NBA / TOP TO BOTTOM

Team (record) Comment (last week’s position)

1. Philadelphia (33-10) Just past halfway mark, lead pack

by two games and East by six. (1)

2. Portland (32-14) See ya: Home for eight of nine while

Lakers are on road for nine of 12. (2)

3. Sacramento (29-12) Vlade lives! Our slow-starting former

big guy at 13 points and nine rebounds this month. (3)

4. San Antonio (26-15) Wake-up call came through: Duncan scores

36, 33 in wins at Sacramento, Utah. (5)

5. Lakers (27-14) Fans hoping next summer Kobe works on

10-footers instead of 20-footers. (4)

6. Utah (27-15) Mailman’s 22.7 average is his lowest

since second season--14 years ago. (6)

7. Milwaukee (26-16) Not that there’s a good time to go there,

but Bucks averaging 105 this month. (7)

8. New York (25-16) Without Camby, Jeff Van Gundy may have

to try clinging to Shaq’s ankle. (8)

9. Dallas (28-18) And the Mavericks get along! Nowitzki

and Finley both averaging 25 in January. (9)

10. Miami (27-18) Slow and steady: After 6-10 start,

Heat up to No. 4 in the East. (11)

11. Minnesota (27-18) Timex watch of the West: Timberwolves

take a licking, but they keep on ticking. (13)

12. Denver (26-18) Greatest little pirate of all: Since

the mutiny, Van Exel averaging 19. (12)

13. Seattle (26-21) Oops: Ruben Patterson, cut by Lakers,

is averaging 17.3 in January. 16)

14. Phoenix (24-18) Here’s how desperate Suns are: Skiles

was thinking of making comeback. (10)

15. Charlotte (24-21) Hornets were 19-9 when Coleman returned.

Silas doesn’t think it’s a coincidence. (14

16. Toronto (23-21) Year-after-MJ-comparison blues: Mom

says Vince just wants to be alone. (15)

17. Indiana (20-22) Just like Isiah said, finals here we

come: Pacers now No. 8 in East. (18)

18. Cleveland (20-21) Hang in with Traylor, who’s a natural

sumo wrestler, playing center. (19)

19. Houston (22-22) Owner gives Hakeem good/bad news: You’re

here for duration, Mr. Rocket. (17)

20. Orlando (19-23) Promising Mike Miller available since

he plays Grant Hill’s position. (20)

21. Boston (17-26) 5-4 under O’Brien as players strive

to show Pitino was problem, not them. (23)

22. Atlanta (15-27) Hawks competitive (10-11) at home, but

they’re dog meat (4-16) on road. (21)

23. Detroit (16-28) Irvine and Dumars fume about effort, but

sad truth is, they’re not too good. (22)

24. New Jersey (14-31) It’s not effort here, either: Byron lashes

Nets, but they are who they are. (25)

25. Golden State (14-29) Could be effort here: Warriors have

too much talent to win one in three. (24)

26. Clippers (13-31) Too bad there’s no Rookie League like

baseball, because they’d tear it up. (26)

27. Washington (11-34) Strickland, Richmond, Nesby sit. Guys who

try--Mike Smith, Hamilton, Whitney--start. (29)

28. Vancouver (11-32) Lowe’s so out of ideas, he has

Big Country back starting at center. (27)

29. Chicago (6-37) Bulls kind of like the Clippers--

with better attendance and worse talent. (28)

GAME OF THE WEEK

LAKERS at NEW YORK KNICKS

When--Today. Time--11:30 a.m. PST. TV--Ch. 4.

* Story line--This is one of those classic matchups, pitting two traditional adversaries. No, not Shaq and Kobe, the Knicks and Lakers. Before Marcus Camby was suspended, the Knicks had done a number on Western powers in Madison Square Garden, routing the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs.