the Knicks can react.

Aside from their win against Indiana, the Knicks were playing catch-up for just about most of their games against Miami and Orlando. They yielded 34 points to the Heat in the first quarter as they took a 16 point deficit into the second quarter before eventually losing by six. Their dismal effort on defense for most of the game was a key component to their loss against Miami as Dwyane Wade poured in 40 points.

Their game against the Magic was over by the half as they were out scored an absurd 40-21 in the second frame. They'd make a push in the third quarter, but were eventually too worn down to give a conscious effort in the fourth quarter to even make a legitimate push at a comeback victory. Instead they allowed seven Magic players to score in double figures with Dwight Howard leading the way at 24 points and 18 rebounds.

Tough to lose Danillo at a time like this. New York now gets the pleasure of taking on San Antonio and the Los Angeles Lakers in the same week as well as the Phoenix Suns for good measure.

12. Denver Nuggets

Current Record: 20-13

How they fared this week: 4-0

December 28th: Win vs Portland 95-77, December 29th: Win at Minnesota 119-113, January 1st: Win vs Sacramento 104-86, January 3rd: Win vs Houston 113-106

Don't look now, but the Denver Nuggets have become one of the NBA's hottest teams following an undefeated week that earned them four consecutive wins. Even with no Carmelo Anthony in the first two games of the week and posting up dismal stats upon his return, the Nuggets appeared to have no need for him as they took advantage on an easy schedule that came complete with two of the Western Conference's worst teams.

They were supported by Chauncey Billups in their first three wins of the week against Portland and Minnesota as he scored 18 points in the first game and 36 in the second where he also made all six of his three-pointers. Billups would pick up the slack for Anthony in the third game as he netted 22 points against an overmatched Kings squad.

The rust was there from Anthony for about a game as he managed to only hit 6 of 22 from the field on his way to 16 points and six turnovers. The lay off didn't last long as he quickly turned around and scored 33 against Houston only two nights later. 'Melo was originally out of the rotation due to the death of his sister that had kept him out the previous five games.

With Carmelo back in the lineup, the Nuggets get a chance to extend their win streak as they take on the lowly Los Angeles Clippers and Sacrameto Kings again before finishing off the week against the New Orleans Hornets at home.

11. New Orleans Hornets

Current Record: 21-14

How they fared this week: 3-1

December 29th: Loss vs Los Angeles Lakers 103-88, December 31st: Win at Boston 83-81, January 1st: Win at Washington 92-81, January 3rd: Win vs Philadelphia 84-77

If one play could describe how well the New Orleans Hornets played this week, it would easily be the picture you see with this slide. That was Trevor Ariza's huge slam over Javale McGee in the Hornets easy win over the Washington Wizards on New Years Day. Ariza was the star of the game as far as stats go as well finishing off with an impressive 22 points on 10 of 16 shooting. He was supported by his entire starting lineup who scored in double figures.

The week didn't start off too well for New Orleans as they allowed the Los Angeles Lakers to go into their arena and dictate just about everything that happened for 48 minutes. They saw an 18 point deficit at halftime and saw it blow up to 23 by the end of the third quarter before making the score prettier with a decent fourth quarter. It wasn't Kobe Bryant who killed the Hornets either, but none other than Lamar Odom who came off the bench to score 24 points.

The rest of the week was served up to the Hornets as they took on the Kevin Garnett-less Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers. It was some of the better defensive games for the Hornets this week as they allowed only no team to score over 83 points after their loss to the Lakers. Chris Paul and David West would come up big in each of the teams three wins over the week.

The Hornets get a break with Golden State coming into town before taking on the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets on the road.

10. Atlanta Hawks

Current Record: 22-14

How they fared this week: 2-1

December 29th: Win vs Golden State 103-93, December 31st: Loss at Oklahoma City 103-94, January 2nd: Win at Los Angeles Clippers 107-98

The Atlanta Hawks might have lost on the road against the Thunder, but they received a quality three game effort from Josh Smith who scored at least 20 points in each game. He scored a high of 23 against the Thunder in a loss and had 22 in the Hawks two wins where he led the team in scoring in their win against the Clippers and was one of three players with over 20 in their win against the Warriors.

They showed a lot of resilience in their win against Los Angeles as they came back from a double-digit first half deficit with a 37-24 fourth quarter. The 37 fourth quarter points was only five points less than what they scored in the entire first half. They received eight points and 10 rebounds in the win from Al Horford as they continue to attempt to experiment him as the power forward and Smith as the small forward.

Atlanta is impressing as they continue to fight the Orlando Magic for the second spot in the Southeast division. They'll have a week to gain some possible ground as they take on the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers that also is complete with a test in Utah. The Hawks will need Joe Johnson to step it up if they want to continue to make up some ground in the Eastern Conference.

9. Oklahoma City Thunder

Current Record: 23-12

How they fared this week: 2-1

December 29th: Win vs New Jersey 114-93, December 31st: Win vs Atlanta 103-94, January 1st: Loss at San Antonio 101-74

The Oklahoma City Thunder held their own against a team of their caliber in the Atlanta Hawks and a weak opponent in the New Jersey Nets, but couldn't show up for the statement game that they've been looking for as they feel to the Spurs on the road by 27 points. It was the worst loss of the season for Oklahoma City as they saw Kevin Durant held to 16 points and the rest of the starting lineup held to 21.

They had looked nearly unstoppable in the two games before as Durant's 33 and Russell Westbrook's triple-double led the Thunder to a win against the Hawks. They didn't need too many heroics against the Nets as they used Durant's 27 points to ensure an easy victory against a struggling Nets team. However, their loss against the Spurs overshadows an otherwise successful week.

The Thunder struggled all of December against the upper tier teams of the league as they finished 2-3 against teams above .500. They had lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the game where Dirk Nowitzki was initially hurt and didn't prove anyone wrong with a dismal loss against the league's best San Antonio Spurs.

They'll have another chance to beat an elite team as they take on Dallas in between a home and home with Memphis.

8. Utah Jazz

Current Record: 24-11

How they fared this week: 3-1

December 29th: Win at Los Angeles Clippers 103-95, December 30th: Loss at Portland 100-89, January 1st: Win vs. Memphis 98-92, January 3rd: Win vs. Detroit 102-97

Aside from losing to the Portland Trail Blazers twice in the span of four days, the Utah Jazz had another quality week as they took advantage of a toned down schedule. Despite playing three teams that are sub-500, they struggled against each team as they rallied against the Los Angeles Clippers and had to hold themselves together to pull away from the Memphis Grizzlies and Detroit Pistons.

Deron Williams had a quality week with three games of at least 19 points, but he also struggled with his turnovers as he gave up at least two in the past four games. Al Jefferson broke out for 31 points and 10 rebounds against the Clippers and had three more suitable games the rest of the week that resulted in two double-doubles.

The Jazz have been getting a balanced effort from their strong starting lineup and reliable bench as they take out the teams that they should be beating. Utah still controls sole possession of the Northwest Division as they remain one game above Oklahoma City and three games over the surging Denver Nuggets. They'll get a test against the Atlanta Hawks before departing for a back-to-back with Memphis and Houston.

They should take advantage of the schedule they have now until they take on Boston, the L.A. Lakers, and San Antonio in the span of a week two weeks from now.

7. Los Angeles Lakers

Current Record: 23-11

How they fared this week: 2-2

December 28th: Loss at San Antonio Spurs 97-82, December 29th: Win at New Orleans 103-88, December 31st: Win vs Philadelphia 102-98, January 2nd: Loss vs Memphis 104-85

Is it beginning to get serious for the Los Angeles Lakers? Does Phil Jackson openly calling out Kobe Bryant a good answer?

No, the Lakers haven't suffered any injuries to a key player, this is the same team that has won the league's past two championships. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are still on the team and Lamar Odom is still having one of the seasons of his career, yet the Lakers had a .500 week and have now lost five of their past seven games. They also suffered their third home loss by 15 or more points in the past two weeks that came against Memphis, where they fell by 19 and were held to 85 points.

Coincidence or not, the Lakers easiest win over the past week came when Kobe Bryant only took 14 shots. They struggled to beat the 76ers when Kobe took 24 shots, but they fell when he took 27 and 22 shots in the other two losses. In the game where he shot 27, Bryant went a stretch where he missed 13 consecutive shots on his way to missing 19 overall.

The loss to Memphis might have been the wake-up call that the team needed, but it might become more serious than expected if the Lakers happen to lose to the Pistons at home Wednesday. They also take on the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Hornets before playing the New York Knicks back at Staples.

It's going to be an interesting week for Los Angeles as we begin to see just how well they react to a rare tough stretch.

6. Orlando Magic

Current Record: 22-12

How they fared this week: 3-0

December 28th: Win at Cleveland 110-95, December 30th: Win vs New York 112-103, January 3rd: Win vs Golden State 110-90

Just when we thought the Magic's risky trade wouldn't work out, they go on a run that's helping them keep pace in a rising Eastern Conference. They won three games in the past week to now make it six wins in a row that is following up a four game losing streak that also featured the arrival of Gilbert Arenas, Hedo Turkoglu, and Jason Richardson and the departure of Mikael Pietrus and Vince Carter.

Following up a week before that they beat the Spurs and Celtics back to back, the Magic took a break on their schedule with home games against the Knicks and Warriors and an away game with the Cavaliers. The Magic ran away from Cleveland with a stunning 19 three-pointers as they hit 61% from deep. They are also working it in the middle with Dwight Howard as he has had registered back-to-back games of at least 20 points and 15 rebounds.

It is somewhat expected of Dwight to record these numbers either way as he faced Amare Stoudemire and Louis Amundson in those two games. It was an easy week for Howard and the Magic as the newest three members learn to adjust, and re-adjust in Turkoglu's case, with their new team. They play in only three games this week as they take on Milwaukee and Houston at home before flying to Dallas to take on the Mavs. Dallas will be the third team in B/r's power rankings top five that the Magic have faced in the past three weeks.

5. Chicago Bulls

Current Record: 22-10

How they fared this week: 3-0

December 28th: Win vs Milwaukee 90-77, December 31st: Win vs New Jersey 90-81, January 1st: Win vs Cleveland 100-91

The Chicago Bulls might not always have the look of an elite team, but they certainly have the qualities that an elite team possesses. Unfortunately, they don't receive too much credit because of how they win games. Despite winning 13 of 15 games, the Bulls don't always have the look of a quality team after struggling with the likes of Detroit, Washington, New Jersey, and the Los Angeles Clippers.

No matter how you spin it though, the fact that a team that has yet to be playing at full strength and is 22-10 and still leading the division is the work only an MVP candidate could do. That MVP candidate is Derrick Rose and he has played the most beneficial part of the Bulls as he leads the team through a 3-0 week against competition that wasn't up to par.

Carlos Boozer continues his progression with the Bulls as he has now scored at least 20 points in the past six games and has also recorded at least 10 rebounds in seven of the past eight games. As Derrick Rose continues his MVP pace with 20 or more points in six of the past eight games, he and Boozer lead the Bulls into a week where they play five of the next seven days.

The rest of the week is complete with two back-to-back's, the first being Toronto and New Jersey and the second being Philadelphia and Boston, before finally playing Detroit to end the hectic week. The Bulls should have an easy week for most of the way, but their game against the Celtics could be evened out now that Garnett is out for Boston.

4. Dallas Mavericks

Current Record: 25-8

How they fared this week: 1-3

December 28th: Loss vs Toronto 84-76, December 30th: Loss vs San Antonio 99-93, January 1st: Loss at Milwaukee 99-87, January 2nd: Win at Cleveland 104-95

Life isn't easy without Dirk Nowitzki.

It's easy for the Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs, and Milwaukee Bucks, but not for the Dallas Mavericks. The loss of Dirk Nowitzki to the Mavericks rotation has greatly affected the team over the past week and were in the midst of a season high three game losing streak before finally picking up a win against the struggling Cavaliers.

As if it could get any worse, Caron Butler suffered an injury against Milwaukee that might keep him out the rest of the season if it is extremely serious. Hopes were high in Dallas after learning Nowitzki would come back later this week before suddenly dropping at the loss of one of their key role players for possibly the remainder of the year. Butler's knee injury came a game after he scored 30 points against the Spurs in a loss.

As for the competition of the past week for Dallas, it was actually still surprising just who the Mavs lost to. The Spurs is excusable for just about any team, but even without Dirk the Mavericks should still put out a home win against the Raptors and at least hold their own on the road with Milwaukee. A game against the Cavs was just the doctor ordered for a team that is set to face Portland, Oklahoma City, and Orlando this week.

3. Boston Celtics

Current Record: 26-7

How they fared this week: 3-2

December 28th: Win at Indiana 95-84, December 29th: Loss at Detroit 104-92, December 31st: Loss vs New Orleans 83-81, January 2nd: Win at Toronto 93-79, January 3rd: Win vs Minnesota 96-93

In one of the busiest weeks of the year for the Boston Celtics, they lost not just their All-Star point guard in Rajon Rondo, but also their heart and soul of the team in Kevin Garnett at the beginning of a game against earlier in the week. It came on the second night of a back-to-back as the Celtics lost to the lowly Pistons. They would go on to drop only their second home loss of the season by two to New Orleans.

They still had the ability to beat the Raptors and Timberwolves, but the loss of Rondo and Garnett for a brief period obviously hurt their chances in their two losses. Since the return of Rondo, the Celtics have won their past two with him back. He wasn't himself on his initial return as he turned the ball over five times against Toronto, but he made a turn around right away by dishing out 16 assists in their win against the Wolves.

The Celtics have suffered without their core players as they are also just hanging onto the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. The hottest team in the league in the Heat are creeping up on the C's as they wait upon the return of Garnett, which is set to be in two weeks.

Boston has a busy week ahead of him as they play four games in a week with showdowns against the San Antonio Spurs and the Chicago Bulls mixed in with match-ups against Toronto and Houston. The Celtics are playing in a month where they play 16 games complete with four back-to-back's.

2. Miami Heat

Current Record: 27-9

How they fared with: 4-0

December 28th: Win vs New York 106-98, December 29th: Win at Houston 125-119, January 1st: Win vs Golden State 114-107, January 3rd: Win at Charlotte 96-82

The defense might not have been there the past week for the Miami Heat, but the wins continued to pile up for Miami as they won their sixth in a row on Monday and 18 of their past 19 games. Following their loss to the Dallas Mavericks on December 20th, the Heat have yet to lose a game, but have had their fair share of scares along the way.

The Heat beat up on the Knicks for most of the way before seeing the lead evaporate in the final minutes to give Miami an eight point win. The 119 points they yielded against the Rockets was the season high for points allowed from Miami, but they managed to keep the game in their favor by trading baskets with the Rockets before allowing their defense to step in to take the win.

Their game against Golden State however might have been a wake up call for the defense. Miami allowed the Warriors to score 72 points on nearly 70% shooting in the first half as they faced a 20 point first half deficit for a few moments. Following a halftime where they probably got a tongue lashing from coach Erik Spoelstra, the Heat managed to limit Golden State to 35 second half points and below 40% shooting.

With an easy win over Charlotte, the win streak lives on as they fly back home to face Milwaukee in a home and home as they begin a five game road trip that ends up in Portland by the end of the week. A possible perfect month could be in store for the Heat if they keep riding momentum and the even more impressive 11 consecutive wins they have on the road.

1. San Antonio Spurs

Current Record: 29-4

How they fared this week: 3-0

December 28th: Win vs Los Angeles Lakers 97-82, December 30th: Win at Dallas 99-93, January 1st: Win vs Oklahoma City 101-74

Chances are low that the San Antonio Spurs will run the table for the rest of the season, but it shouldn't surprise anyone if they do. Tim Duncan may be averaging a career low 14 points and nine rebounds, but the Spurs have showed so signs of weakness this season as they finished off a 13-2 December and started off January on the right foot with a 27 point win against a strong Oklahoma City Thunder squad.

The beat went on for the Spurs as they took advantage of the slumping Lakers and Mavericks with a few easy wins to cap off another perfect week of basketball for San Antonio. Through a balanced effort game in and game out, the Spurs have sole possession of first by a mile as the closest team to them isn't even in their own conference. San Antonio currently has a four game lead as the number one seed in the West.

Over the past week, San Antonio did nothing too highlight worthy and didn't have an individual stand out amongst the league, but instead use their entire rotation to dominate on a nightly basis. The highest amount of points an individual scored this week for the Spurs was 23 from Tony Parker in their win against the Lakers. They had at least four starters in double figures in every game.

The Spurs have a busy week ahead of them as they take on the Knicks, Celtics, and Pacers on the road this week before coming back home to take on the Timberwolves before shipping off to Minnesota to take on the Wolves again two days later.

Whether they will lose any of those games is a feat all on its own.