This list follows NBA.com’s Week 3 power rankings by John Schuhmann, published Monday night, Nov. 2. The Houston Rockets take No. 1, Memphis jumps 12 spots and Golden State jumps 11. Last week’s rank is in brackets, and records are as published, before the end of Monday’s games.
The top 10
| Rank | Team | Record | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston Rockets (4) | 6-1 | Best offense in the league; Alperen Sengun back in the lineup |
| 2 | Detroit Pistons (2) | 5-1 | Best defense in the league; best six-game start in 11 years |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers (5) | 6-1 | All six wins came within five points in the last five minutes |
| 4 | San Antonio Spurs (6) | 4-2 | Four straight wins; Victor Wembanyama had 79 points over two games |
| 5 | Memphis Grizzlies (17) | 6-0 | Then lost 135-134 in OT to New Orleans; see our recap |
| 6 | Boston Celtics (8) | 5-1 | Five straight wins; lost to Houston Monday |
| 7 | Oklahoma City Thunder (1) | 4-2 | Holmgren, Williams and Wallace out long term |
| 8 | Cleveland Cavaliers (11) | 4-2 | Four wins in five games |
| 9 | Portland Trail Blazers (15) | 4-1 | Ja Morant out at least a month with a hamstring injury |
| 10 | New York Knicks (10) | 2-4 | First wins came with big comebacks |
11-30
| Rank | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Los Angeles Lakers (7) | 5-2 |
| 12 | Minnesota Timberwolves (3) | 4-3 |
| 13 | Denver Nuggets (12) | 3-2 |
| 14 | Dallas Mavericks (20) | 4-2 |
| 15 | Golden State Warriors (26) | 4-3 |
| 16 | Toronto Raptors (9) | 3-3 |
| 17 | Miami Heat (21) | 2-4 |
| 18 | Orlando Magic (16) | 2-4 |
| 19 | Atlanta Hawks (13) | 3-4 |
| 20 | Washington Wizards (18) | 3-3 |
| 21 | New Orleans Pelicans (25) | 2-4 |
| 22 | Phoenix Suns (22) | 1-3 |
| 23 | Charlotte Hornets (19) | 3-4 |
| 24 | Indiana Pacers (14) | 2-5 |
| 25 | Utah Jazz (23) | 1-5 |
| 26 | LA Clippers (24) | 1-5 |
| 27 | Chicago Bulls (27) | 1-5 |
| 28 | Brooklyn Nets (28) | 1-5 |
| 29 | Milwaukee Bucks (29) | 1-5 |
| 30 | Sacramento Kings (30) | 0-6 |
Biggest movers
Up
- Grizzlies: +12 (17 to 5). Won in Portland, then beat Sacramento to go 6-0.
- Warriors: +11 (26 to 15). Went 4-0 after an 0-3 start, with wins over the Nuggets, Timberwolves and Lakers.
- Pelicans: +4 (25 to 21). Two straight wins by dominating the paint.
- Mavericks: +6 (20 to 14). Beat the Thunder and Rockets, with Cooper Flagg averaging 29.3 points over three games.
Down
- Pacers: -10 (14 to 24). Lost four straight, including to the Bucks and the Nets.
- Timberwolves: -9 (3 to 12). Anthony Edwards is out for multiple months with a knee issue.
- Raptors: -7 (9 to 16). Went 1-3 without Kawhi Leonard.
- Thunder: -6 (1 to 7). Lost twice by a combined 45 points after a 4-0 start.
East vs. West
The West is 10-2 against the East in interconference games, after going 5-1 last week, according to NBA.com.
Our view
Houston at No. 1 makes sense, given its offense, and Detroit’s defense is the best in the league. We’d be careful with Memphis at No. 5: they were 6-0 when these rankings were written, but the loss in overtime to New Orleans is a reminder of how thin the margin is (see our analysis). And Golden State’s jump looks earned, with three wins over teams currently above .500.
More: NBA scores from Nov. 2 and tonight’s schedule.
Sources: NBA.com – Power Rankings Week 3, ESPN – Rockets-Celtics recap.
