NBA TOP TO BOTTOM

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

1. San Antonio (7-3) Thanks, Donald: Anderson helps boost

scoring from 21st last season to 14. (1)

2. Philadelphia (9-0) Phil Jackson calls this Aha Phenomenon:

Iverson’s shots off by four a game. (3)

3. Utah (7-2) Three top 10 scorers older than 28:

Mailman, 37, Reggie, 35, Payton, 32. (2)

4. Phoenix (7-3) Breakout: 6-7 Marion leads in scoring

(19), rebounds (9.4), blocks (2.5). (4)

5. Portland (6-5) Schedule crunch on top of everything

else: seven of first 11 on road. (7)

6. Lakers (6-4) Aha Phenomenon in reverse: Kobe

shooting better, but he’s shooting more, too. (5)

7. Minnesota (6-4) Energizer bunnies persevere, despite

schedule crunch and David Stern. (13)

8. Indiana (5-4) Pacers win five in row after 0-2 start

and Jalen Rose will be back soon. (18)

9. New York (6-4) Oops: Sprewell says No. 2 guard logjam

with him, Rice, Houston won’t work. (9)

10. Sacramento (7-3) With Webber out for two games, Peja

scores 56 points with 28 rebounds. (8)

11. Toronto (5-4) Antonio Davis trying to be No. 2 scorer

the Raptors need, scoring career-high 14. (11)

12. Dallas (7-4) Like Nellie’s Golden State giant-killers:

Let it fly and see how many go in. (12)

13. Miami (5-5) Uh-oh: Hardaway’s right knee, supposedly

“bone on bone,” is sore again. (6)

14. Cleveland (6-3) After Kemp, stressing team. Good since

Andre Miller is high scorer at 12.6. (10)

15. Charlotte (4-6) Forget snooze alarm, try transfusion:

Campbell has four triple-singles. (14)

16. Orlando (4-6) Another overmatched Easterner gets

its head handed to it out West. (17)

17. Houston (6-5) Lots of point guards get more rebounds

than power forward Mo Taylor’s 3.5. (19)

18. New Jersey (5-4) Best player in East? So far it’s Marbury,

averaging 29 and shooting over 50%. (22)

19. Boston (4-5) Mystique lives (barely): League still

gives Celtics nice early schedule. (20)

20. Vancouver (4-5) One for Sidney Lowe: Grizzlies were 17th

in defense last season, now No. 4. (15)

21. Milwaukee (3-6) Oops; After preseason hype, rookie

Przybilla averaging 10 minutes. (21)

22. Detroit (4-6) Unheralded Ben Wallace is Pistons’

best rebounder since Rodman. (24)

23. Seattle (4-7) Old is old: Ewing outscored, 20-10,

outrebounded, 17-9, by Camby. (16)

24. Clippers (4-7) Doctor, we have a pulse! Besides wins,

Clippers scared Lakers and Jazz. (25)

25. Denver (5-5) Overmatched at center, LaFrentz, who

averaged 14-8 as rookie, at 10-7. (23)

26. Washington (3-8) Juwan, Mitch, Rod making combined

$37 million, scoring combined 32 points. (26)

27. Golden State (2-7) Larry Hughes, alleged superstar

in waiting, averages 16, shoots 35%. (27)

28. Atlanta (1-10) Falk tired of bad publicity, quietly

trying to get Mutombo to Knicks. (28)

29. Chicago (1-8) Oops: Quick-draw Mercer taking more

shots than supposed anchor Brand. (29)

GAME OF THE WEEK

NEW JERSEY AT CLIPPERS

* When--Monday. * Time--7:30. * TV--Fox Sports Net 2.

* Story line--Hey, why not? The Clippers are showing unusual signs of life under Alvin Gentry. The Nets, missing Keith Van Horn, Jamie Feick and Kerry Kittles, are off to a surprising start under old Laker favorite, Byron Scott. The Nets are led by Stephon Marbury, whose demand to be traded to New Jersey turned him into one of the NBA’s most obscure, if fastest-rising stars.