Celtics Stellar, Unchallenged Atop 'AHN Top Ten' NBA Power Rankings

December 23, 2008 9:35 p.m. EST

The Boston Celtics are monumentally dominant and one win away from breaking the record for the best start in NBA history.

The Cleveland Cavaliers extended their own win streak to three games, including an impressive win against the Nuggets in Denver.

The Los Angeles Lakers lost two buzzer-beaters back-to-back while traveling through Florida and might have suffered their worst week of the season.

Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic gained major title credibility with wins over the San Antonio Spurs and the Lakers.

After years of mediocrity, the Eastern Conference has finally shifted the balance of power to where the sun rises.

The top three teams in the rankings all reside in the East and teams are 79-62 against the West, including 15-10- over the past week.

Here's how they stand two months in:

No. 1: Boston Celtics (26-2) - The only thing challenging this team is the record books. By this time next week, we should know whether they are not just good, but the best team ever two months into a season. (Last Week, 1)

No. 2: Cleveland Cavaliers (22-4) - LeBron James is happy with the direction they are heading and willing to sign an extension over the summer. Thats bad news for the rest of the league. (Last Week, 2)

No. 3: Orlando Magic (21-6) - Finally, there is a team to talk about besides the Lakers, Cavs and Celtics. Jameer Nelson has emerged as a fourth scorer and led the team in points during wins over the Spurs and Lakers. Over their last five games, opponents have shot a dismal 39.1 percent,. That makes them the best in the NBA in opponenets field-goal percentage over that span. (Last Week, 7)

No. 4: Los Angeles Lakers (22-5) - Back-to-back losses to the Heat and Magic with Kobe missing game-tying shots as the buzzer sounded are alarming and enough to knock this team out of the top three. Still, they are 10-3 against the NBA's top fifteen records and faced perhaps the most difficult schedule in December. (Last Week, 3)

No. 5: New Orleans Hornets (16-7) - Since a loss to the Sacramento Kings before Thanksgiving, the Hornets are 11-2. Those two losses both came on the road to the Blazers and the unstoppable Celtics. (Last Week, 6)

No. 6: Houston Rockets (19-9) - With everyone but Rafer Alston back from injury and Ron Artest coming off the bench, Houston has shot an impressive 49.6% from the field over their last five games (third in NBA) while scoring 104.00 points per game (eighth). They carry four straight wins into a matchup against the formidable Cavs. (Last Week, 9)

No. 7: Denver Nuggets (18-10) - The second best team in the West is now the fourth best after three straight losses to top-ten teams. A bounce-back win over the Blazers has them back on track and in first place in the Northwest division. (Last Week, 4)

No. 8: Portland Trail Blazers (17-11) - Two words: Brandon Roy. The underrated superstar hung 52 points on Phoenix to negate the new-look Suns best offensive performance this season. They have a chance to avenge thier loss to Nuggets in the finale of a home-and-home. (Last week, Bubble)

No. 9: Phoenix Suns (16-11) - The addition of Jason Richardson has the Suns scoring an NBA-best 112.2 points per game over the past five games while shooting an impressive 50.2% from the field. Now it's time to focus on defense. (Last Week, Not Rated)

No. 10: San Antonio Spurs (17-10) - A weak opponents winning percentage of .453 over their last ten games in which they managed an 8-2 record is the only thing keeping this team from a higher rating. (Last Week, 5)

"Bubble" teams: Atlanta Hawks (17-10), Utah Jazz (17-12)

The "AHN Top 10" will attempt to balance power rankings based on each team's most recent performance, while keeping in mind the overall scope of each team's place in the league.

The rankings are compiled by the AHN writer and are the sole opinion of the author.