Despite their loss to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday the Cleveland Cavaliers are still the best NBA-team of the season.
They lead the US-LIVE-power ranking with 40 – 10 wins, followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder with 39 – 9.
These two surprise teams are still the favorites for the NBA play offs starting in April.
But the surging teams of this month are surprisingly the Portland Trail Blazers who are out of play off reach but won 5 in a row.
The Celtics are the top team of the month with 4 wins in a row followed by the surging Lakers, the Grizzlies and the Nuggets with 3 wins in a row each.
For many NBA fans the Lakers are the team of the moment and the most beloved NBA favorite. They won 7 games out of their last 8, all without Anthony Davis, driven by an incredible strong performance of LeBron James. And starting this weekend the Lakers should have Luka Doncic in their starting roster.
THE US-LIVE POWER RANKING (by February 4)
- Cavaliers 40 – 10
- Thunder 39 – 9
- Grizzlies 36 – 15
- Knicks 34 – 17
- Grizzlies 34 – 16
- Rockets 32 – 18
- Nuggets 31 – 19
- Lakers 29 – 19
- Pacers 28 – 21
- Clippers 28 – 22
Lakers on the run: LeBron scores 26, and the Lakers thrash the Clippers 122-97
Doncic clapped and occasionally fist-pumped during the Lakers’ outstanding performance in their first game since they made the seismic trade to acquire the All-NBA scoring champion in exchange for star big man Anthony Davis, when he wathed his first game as a Laker from the sidelines Tuesday in the derby against the Clippers in Intuit Dome. James and Doncic, who is close to a return from a strained calf, sat next to each other and talked at times.
The Lakers trashed the Clippers with 122 – 97, a 25 point advantage during nearly all of the games which was an one sided affair.
LeBron was the star once more with 26 points in three quarters. Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura scored 20 points apiece for the Lakers, who finished a six-game trip with five victories despite losing Davis to injury even before the trade. The Lakers’ victory was their first at Intuit Dome, their crosstown rivals’ sparkling new arena.
The Clippers disappointed in their hometown derby at their own Intuit Dome heavily and fell two games behind the fifth-place Lakers (29-19) in the West -having to fight now for a place in the coming play offs.
James Harden was a desaster and went only 2 of 12 for seven points, and Kawhi Leonard scored just 11 before both stars took the fourth quarter off.
Bronny James hit his first NBA 3-pointer while playing the final six minutes.
For the Clippers it was a lifeless effort in their return from a four-game trip. Owner Steve Ballmer had little to cheer.
On the side of the Lakers the results were brilliant, but the method was also impressive. They fought and worked on defense — something they’ll have to do every night without Davis.t up 45 points in the first quarter — the most they’ve managed in any period this season.
Celtics are the new NBA favorites as they win against the Cavaliers with an impressive 122 – 105
Jayson Tatum scores 22, Celtics hold off Cavaliers 112-105 in matchup of Eastern Conference’s best
Jayson Tatum scored 22 points, Derrick White added 20 and the Boston Celtics showed their championship makeup down the stretch with a 112-105 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night in a matchup of the Eastern Conference’s top teams.
The defending NBA titlists executed in the final minutes and held off the Cavs, who lost for just the fourth time in 28 home games.
Kristaps Porzingis added 19 points and Jaylen Brown 16 with nine rebounds as Boston won its fourth straight and improved to 2-1 against Cleveland this season.
Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points and Darius Garland 25 for the Cavs, who cut a 15-point deficit to four in the fourth quarter.
But the Celtics, who have won four straight, didn’t buckle and responded in every crucial moment to put away the Cavs.
Jarrett Allen had 17 points and 18 rebounds for Cleveland.
