THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

MARK HEISLER’S NBA RANKINGS AND COMMENTS:

GAME OF THE WEEK

*--* Rk Team (Rec.) Comment (last week’s position) 1 SAN ANTONIO (59-20) Not just hot, molten: They’ve won 31 of 35, including 17 of 18 on road. (1) 2 SACRAMENTO (58-23) That might have been Lakers’ best game last week but it was hardly theirs. (2) 3 LAKERS (48-31) Definitely back to where they were. Big question: Is it still good enough? (3) 4 DALLAS (58-22) Out on their feet: Nash says ‘We’re a tired team’ as the Mavericks nosedive. (4) 5 MINNESOTA (49-31) New worst-case scenario doesn’t have them opening in Portland, but here.(6) 6 PORTLAND (48-31) Usual slow finish: Finished 8-14 in ‘01, 6-7 in ’02 and just went 4-7. (5) 7 PHILADELPHIA (47-32) Losing MacCulloch was key, making Coleman a center, Thomas a starter. (11) 8 NEW JERSEY (49-31) So much for plans to finish on a roll: 0-2 on trip to Atlanta and Chicago. (9) 9 UTAH (47-33) Must be new-fangled negotiating strategy: Owner rips Malone for looking around. (8) 10 INDIANA (46-33) No, really: Jermaine blames off-game on hard day before -- taping Nike spot. (10) 11 DETROIT (48-31) Oops: Wallace out three weeks. By the time he’s back, they may not be around. (7) 12 NEW ORLEANS (44-35) They’re in annual fade which begins as soon as anyone says they’re good. (12) 13 PHOENIX (43-36) Of course as Marbury shows with 40-8-8 vs. Lakers, whatever he is, he’s good. (13) 14 HOUSTON (41-39) Unravel as Yao tires, Francis shoots bricks, Griffin gets busted. (14) 15 ORLANDO (42-38) Not even in East: Kemp waddles to bench as Stephen Hunter takes center job. (17) 16 BOSTON (42-38) How the mighty have mellowed: Auerbach says Walker has a ‘great’ attitude. (15) 17 GOLDEN STATE (38-42) Forget Stoudemire. Just picture them with Drew Gooden. (16) 18 MILWAUKEE (40-40) Karl won’t let N . Carolina job be distraction. He can’t, no one has called him. (18) 19 SEATTLE (39-41) After 5-1 run, they thought they were back in the race, until last week. (19) 20 WASHINGTON (37-43) Jordan went out firing, averaging 22 points, 7 rebounds, 3.7 assists since break. (20) 21 NEW YORK (36-44) Good news: They’re .500 since Sprewell got back. Bad news: It wasn’t enough. (21) 22 CHICAGO (29-51) Crawford averaging 17.5 since March 1, making them re-think everything. (23) 23 ATLANTA (34-46) Babcock gets last gaffe: Sent upcoming lottery pick to Bucks for Robinson. (24) 24 MEMPHIS (28-51) Gift from Versace era: No. l goes to Pistons unless Grizzlies gets LeBron James. (22) 25 MIAMI (24-56) Remember old days when everyone thought Riley was world’s luckiest man? (25) 26 TORONTO (24-56) Making it official, Carter, Davis take rest of season off with boo-boos. (26) 27 CLIPPERS (25-55) They’re on road without writers but we don’t make DJ phone the scores in. (27) 28 DENVER (17-63) In race no one outside these two forlorn franchises cares one thing about ... (28) 29 CLEVELAND (16-64) Cavaliers vow to beat Nuggets but it’s like everything else they vowed. (29)

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LAKERS AT PORTLAND

When -- Today. Time -- 12:30 p.m. TV -- Ch. 7.

Story line -- Things change fast. The Mavericks have fallen so far, their finale in San Antonio will probably turn out to be meaningless. The Lakers can get to No. 4, giving them home-court advantage for one round, anyway ... if they win out.