17. LAKERS (15-17)    Aging team worries about defense, potentially lost Social Security benefits. (17)

18. PORTLAND (18-15)    Blazers getting it done with smoke and mirrors before and during games. (19)

19. BOSTON (16-17)    Time to break up the Big Three? Oh, right, they already did that. (15)


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20. PHILADELPHIA (15-20)    Win over Lakers makes 76ers consider leaving Bynum behind more often. (20)

NEXT TO THE BATHROOM IN ECONOMY

21. DALLAS (13-21)    Coach Rick Carlisle needs to suspend whoever put this roster together. (22)

22. ORLANDO (12-21)    Was all the fuss worth it given the plight of Dwight Howard’s current team? (21)

23. PHOENIX (12-22)    One franchise victory shy of 2,000, Suns may get there by season’s end. (23)

24. TORONTO (12-21)    Recent success mostly a function of soft pocket in schedule. (24)

25. SACRAMENTO (13-21)    DeMarcus Cousins is calm one in Villanueva-Thomas dustup. (25)

26. DETROIT (13-22)    Pistons hope winning streak doesn’t go down as their season’s Final Four. (26)

27. CHARLOTTE (8-24)    Losing 19 of 20 games makes fans suddenly pine for last season. (27)

28. NEW ORLEANS (8-25)    New nickname should be joined by new names on every jersey. (28)

29. CLEVELAND (8-27)    Masked-man Kyrie Irving’s late heroics leave Bobcats feeling robbed. (29)

SEAT 44F WITH NO RECLINE

30. WASHINGTON (4-27)    Wizards are 0-5 in OT and nearly as hopeless in regulation. (30)