NBA Power Rankings Week 15: Concerns for Milwaukee Bucks, other contenders

Last week: Lost to Denver 107-100, lost at Chicago 117-100, lost to Houston 131-124, lost to Oklahoma City 113-104

This week: Monday vs. Sacramento, Saturday at Clippers

Target Center continues to be a house of horrors for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have lost five straight at home — including all three from last week — and are tied with Cleveland and New York for the worst home record in the NBA at a dismal 6-17. Minnesota has fallen 6½ games behind eighth-place Memphis in the West into 14th place. Playoffs? Uhhhh, not likely.

But you can’t blame Karl-Anthony Towns, who went on a tear last week, averaging 33.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 blocks in 32.4 minutes per game while shooting 56.2 percent overall and hitting 44.4 percent on 6.8 3-point tries a game. That total included 37 points, eight rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks in the loss to the Thunder Saturday night.

Last week: Lost at Milwaukee 111-98, beat Minnesota 117-110, lost to Sacramento 98-81, won at Cleveland 118-106

This week: Monday vs. San Antonio, Wednesday at Indiana, Friday at Brooklyn

It was two up and two down for the Chicago Bulls last week, including a back-to-back split the hard way Friday and Saturday, losing at home to the Kings Friday night before going on the road Saturday and winning at Cleveland. For as inconsistent as the Bulls have been, they are only three games behind the Nets for eighth place in the East.

But they’ll have to handle at least the next four to six weeks without Lauri Markkanen, who is sidelined with a stress reaction in his right hip. It makes the Thaddeus Young signing seem almost prescient now, as the veteran has stepped in as the starter at the 4 with 21 points and 11 rebounds in his first two games in the new role.

Zach LaVine salvaged a tough week with a 44-point explosion at Cleveland, a game in which he also had 10 rebounds and eight assists. For the week, he averaged 28.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals in 35.4 minutes per game, shooting 44.3 percent overall and hitting 37.1 percent on 8.8 3-point tries a game.