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Boston Celtics surge up 2 spots in NBA Power Rankings

By Phil Watson

Boston Celtics Jaylen Brown. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
Boston Celtics Jaylen Brown. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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NBA Power Rankings Golden State Warriors D'Angelo Russell
Golden State Warriors D’Angelo Russell. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Previous: . Golden State Warriors. 29. team. 41. . 9-25

Last week: Beat Minnesota 113-104, beat Houston 116-104, beat Phoenix 105-96, lost to Dallas 141-121

This week: Tuesday at San Antonio, Thursday at Minnesota, Saturday vs. Detroit

The Golden State Warriors finished a 4-1 homestand on a down note Saturday night, but still won a season-high four games in a row — the first time this season the Warriors have won consecutive games. The Mavericks broke open a close game after halftime as Golden State actually led at the break 74-72 before the flood gates opened.

D’Angelo Russell put together a nice week, averaging 29.0 points, 5.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 32.4 minutes per game, shooting 47.0 percent overall and hitting 41.3 percent on 11.5 3-point attempts per game. Against Dallas, Russell scored 35 points and tied a career-high with nine 3-pointers, needing just 14 attempts. He was 9-for-15 at Minnesota on Nov. 12, 2018.

NBA Power Rankings Washington Wizards Gary Payton II
Washington Wizards Gary Payton II. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

142. . 9-22. Previous: . Washington Wizards. 28. team

Last week: Won at New York 121-115, lost at Detroit 132-102, lost to New York 107-100

This week: Monday vs. Miami, Wednesday vs. Orlando, Friday vs. Portland, Saturday vs. Denver

The Washington Wizards are battered, bruised, short-handed and losing … a lot. The Wizards have lost eight of their last 10 games after a 1-2 week last week and they played without All-Star Bradley Beal in Saturday’s loss at home to the Knicks. Beal, along with Ish Smith, had been the only players to appear in every game for Washington.

How thin are the Wizards? Last week, Gary Payton II was with the South Bay Lakers of the G League, leading the circuit with 3.2 steals per game and hadn’t played in an NBA game since Jan. 30. In three games this week, he averaged 11.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.3 steals and 4.0 assists in 31.8 minutes per game, and Saturday made his first NBA start since Dec. 15, 2017.

Life comes at you fast and Payton is moving even faster, with 15 points, six boards and six steals Saturday night against the Knicks. He was the first Wizard with six steals in a game since … Payton did it Monday in New York — the same day he signed with Washington.