SECAUCUS, NJ, April 7, 2008 -- We've got fewer than 10 days left in the season, and though the top four seeds in the East are pretty well set, Washington, Philly and Toronto are jockeying for slots five through seven. In the West, any of six teams could potentially take the top spot, as No.1 New Orleans leads No. 6 Phoenix by only 3.5 games. The races for the eighth seed in each conference are exciting, with an up-and-coming Hawks team claiming space out East, while the Warriors and Nuggets are scrambling to stay alive on the far side of the States.

There were some big movers this week -- in both directions. Dallas and Atlanta both stepped it up just as their playoff fates seemed to be in doubt, launching past a slew of surrounding teams who slumped. Denver and Golden State each came up short in a week filled with games they needed to win. Cleveland and Toronto kept sliding, but benefit from having locked up playoff appearances. There's not many games left to right the ship. "Sense of Urgency" is the phrase of the week -- scream when you hear it.

And, oh yeah, I'm subbing for Schuhmann this week, so prepare yourselves for my Brooklyn-bred style. And then e-mail John with all your wonderful commentary. I'm sure he'll have a blast trying to defend positions I took. Enjoy.

Pre-Game Naps Team of the Week: New Orleans (4-0)
Insomniacs Team of the Week: Miami (0-4)

High jumps of the week: Milwaukee (+6), Dallas (+5), Atlanta (+4), Sacramento (+4)
Free falls of the week: Denver (-5), Minnesota (-5), Toronto (-4), Cleveland (-3), Golden State (-3), Phoenix (-3)

	TEAM (LAST WEEK)	REC.	BREAKDOWN
6	Utah (8)	51-26	With a three-win week, the Jazz jumped on the top side of the 50-win plateau. And they did it emphatically, absolutely embarrassing the Wizards in a 42-point victory and knocking off the Spurs by 26. The 17-point margin in the mid-week win against Minnesota left them with an astounding +28.3 point differential on the week. Must be all the napping.
7	Houston (6)	52-25	In a week against four non-playoff squads, the Rockets dropped the ball early by losing to Sacramento 99-98, but recovered to vanquish the Blazers, Sonics and Clippers. Though they're only one game behind San Antonio in the race for the second seed -- and homecourt advantage -- the Spurs hold a tiebreaker based on the teams' division records.
8	Phoenix (5)	51-26	The only team in last week's top eight to get tagged with a second loss, the Suns fell a little bit, especially after their weak finish in Dallas on Sunday cost them a bit of accumulated "Shaq's working out" momentum. (John: Where's that moron-meter pointing these days?) They remain only 3.5 games back of No. 1 New Orleans, and could finish as high as No. 2 in the conference.
9	Philadelphia (11)	39-38	The Sixers continue their hot streak (now 16-8 since the All-Star Break) with a win over the Nets and a split series with the Hawks. A fade by the Raptors, who just weeks ago seemed locked into the fifth seed, has put Philadelphia in position to score the No. 6 -- and a first-round matchup with relatively inexperienced Orlando, rather than battle-tested Detroit.
10	Dallas (15)	48-29	Of the three teams vying for the final two Western Conference playoff spots, the Mavericks were the only one to step up and win some games this week. After beating up on the Clippers, Dallas -- inspired by the return of Dirk Nowitzki -- topped the Warriors, marking the first time since the Jason Kidd trade that the Mavs turned back an opponent with a winning record. And after a slight dip against the Lake Show, Dallas rebounded to beat Phoenix with a 16-0 fourth-quarter run on Sunday.
11	Washington (13)	40-37	Normally, a week involving a 42-point loss and a loss to the Bucks would involve a drop, but the Wizards bounced back to beat Miami and Chicago, and now that Gil's made his grand return, things are looking up in the Capital City.
12	Orlando (10)	48-29	One can't fault the Magic for losing by one to New Orleans, and a win against Cleveland is solid enough. But there is simply no excuse for a 48-win playoff team dropping a game during the stretch run to a terrible Knicks squad -- by 10 points. Thusly, Orlando was docked one rank.
13	Atlanta (17)	36-41	Though the Mike Bibby-era in Atlanta got off to a slow start (4-10), the Hawks have since soared to win 10 of 13 games. And they've been doing it as their competition in New Jersey has tailed off, leaving them primed to earn the East's eighth seed. Must be The Bibby Effect.
14	Denver (9)	46-31	After splitting a home-and-home with the Suns, the Nuggets were primed to push for more solid playoff footing, but promptly dropped games to Sacramento (wasting a 47-point effort by Carmelo Anthony) and Seattle (in double OT). With Golden State's down week, Denver could've nearly locked up the eighth seed. Instead, they'll be battling it out 'til season's end.
15	Golden State (12)	46-31	In a week of must-win games for the Warriors, they only came away with the gimme (beating Memphis 117-86). Losses to Dallas and San Antonio were nearly mitigated by the Kings' upset of Denver on Saturday, but Golden State failed to take advantage, losing by double-digits to the New Orleans. It's been a rough one for the fans.
16	Sacramento (20)	36-41	The Kings were recently eliminated from playoff competition, but that hasn't stopped them from playing spoiler. Sacramento knocked off two playoff squads in Houston and Denver (the latter a must-win for the Nuggets), as well as the Clippers, before finally falling to the Lakers on Sunday. It's been a long time since their turn-of-the-century run of Western dominance, but they're in solid shape to push for the playoffs in coming years.
17	Indiana (19)	33-44	With the Nets backsliding their way out of the East's eighth-seed race, Indiana's been willing to take advantage, winning eight of 11 games to push past Jersey for ninth. Beating Miami and Milwaukee (twice) is what you'd expect from this squad, just as a 15-point loss to the Celtics seems about par for the course. Tuesday's game with Atlanta is huge for their hopes.
18	Toronto (14)	38-39	Hi, Toronto? It's the Playoff Race calling. You know you're supposed to participate if you're here, right? Don't be that team that just craps the bed and watches everyone fly by. So next week, maybe try doing better than 1-3, especially when two of the losses are to teams you should be beating (Charlotte, New Jersey). And, yes, just because you beat the Bobcats earlier in the week like you were supposed to doesn't excuse the follow-up loss.
19	Cleveland (16)	42-35	Topping Charlotte was offset by losing to Chicago, and the 15-point loss to Orlando after that sent Cleveland sinking. The Cavaliers can't seem to get it together, and are lucky to be locked into the fourth seed. For them, the playoffs can't start soon enough.
20	Portland (18)	38-39	They made a great go of it this year, but were finally mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. With five games to play, they can still finish with a winning record. Can't begrudge them too much for the losses to the Lakers, Rockets and Spurs, though. It'll be real interesting to see what these guys can do next season with Greg Oden -- and another lottery pick.
21	New Jersey (21)	32-45	Beating Toronto after defeats at the hands of Philadelphia and Detroit seems like a solid case for staying in place. Of course, with Atlanta -- and now Indy -- pushing the Nets further from the eighth seed every game, holding steady isn't going to earn New Jersey any playoff revenue. Things are getting quiet ... almost too quiet.
22	Charlotte (22)	29-48	Welcome to the bottom of the Power Rankings, where going 1-3 means you can maintain your position, provided two of the losses are close, and the third came against the No. 1 squad. This team better be better next season, or else Charlotte will have to ask some tough questions about their makeup. Here's a tip: Keep Ray-Ray around.
23	Chicago (24)	30-46	It's a lost season for the Bulls, once expected to be among the East's elite, but now stuck in an extended rebuilding phase. They fell to championship contender Boston and a playoff squad in Washington, but chipped in a victory over the Cavaliers -- their second in three games since the two teams' deadline deal. 'Round these parts, beating a playoff team (or winning a game, really) is enough to bump one up a spot.
24	Milwaukee (30)	26-50	After Schu banned the Bucks to the 30 spot as penalty for losing to Miami twice, they responded with a 2-2 week, beating the Knicks and Wizards (the latter a thriller won by rookie Ramon Sessions). Their two losses came against a hot Indiana team, so those are understandable. Maybe they're feeling united enough that Andrew Bogut won't have to pretend he has friends.
25	Memphis (26)	21-56	Though they probably wish they were having a season as splendid as the college team in town, the Grizzlies are doing decently enough that it's safe to say they're on the come up. They beat a weaker team (New York) and an improved one (Minnesota) , while losing to two better teams (Golden State and Atlanta). Their three small guard bench ballers (Kyle Lowry, Juan-Carlos Navarro and Javaris Crittenton) need a nickname.
26	Seattle (28)	18-59	After a 1-2 week, I had tabbed the Sonics to stick at 28, but SLAM scribe Holly MacKenzie convinced me their double-OT victory against the Nuggets carried enough weight to warrant a move upward. After allowing 168 points in regulation during their previous encounter, the Sonics (relatively) buckled down to match Denver with 126 points in regulation, before pulling away in the second overtime. The Nuggets needed that game, and the Sonics got it, behind 30-plus performances from Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. Well done, fellas.
27	Los Angeles (25)	23-54	The Clippers beat the Sonics, but took L's against the Mavericks, Kings and Rockets. That the latter was by 26 and the Kings' loss also double-digits stymied any claim to ranking fame. Rookie Al Thornton, however, continues to climb.
28	Minnesota (23)	19-57	While it's commendable that Minnesota took on three playoff squads in Detroit, Utah and Phoenix, topping a trio of losses with a 13-point defeat at the hands of the Grizzlies doesn't help their case. They can, however, take solace in their 9-16 record since the break -- the .360 winning percentage is markedly higher than the .244 mark (10-41) they posted prior.
29	New York (27)	21-56	Though the hiring of Donnie Walsh as president of basketball operations has lifted spirits city-wide, New York went 0-for-their-road-trip to start the week, losing to Milwaukee, Memphis and New Orleans. The team's only solace was a Sunday win against the Magic behind rookie Wilson Chandler's career-high 23 points and eight rebounds.
30	Miami (29)	13-64	The Heat went 0-4, and though the games came against the best of the West (New Orleans) and three solid East squads (Detroit, Washington and Indiana), they lost by an average of 19.8 points. They are not good. Only five games left -- count 'em, Heat fans. If there's any of you still out there ...