NBA Power Rankings Week 16: Toronto Raptors climb to 6th

Last week: Beat Indiana 139-129, beat Houston 125-112, won at Lakers 127-119, beat Utah 124-107

This week: Tuesday at Denver, Thursday vs. San Antonio, Friday at Utah

Don’t look now, but here come the Portland Trail Blazers and their patented middle-of-the-season run. The Blazers have won four straight games after a 4-0 week, matching their longest run of the season. But while the first win streak came against the Suns, Warriors, Magic and Timberwolves, this one included Indiana, Houston, the Lakers and Utah. Yeah. That’s pretty good.

As for Damian Lillard, Dame Dolla has been nothing but a cheat code over the last couple of weeks. In four games last week, his first career triple-double against the Rockets on Wednesday counted as his off night because he only scored 36 points … only 36 points.

He averaged a Wilt Chamberlain-esque 46.3 points per game over the four games, also getting 11.5 assists, 6.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 38.6 minutes a night. He shot 57.3 percent overall and a ridiculous, ludicrous, are-you-kidding-me 58.8 percent on 12.8 3-point attempts a game.

He had four straight games with at least 36 points and 10 assists and twice topped the 50-point mark. Lillard scored 50 in the win over the Pacers last Sunday and then added 51 in Saturday night’s victory over the Jazz. If he hadn’t been such a slacker when the Blazers beat the Lakers in Los Angeles Friday night, he could have had three 50-point games, but he finished with a mere 48.

Last week: Lost at New York 110-97, beat Detroit 125-115, beat Chicago 133-118, lost at Washington 113-107

This week: Monday vs. Phoenix, Wednesday vs. Golden State, Saturday at Toronto

After splitting four games last week, the Brooklyn Nets are still bouncing along a half-game ahead of Orlando for seventh place in the East. The Nets not only lost a game at Washington on Saturday, however. They may also be without Kyrie Irving — who missed 26 games earlier this season with a shoulder injury — after he sprained his knee in the third quarter.

That will put Spencer Dinwiddie back at the starting point guard spot, where he played well during Irving’s absence, as the Nets were 12-6 before losing seven of the final eight games Kyrie was out. Dinwiddie, who changed his number from No. 8 to No. 26 after the death of Kobe Bryant, had 28 points with six assists in 29 minutes against the Pistons on Wednesday.

For the week, Dinwiddie averaged 24.3 points, 6.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 30.5 minutes a game, shooting 46.3 percent overall and making 48.3 percent on 7.3 3-point attempts a game. Irving, meanwhile, was hurt in the game after he lit up the Bulls for a season-high 54 points on Friday night, hitting 19-of-23 overall and 7-of-9 from deep.