NBA Top to Bottom

Team (Record): Comment (Last week’s rank)

1. Chicago (50-17): Oh-oh: Jordan, under 48% in each of first four months, is at 52% in March. (1)

2. Seattle (50-17): SuperSonics still have four games vs. top 10 teams on this list. The Bulls have two. (2)

3. Utah (49-17): Bryon Russell was 24% on three-point shots Jan. 1, but he has been at 43% ever since. (3)

4. Lakers (47-19): But if Van Exel can get back to his form of the first six weeks, you never know. (5)

5. Miami (47-21): So far, no coup. Brent Barry averaging 16 minutes, 4.2 points a game. (4)

6. Indiana (47-20): Hard truth for Larry Legend: Reggie Miller and Dutch Boy aren’t quite legends. (6)

7. Charlotte (43-24): Hottest teams since break: Jazz (18-2), Bulls (16-2) and Hornets (15-6). (8)

8. San Antonio (45-22): Michael, himself, says of Tim Duncan: “He’s certainly an MVP candidate.” (7)

9. Phoenix (45-22): Thanks for coming, little fellows: Shaq knocks Suns around like tenpins. (9)

10. Atlanta (40-26): Blaylock didn’t just have anemic shooting percentage, he actually had anemia. (10)

11. Portland (37-29): Can’t spell quit? Ask Trail Blazers who lost by 65 at Indy, no-showed at Denver. (12)

12. New York (37-30): Booby prize for someone in first round: Looks like Ewing will be back. (12)

13. Cleveland (37-30): You’ve got to hand it to Fratello: When the going got tough, Cavaliers got going. (13)

14. Houston (36-31): What exactly will Drexler tell his Cougar players when they take a bad shot? (18)

15. New Jersey (35-33): Getting everybody--Williams, Van Horn, even Seikaly--back for the stretch drive. (17)

16. Minnesota (35-33): Dudes fade in stretch. When NCAA regular season ended, so did Timberwolves’. (14)

17. Washington (34-33): Howard’s return reunites Fab Two--just in time to lose at home to Nuggets. (15)

18. Orlando (34-33): Perfect: Shaq leaves, Penny deserts and now Nick Anderson pops a hamstring. (16)

19. Detroit (31-36): Old Pistons never die, they just go to work as color commentators for NBC. (21)

20. Boston (29-37): Wheels have come off. Pitino’s TV show now out-rating the games. Honest. (20)

21. Philadelphia (25-41): Put a stopwatch on this romance: Brown gushing over new center . . . Benoit. (23)

22. Milwaukee (29-37): Bottom drops out as Tyrone Hill joins Brandon, Robinson on injured list. (19)

23. Sacramento (26-42): Nicely balanced conference: No. 9 Kings only 9 games out of No. 8 spot. (22)

24. Dallas (16-52): Nelson tries to tank, but his kids don’t get hint, upset Bulls and Celtics. (26)

25. Vancouver (15-52): Dream of first 20-win season fades as Grizzlies go 6-36 since mid-December. (24)

26. Clippers (15-52): They might be tanking too, but how could we tell it from rest of the season? (27)

27. Golden State (14-53): Drop into bottom 3; if Warriors finish there Magic gets their lottery pick. (25)

28. Toronto (15-51): Damon deal worked for someone: Christie averaging 21 in his last 10 games. (28)

29. Denver (8-61): Unexpected 3-1 run boosts little wretches within two wins of cheating history. (29)

Game of the Week

LAKERS AT UTAH

* When--Saturday. * Time--6 p.m. * TV--Channel 9.

* Story line--With little chance of overtaking the teams ahead of them in the West, the Lakers are just trying to prove to someone they still belong with the elite--starting with themselves. The Jazz, of course, unraveled them like a ball of string last spring.