Cleveland defeated Boston last weekend to regain the top spot in these power rankings. With around 20 games remaining, teams are preparing for a playoff push or stepping up their tanking efforts. 1. Cleveland Cavaliers (51-10,

The Lakers climb to No. 3 in this week's rankings, while there's a new last-place team for the first time in weeks.

It also appears that reports of LA's hapless defense may have been exaggerated. Since trading Anthony Davis, this team has actually gotten better on that end. Since All-Star, the Lakers have the No. 1 defense in the NBA.

The Lakers are the second-hottest NBA team next to the Cavs. Winners of their last six games, the Lakers have wins over Denver, Dallas, Minnesota and the Los Angeles Clippers. They took two from the Clippers over the week as Luka Doncic scored a combined 60 points in the wins.

We were back to a full schedule in Week 19, and some of the league’s brightest stars took full advantage of their opportunities. This week’s top fantasy performers include the league’s two most versatile and dominant big men,

"Getting blown out in Detroit and blowing a 22-point lead to the Cavaliers were terrible looks." The post Lakers leapfrog Celtics in The Athletic’s latest NBA power rankings appeared first on Boston.com.

Our NBA insiders break down this week's Power Rankings, with the Lakers climbing up and one of the East's hottest teams now cracking the top 10.