NBA Power Rankings: Bucks stay on top, Knicks vault up to third

The Bucks hold on to the top spot in this week’s NBC Sports NBA Power Rankings, but the news is just below them where the Nuggets have climbed up to second and the Knicks have vaulted up to third.

 1. Bucks (47-18, Last week No. 1). Milwaukee’s 16-game win-streak was snapped when its top-three defense let Philadelphia put up 48 in the fourth quarter. The Bucks bounced back from that bad 12 minutes with a couple of wins since, and with Boston slipping Milwaukee has a 2.5-game cushion for the top seed in the East. That matters because it puts them on the opposite side of the bracket from the Celtics and 76ers, who would have to go through each other before facing Giannis Antetokounmpo and company. The Bucks are happy to let them beat each other up. Three game road trip starts Saturday in Golden State in a nationally televised showdown against Stephen Curry and friends.

 2. Nuggets (46-19, LW 3). The Nuggets have won four straight and 8-of-9. What should give Nuggets fans the most hope heading into the playoffs is they are a league-best 30-4 at home. The big playoff concern about this team is on the defensive end, but over their last 15 games Denver’s 112 defensive rating is eighth best in the NBA — if they are playing top-10 defense come the postseason their chances of getting to the Finals jump dramatically. Starting Friday in San Antonio, Denver has 6-of-7 on the road, but most of this week is a relatively soft schedule.

 3. Knicks (39-28, LW 6). In a reminder of how much Jalen Brunson means to this team, the Knicks’ nine-game winning streak was snapped by a Wembanyama-chasing Hornets team because he was out. While there is still time for things to go sideways in a way Knicks fans are all too familiar with, this