Pistons lose Cunningham; Doncic leads red-hot Lakers

March 23, 2026, 5:06 a.m. CT

We’re under a month to go in the 2025-26 regular season. That means teams are racing in the standings across the league. Both for playoff positioning and tanking purposes. Should equate to another last-second finish as every game is magnified.

The Detroit Pistons received a bombshell. Cade Cunningham will be out for an indefinite amount of time with a collapsed lung. Absolutely brutal. In talks to get the NBA’s best record, now the focus should be to capture the East’s first seed.

Elsewhere, Luka Doncic has played his way into the MVP conversation. He’s put up some monster scoring numbers for the red-hot Los Angeles Lakers. While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still the heavy favorite, the runner-up spot is up for grabs.

Every week, Thunder Wire will release updated 2025-26 NBA Power Rankings. Here is the Mar. 16-22 edition:

30. Indiana Pacers (15-56)

Previous Rankings: 30

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We’re seeing some jaw-dropping losing streaks right now. The Pacers have lost 16 in a row. After valiantly playing for most of the season, Pascal Siakam has missed most of the month. Indiana is going all out to ensure it has top lottery odds. That’s resulted in some nasty basketball. Only the true fans could stomach what’s going on right now. Hopefully, it’ll be worth it in the end as they’re almost done with a gap year.

29. Washington Wizards (16-55)

Previous Rankings: 29

Speaking of a ludicrous losing streak, the Wizards have lost 16 in a row. They’re going all out to fall to the bottom. Aside from a couple of big names, they’re letting their young players naturally lose. Alex Sarr had 14 points and eight assists in a loss to the Thunder. It was the best-case scenario as Washington punched above its weight for most of the game. They at least made it watchable with some fun scoring numbers.

28. Brooklyn Nets (17-54)

Previous Rankings: 27

The polar opposite can be said for the Nets. Just some bad basketball happening there. They scored a season-low 24 points in the first half in a loss to the Thunder. Yep, you read that right. 24 points in a whole half from an NBA team. Unheard of. Some of it is tanking. But most of it is just having a bad roster. If any franchise needs to top pick, it’s Brooklyn. It badly needs a franchise face. Right now, they don’t have that.

27. Sacramento Kings (19-53)

Previous Rankings: 28

Panic is ensuing. The Kings are picking up some costly wins. Not that long ago, they were comfortably at the bottom of the standings. Now, they’re among a pack of bad teams. Just a disastrous management of assets. At least Maxime Raynaud has been an awesome find. He had back-to-back 30-point games in losses to the Sixers and Spurs. But Sacramento badly needs to get a top draft pick. Sitting out all its veterans is the best way to do that.

26. Utah Jazz (21-50)

Previous Rankings: 26

Some of the best parts of March basketball are that tanking teams put up some funny box scores. The Jazz have pulled out all of the stops to bottom out. All of their veterans are basically done for the season. That gives their young players a chance to log serious minutes. You saw Ace Bailey take advantage of that. He had 33 points in a rare win over the Bucks. These last-season performances are your crumbs of hope.

25. Dallas Mavericks (23-48)

Previous Rankings: 25

The Mavericks have made up for lost time. They’ve lost four of their last five games. Cooper Flagg had 21 points in a loss to the Pelicans. They’re near the bottom of the standings. Rest of the season will be pretty forgettable. Right now, it’s about debating who might best fit next to the 19-year-old. March Madness has given Dallas a chance to see some prospects under the national spotlight.

24. Memphis Grizzlies (24-46)

Previous Rankings: 23

Talk about being a late bloomer in the tank race. The Grizzlies have lost 10 of their last 11 games. Ty Jerome had 21 points in an upset win over the Nuggets. Aside from that, though, Memphis has done an excellent job at tanking. All of their best players are out. It’s a bunch of fake NBA players who are absorbing a ton of minutes. It’s gone under the radar because of their market size, but it’s the right move to make. They badly need some fresh blood.

23. New Orleans Pelicans (25-47)

Previous Rankings: 24

Well, the Pelicans are full of fake hope right now. They’ve won six of nine games. You can chalk it up to March basketball, but New Orleans could convince itself that it should run it back with this group. Zion Williamson has enjoyed one of his healthiest seasons. Trey Murphy III has also turned into a 20-point scorer. They will have a real fork in the road moment this upcoming offseason.

22. Chicago Bulls (28-42)

Previous Rankings: 22

Even with the Bulls waving the white flag on their season, Josh Giddey has shown some promise. That’s all Chicago can ask for at this point. He’s turned into a triple-double machine. He had 16 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists in a win over the Grizzlies. I know the triple-double’s value has dropped over the last handful of years due to an uptick in pace, but don’t tell that to the Bulls. That’s all they have left to root for. Pending the lottery results.

21. Milwaukee Bucks (29-41)

Previous Rankings: 21

We could be seeing the final moments of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s time on the Bucks. Sadly, it will likely end ugly. He’ll miss at least a week with a hyperextended knee. Naturally, Milwaukee is ready to shut things down with the two-time MVP winner. It was noble of him to suit up, but their Hail-Mary postseason odds are basically over. He doesn’t want to hear that, though. ESPN has reported he wants to keep playing. Both sides are at a crossroads right now. It’ll be interesting to see if he plays again. Because it will likely be the last time he does so in their uniform.

20. Golden State Warriors (33-38)

Previous Rankings: 20

Losers of eight of their last nine games, help is on the way. Stephen Curry is closer to returning. He’s missed nearly two months with knee problems. Shouldn’t be a shocker to see them fall in the standings in his absence. Thankfully, Golden State has remained in the postseason picture. It’s basically locked to be in the play-in tournament. But that doesn’t make this recent stretch easier to stomach. Just some bad basketball that exposes how bad their depth is.

19. Portland Trail Blazers (35-37)

Previous Rankings: 19

Things are turning around for the Trail Blazers. At the right time, too. They’ve won four of their last six games. Donovan Clingan has exploded onto the scene. He had 28 points and 13 rebounds in a win over the Pacers. Portland is seeing him make an NBA jump. While that’s exciting for their postseason ambitions this year, it’s even more so for their long-term picture. They’ve whiffed on recent prospects. But he feels like a sure-fire hit to at least be a starter.

18. Phoenix Suns (40-32)

Previous Rankings: 16

Oh man, things are getting bad for the Suns. They’ve dropped five in a row before they blew out the Raptors. The one that stung the most has to be against the Spurs. On the verge of a resume win, Phoenix absolutely collapsed in the final minute. Devin Booker had just 22 points. Phoenix’s spot in the play-in is basically secured, but the vibes are pretty bad there right now. After playing above its weight, they’re starting to fall apart near the finish line.

17. Orlando Magic (38-32)

Previous Rankings: 15

The roller coaster season continues. After winning seven in a row, the Magic have dropped four straight. It was a rough week, too. They were humiliated by the Hawks in a possible play-in preview. The next night, they lost a heartbreaker to the Thunder. At least Paolo Banchero had 32 points in that one. But losing to Luke Kennard on a game-winner is so demoralizing. This has been Orlando all year. It’s shown flashes, but has mostly been a frustrating squad to follow.

16. Miami Heat (38-33)

Previous Rankings: 13

Speaking of a roller coaster, at least the Magic have company. From within the same state, too. The Heat are ice-cold right now. After winning seven in a row, they also dropped four straight. Brutal. A couple of losses to the Lakers and Rockets were cruel as Miami was right there to get the win. Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo combined for 57 points, but that combo performance went in vain in a one-point loss to Houston. This is who Miami is at this point. A decent squad that can get hot or cold at any given time.

15. Philadelphia 76ers (39-32)

Previous Rankings: 18

Despite their three best players being out simultaneously, the Sixers have stayed on the winning side of things. You can thank a cupcake stretch of their schedule for that. Also, it helps that VJ Edgecombe has put up some of his best numbers as the undisputed top option. He had 38 points in a win over the Kings. He then tallied 22 points and 13 rebounds in a win over the Jazz. After hitting a rookie wall for the middle of the season, he’s finally broken out of it with some pick-me-up games against basement dwellers. Good stretch for Philadelphia considering who’s out.

14. LA Clippers (35-36)

Previous Rankings: 12

Badly needing a win, the Clippers finally snapped a four-game losing streak. They survived a thriller in a win over the Mavericks. Darius Garland had his best game in a LA uniform yet. He scored 41 points to complement Kawhi Leonard’s 34 points. As much as it pains me to say it, I gotta give LA credit for its historic turnaround. They’re the most dangerous lower seed out West. Leonard has played his way into the All-NBA conversation despite a roster reshuffling.

13. Charlotte Hornets (37-34)

Previous Rankings: 14

Speaking of teams that completely changed the trajectory of their season, the Hornets have remained one of the NBA’s best squads since the New Year’s. They’ve won five of their last six games. Just like LA, nobody should want to face Charlotte in Round 1 of the playoffs. The sample size is large enough to understand that their record doesn’t reflect their talent. Coby White had his best game since he arrived there with 27 points in a win over the Magic. Everything is going right in Charlotte, for the first time in a while.

12. Toronto Raptors (39-31)

Previous Rankings: 17

Some pretty good recent work done by the Raptors. They’ve won three of their last five games. They had an easy win over the Bulls before barely losing to the Nuggets. At this point, Toronto is what it is. The defense is the real deal. The offense, on the other hand, isn’t equipped to make a serious playoff run. Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett are nice pieces, but if they’re your most talented scorers, then that severely limits your ceiling. But hey, credit them for squeezing the most juice they can out of this weird roster.

11. Atlanta Hawks (39-32)

Previous Rankings: 11

Well, an 11-game win streak finally ended. The Rockets handed them their first loss in a month. There was a lot of weird talk about how legitimate it was, but wins are wins in the NBA. Doesn’t matter if Atlanta took care of business against the lower half of the league. Especially since most had them done for the year. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has one of the best bargain deals in the NBA. Rookie-scale contracts aside. He scored a career-best 41 points in a crucial win over the Magic. I like how Atlanta has completely changed on the fly without any real hiccups.

10. Houston Rockets (43-27)

Previous Rankings: 8

Desperate for some momentum, the Rockets handed the Hawks their first loss in a month. They then got a close win over the Heat as Kevin Durant passed Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list. Houston badly needed those pick-me-up games. Two straight losses to the Lakers had folks in an existential crisis. A lot of problems remain with the Rockets and their ultimate playoff ceiling, though. They’re a team whose record is more lofty than the actual talent. There’s a reason why ESPN said other West teams are jockeying to face them in the playoffs.

9. Minnesota Timberwolves (44-28)

Previous Rankings: 10

Right now, the Timberwolves are in survival mode. Anthony Edwards will miss at least a week with knee inflammation. Perhaps there’s no worse time for that to show up than right now. Minnesota is in the thick of it in a positioning battle with the rest of the West. They’re in danger of falling into the play-in tournament if things don’t go right. Playing with their food all season, all those bad losses could come back to bite them. At least they picked up a signature win over the Celtics to make up for some of it.

8. Denver Nuggets (44-28)

Previous Rankings: 9

Speaking of fanbases being slapped with reality, things have gotten grim with the Nuggets. For the first time this season, people are openly questioning if this team is good enough to be a contender. Injuries were a valid excuse for a while. And Peyton Watson finally returned from a hamstring strain. But Denver’s bottom-tier defense has rung some alarms. A flat-out bad loss to the tanking Grizzlies made things even worse. Nikola Jokic has dropped out of the MVP race. He just hasn’t been the efficient one-man machine as before. There should be a sense of urgency.

7. Cleveland Cavaliers (44-27)

Previous Rankings: 7

Winners of four of five, the Cavaliers are rolling. Albeit against some NBA cupcakes. It didn’t take long for James Harden to figure out how to play with his new squad. He had 36 points in a win over the Bulls and 27 points in a win over the Bucks. For all his playoff faults, you’re at least guaranteed a regular-season machine who seldom misses games. Even with a broken finger. Cleveland is geared up for a playoff run. This time, it hopes to make it past the second round with a roster shakeup.

6. New York Knicks (47-25)

Previous Rankings: 6

Getting hot at the right time, the Knicks have won six in a row. With the caveat that it’s been mostly against the league’s worst teams. But hey, you can only play who’s on your schedule. It’s someone different every night who leads New York. Josh Hart had 33 points in a win over the Pacers. Karl-Anthony Towns tallied 26 points and 15 rebounds in a win over the Nets. They’re on the short list of teams that could make it to the NBA Finals out of the East.

5. Boston Celtics (47-24)

Previous Rankings: 4

Speaking of teams getting hot at the right time, the Celtics continue to be a win machine. They’ve won four of their last five games. Jaylen Brown had 41 points in a win over the Suns. Jayson Tatum continues to knock off the rust from his torn Achilles recovery. The rest of the regular season will be about the latter. If he can get more comfortable by the playoffs, Boston should easily be the favorite out East. They just have too much pedigree. Let’s also see if they can stay in second place.

4. Los Angeles Lakers (46-25)

Previous Rankings: 5

It was quite the week for Luka Doncic. He’s catapulted himself up the MVP conversation. To the point he’s being viewed as the current runner-up. The Lakers have won nine in a row as he’s played his best basketball in years. He had 40 points in a win over the Rockets. He then dropped 60 points in a win over the Heat. He also avoided a one-game suspension as his 16th technical foul was rescinded. Everything is going right for him. The media noise has grown to obnoxious levels as Los Angeles has gotten hot at the right time.

3. Detroit Pistons (51-19)

Previous Rankings: 3

After a historic start, the Pistons will limp to the finish line. They received some brutal news when Cade Cunningham sustained a collapsed lung in a win over the Wizards. Scary stuff. Even beyond just the NBA implications. It’s unknown how much time he’ll miss, but it’ll be a surprise to see him return in the regular season. That means he’s at risk of being disqualified for MVP and All-NBA. Just awful. No way around it. Can’t take a glass-half-full approach here. Right now, Detroit is in survival mode to keep the first seed out East without its best player. That’ll be a tall task.

2. San Antonio Spurs (53-18)

Previous Rankings: 2

We’re witnessing an arms race atop the West standings. The Spurs have won 10 of 11 games. That’s kept them within striking distance of capturing the first seed. Worst-case scenario, they’ll enter the playoffs as the second seed. San Antonio has figured out how to win games. Even when it isn’t its sharpest. Look no further than their comeback win over the Suns. Victor Wembanyama scored the game-winner in an improbable comeback. Poetically enough, that clinched their postseason spot. The first in years. Despite their youth, the Spurs should be taken as an inner-circle contender.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (56-15)

Previous Rankings: 1

Getting hot, the Thunder have won 11 in a row. It’s the longest active win streak in the NBA. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has played like the MVP favorite. He had 40 points in a win over the Magic. And then dropped the same amount in a win over the Wizards. With the playoffs around the corner, OKC is getting healthy. Jalen Williams is set to return from a two-month absence against the Sixers. Wrist surgery and hamstring strains have limited him this year. Which makes the Thunder sitting atop the standings for most of the season even more impressive. The reigning NBA champions are the odds-on favorite to repeat.