NBA Power Rankings: Hornets continue surprising rise

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Good luck trying to figure out these Charlotte Hornets.

One of the league's best stories in the season's first two months, racing out to a 14-8 start, things went south. Steve Clifford's group dropped 12 of 15 between December and January and appeared on track to miss the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons.

They inched their way back to relevance in January, coming within a game of .500 at 22-23, then 24-25. They finally got back to .500 on Feb. 8 with a home win over the Bulls. And since that time, they've been on fire.

Led by a dominant Kemba Walker, who was named the Eastern Conference player of the week, Charlotte has won 13 of 15 and, after being left for dead, sits tied for 5th in the East and just 1.5 games behind third-seeded Boston.

They're the biggest risers in this week's power rankings. Here's how the other 29 teams fared:

Previous power rankings: Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16 | Week 17 | Week 18 | Week 19

Rank (LW) Team
Record Comment
1 (1) 59-6  They needed a 37-point fourth quarter to avoid an embarrassing home loss to the Suns on Saturday. As it stands, they'll need a 14-3 finish to top the Bulls' mark. It looks like it'll happen, especially if they beat the Spurs on Saturday.
(2) 56-10  Impressive home wins against the Bulls and Thunder to close the week give them a 32-0 record at the AT&T Center. Saturday night's showdown there against the Warriors could be an instant classic (and they play twice more after that).
(3) 47-18  There are days you wonder whether they'll even make it out of the East (Monday's loss to Memphis). Then there are days you wonder if they really can compete with Golden State in a seven-game series (24-point road win over the Clips).
4 (4) 44-20  DeMar DeRozan was an absolute monster Saturday night in Toronto's overtime win against the Heat. He went for a season-high 38 points and grabbed 10 boards, keeping Toronto within reaching distance of Cleveland for the No. 1 seed.
5 (5) 44-22  Incredibly they've now lost six of nine, the worst of those coming Saturday at home to the Timberwolves. There's time to right the ship, and they'll need to do so to stay in the No. 3 spot (and avoid the Warriors in Round 2).
6 (6)   42-23  Sunday's matchup against the Cavs would have been a chance to make a statement. A 24-point loss later, the next chance they'll have to do just that is Tuesday in San Antonio.
7 (9)   38-29  They've now won seven of their last nine and are in the race for the No. 3 seed in the East. Their only two losses in that span were at Golden State and at Toronto. And both were single-digit defeats. Al Horford and Co. are heating up at the right time.
8 (7)   38-28  Can't say enough about how much Joe Johnson has helped the Bosh-less Heat offense. In eight games Johnson is averaging 15.5 points on 57 percent shooting. Miami has won six of eight in that span.
9 (8)   39-27  It'll be on Brad Stevens to figure out his rotation in the wake of Jae Crowder's sprained ankle that'll keep him out two weeks. Boston is clinging to a one-game lead on the No. 3 seed over Miami.
10 (12)   37-28  The Hornets have won seven in a row. In those games, Kemba Walker has averaged Curry-like numbers: 28.6 points, 53% FG, 3.6 3-pointers, 6.9 assists. Charlotte looks like a lock for the postseason after being left for dead two months ago.
11 (11)   39-27  It's incredible they've been able to piece parts together and remain in the playoff hunt without a host of key players. They're 9-5 since Marc Gasol was lost for the season with a broken foot.
12 (10)   35-32  It would have been nice to see them put up more of a fight in Golden State (16-point loss). But they responded nicely Saturday, thumping the Magic by 37 points. The Blazers hit 17 triples in that one, two days after connecting on 18 triples against the Dubs.
13 (13)   35-31  Indiana took a big step forward toward making the postseason with an impressive win over the Spurs on Monday. Monta Ellis and Paul George combined for 49 points in that one. Three more tests this week, hosting Boston, Toronto and Oklahoma City.
14 (15)   34-32  The time is now for Detroit to make their move. After a road tilt in Washington, D.C., on Monday they'll play nine straight at home. If they want to hang on to that No. 8 seed, it'll happen based on what happens in March.
15 (17)   33-33 Before running into the buzzsaw that is the Charlotte Hornets, James Harden and the Rockets picked up impressive road wins against the Raptors and Celtics. They're currently tied with Dallas for seventh in the West, two games up on Utah.
16 (16)   32-32 Playoff odds are looking bleaker for the Bulls, who are now dealing with injuries to Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol just as Jimmy Butler returns to the lineup. They're only one game back of the Pistons for the No. 8 seed, but Detroit owns the tiebreaker.
17 (20)    31-35 They stopped the bleeding with wins over the Wizards and Kings, but they've still got plenty of work to do if they're going to catch the Mavericks or Rockets.
18 (21)    29-38 More Giannis Antetokounmpo love. In his last 11 games he's logged four triple-doubles, averaging 20.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.9 blocks per game in 38.5 minutes. He just turned 21 years old.
19 (14)   33-33  A head-scratching five-game losing streak has them on the verge of dropping out of the playoff chase. And now they get a red-hot Hornets team, followed by Cleveland, Golden State, Portland at home, Portland on the road and Golden State again. Yikes.
20 (24)   28-38  They've won four straight, tying the Warriors (yes, those Warriors) for the longest current winning streak in the West. Emmanuel Mudiay has really turned a corner in his rookie season, averaging 19.7 points and 5.7 assists in his last six games.
21 (18)   30-35  John Wall is quietly putting up MVP numbers. But it may be too little, too late for the Wizards, who have now lost five straight and are 3.5 games out of the No. 8 seed in the East. One of the conference's biggest disappointments.
22 (22)   28-37  With the playoffs now out of reach, might be time for Scott Skiles to really unleash rookie Mario Hezonja. He's averaging 23.1 minutes per game in March in a crowded Magic backcourt. #FreeSuperMario.
23 (23)   24-41  Don't tell Anthony Davis to coast down the stretch for a lottery-bound team. In his last four games he's averaged 31.3 points and 11.8 rebounds. Of course, the injury-ravaged Pelicans are 1-3 in those games.
24 (19)   25-40  The Kings have imploded. They've lost nine of 10, DeMarcus Cousins was suspended for screaming at George Karl in a huddle and are 7.5 games out of the No. 8 seed in the West. Just a dysfunctional organization from the top down.
25 (26)   21-45  Ricky Rubio's triple with 0.2 seconds remaining won it for the Wolves in Oklahoma City. But the real story was Karl-Anthony Towns, who had 17 points and 12 rebounds, including two key buckets and a huge block on KD in the final minute.
26 (25)   28-40  Probably not a majority opinion, but if the Knicks heed Carmelo Anthony's advice and make a significant move in free agency they aren't that far away from competing in the East.
27 (27) 18-48  In a lost season, the Nets may have found something in Sean Kilpatrick. The former Cincinnati Bearcat has played well, averaging 13.6 points and 2.0 triples in his last five games. The former All-American has always been able to score.
28 (29) 14-53  The young Lakers are looking better each night. Julius Randle has averaged 15.1 points on 50 percent shooting and 9.9 rebounds in his last eight games. He's rounded into form nicely after a quiet first half.
29 (30) 17-49  Not much to play for in Phoenix, but it'll be fun to watch Devin Booker and Brandon Knight work together in the Suns' backcourt. On Saturday they combined for 48 points and 18 assists in a near-win over the Warriors.
30 (28) 9-57  A six-point win over the Nets at home isn't usually anything to write about. But it marked the Sixers' first win since Feb. 6 and snapped a 13-game losing streak. Congrats. Almost up to double-digit W's.
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