NBA power rankings

Michael Lee evaluates the best teams in the National Basketball Association.

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1. Oklahoma City, last week 2

The Thunder became the third team in NBA history to win nine games in a row with the same player leading them in scoring (Kevin Durant) and another leading them in assists (Russell Westbrook) in every game.

Sue Ogrocki / AP

2. New York, last week 3

Live by the three, win by the three. The Knicks are the only NBA team averaging more than 10 three-pointers per game (12) and they have four players shooter better than 42 percent from long distance.

Kathy Willens / AP

3. San Antonio, last week 1

Tim Duncan has found the Riverwalk of youth. At age 36, his per-36 minute production is almost identical to when he won last MVP at 26. Had fourth career game with 20 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks in Utah.

Rick Bowmer / AP

4. Miami, last week 5

LeBron James told Charles Barkley to "shut up" after claiming that Dwyane Wade has lost a step. Wade is averaging the fewest points since his rookie year, but he is also having one of his best seasons shooting.

Alan Diaz / AP

5. Los Angeles Clippers, last week 6

The second unit has an awful nickname – A Tribe Called Bench – but Jamal Crawford, Eric Bledsoe and Matt Barnes have been the difference this season. Clippers are 10-1 when Barnes scores 10 points or more.

Harry How / GETTY IMAGES

6. Memphis, last week 4

The Grizzlies made a bold move by luring away John Hollinger, basketball analytics pioneer and the inventor of player efficiency rating, from ESPN.com and hiring him as Vice President of Basketball Operations.

Danny Johnston / AP

7. Atlanta, last week 7

Finally given the chance to be the focal point of the franchise, Josh Smith doesn’t sound like someone who wants to leave his hometown or the NBA team with which he has spent his entire career.

John Raoux / AP

8. Golden State, last week 9

Stephen Curry and David Lee are playing at all-star levels. And, with victory over Miami, the Warriors claimed their first road win over a defending champion since defeating the Lakers on Jan. 22, 2003.

RAY STUBBLEBINE / REUTERS

9. Chicago, last week: Unranked

Joakim Noah recently became the second player in NBA history to get 30 points, 23 rebounds, two steals and two blocks in a game. He’s averaging a career high in scoring with an improved offensive repertoire.

Matt Slocum / AP

10. Brooklyn, last week 8

The Nets may have an all-star backcourt in Deron Williams and Joe Johnson, but center Brook Lopez might be their most important player. Brooklyn went 2-5 in his absence, despite solid play from Andray Blatche.

Kathy Willens / AP

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 18: Jockey Gary Stevens rides Oxbow out to the front of the pack on the first straight away during the 138th Running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., on Saturday, May 18, 2013. (Photo by Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)

Oxbow wins and infield fun at Preakness Stakes in Baltimore

Oxbow put D. Wayne Lukas in the record books again with an upset of Orb in the Preakness, giving the Hall of Fame trainer his 14th win in a Triple...

New York Yankees' Travis Hafner bats during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Sunday, May 12, 2013, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

MLB power rankings

Barry Svrluga assesses the best teams in Major League Baseball through Thursday.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 13: Many seminary graduates are choosing not to become pastors. Rebecca J. Cole received her Master of Divinity and is becoming a community organizer on Capitol Hill. She hugs another graduate after the ceremony. The 2013 Commencement ceremony for Wesley Theological Seminary was held on May 13 at the Washington National Cathedral. (Photo by Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

Eager to minister, but not from the pulpit

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epa03704474 A Muslim woman at the ThetKalPyin temporary relief camp near Sittwe in Rakhine State, Western Myanmar, 17 May 2013. A total of 13 people were confirmed dead in neighboring Bangladesh as people began to return home from shelters, a day after Cyclone Mahasen hit the coast, officials said 17 May. EPA/NYEIN CHAN NAING

Photos of the day

Cyclone Mahasen, Texas tornadoes, puffin census, melting Swiss glacier and more.

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 16: American Idol Season 12 Winner Candice Glover (C) is seen onstage during Fox's 'American Idol 2013' Finale Results Show at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on May 16, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Candice Glover wins 12th season of ‘American Idol’

The 23-year-old vocal powerhouse from St. Helena Island, S.C., tops competition in her third try.

US actress Claire Julien smiles on May 16, 2013 while posing during a photocall for the film 'The Bling Ring' at the 66th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes. Cannes, one of the world's top film festivals, opened on May 15 and will climax on May 26 with awards selected by a jury headed this year by Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg. AFP PHOTO / ALBERTO PIZZOLI (Photo credit should read ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images)

Eye on entertainment

Claire Julien, David Hasselhoff, Freida Pinto, Candice Glover, Martin Short and more.

**LOC IMAGE** Geo. Hamilton, Assistant Superintendent, Cambria Iron Mills house, Johnstown Flood, May 31st, 1889. (Photo by Ernest Walter Histed / Library of Congress)

The Johnstown Flood of 1889

On May 31, 1889, the South Fork dam that held Lake Conemaugh failed, and 20 million tons of water descended upon Johnstown, Pa. The flood claimed the lives of 2,209 people and spurred...

HACIPASA, TURKEY - MAY 5: Syrian refugee Hala ponders her life on the run on Sunday, May 5, 2013, in Hacipasa, Turkey. Three times this morning, the sounds of aircrafts were followed by explosions that shook the ground. Hacipasa, which sits just across the river border from Syria, is home of several hundred Syrian refugees who have been displaced by their home country's conflict. For a year, Hala and her family have been displaced from their home village in Syria because of violent conflict. After bouncing from village to village, fleeing bombings that seemed to follow them, the family crossed into Turkey six weeks ago. Initially, the family was deported back into Syria, where they lived in camps for internally displaced Syrians. But when the camps were bombed, the family was allowed to cross into Turkey. Hala said, 'The blood of the people who died in Syria, the martyrs, is our sad song, but nobody is listening.' (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

Turkey faces a refugee crisis

More than 400,000 Syrians have crossed into Turkey seeking refuge from the conflict at home. Finding its resources stretched, Turkey is urgently appealing for international aid and...

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