Pistons tested by Spurs, Thunder; Nuggets fall

March 2, 2026, 5:07 a.m. CT

The NBA continues its 2025-26 regular season. As the calendar flips to March, we’re about to enter the final stretch run of games with seeding still up in the air.

This past week, we saw a few stress-test games from the league’s contenders. The Detroit Pistons split two home games with the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder. The latter beat up on the Denver Nuggets in a heavyweight bout.

Meanwhile, the bottom of the standings is going all out to rack up losses. It’s that time of the year when lottery odds are magnified.

Every week, Thunder Wire will release updated 2025-26 NBA Power Rankings. Here is the Feb. 23-Mar. 1 edition:

Previous Rankings: 30

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The Kings finally snapped a franchise-worst 16-game losing streak. Russell Westbrook had 25 points in a rare win over the Grizzlies. Nothing really is left for Sacramento to accomplish this season. It hopes to have a high lottery pick. But they won’t find that out for months. Until then, the fanbase will continue to get spoonfed just some bad basketball.

Previous Rankings: 27

The Nets have lost eight in a row. That’s helped them make up ground in the reverse standings. Noah Clowney had 2 22 points in a close loss to the Mavericks. Not really much else to say about. They had a stacked rookie class, but none have really been stellar. Let’s see if a high draft pick can bring them some much-needed energy. Brooklyn will remain in the basement for the rest of the way.

28. Indiana Pacers (15-46)

Previous Rankings: 28

Another team on a long losing streak. The Pacers have dropped six consecutive games. There’s been a lot of tanking talk in recent weeks. The NBA is trying to extinguish the act from its league. But Rick Carlisle recently showed why that might be a logistical nightmare. The Indiana head coach revealed that the league wondered if Andrew Nembhard could play through a recent injury with medication. Yep. Fair to say the public blowback was pretty loud. The NBA will soon need to realize tanking is just part of the sport. Always has been. Always will be.

Previous Rankings: 24

It was Homecoming week. Trae Young returned to Atlanta for a pair of losses. It was his first time back in front of Hawks fans since he was traded. Despite the lackluster ending, there’s still plenty of love between both sides. The Wizards haven’t had the chance to see their new multi-time All-Star player suit up for them yet. And time is running out for that to be a possibility this season. Washington continues to stack up losses.

26. Utah Jazz (18-42)

Previous Rankings: 26

Already sending a few guys home for the year, Lauri Markkanen could be next. He’ll miss at least two weeks with a hip impingement. The controversial injury had folks wonder the authenticity. To the point that some media folks reported that the NBA would review his MRI results. That turned out to be false. But as Utah continues to fall in the standings, the paranoia levels there have reached new heights.

Previous Rankings: 23

Feels like Billy Donovan’s magic has run out. Most years, he’s able to squeeze every drop of juice out of his rosters. No matter the cast, he’s constructed decent defenses. That’s provided the Bulls with a pretty safe floor of competitiveness. But an 11-game losing streak has tumbled them down in the standings. A complete roster overhaul midway through the season is one way to ensure a team has zero chemistry. That’s what Chicago has done.

Previous Rankings: 29

Not having an incentive to lose, the Pelicans are prioritizing intangibles the rest of the way. They want to finish the regular season strong as they’ll send their first-round pick to the Hawks. So far, the plan has worked. New Orleans has won four of their last five games. Dejounte Murray returned from a torn Achilles in a win over the Warriors. Zion Williamson continues to enjoy some of his best health luck in years. Let’s see what happens with him in the offseason.

Previous Rankings: 22

At this point in the season, the Grizzlies are having some fun with the final one-third of the season. They added Taj Gibson to their roster of misfit toys. It’s been a wild ride for Memphis. A complete roster haul has most folks accept they’re about to start a rebuild. The only storyline left there is when Ja Morant will suit up for the last time. Such a sad way to end a short but fun era of basketball.

Previous Rankings: 25

The Mavericks are in the same boat. They entered the season open-minded to what this roster can do. Turns out, not much. Their only hope is Cooper Flagg, who continues to miss time with a foot sprain. The injury might cost him the Rookie of the Year award, but it shouldn’t freeze any excitement built over what he’s shown this season. Dallas might be punting the rest of the way, but it has the budding franchise superstar already. It’s now about surrounding Flagg with the right role players.

21. Portland Trail Blazers (29-33)

Previous Rankings: 20

The Trail Blazers continue to hover around mediocrity. They get a couple of wins and then a couple of losses. It’s been like that all season. Deni Avdija has had back problems flare up all season. You have to worry about how much they’ve occurred. If he can’t stay healthy the rest of the way, Portland doesn’t have enough scorers to overcome his absence. Could derail one of their best seasons in years as they aren’t paying attention to lottery odds right now.

20. Golden State Warriors (31-29)

Previous Rankings: 19

It’s been a month since Stephen Curry has played. Amazingly enough, they’ve managed to stay above water. While that’s impressive in itself, the unforgiving West has pushed them down to the play-in tournament range. At this point of the season, that should really be Golden State’s goal. The veteran squad is hoping to at least play some competitive games beyond the regular season. Such a sad end to an era filled with championships and trophies.

19. Miami Heat (32-29)

Previous Rankings: 18

The Heat are another team that continues to hover in mediocrity. They picked up a quality win over the Rockets. Bam Adebayo had 24 points. It’s been much of the same in Miami. It has good depth, but no real NBA superstar at the top of its roster. That should be good enough to get into the play-in range once again, but anything beyond that would be pretty unlikely.

18. Atlanta Hawks (31-31)

Previous Rankings: 21

Even with a complete roster overhaul, the Hawks remain playing competitive basketball. They’ve won four in a row. Jonathan Kuminga made his Atlanta debut with a bang. He had 27 points in a win over the Wizards. OK. Not bad. Kinda makes things a little interesting. They took him on a flyer after being miscast in Golden State. But as you can see, the talent is obviously there.

17. LA Clippers (28-31)

Previous Rankings: 13

Finally, the Clippers look human. They’ve lost three of their last four. They only played twice this week. But LA has seen itself drop in the standings. Kawhi Leonard’s resurrection as one of the league’s best players has helped them crawl out of a 6-21 hole. But roster turnover might be too much to overcome. Still plenty of time to go, but they gotta play better basketball if they want to make it to the postseason.

16. Milwaukee Bucks (26-33)

Previous Rankings: 15

The Bucks continue to roll without Giannis Antetokounmpo. They picked up a signature win over the Cavaliers. Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins combined for 38 points. Maybe Milwaukee’s mid-season moves have paid off. They’ve played a lot better in the past month. And considering how weak the East is, that’s enough to convince yourself into them getting hot at the right time. We’ll see when the two-time MVP winner returns, but he’ll at least have a chance at one last postseason run with his franchise.

15. Orlando Magic (31-28)

Previous Rankings: 16

All eyes are on Paolo Banchero for the rest of the way. He’s had his worst season, all things considered. He’s averaged just 21.7 points on 45% shooting. The on-off numbers suggest Orlando is actually better with him off the floor. Yikes. Not something you want to see happen when you’re supposed to be the franchise player. Bunch of deadmen-walking vibes there. Let’s see how the rest of the season goes.

14. Phoenix Suns (34-26)

Previous Rankings: 11

Injuries continue to beat up the Suns. Right now, they’re trying to survive without Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks. That’s a pretty big task. At least Jalen Green has helped with some. He’s finally healthy after a hamstring strain has sidelined him for most of the season. We’ll see if Phoenix can stay in the postseason picture. Being without your two best players is just a brutal obstacle to overcome.

13. Philadelphia 76ers (33-27)

Previous Rankings: 17

Vibes are mostly high for the Sixers. Tyrese Maxey had 28 points in a win over the Heat. He broke Allen Iverson’s franchise record for 3-pointers in a season. He’s been awesome this year. Meanwhile, Joel Embiid remains out with an injury. This time, it’s an oblique injury. Of course, Philadelphia’s playoff odds rely on him. If he can stay healthy, they could make a run. But more often than not, that’s not ever really the case, sadly.

12. Charlotte Hornets (30-31)

Previous Rankings: 14

The Hornets have won four in a row. They’re back to being a win machine. They’ve been one of the NBA’s hottest teams since the calendar flipped to 2026. Kon Knueppel set the NBA rookie record for most 3-pointers made. He did that in 59 games. Unreal. He’s having one of the greatest rookie seasons ever. And is likely on his way to win some hardware. Charlotte’s turnaround season can be traced back to his breakout.

11. Toronto Raptors (35-25)

Previous Rankings: 12

A couple of losses to the Thunder and Spurs were a pretty humbling experience. While the Raptors have had a fun season, they’re just not in the same tier as the real contenders. Scottie Barnes has been a DPOY candidate. And Brandon Ingram is an All-Star. But Toronto lacks a true go-to scorer. Give credit to them for making the most of their roster, but they’re still a couple of big pieces away from being taken seriously again. Baby steps, though.

10. Los Angeles Lakers (36-24)

Previous Rankings: 10

Criticisms are at a fever pitch. Luka Doncic’s novelty has run out. Most folks are sick of his non-defensive effort and non-stop complaining. Every national podcast has turned him into a punching bag. Doesn’t help that he turned down a good look for a game-winner in a loss to the Magic. They also lost a close game to the short-handed Suns. Doncic had 26 points in a much-needed win over the Warriors. But at this point, Los Angeles is what it is. A decent squad with a Round 1 ceiling.

9. Minnesota Timberwolves (38-23)

Previous Rankings: 7

A couple of close wins over the Trail Blazers and Clippers show what the Timberwolves are. They’re a talented team, but can be inconsistent. Usually, playing up or down to their opponent. You also saw that in their win over the Nuggets. Anthony Edwards has been a 30-point scorer. Minnesota has been in the title conversation, but has mostly been viewed as a team outside of the inner circles. Julius Randle has turned back into a pumpkin. If he doesn’t turn things around, that could doom their playoff series.

8. Cleveland Cavaliers (38-24)

Previous Rankings: 4

After being red-hot since they shook up their roster, the Cavaliers received a gut punch. James Harden sustained a thumb fracture. The good news is, it’s not a season-ender. It’s also on his non-shooting hand. That will let him play through the injury for the rest of the way. But man, what a bummer. Cleveland traded for him because of his amazing durability. A couple of weeks into his tenure, he breaks his thumb. I still like their odds out of the East. But this does dampen things a bit for me.

7. Denver Nuggets (37-24)

Previous Rankings: 8

The game of the week featured the Nuggets and Thunder. Denver couldn’t pull off the upset in a drama-filled overtime loss. Nikola Jokic had 23 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists. But the efficiency remains bad. He’s struggled since he returned from his knee injury. I digress. This was an awesome game that lived up to the heavyweight excitement. These two teams are part of the inner circle of contenders, even with injuries derailing them.

Previous Rankings: 6

The Rockets enjoyed beating up on a couple of cupcakes with wins over the Jazz and Magic. Kevin Durant had 40 points over Orlando in a comeback win. Jabari Smith Jr. scored 31 points in an easy win over Utah. A lot of questions remain about Houston’s title odds, but it picked up some necessary wins to stay in the West’s top four. The team has been pretty inconsistent for the last couple of months.

5. New York Knicks (39-22)

Previous Rankings: 9

Needing a signature win to regain some confidence, the Knicks beat up on the Spurs once again. Mikal Bridges had 25 points to lead the way. New York has won four of its last five games. Because the East remains so wide open, the Knicks remain a popular choice to go to the NBA Finals. They certainly have embraced all of the expectations to get to that point. Feels like it’s now or never with this group of veterans.

4. Boston Celtics (40-20)

Previous Rankings: 5

The Celtics have been one of the winningest teams this season. After being blown out by the Nuggets, they scored 148 points in a win over the Nets. We know what the offense does. It’s the best in the NBA. Will be interesting to see how Jayson Tatum slides in when he returns. That’s one of the biggest storylines left for the rest of the way. He’s on a speedrun to return from a torn Achilles. Depending on how he looks, he could completely shake up the East odds.

3. San Antonio Spurs (43-17)

Previous Rankings: 3

An 11-game win streak came to an end with a loss to the Knicks. It helped the Spurs out tremendously. They’re now within striking distance of the first seed. To start the week, San Antonio picked up a signature win over the Pistons. Victor Wembanyama had 21 points and 17 rebounds. That could be a potential NBA Finals preview. Both teams have had similar seasons where they’re young up-and-coming squads who’ve quickly graduated into being a title contender.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (47-15)

Previous Rankings: 1

Finally, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is back. He had 36 points in a thrilling win over the Nuggets. The Thunder navigated three weeks without him, but see the reigning MVP return. This is the healthiest they’ve been in a minute. If Gilgeous-Alexander can stay healthy the rest of the way, the MVP is his to lose. And OKC should be the title favorite.

1. Detroit Pistons (45-14)

Previous Rankings: 2

Learned a lot about the Pistons this week. Losing to the Spurs and barely beating OKC’s backups makes you rethink their title odds. While they’re the best team in the East and could have the NBA’s best record, Cade Cunningham and friends don’t have enough offensive firepower to win four playoff series. It’ll be a year of learning for Detroit. Which there’s nothing wrong with. Everybody needs to earn some battle scars before they can taste true success in the playoffs.