NBA TOP TO BOTTOM - Los Angeles Times

Team (record) Comment (last week’s position) 1. Lakers (33-8) So much for all that talk about winning 70. Anyone for 60? 2. Portland (30-10) Win over Lakers gives Western teams reason to

play season out too. 3. Indiana (26-14) Arriving: Croshere averages 13 points, 7.5 rebounds off bench in January. (3) 4. Utah (26-12) Jazz, which can’t afford to lose key guys, just lost

Jeff Hornacek for a week. (4) 5. San Antonio (26-15) Elliott says he’s coming back. Popovich says he’ll believe it when he sees it. (5) 6. Seattle (27-14) If they hadn’t blown 19-point lead

over Lakers, SuperSonics would be 10-1 this month. (8) 7. Miami (25-13) Larry Hughes and Riley, who doesn’t like to play kids? I don’t think so. (6) 8. Sacramento (25-13) Kings warming up

again. but they’re also heading out on eight-game trip. (7) 9. New York (24-15) It’s always someone: Now Houston, a coach’s son, complains about shots. (9) 10. Philadelphia (24-17) It ain’t

broke, but 76ers are fixing it: Hughes trade winds at gale force. (10) 11. Phoenix (23-15) Good luck: Suns are hoping Penny, who returned Saturday, is their missing piece. (11) 12. Minnesota

(21-16) With Brandon out, Timberwolves just went on three-game winning streak. (13) 13. Charlotte (22-17) Relief rally: Grieving Hornets return to work and win three in a row. (16) 14.

Detroit (21-18) Pistons win a few, lose a few: After 9-1 run, they drop three in a row. (12) 15. Toronto (20-19) Little problem at defensive end: Four of last six opponents get 110. (14) 16.

Milwaukee (22-19) Tough guy too: Allen, scorched by Carter, gets him, 33-24, in rematch. (15) 17. Boston (19-21) Suddenly, a pulse: Pierce, Walker combine for 46 a game in 4-0 run. (20) 18.

Denver (17-21) In mid-December, Nuggets were three games up on Timberwolves. Now they’re 3 1/2 down. (17) 19. New Jersey (17-23) If you look at this as extended camp for next season, it

isn’t so bad. (18) 20. Houston (15-24) Rookie race isn’t over: Francis averages 25 points, 10 assists in 5-0 spurt. (25) 21. Cleveland (16-25) So much for this season: Ilgauskas is going

back under the knife. (19) 22. Dallas (13-26) Almost like Nellie’s Warrior teams: High-scoring Mavericks make a little move. (24) 23. Orlando (17-24) Management KOs Hughes-Maggette trade,

but Rivers doesn’t think rookie has clue. (21) 24. Atlanta (14-25) People are wondering why Lenny Wilkens, 62, still wants to go through this. (22) 25. Washington (13-29) Oh, and Wizards’

No. 1 pick goes to Warriors from the ’94 Gugliotta-Webber deal. (23) 26. Vancouver (10-29) Everyone can unpack: Lauries give up, go back to Missouri without Grizzlies. (26) 27. Clippers

(10-29) Time stands still for this bunch: New millennium looks a lot like old one. (27) 28. Chicago (7-30) Kukoc says he’d love to be a Laker, but don’t hold your breath. (28) 29. Golden

State (8-30) Oh, and Warriors’ No. 1 pick goes to Magic from the ’93 Webber-Penny deal. (29) GAME OF THE WEEK LAKERS at UTAH When--Monday. Time--5 PST. TV--Channel 9, TBS. * Story line--The

last time the Lakers saw the Jazz, they beat them in Staples, dropping Utah to 7-5. Since, the old guys have gone back to doing what they always do, proving they still have it. MORE TO READ