The Times’ NBA rankings

Last week’s ranking in parentheses; statistics are through Friday’s games:

1. GOLDEN STATE: Stephen Curry making MVP case; broke own NBA single-season record for three-pointers with 276. (1)

2. SAN ANTONIO: Moving on up: Jumped from sixth to third in Western Conference after 10th consecutive victory. (3)

3. CLEVELAND: Starting to rest players after wrapping up the second seed in the East and Central Division crown. (2)

4. ATLANTA: Produced first 60-win season in club history. Now can the Hawks come out of the Eastern Conference? (4)

5. CLIPPERS: Playing as well as any team in the NBA, having won 11 of 12 games. Closing in on home court in first round. (6)

6. MEMPHIS: Still in position to win the super-tough Southwest Division and the No. 2 seeding in the West. (7)

7. HOUSTON: Consecutive losses to Spurs dropped Rockets from third to sixth in West; could play Spurs in first round. (5)

8. TORONTO: Good news: Could be third in East. Bad news: Positioned to meet Cavaliers in second round. (13)

9. CHICAGO: Getting Derrick Rose (knee) back is good. Better would be if he stays healthy, gets his game back. (8)

10. PORTLAND: Injury woes: Arron Afflalo (shoulder) out 1-2 weeks; Wesley Matthews (Achilles’ tendon) out for season. (9)

11. WASHINGTON: Rested best player, point guard John Wall, two straight games. Probably will finish fifth in East. (14)

12. NEW ORLEANS: Holding eighth playoff spot by sharing the ball. Improved to 25-4 when recording at least 24 assists. (10)

13. DALLAS: Where’s the respect? Seventh-place Mavericks are the team everyone wants to face in West playoffs. (12)

14. BROOKLYN: Nets control their destiny. After winning eight of 10, magic number to clinch playoff berth is two. (11)

15. OKLAHOMA CITY: Russell Westbrook’s teammates helped end four-game losing skid. Tied for eighth with Pelicans. (15)

16. BOSTON: Celtics are making a strong playoff push, going 21-12 since Feb. 21. Tied with Nets for seventh in East. (18)

17. MILWAUKEE: Big turnaround: From NBA-worst 15-67 last season to a magic number of one to clinch a playoff spot. (16)

18. INDIANA: With Paul George back and the NBA’s highest-scoring bench doing its thing, Pacers stay in playoff hunt. (20)

19. UTAH: Future looks bright with forwards Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors, center Rudy Gobert. (23)

20. MIAMI: Heat was “embarrassed” to blow 19-point lead to the Bulls. Worse, loss severely hurt its playoff chances. (17)

21. PHOENIX: The Suns are in a rut, losing eight of their last 10 games and eliminated from playoffs. (19)

22. DETROIT: Not going to playoffs, but still playing hard for most part — no surprise under Coach Stan Van Gundy. (22)

23. CHARLOTTE: Hornets unable to make back-to-back playoff appearances; eliminated after third straight loss. (21)

24. ORLANDO: Rookie point guard Elfrid Payton averages 12.9 points, 9.3 assists, 6.5 rebounds over seven games. (24)

26. SACRAMENTO: DeMarcus Cousins (foot) and Rudy Gay (concussion), who account for 46 points a game, are ailing. (26)

25. DENVER: Injuries to Jameer Nelson (strained hip flexor) and Darrell Arthur (strained calf) are par for the course. (25)
27. LAKERS: All their fans care about is keeping the lottery pick. Well, they just broke a five-game losing streak. (27)

28. PHILADELPHIA: Some believe 76ers have been tanking for the last two seasons. They’ve lost seven straight games. (28)

29. MINNESOTA: Not a very strong finish to the season. The Timberwolves have lost 16 of their last 18. (29)

30. NEW YORK: It’s all about pingpong balls. The more the Knicks lose, the better their chance at No. 1 overall pick. (30)