NBA / TOP TO BOTTOM

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

1. San Antonio (54-22) Local paper notes Robinson hasn’t sat out any games. He suffers back injury that night. (1)

2. Sacramento (51-24) If not for rallies from 21 and 18 down, they would have lost five of seven. (2)

3. Milwaukee (48-28) Oops: I dissed Bucks all year, but they went 6-0 vs. Spurs, Kings, Lakers. (8)

4. Lakers (51-26) Kind of like the stock market: Things couldn’t get any worse (could they)? (5)

5. Philadelphia (53-23) With big guys out, started Ollie, Lynch, Geiger, Snow, Mutombo in victory at Detroit. (3)

6. Dallas (49-27) One scared team left: After being swept, Mavericks hope to duck Lakers in first round. (7)

7. Utah (50-26) Marshall averaged 18 in January, February, 14 last month, 9.7 so far in April. (4)

8. Portland (48-28) Shambles: Kemp in rehab, Wallace shaky, Dunleavy slated to take the fall. (6)

9. Phoenix (47-29) Kidd on roll of life, averaging 30-plus points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds in last five. (9)

10. New York (45-30) Checketts’ hints suggest he’s setting up Van Gundy if Knicks need a sacrifice. (10)

11. Miami (45-30) With Eddie Jones yet to return, Riley will have to put Heat back together on the fly. (11)

12. Minnesota (45-30) Felipe Lopez, whom Lakers might have gotten off waivers, averages 14 as starter. (12)

13. Charlotte (42-35) Mild-mannered Silas can’t take it any more, rails “Soft!” at underachievers. (13)

14. Toronto (43-33) Oakley announces McGrady, not Carter, is the game’s best all-around young player. (14)

15. Seattle (41-36) Baker, who knows he’s outta there, snaps on McMillan, who tosses him out of practice. (15)

16. Houston (42-35) Tomjanovich signals end of playoff run, putting Taylor on injured list. (16)

17. Orlando (41-35) What, Magic worry about playoff matchup? Rivers and Co. just happy to be there. (17)

18. Denver (37-40) Toothless Issel writes AWOL Van Exel stern letter. Nick shows it to reporters. (18)

19. Indiana (35-40) Three more wins should do it, providing one is their home game against Celtics. (19)

20. Boston (35-42) 1-4 fade gives O’Brien something bigger to worry about than player of week. (20)

21. Clippers (28-49) Who’s playing the most entertaining ball in town right now? No contest. (21)

22. New Jersey (26-51) Scott blows up when injured Marbury and Gill don’t even come to game. (22)

23. Detroit (29-47) Intrigue: Personnel guy Suhr axed for knifing Dumars. Now they want Izzo. (23)

24. Cleveland (26-50) Maybe they can get Mike Fratello back to kill the clock until about 2010. (24)

25. Vancouver (22-55) Tad late: With Canadian dollar diving, NBA announces aid to Grizzlies, Raptors. (25)

26. Atlanta (23-53) Just how things are going: Ratliff isn’t expected back this season. (26)

27. Washington (18-58) Here we go again: Jordan practices again--and Jackson says he’s serious. (27)

28. Golden State (17-58) Tank job in vain: They’re dying for Duke’s Jason Williams, who says he’ll stay. (28)

29. Chicago (12-63) Ron (Einstein) Artest tells Stackhouse Floyd’s down on him. Stackhouse scores 57. (29)

GAME OF THE WEEK

PORTLAND at SACRAMENTO

When--Today. Time--Noon. TV--Channel 4.

* Story line--After all the Trail Blazers’ depressing events of the last two weeks, they took a 42-point lead at Golden State on Friday and cruised to a victory. Was that a sign of life or simply a romp over the limp Warriors?