NBA Power Rankings: Jaylen Brown Leads Boston Celtics to No. 1 Spot

• The Boston Celtics jumped to first place after winning three games in a row
• The Denver Nuggets climbed to second after winning four straight games
• The Philadelphia 76ers dropped to sixth place due to their recent struggles

The Boston Celtics are fighting hard to land the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

They recorded impressive wins against the Kings, the Pacers, and the Spurs to move within two games of leaders, Milwaukee in the standings.

Those landslide victories were enough for Boston to grab the No. 1 spot in this week’s power rankings.

1. Boston Celtics (52-23)

The Celtics soared to the top spot after embarking on an impressive three-game winning streak this past week. They defeated the Sacramento Kings, the Indiana Pacers, and the San Antonio Spurs by an average of 30.7 points.

Milwaukee Bucks clinch playoff spot with win over struggling Phoenix Suns

NBA

Jaylen Brown led Boston during that run, averaging 32 points and eight rebounds. He was lights out from deep, shooting 39% from beyond the arc.

2. Denver Nuggets (51-24)

The Nuggets have steadied the ship after a poor run of form, winning their last four games to tighten their grip on the top spot in the Western Conference. Denver looked impressive, recording back-to-back wins over playoff-bound teams Milwaukee and Philadelphia.

Nikola Jokic finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists in the game against the Bucks before posting his 29th triple-double in the win against the Sixers, per ESPN.

3. Memphis Grizzlies (47-27)

It has been a fantastic week for the Grizzlies. Not only did they win all four of their games, but they also had superstar, Ja Morant back in their lineup after his suspension.

He averaged 20.7 points in his three games this week against the Rockets (twice) and Hawks.

Kevin Porter Jr. leads Houston Rockets to win over undermanned Los Angeles Lakers

NBA

4. Cleveland Cavaliers (48-28)

Cleveland clinched a spot in the NBA playoffs for the first time in five years after beating the Houston Rockets on Sunday.

Donovan Mitchell averaged 28 points last week for the Cavs, who have won their previous four games.

5. Milwaukee Bucks (54-21)

The Bucks have won four of their last five outings to maintain their two-game lead atop the Eastern Conference standings.

Khris Middleton led Milwaukee in their previous game, scoring a season-high 34 points in the 126-117 win against Detroit.

6. Philadelphia 76ers (49-26)

The Sixers are stumbling as they enter the regular season's final weeks. They have lost three straight games after winning eight in a row.

Philadelphia have lost ground in the race for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, trailing leaders, Milwaukee by five games. They dropped road games against Golden State, Phoenix, and Denver.

7. Sacramento Kings (45-30)

Denver Nuggets rally past Detroit Pistons to end losing streak, clinch Northwest title

NBA

The Kings still need one more win to clinch their first playoff berth since 2006 after they lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night.

That snapped their two-game winning streak. Kevin Huerter has been playing outstanding basketball lately, averaging 23 points in his last three games.

8. New York Knicks (43-33)

The Knicks finally snapped their three-game losing streak with a 137-115 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday night. Immanuel Quickley starred for the New Yorkers, scoring a career-high 40 points in the win.

They are 2.5 games ahead of the Brooklyn Nets and the Miami Heat for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

9. Phoenix Suns (40-35)

The Suns have won their last two games against the Sixers and the Jazz to remain in fourth place in the Western Conference.

Devin Booker averaged 26.5 points in those two wins for Phoenix, who will have Kevin Durant back this week.

Joel Embiid extends historic scoring run as Sixers ease past Pacers for eighth consecutive win

NBA

10. Minnesota Timberwolves (39-37)

The Wolves are on fire, winning their last four games to climb up to sixth place in the Western Conference. They will fancy their chances of landing that guaranteed playoff spot with Karl-Anthony Towns back in their lineup.

He sealed the wins for Minnesota in their games against Atlanta and Golden State last week.

Rankings of other NBA teams

11. LA Clippers (40-36)

12. Brooklyn Nets (40-35)

13. Miami Heat (40-35)

14. Golden State Warriors (39-37)

15. New Orleans Pelicans (38-37)

16. Los Angeles Lakers (37-38)

17. Atlanta Hawks (37-38)

18. Toronto Raptors (37-38)

19. Oklahoma City Thunder (37-38)

20. Chicago Bulls (36-39)

21. Dallas Mavericks (37-39)

22. Utah Jazz (35-40)

23. Washington Wizards (33-42)

24. Indiana Pacers (33-43)

25. Orlando Magic (32-43)

26. Portland Trail Blazers (32-43)

27. Charlotte Hornets (25-51)

28. San Antonio Spurs (19-56)

29. Houston Rockets (18-58)

30. Detroit Pistons (16-59)

Celtics aim for top seed after clinching spot in 2023 NBA Playoffs: A look at Boston’s remaining games

NBA

Towns leads Wolves past Warriors

Sports Brief recently reported on the Wolves' win over the Warriors on the road.

Towns drained a go-ahead 3-pointer with 11 seconds left to help Minnesota win.

He finished the game with stats including 14 points, five rebounds, and two steals.