NBA Power Rankings: Hornets Fly High, Knicks Careen Toward Earth

1. San Antonio Spurs (38-7, Previous: #1) -- The Spurs’ eight-game win streak -- it’s third of that length or longer this season, by the way -- was snapped by the hot New Orleans Hornets. San Antonio is 24-2 at home and 14-5 on the road, with four of those five road losses coming against playoff teams. The Rodeo Trip starts next week. Just three of San Antonio’s nine opponents on that trip have winning records. I think the Spurs are safe!

The New York Knicks ended a six-game losing streak on Monday, but the damage is done. The Knicks sit just two games above .500, looking a lot more like an also-ran in a shallow conference than a team one player away from contention. The remainder of the East continues to seize between promising and awful, meanwhile, as the Clippers and Warriors try their best to play with consistency.