18. Minnesota Timberwolves (Previous Week: 20)

NBA Power Rankings: Week 9

Ricky Rubio’s return to action was short-lived. He’s sitting out the team’s West coast trip with back spasms, leaving Kevin Love to fend for himself. (AP Photo/Genevieve Ross)

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NBA Power Rankin... By John Butler, XFINITY Sports

It's the first power rankings of 2013. Find out who's moving in the right direction. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

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30. Washington W... Yes, a winning percentage that looks like it could be an MLB earned run average (.133) officially makes the Wizards the laughing stock of the NBA. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

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29. Cleveland Ca... The Cavs have struggled to remain healthy all season. First it was Kyrie Irving. Now Anderson Verejao has been sidelined the last seven games with a bruised right knee. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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28. Charlotte Ho... The Hornets are 29th in the NBA in points scored; their inability to force turnovers may be the reason why. Charlotte forced just five turnovers against the Hawks Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

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27. Charlotte Bo... Eighteen points from Kemba Walker against the Bulls put an end to the Bobcats' 18-game losing streak. It's a start. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

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26. Phoenix Suns... Wins are tough to come by in Phoenix. The Suns were victorious in just one of their last seven games. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)

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25. Orlando Magi... Seven is an unlucky number for the Orlando Magic. A loss to the Chicago Bulls Wednesday night was their seventh straight. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

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24. Sacramento K... The Kings mustered a big win over the Knicks. DeMarcus Cousins had 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. It’s amazing what he can do when his head is in the game. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

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23. Detroit Pist... The Pistons are riding a three-game win streak. It’s nice to see that they are still fighting in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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22. Utah Jazz (P... The Jazz fell victim to the Clippers in back-to-back games. The team has to hope that their victory over the Timberwolves Wednesday night will give them a fresh start. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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21. Philadelphia... The play of the Sixers' bench is a cause for concern this year. Last season, they were fourth in the NBA in scoring with 38.8 points per game. This year the second unit is ranked a dismal 25th, averaging just under 27 points per game. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)

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20. Dallas Maver... Not much has changed in Dallas since the return of Dirk Norwitzki. The Mavs' only win this week came against the worst team in the NBA. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

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19. Toronto Rapt... The Raptors scorched the Trailblazers 102-79 Wednesday night. Three straight wins has them heading in the right direction. A win over the Thunder this Sunday will confirm it. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

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18. Minnesota Ti... Ricky Rubio’s return to action was short-lived. He’s sitting out the team’s West coast trip with back spasms, leaving Kevin Love to fend for himself. (AP Photo/Genevieve Ross)

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17. Boston Celti... The C's are in a four-game skid. Father time continues to call the name of the veteran club. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

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16. Portland Tra... Normally a win over the red-hot Knicks would have the Blazers moving up. An unexpected blowout loss to the Raptors did just the opposite. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

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15. Los Angeles ... First it was the coaching. Now Kobe Bryant is blaming the Lakers' woes on age. Call it what you will, L.A.'s 15-16 start is its worst since 2002. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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14. Brooklyn Net... A 14-14 start to the season couldn't save Avery Johnson. The Nets are still an up-and-down team since the change. They were held to a five-point third quarter in a 104-73 loss to the Spurs. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

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13. Denver Nugge... The Nuggets have won three of their last four, including a win that put an end to the Clippers' 17-game winning streak. Things are looking up in Denver. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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12. Milwaukee Bu... Most experts didn’t expect the Bucks to be a team over .500. Then again, most experts are generally wrong. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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11. Indiana Pace... Lookout for Indiana. The Pacers have won their last six home games and are quietly inching their way toward the head of the pack. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)

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10. Houston Rock... Next month the Houston Rockets will host the NBA All-Star game. If the season ended today, they would also be hosting a playoff game. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

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9. Atlanta Hawks... It’s been a while since Josh Smith was beloved by his hometown fans. Winning five-of-six will do that. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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8. Chicago Bulls... The Bulls matchup against the Pacers was postponed due to weather conditions earlier this week. The delay may have been in their favor. Chicago was able to finish the week 2-1 and avoid the streaking Pacers club. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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7. New York Knic... Amare' Stoudemire is finally back in action for the New York Knicks. Despite his presence off the bench, the Knicks still lost in his return. Could the Knicks really be a better team without the All-Star big man? (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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6. Golden State ... This team is no fluke. David Lee leads the way with 20.1 PPG and 11 rebounds a night. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

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5.. Oklahoma Cit... The Thunder have hit a rare bump in the road. Westbrook's shooting struggles continue at just above 40 percent. Kevin Durant was ejected for the first time in his career as the Thunder dropped the ball against the Nets. Oklahoma is beginning to show signs of frustration. (AP Photo/Bob Levey)

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4.. Memphis Griz... The Grizzlies finished the week a solid 2-2. Good enough to stay in the top five. (AP Photo/Lance Murphey)

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3. San Antonio S... Who said the Spurs are too old to contend? They sure don’t look like it after defeating their last six opponents. (AP Photo/Mike Fuentes)

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2. Miami Heat (P... LeBron James is leading the Miami Heat in points, rebounds, assists and steals. Once again he’s carrying this team. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

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1. Los Angeles C... The Clippers are soaring to new heights. Their 17-game winning streak set a franchise record and propelled them to an undefeated month of December. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

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