The Oklahoma City Thunder top the latest NBA power rankings after a 3-0 start to the 2026-27 season, with the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves right behind them. NBA.com published its Week 2 rankings on October 26, and the biggest surprise is the defending champion New York Knicks sitting at 0-3.
NBA power rankings: the top five
- 1. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-0): double-digit wins over the Spurs and Nuggets, with the second-best defense in the league.
- 2. Detroit Pistons (3-0): wins over the Celtics, Heat and 76ers, with at least 14 threes made in each game.
- 3. Minnesota Timberwolves (3-0): won each of their first three games by more than 20 points, something only the 2004-05 Jazz had matched, and own the league’s No. 1 defense.
- 4. Houston Rockets (3-0): road wins at Dallas, San Antonio and Atlanta, with top-five shooting marks.
- 5. Philadelphia 76ers (3-1): started 3-0 before a loss to the Pistons.
Injuries and storylines to watch
The Thunder’s strong start came with bad news: Jalen Williams suffered a serious lower-leg injury late in the win over the Clippers, and there is no official timeline yet. Detroit is also managing absences, with Jalen Duren out at least two weeks with a hamstring strain and Ausar Thompson dealing with an ankle sprain.
Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Lakers are 3-0 after Luka Dončić scored 52 points in Utah. The San Antonio Spurs are 1-2, and Victor Wembanyama shot 1-for-13 in the loss to the Thunder. The Knicks, meanwhile, are 0-3 for the first time in seven years, with their offense ranked 29th.
What comes next
Detroit faces the Knicks next, a first big test for both sides, while Oklahoma City hosts the Suns before road games in Dallas and Houston. It is still early, and rankings will shift quickly as injuries and schedules play out.
More sport on our site: read the US Grand Prix recap and the Vienna Open preview, or browse the Culture and Sport section.
Sources: NBA.com Power Rankings, Week 2; NBC Sports
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