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The Times’ NBA rankings

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RANKINGS, COMMENTS THROUGH SATURDAY
BIG DOGS
1. LAKERS (21-4) It’s still not nice to upset Mother Nature, or Kobe. (2)
2. BOSTON (20-5) Not yet immortal: 11-0 run ends in home loss to . . . 76ers? (1)
3. ORLANDO (20-7) Nelson, the leader his young & restless teammates missed, nears return. (3)
NOT-AS-BIG DOGS
4. PHOENIX (18-9) Suns end year against Celtics, Cavaliers, Lakers -- with six vs. top seven rest of way. (5)
5. CLEVELAND (20-7) Reportedly looking for major deal after missing out on Ariza, Stephen Jackson. (6)
6. ATLANTA (19-7) About to go 7-0, blew nine-point lead over Bulls in last 4:00 of regulation. (8)
7. DENVER (19-8) Like pre-Billups Era: He misses game with groin pull. They lose it to Hornets. (4)
8. DALLAS (19-8) Just went 5-0 with little Jose Barea starting alongside Kidd. (7)
9. UTAH (16-11) Looking more like old selves, all right. Still not much on defense, or road. (9)
10. HOUSTON (16-11) As if that’ll stop him: Landry, who was shot and came back, loses five teeth.(10)
11. SAN ANTONIO (14-10) Duncan, whose slow start at 33 had them worried, averages 22.5 in 5-1 run. (11)
12. PORTLAND (16-12) Would be 2-5 without Oden but for coming from 13 down in fourth quarter vs. Suns. (13)
13. OKLAHOMA CITY (13-13) It’s midnight, do you know where your pumpkin is? 1-4, headed here to play Lakers. (12)
14. MIAMI (13-11) Chalmers loses starting job to Arroyo for being late. Also for playing badly. (14)
15. NEW ORLEANS (12-13) Could be MVP every season: Hornets 5-3 since Chris Paul returned. (17)
16. SACRAMENTO (12-14) Omri Casspi, NBA’s first Israeli, becomes starter, gets 21-22 in first two. (18)
17. CLIPPERS (12-14) Great D: Iguodala can’t get game-winner off in time, missing by 0.1 of a second. (19)
DOG DAYS
18. MEMPHIS (11-15) Randolph, Mayo, Conley, Gay, Gasol get 26-20-19-18-17 in win vs. Pacers. (21)
19. MILWAUKEE (11-14) Charlie Bell on Kobe? With the game on the line? Without help? (16)
20. DETROIT (11-15) Youth movement looks better as Stuckey happens, averaging 23 this month. (15)
21. CHICAGO (10-15) How could we have doubted you? Vinny safe again after beating Knicks, Hawks. (27)
22. CHARLOTTE (10-15) Diaw, a Brown favorite last season, in doghouse, down from 15-6-5 to 11-4-3. (20)
23. NEW YORK (9-17) Blew 17-point lead vs. Bulls, came from 19 down vs. Clippers -- in two nights. (23)
24. INDIANA (9-16) With doctors limiting playing time, Dunleavy averaging 15 on 11 shots a game. (22)
25. TORONTO (12-17) Bosh on Turkoglu’s start: “Not the best so far, to be frank.” (24)
26. PHILADELPHIA (7-20) 76ers go 2-1 as Williams, Speights return, Jordan finds rotation -- without injured AI. (28)
27. WASHINGTON (8-17) Got Miller, Foye to get over top. Both near free agency and top’s nowhere in sight. (25)
DOG-GONE
28. MINNESOTA (5-22) Going from pathetic to competitive with Love back, triangle phased out. (29)
29. GOLDEN STATE (7-19) Fans boo Maggette and Radmanovic because front office, the real culprit, isn’t out there.(26)
30. NEW JERSEY (2-26) Kiki’s coach-of-year candidacy fades as 2-1 start precedes 0-7 return to normalcy. (29)
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