The regular season of the 2022-23 NBA is entering its 22nd week, and the postseason race is heating up even more. We are seeing some strong teams faltering and some erstwhile middling teams moving up with urgency. Of course, they will continue to compete for position with only 12-15 games remaining per club. It goes without saying that we should expect even more entertaining and surprising NBA action in the coming weeks. Let's take a look at where all 30 teams are in our NBA Power Rankings as we enter Week 22 of this season.

For the second straight week, we have a new team copping the top spot in our NBA Power Rankings. The Philadelphia 76ers have ascended quite sharply, overtaking the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets for No. 1. Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns have climbed all the way to the top three, overtaking even the once-mighty Boston Celtics. And that's without Kevin Durant for much of their run, mind you!

Speaking of those Celtics, though, they're really on a downward trend now. They've fallen all the way down to No. 6, which is the lowest spot they've been in all year. Aside from the Big Green, other big “tumblers” include the Nuggets, Knicks, and Warriors. Meanwhile, the Nets (yes, those Nets), Thunder, Lakers, and Clippers are all on the up and up.

As always, take note that when making these NBA Power Rankings, we take into account the teams' overall win-loss records, their performances in the current month, their most recent streaks or slumps, and their most recent net rating differentials.

Now, the Bucks aren't No. 1 this week, but they still hold the best win-loss record in the league. Boston still has the second-best record, but who knows if they can stay there, right? The Nuggets still have a big lead in the West, while the Sixers and Cavs round out our top five teams league-wide when it comes to win-loss slates.

Not surprisingly, the Sixers are the hottest team in the league right now with a five-game win streak. Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons continue to flounder, having lost 11 in a row. How about the other teams, though? Where does each team stand when it comes to the most current NBA Power Rankings?

Previous 2022-23 NBA Power Rankings: Week 21 | Week 20 | All-Star Edition | Post-Trade Deadline | Week 17 | Week 16 | Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2

Now without further ado, let's look at our 2022-23 NBA Power Rankings entering Week 22 of the new season.

1. Philadelphia 76ers (+4)

Man, the Sixers are the hottest team in the league right now and are just a nip and tuck away from second place in the East. Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey have all been putting up big numbers, too. If their form holds up, they may just be one of the most dangerous teams heading into the postseason. Welcome to the top of the NBA Power Rankings, Philly fans.

2. Milwaukee Bucks (-1)

Going down a spot in our NBA Power Rankings is not a knock on the Bucks. They're still a very good team. It's just that the Sixers have really caught fire of late. Of course, Milwaukee also lost to Philly last week and just recently dropped one on the road against the Warriors.

3. Phoenix Suns (+5)

We hate the fact that KD will be out for a significant amount of time. However, we love how the Suns have seemingly taken that in stride. Yes, they're coming off a loss to the surging Kings, but don't give up on these Suns just yet. And certainly not when Devin Booker is averaging 36.0 points per game and hitting 50.0 percent of his threes this month.

4. Sacramento Kings (+3)

Speaking of those Kings, though, man, they're rolling like crazy. They have won eight of their last nine games and continue to defy any and all expectations. They've officially clinched a playoff spot as well. This is our comeback team of the year. No question about it. It's no surprise they've risen in our NBA Power Rankings.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers (+1)

The Cavs have won four of their last five games and have the fourth-highest net rating this month. Their core four of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen has looked really good, too. Are they just about to hit their peak?

6. Boston Celtics (-3)

The Celtics are 3-3 so far in March, though they have won back-to-back of late. Still, three straight losses to the Nets, Knicks, and Cavs sure didn't look good for Boston. Looking ahead, however, this should be a relatively manageable week as they play the Rockets, Wolves, Blazers, and Jazz.

7. Brooklyn Nets (+5)

Is Mikal Bridges now a star? Are we living in that kind of world already? We won't begrudge that. Still, we're weirdly impressed that BKN hasn't yet fallen over the deep end. Heck, they may actually not even have to go through the play-in tournament! But yeah, that's probably as far as they'll go.

8. Denver Nuggets (-6)

The Nuggets just lost to the Bulls, Spurs, and Nets — all in succession. And that's even with MVP favorite Nikola Jokic leading them in scoring, rebounding, and assists in all three games. Maybe the Nuggets don't have the top seed in the West locked up just yet, eh?

9. Memphis Grizzlies (no change)

Despite some off-court issues affecting this squad, the Grizzlies have managed to win back-to-back against the Dubs and the Mavs. That's no small feat, of course. Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, and even Tyus Jones have all taken turns carrying the scoring load for this embattled team.

10. Oklahoma City Thunder (+10)

We're not sure what the Thunder are doing, but we like it. Are they trying really trying to make the playoffs? That'd be pretty awesome. They've also won five of their last six, which is pretty impressive for a squad whose best player is not even sure to see action on a day-to-day basis.

11. Los Angeles Lakers (+5)

Yes, the Lakers are still not a lock for the play-in but don't sleep on them. They have one of the better post-trade-deadline records, are 4-2 in March, and have the seventh-best net rating this month. They're on an upward trend right now, so buy all the Laker stock you can get your hands on.

12. New York Knicks (-8)

On the other end of the spectrum, the Knicks are floundering a bit. They just snapped a three-game slump. However, they still don't look like the team that really wowed us in February. We'll see if they can put a streak together as they face the Blazers and Nuggets this week.

13. Los Angeles Clippers (+8)

A three-game win streak is what the doctor ordered for the Clippers. They beat the Grizzlies, Raptors, and Knicks in succession and are sneaking up the West ladder. Also, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are scoring a combined 54.5 points per game this month. That's scary as heck.

14. Chicago Bulls (+9)

Yes, we're surprised by this, too. However, we have to give the Bulls credit. So far, they've won three of their last five, have a winning record this month, and have a healthy net rating in March. It probably won't get any better than this for the Bulls, though, so enjoy it while it lasts.

15. Atlanta Hawks (-1)

ATL has lost three of its last five games, and they just cannot seem to break out of the middling pack in the East. Trae Young has looked really good, though, averaging 30.3 points in his last three games. The question, of course, is whether that's sustainable production or not.

16. Golden State Warriors (-6)

It's tempting to prop up the Dubs after they beat the Bucks. However, remember that they also just snapped a three-game slump. This is a team that lost to the Lakers without LeBron, Thunder, and Grizzlies without Ja. Can't escape that, champs.

17. Indiana Pacers (+7)

Are the Pacers back to being good?! Nope. This is all just a mirage, but Indy fans better bask in it while it lasts. They've won three of their last four games and very nearly upended the Sixers a few days ago as well.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves (-5)

The Wolves ended February with a whimper, and they haven't exactly turned the ship around in March so far. After back-to-back wins over the Lakers and Kings, Minnesota stumbled in successive games against the Sixers and Nets.

19. Miami Heat (-4)

This is the lowest-placed team with a winning record in our NBA Power Rankings. It's for good reason, though. They are 3-4 in March and have the worst net rating this month among teams above .500. We're also not really seeing the kind of dominant defense we want to see from big man Bam Adebayo.

20. Dallas Mavericks (-2)

Are the Mavs worse off with Kyrie? They're 4-8 since the trade deadline, 2-3 in March, and have a -1.7 net rating this month. They've also slid out of the West's top six and are just a game out of the play-in. Man, things are going south for Dallas.

21. New Orleans Pelicans (+1)

Maybe we're still on a high after seeing Trey Murphy III drop 41 on the Blazers. However, remember that the Pels have also won two of their last three games. Miraculously, they're also still vying for a play-in spot.

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22. Utah Jazz (-5)

Winning back-to-back games is good for the Jazz. However, they won against just the Magic and the Hornets. Also, before those wins, Utah carried a four-game losing streak. We also hate that Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton are both currently out at such an important juncture in their season.

23. Washington Wizards (-4)

The Wiz have lost three straight and five of their last six games. They're slipping down the East ladder and are in the sights of the next team on this list. They should bounce back against the Pistons this week, though.

24. Orlando Magic (+2)

They just won an exciting overtime thriller over in-state rivals Miami. That's enough for us to shove the Magic up a couple of spots. Of course, they're still near the bottom of our NBA Power Rankings. That 27-11 double-double from Wendell Carter, Jr. also didn't hurt.

25. Toronto Raptors (-14)

The Raptors are our biggest tumblers in the NBA Power Rankings. They fall 14 spots thanks to going 1-4 so far in March and having the third-worst net rating this month among all East squads. Toronto will also have tough times ahead this week as they face the Nuggets, Thunder, and Wolves.

26. Portland Trail Blazers (-2)

We feel bad for Damian Lillard. However, the reality is that the Blazers just aren't going to make the postseason this year. They've lost six of their last eight games and just haven't looked the part of a playoff contender. It sucks to hear, but it's true.

27. Charlotte Hornets (+1)

Back-to-back losses to the Jazz and Cavs were expected. Winning over the Knicks and Pistons a few days earlier, however, was not. That's enough to bump the Hornets up a notch in our NBA Power Rankings.

28. Houston Rockets (+1)

The Rockets' wins over the Spurs last week are the biggest reasons they're ahead of San Antonio in these rankings.

29. San Antonio Spurs (-2)

We're impressed the Spurs actually beat Jokic & Co. However, not even that can sweeten the taste buds after they lost back-to-back against Houston last week.

30. Detroit Pistons (no change)

Detroit has the current longest slump and has seemingly given up on the season. We can't blame them, though. They might as well look ahead to the Wemby sweepstakes.