NBA TOP TO BOTTOM

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.