NBA Power Rankings: Cavs Finally Reach the Top

Cleveland's win over the C's coupled with L.A.'s loss was enough to get the Cavs into the number one position for the first time all season. The struggling Celtics fell another spot from last week, and there's also a new team occupying the basement at number 30.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (29-6) - The Cavs get my top billing thanks to a pair of convincing wins, including one over the Celtics. I'll try not to jinx it, but this team absolutely has what it takes to go undefeated at home.

2. Los Angeles Lakers (30-6) - I bumped the Lakers down after losing to the Hornets and barely surviving close calls against the Warriors, Pacers and Heat. Next week's...read full article

James to appear on GQ cover in February

LeBron James has raised his fashion game. “You look good, you play good,” James said Monday after practice. “I was brought up that way.” James, who takes great pride in his wardrobe and tries to stay ahead of the style curve, will appear on the February cover of GQ Magazine—another first for the NBA superstar whose career has been defined by firsts. Posing in a slate gray suit, pink shirt and gray tie, James added the GQ cover to his run of magazine fronts from Sports Illustrated to Fortune to Vogue, in which he was the first black male to...read full article

Dwight to coach with LeBron in all-star show

Dwight Howard is headed to the NBA All-Star Weekend as the defending slam-dunk champion and likely starting center for the Eastern Conference. And as a coach. Coach Howard? Howard told the Sentinel on Sunday that he and LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers have been asked to "coach" in the rookie-sophomore exhibition game in some fashion. The top rookies and second-year players are chosen to play in the exhibition that will be held Friday night of All-Star...read full article

Cavs get statement win over Boston; Orlando looms

While the Cavaliers were beating Boston in a matchup of East powers, the Orlando Magic were busy showing that the conference could well be a three-team race to the top. LeBron James scored 38 points, harassed Paul Pierce all over the floor and strengthened his case to be the league's MVP front-runner as the Cavaliers improved to 19-0 at home by beating the staggering Celtics 98-83 on Friday night. Boston (29-9), which started the season a league-record 27-2, is just 2-7 since. James scored 23 in the second half. He added seven rebounds...read full article

Celtics beaten but not defeated

Are the Celtics overrated? The Cleveland crowd expressed that opinion as they chanted in the late going of the Cavaliers' 98-83 win over the Celtics Friday night. In any case, a fourth successive defeat has forced the Celtics to take stock of themselves as they visit Toronto today and play host to the Raptors tomorrow. Coach Doc Rivers believes there are positives to this downturn in the Celtics' fortunes. "Sometimes you have to go through something to get something," said Rivers. "Last year, we didn't have this, at all. And I was extremely concerned going into...read full article

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert fires back on Darius Miles issue

The Cavaliers aren't planning on signing free-agent Darius Miles, but team owner Dan Gilbert leaped into a controversy surrounding him Friday. Late Thursday, the Portland Trail Blazers sent out an e-mail that basically threatened legal action against any team that signs Miles with the intention to harm the Blazers. Gilbert, perhaps speaking on behalf of other owners, fired off an angry e-mail to Portland on Friday. Last year, Portland got Miles declared "disabled" by the NBA because of a knee injury and had the $18 million owed to him this season and...read full article

This NBA season belongs to LeBron

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ complete dismantling of the Boston Celtics on Friday night made it clear what the rest of the NBA season is about. It’s about LeBron James and his quest to lead Cleveland to an NBA title. Barring injury, James has already wrapped the MVP award. He is playing at such a high level that almost nobody in the NBA can match his talent. The first month of the season focused on the Celtics’ ability to repeat as NBA champions, but at times, James’ hard drives to the basket made Boston look like a midlevel NCAA Division I team. It is becoming...read full article