NBA: Power Rankings 15.0

The end of the opening round is nearing as teams like the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Utah Jazz are preparing for conference semifinals matchups. There are a few first round series that could reach a Game 7 this weekend, though, like the Clippers-Mavericks and Nuggets-Trail Blazers. Check out the 15th edition of our power rankings, with the biggest questions, dark horse contenders, Finals odds, playoff MVP so far, and more!

1. Utah Jazz (56-21, +0): Utah slipped up in Game 1 loss without Donovan Mitchell but have since recovered to win four straight games by a combined 45 points. Mitchell had 30 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds in Game 5, as Jordan Clarkson added 24 points off the bench in a 126-110 win. The Jazz have the second highest offensive rating (123.7) in the playoffs, only trailing the Brooklyn Nets. Quin Snyder’s team will get either the Clippers or Mavericks in the next round.

2. Brooklyn Nets (52-25, +1): Speaking of the Nets, they eliminated the Boston Celtics on Tuesday with a dominant 123-109 win. James Harden was the go-to guy in Game 5 with 34 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds but Kevin Durant was just as good in the series, scoring a team-high 32.6 points on 55/50/92 shooting splits. The Nets are 4.0-point favorites prior to Game 1 against the Milwaukee Bucks, in what is easily one of the most highly-anticipated series of the playoffs.

3. Philadelphia 76ers (53-24, +1): The winner of the aforementioned series will likely matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals. That’s dependent on Joel Embiid’s health, though, after he went down with a knee injury in a 122-114 loss to the Washington Wizards on Monday. According to the New York Post, Embiid will miss Game 5 but could return any day. Tobias Harris is averaging a team-high 24.3 points in the playoffs, good enough for 16th in the league.

4. Phoenix Suns (54-23, -2): After the Phoenix Suns fell to the Los Angeles Lakers 109-95 in Game 3, the season started to look a bit bleak. But then Anthony Davis went down with a groin strain in the second quarter of Game 4 and the series has completely flipped since. Even with Chris Paul continuing to deal with a shoulder injury, the Suns have ran off back-to-back wins to take a 3-2 lead. Phoenix will try to close out the series on Thursday in Los Angeles as 2.0-point underdogs.

5. Milwaukee Bucks (50-26, +0): The only team that swept in the first round were the Bucks, enacting revenge on the Miami Heat in a dominant series. Milwaukee hasn’t played since Saturday afternoon when they pulled away in the second half for a 120-103 win. Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging an NBA-best 15.0 rebounds per game in the postseason. Milwaukee's defense has the length, size, and quickness to keep up with the most talented team in the league going forward.

Other playoff teams:

6. Nuggets (50-27, +0)

7. Mavericks (45-32, +0)

8. Clippers (49-27, +1)

9. Hawks (45-32, +2)

10. Trail Blazers (44-33, -2)

11. Lakers (44-33, +0)

12. Grizzlies (41-38, +1)

13. Celtics (38-40, +2)

14. Wizards (36-43, +2)

15. Knicks (42-35, -3)

16. Heat (40-36, -2)

Rest of the league:

17. Warriors (39-35, +0)

18. Pacers (35-39, +0)

19. Spurs (33-40, +1)

20. Hornets (33-40, -1)

21. Kings (31-41, +1)

22. Bulls (31-41, +2)

23. Pelicans (31-41, -2)

24. Timberwolves (23-49, +4)

25. Raptors (27-45, -2)

26. Thunder (22-50, +0)

27. Cavaliers (22-50, -2)

28. Magic (21-51, -1)

29. Pistons (20-52, +0)

30. Rockets (17-55, +0)

Biggest questions:

- Can the Bucks defense limit Brooklyn?

- Does AD return in the Suns series?

- Will Portland's role players step up?

Dark horse contenders:

- Atlanta Hawks (4-1 vs. Knicks)

- Dallas Mavericks (3-2 vs. Clippers)

- Los Angeles Lakers (2-3 vs. Suns)

Must-see series:

- Bucks vs. Nets

- Mavericks vs. Clippers

- Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers

Most likely Game 7:

- Mavericks vs. Clippers (3-2)

- Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers (3-2)

- Suns vs. Lakers (3-2)

Playoff MVP:

- Damian Lillard (35.6 PPG, 9.6 APG)

- Kevin Durant (32.6 PPG, 2.2 BPG)

- Luka Dončić (35.0 PPG, 9.4 APG)

Finals odds:

1. Nets (+170)

2. Jazz (+350)

3. Bucks (+550)

4. 76ers (+900)

5. Suns (+1100)

According to Sports Betting Dime.

Photo Credit: Draft Kings.