On Monday, two Week 4 NBA power rankings went up within hours of each other and named different teams No. 1. NBA.com had the Spurs on top, and ClutchPoints had the 76ers. By Wednesday night Philadelphia had lost 123-101 at home to Boston, San Antonio had won its 10th straight, and the Lakers had won their seventh in a row to reach a league-best 11-2.

CBS published Wednesday morning, before that night’s games. None of the three lists had the Celtics higher than fourth.

That’s why this Week 5 re-rank is coming now instead of waiting for the next round of lists. The order below weighs record, the efficiency numbers NBA.com published Monday (the most recent full set this piece could verify), and an injury report that hits the Lakers and Warriors at the same time. Each entry names the condition that keeps a team where it is, because some of those conditions get tested before the weekend is out. Austin Reaves was due for imaging Thursday, and the Warriors visit San Antonio on Friday.

1. San Antonio Spurs (10-2)

Holds the spot if: the wins keep coming as the schedule gets harder.

The Spurs are first or second on all three lists above, and nothing since Monday argues for moving them down. They won 124-119 at Chicago on Wednesday for their 10th straight, with Victor Wembanyama scoring 32 and Dylan Harper adding 18 points and 10 assists. According to an NBA post cited by Heavy, they’re only the second team to start 0-2 and then win 10 in a row, after the 2017-18 Celtics. Wembanyama has averaged 32.6 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.5 blocks during the run. The market has them on top too: DraftKings made San Antonio the title favorite at +300 as of Wednesday afternoon, per ESPN.

Caveat: the schedule. ClutchPoints noted that the first eight wins of the streak came against teams with a combined 20-26 record. Wednesday’s win also took a comeback from 22 points down in the second quarter against a Bulls team that is now 1-9. Devin Vassell (left adductor tightness) has missed two straight games. On paper, Friday’s Cup game against Golden State is a harder test, though how much harder depends on Stephen Curry’s status.

2. Boston Celtics (10-2)

Holds the spot if: the underlying numbers stay at the top of the league.

This is the strongest challenge to San Antonio, and it rests on more than a streak. Boston was sixth on NBA.com’s list at 8-2 on Monday. It’s 10-2 now and first in the East after road wins on back-to-back nights. On Tuesday it beat the 76ers 123-101 in Philadelphia behind 36 points from Paul George. On Wednesday, with George out sick, it trailed Toronto 59-37 in the second quarter, scored the next 16 points (Jayson Tatum had the first 10) and won 98-93 when Tatum hit the tying and go-ahead free throws with 25.2 seconds left. As of Monday, NBA.com had Boston first in the league in net rating at +11.6, and ClutchPoints called it the only team in the top four in both offensive and defensive rating.

Caveat: Toronto played without Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes, so falling 22 behind a short-handed team counts against Boston as much as the comeback counts for it. The gap between first and second is narrow. The streak is what keeps the Spurs ahead. If San Antonio drops a game Boston would be expected to win, the numbers case could be enough to flip the order.

3. Los Angeles Lakers (11-2)

Holds the spot if: Reaves’ imaging doesn’t point to a long absence, and the defense starts catching up to the offense.

The Lakers have the best record in the league and a seven-game streak to go with it. The latest was a 123-112 win at Milwaukee on Wednesday, with Luka Doncic scoring 32 and Sandro Mamukelashvili adding 23. The market has moved with them: DraftKings had the Lakers at 40-1 for the title at the start of the season and 22-1 by Wednesday afternoon, per ESPN. They’re third rather than first because of the other end of the floor. As of Monday they ranked first in offensive rating (121.7) and 21st in defensive rating (114.1), per NBA.com. CBS Sports pointed to Doncic as part of the fix, noting the Lakers’ defense is eight points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor.

Caveat: the injury report could move them more than the standings this week. Reaves landed awkwardly after a missed fast-break dunk in the third quarter, left with a left heel injury and didn’t return. X-rays at the arena were negative, and coach JJ Redick said the team would do more imaging back in Los Angeles on Thursday. He ruled out any concern about the Achilles. Doncic turned his right ankle with 4:25 left and said afterward, “I’m good.” That was his own read on the night, not a medical update, and no further news on either player had been reported when this was written. The Lakers don’t play again until Sunday against Phoenix. The clearest test of where they stand comes later in the month: they’re in the same Cup group as San Antonio, and group play ends with Lakers-Spurs on Nov. 27.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves (8-3)

Holds the spot if: what was the league’s best defense on Monday stays that way.

NBA.com ranked the Wolves third on Monday, with the No. 1 defensive rating (105.1) and the No. 2 net rating (+11.1). CBS Sports also had them third on Wednesday. They’ve won four straight, a run NBA.com tied partly to Ayo Dosunmu, who led the team at 21.6 points a game while Anthony Edwards was out.

Caveat: no spot on this list is more exposed to fresher evidence. Minnesota’s record hasn’t changed since Monday’s lists, while Boston and Houston have both added two wins. The market is cooler on the Wolves too: DraftKings had them at 17-1, behind Houston at 13-1. This ranking rests on efficiency, and Houston would be a fair choice here instead.

5. Houston Rockets (9-3)

Holds the spot if: the late-game trouble from their two-game skid doesn’t come back.

Houston started 7-1, lost two straight and has since won two more, the latest a 115-108 win over Golden State on Wednesday. As of Monday, NBA.com had the Rockets second in offensive rating and fourth in net rating (+9.2), with a league-high six wins over teams with winning records.

Caveat: NBA.com also noted the Rockets scored nine points on 12 clutch possessions across those two losses. Curry left Wednesday’s game in the first quarter, so the win says less about how Houston matches up with a full-strength contender.

6. Oklahoma City Thunder (8-4)

Holds the spot if: two straight losses are a dip and not a trend.

NBA.com had the Thunder second on Monday, and DraftKings had them as the second title favorite (+450) on Wednesday. Both are reasons to think sixth is too low. The case for keeping them here is recent: two losses in a row since those lists, and an offense that ranked 17th as of Monday, per NBA.com.

Caveat: the market rates Oklahoma City above everyone on this list except San Antonio. If the losses turn out to be a blip, this is the team with the most room to jump several spots in one week.

7. Philadelphia 76ers (9-3)

Holds the spot if: they keep winning the close ones.

ClutchPoints had the 76ers No. 1 on Monday at 9-2. Since then they’ve lost by 22 at home to Boston. NBA.com’s numbers explain why they’re seventh here. Eight of their wins came in clutch games, but as of Monday their point differential was only +3.1 a game, and their net rating of +2.7 ranked 15th.

Caveat: winning close games takes some skill as well as luck, and DraftKings had the Sixers at +800, level with Boston. The market isn’t marking them down the way this list does, and a few more close wins would make that gap harder to defend.

8. Golden State Warriors (8-4)

Holds the spot if: any absence for Stephen Curry turns out to be short.

The Warriors started 0-3 and then won eight straight. The run ended Wednesday with a 115-108 loss at Houston. Curry hit a 28-foot 3-pointer with 7:22 left in the first quarter, yelled in pain and signaled to the bench. He was ruled out early in the second quarter with right abdominal soreness and went for an MRI on his abdomen and oblique. “Concern is high,” Steve Kerr said. “But I have no idea the extent.” The team is worried but doesn’t yet know how serious the injury is, and no MRI result had been reported when this was written.

That result matters more to the Warriors’ place on this list than anything in their record. Curry averaged 33.8 points over the first seven games of the streak, per NBA.com, which is the main reason a Curry-less version of this team is hard to rank from the outside.

Caveat: eighth is a holding position. With Curry, the Warriors were on a run that put them sixth on CBS Sports’ list. If he misses time, the case for ranking them behind Portland (8-3) and Detroit (7-3) gets stronger. Friday’s game at San Antonio (9:30 p.m. ET, Prime Video, West Group C) is the first evidence either way. It’s also the Spurs’ next test, so one result could move both the top and the bottom of this list.

Odds are DraftKings via ESPN as of Nov. 11, 2026, 1:24 p.m. ET, before that night’s games, and are subject to change. Records are from ESPN standings as of Nov. 12, 2026.

Disclosure: Bounty Sports may earn a commission from sportsbooks named on this page. It does not change which numbers we quote or which side we argue.

21+ where applicable — check the legal age in your state. Nothing on this page is a guaranteed outcome. Bet only what you can afford to lose. If gambling is causing you or someone you know harm, call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738), or chat at 1800myreset.org.