THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

MARK HEISLER’S NBA RANKING AND COMMENTS:

GAME OF THE WEEK

SACRAMENTO AT LAKERS

*--* Rk Team (Record) Comment (last week’s position) 1 DALLAS (22-4) Mavericks won 22 of first 25 games and still have the Kings breathing down their necks. (1) 2 SACRAMENTO (21-8) Bibby’s return last week restores game’s deepest backcourt (Jackson, Christie, Turkoglu). (2) 3 SAN ANTONIO (17-10) Spurs look ready to rumble too after holding Kings 18 under average in win at Arco. (4) 4 DETROIT (18-8) Pistons look ordinary, but as Nets’ Thorn notes, their second team is almost as good as first. (10) 5 NEW ORLEANS (18-10) After beating Lakers at Staples, Hornets lost at Sacramento, Portland, Golden State. (3) 6 NEW JERSEY (18-9) Nets thought Jefferson was an emerging star, not merely young and promising. (5) 7 INDIANA (19-8) Oops: To hit Yao, new Bad Boy Brad Miller has to hit Jermaine O’Neal, hurts his knee. (6) 8 HOUSTON (15-11) Prodigies’ benchmark: Shaq averaged 23-14 as rookie. Yao at 18-12 this month. (11) 9 PHILADELPHIA (18-10) Win with Iverson’s makes, lose with misses, but 76ers have got that lovin’ feeling back. (8) 10 BOSTON (18-9) Oops: Celtics lost to Bulls, Heat last week and 18 of their next 28 are on the road. (9) 11 SEATTLE (14-14) Payton mellow (for him) at 34, never better, shoots 46% with career-high 9.4 assists. (12) 12 PHOENIX (16-11) That’s Amare: Averaging 13-9 this month, throws monumental one down on Olowokandi. (14) 13 MINNESOTA (15-13) Everyone complains about Brandon, but Timberwolves were 32-15 when he left last season. (13) 14 UTAH (13-12) Jazz slipping back into dotage after 9-1 run and just lost Jarron Collins for season. (7) 15 ORLANDO (15-13) Garrity comes through with 48 points in two games as Hill sits out again, McGrady hurts back. (16) 16 PORTLAND (15-11) Someone (Wallace? Wells?) probably must go after postgame melee at Oakland. (18) 17 CLIPPERS (12-16) Check that desultory Phoenix loss to see what they would be like without Elton Brand. (17) 18 LAKERS (10-18) Their problem is, 10-18 isn’t really a slow start, it’s more like bad first half of the season. (15) 19 WASHINGTON (12-14) Still Jordan after all these 39 years: After two-point embarrassment, he scores 30 and 33. (21) 20 ATLANTA (11-15) Kruger era shaky as Hawks go 0-5, including home loss to Wizards, rival for playoffs. (19) 21 MILWAUKEE (11-15) The only colleague having a worse season than Sen. Kohl’s team is Trent Lott. (20) 22 NEW YORK (8-15) Doesn’t take very much in the East: Knicks spruce up as 3-0 run brings them near No. 8. (24) 23 GOLDEN STATE (9-17) Most improved player is easy thus far, that’s amazing 5-5 Earl Boykins, the Clipper castoff. (23) 24 CHICAGO (10-17) Doesn’t take very much in the East: A 3-0 run persuades Bulls they’re contenders too. (27) 25 MEMPHIS (8-20) Geriatric coach/kiddie roster continue surge, with a 6-2 run after Grizzlies’ 2-18 start. (25) 26 MIAMI (8-18) That’s so you: After Riley rails that referees are out to get him, Heat wins two in row. (29) 27 TORONTO (8-18) With both Antonio Davis and Vince Carter out, this is more like an expansion team. (22) 28 CLEVELAND (5-24) Sounds like Trail Blazer material: Ricky Davis rips fans, then posts third 40-point game. (28) 29 DENVER (6-22) Kiki trades best, Posey, betting the house he can get someone to move in next summer.(26)

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When -- Wednesday. Time -- 5:30 p.m. TV -- Ch. 7.

Story line -- Not that this marquee matchup has lost its glow entirely, but as King Coach Rick Adelman noted recently, “Didn’t Dallas make that a moot point?” Nevertheless, it’s an important game