Cleveland Cavaliers (46-14) Last Week: 1

The Shaq injury hurts, but the Cavs had a strong bounce-back week, and it looks like Zydrunas Ilgauskas will be back in a Cleveland uniform in a few weeks.

L.A. Lakers (45-15) Last Week: 2

The Lakers got a nice psychological lift from the Denver win, but they'll pay a hefty price for their cozy early-season schedule in March as 11 of their 14 games will be played on the road.

Dallas Mavericks (39-21) Last Week: 9

Winners of seven straight, the Mavs are hitting on all cylinders these days. The Dirk-for-MVP campaign is gaining a little more traction as well.

Denver Nuggets (39-20) Last Week: 5

The loss in L.A. snapped their three-game winning streak, but the good news is the Nuggets might have found a "Kobe-stopper" in Arron Afflalo.

Orlando Magic (40-20) Last Week: 4

Dwight Howard's propensity to get himself into foul trouble could prove problematic come playoff time. Fortunately for the Magic, they are well-armed with Marcin Gortat and Brandon Bass.

Utah Jazz (38-21) Last Week: 3

The Jazz rebounded from a lackluster effort against Sacramento by pounding the Rockets the following night. Six of their next seven games will be played away from EnergySolutions Arena.

Phoenix Suns (37-24) Last Week: 10

Jason Richardson's missed dunk against San Antonio all but ended the Suns' five-game winning streak and nullified Amare Stoudemire's 41-point, 12-rebound effort.

Oklahoma City Thunder (35-23) Last Week: 6

OKC responded from its two-game losing streak with a couple of resounding home wins over the Wolves and Raptors. This week's trip to Denver offers another test.

Atlanta Hawks (37-21) Last Week: 11

The scheduling wasn't kind, but Atlanta responded from a heartbreaking overtime loss to the red-hot Mavs with a gutsy overtime win over the hard-charging Bucks.

Toronto Raptors (31-27) Last Week: 8

Chris Bosh's ankle still hasn't healed, and the Raptors have dropped three straight. The good news is Toronto has three days off after tonight's visit to Houston.

Milwaukee Bucks (30-29) Last Week: 15

Scott Skiles' crew had won six straight after wiping the floor with the Heat in Miami, but the three-game road trip ended on a sour note with the loss in Atlanta.

Boston Celtics (36-21) Last Week: 7

The Celtics hit a new low by losing to the Nets at the Garden. Stranger things have happened, but this looks nothing like a championship team at this stage.

San Antonio Spurs (33-24) Last Week: 12

Timmy says the Spurs still aren't where they need to be, but Sunday's win over Phoenix was encouraging. Another positive sign is the play of Manu Ginobili who averaged 18.5 points in February.

Chicago Bulls (31-28) Last Week: 13

Joakim Noah's absence has hurt Chicago's depth on the front line, but Taj Gibson's emergence — 9.1 points, 8.2 rebounds in February — has helped keep the ship from sinking.

Portland Trail Blazers (35-27) Last Week: 16

Finally the Blazers get some good news on the injury front with Marcus Camby's return and Nicolas Batum, who missed 45 games with a torn labrum, erupting for a career-high 31 points against Minnesota.

New Orleans Hornets (31-29) Last Week: 18

Yes, Tyreke Evans and Brandon Jennings have been more consistent this season, but has any rookie helped keep his team in the playoff race more than Darren Collison?

Memphis Grizzlies (30-29) Last Week: 19

Zach Randolph's monster 31-point, 25-rebound effort against the Knicks was just the third 30-point, 20-rebound performance in Grizzlies history. It was also his second such effort this year.

Charlotte Bobcats (28-29) Last Week: 17

Things couldn't get much more difficult this week for Charlotte who must take on the Mavericks, Celtics and Lakers in a five-day span. Welcome to majority ownership, Mr. Jordan.

Miami Heat (29-31) Last Week: 14

Even the return of Dwyane Wade couldn't end Miami's skid. The Heat have lost four straight after winning five straight after losing five straight. Talk about streaky.

Houston Rockets (29-29) Last Week: 20

Kevin Martin's 32.5 points over the last two games shows he's getting acclimated to Rick Adelman's system, but how much leeway do the Rockets have? They're back at .500 for the first time since Nov. 27.

Philadelphia 76ers (22-36) Last Week: 21

It looks more and more like A.I. and the Sixers will part ways once again. Meanwhile, Philly will host the Magic after dropping three of four on its just-completed road trip.

Detroit Pistons (21-38) Last Week: 22

Jonas Jerebko, the 39th overall selection in last year's draft, was named February's Eastern Conference rookie of the month after scoring 10.2 points on 56.4 percent shooting and grabbing 6.0 rebounds.

Washington Wizards (21-36) Last Week: 23

Andray Blatche continues to sizzle for the Wizards. He's led the team in scoring in six of its last seven games.

Indiana Pacers (20-39) Last Week: 25

Indiana snapped a three-game skid with a home win over Chicago, but a tough road trip against the Lakers, Blazers, Nuggets and Suns is ahead.

L.A. Clippers (24-35) Last Week: 26

The Clippers have dropped five straight road games, and things could get worse before they get better. After hosting the Jazz, Suns and Thunder, L.A. must hit the road for a five-game trip.

Sacramento Kings (20-39) Last Week: 28

One chest-bump later, Spencer Hawes looks to have escaped Paul Westphal's doghouse. He's played an average of 39.0 minutes in the two games since his benching against Detroit.

Golden State Warriors (17-41) Last Week: 27

Monta Ellis' back is ailing him which gives Stephen Curry more time to shine in Golden State's backcourt.

New York Knicks (20-38) Last Week: 24

New York has dropped nine of 10 heading into Cleveland where the ultimate prize of the summer is waiting.

Minnesota Timberwolves (14-47) Last Week: 29

Things just got worse for Al Jefferson — whose numbers are down to 17.1 points and 9.3 rebounds — after he was suspended for two games following a DWI arrest.

New Jersey Nets (6-53) Last Week: 30

Saturday's win in Boston was huge, but after losing in Washington on Sunday, the Nets still need four wins in their final 24 games to avoid becoming the worst team in NBA history.