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We don't do ties in the NBA Power Rankings.

This, though, is one of those times when you could get some support for the idea, when the Celtics and Lakers are consistently making it so hard on the committee (of one) to choose between them.

The longstanding rivals went a combined 7-0 since our last rankings batch, resulting in a rare status-quo trifecta for the top three in our weekly, fully unautomated pulse-check of the league. This is the third successive week our poll reads Celtics-Lakers-Cavaliers at the top.

Click here to rank the teams yourself, or click here to comment.

Tune in Tuesdays to "NBA Fastbreak" on ESPN to see this week's U.S. Army Power Rankings.

2008-09 Power Rankings: Week 4
RANK (LAST WK)		TEAM	REC.	COMMENT
	1 (1)	Celtics	13-2	Thanks to last season's friendly early schedule, Boston cruised into December at 13-2. This season? The Celts, in spite of a more demanding start, will be 16-2 at month's end if they sweep this week's games.
	2 (2)	Lakers	11-1	Spanking the Suns in Phoenix then drubbing Denver at home one night later is an authoritative back-to-back sweep. The Lakers, though, would tell you their D has slipped lately, those two impressive games aside.
	3 (3)	Cavaliers	10-3	Here's a LeBron question that has nothing to do with 2010 for a change: What are his MVP odds if Kobe keeps averaging 33-ish minutes per game and LBJ keeps the Cavs on this 63-19 pace with all his crazy numbers?
	4 (6)	Nuggets	9-5	Our quarrel isn't necessarily with the Nuggets, who are rightly pleased with themselves at 8-2 since the Billups era began, but we're just being honest: There was no obvious No. 4 once you got past the dominance above.
	5 (9)	Rockets	9-5	A week that began with here-we-go-again injury scares for each of their three stars turned into a three-W week when T-Mac, Yao and Artest quickly shook their ailments. The Rockets' roller coaster, in other words, rolls on.
	6 (4)	Suns	9-5	The Suns who miss their old running game might have a case. Rejuvenated as Shaq looks some nights, Phoenix is 8-0 when it reaches the familiar 100-point threshold . . . and a discouraging 1-5 when it falls short.
	7 (7)	Magic	9-4	Are they going to be better on the road than they are at home? Again? Those are valid questions when the Magic, just like last season, are showing more steel and flash in the away games at this early juncture.
	8 (5)	Pistons	8-5	You can rationalize a heavy loss at Boston when it happens one night after you've beaten Cleveland. But that Cleveland win suddenly counts for a lot less after Detroit's indefensible 26-point home loss Sunday to Minnesota.
	9 (11)	Trail Blazers	8-6	The Blazers have played just four home games. They're also the first team ever to open the season against five foes coming off seasons of 54 wins or better. This, then, must be one of the West's few satisfied teams so far.
	10 (12)	Jazz	9-5	With six of their next seven games in the SLC, where the injury-ravaged Jazz have had no trouble winning no matter who is healthy enough to play, our unsolicited advice is to give Boozer and D-Will some extra time to heal.
	11 (18)	Spurs	6-6	The fear in the Alamo City was seeing their banged-up heroes fall into such a deep hole that February's annual Rodeo Road Trip would be too late to save them. The current 5-2 rebound suggests we all panicked prematurely.
	12 (10)	Hornets	7-5	The stumbling Hornets were handed a stretch of four straight gimme games. A real get-well card. So what happens? After a home L to the Kevin Martin-less Kings, it'll take a win in Clipperland just to get them to 3-1.
	13 (8)	Hawks	8-5	The Hawks can only hope Mark Price's good work with Marvin Williams keeps improving Williams' shot. Lots of 3s must fall before we ditch our three or four annual references to Atlanta drafting Williams over Chris Paul.
	14 (15)	76ers	7-6	The Sixers were scored using the same tough curve applied to the Hornets. Three W's last week, yes. But when you look at the teams they beat, it's the loss at struggling Minnesota that stands out to the committee.
	15 (22)	Mavericks	6-7	Four wins in a row, three on the road, all of them coming after a mortifying 2-7 start which included an 0-4 launch at home. If you're thinking all that adds up to U.S. Army Team of the Week status, you know us well.
	16 (19)	Nets	6-6	Splitting their first 12 games? Devin Harris getting to the line 11 times nightly to average 23.2 ppg? Vinsanity getting so wide-open in Toronto on that game-winning inbounds alley-oop? Didn't see any of this coming.
	17 (17)	Bucks	7-8	Redd's ongoing absence and surprising starts for Sessions and Mbah a Moute inevitably hog the spotlight, but you can't ignore Bogut's better-than-ever board work: 15 or more boards in five of the past seven games.
	18 (14)	Bulls	6-8	After allowing an average of 113 points in the first four games of the dreaded Circus Trip, isn't it presumptuous to talk about Chicago taking advantage of the injuries in Utah and San Antonio on its next two stops?
	19 (13)	Raptors	6-7	Haters will use the word predictable, but how do you rap J. O'Neal for this one? He finds his first Toronto groove, posting five successive double-doubles, only to suffer a knee injury when hauled down against Jersey.
	20 (20)	Knicks	7-6	How can the Knicks ask their poor fans to wait nearly 600 days for LeBron's free agency? Here's how: They're banking on the idea that, with D'Antoni coaching, they'll be entertaining and hardworking between now and then.
	21 (21)	Heat	7-6	Rookie coach of the year? Spoelstra must have the early lead with the Heat off to a passable start . . . and with the foul-plagued Beasley, benched in several fourth quarters lately, being held accountable for his D.
	22 (16)	Pacers	5-7	The Pacers might be more psyched about Daniels' two 25-point games if they (A) hadn't lost both and (B) had a firm return date for the guy he's replacing. But Indy (gulp) says Dunleavy is still out indefinitely.
	23 (30)	Timberwolves	3-9	Minnesota's change-resistant owner issuing a vote of confidence to Wittman in the midst of a 2-8 start? Not too surprising. Glen Taylor's Wolves posting their first road win at Detroit? By 26? Total stunner.
	24 (23)	Warriors	5-8	It's a good thing they signed Nellie to that extension. Name another coach who could win with the intriguing-but-tiny core the Warriors have assembled: Captain Jack, Monta, Biedrins, Maggette and now Crawford.
	25 (26)	Kings	5-10	We've tried to show some rare restraint with the Bobby Brown mentions. But with Martin still out and Bobby doing Fullerton proud with 21 points in 25 minutes in a homecoming against the Lakers, there's no avoiding it.
	26 (25)	Grizzlies	4-9	They're not a lot older than the Memphis Tigers -- especially that three-rookie starting lineup -- so you understandably struggle to see them pulling out of this early 1-6 slide. No matter how smooth Mayo looks.
	27 (24)	Bobcats	3-9	The way Augustin is starting to play -- well enough to earn his first NBA start from the famously demanding Larry Brown -- perhaps it's now Felton who goes in the trade everyone knows Brown is dying to make.
	28 (28)	Clippers	2-11	The Clips already have seven losses by 10 or more points, even though they've played only four games outside city limits. Maybe Camby was so angry when he got dealt here because he had a feeling this was coming.
	29 (27)	Wizards	1-10	Injuries to Arenas and Haywood theoretically insulated the coach from heat. But Eddie Jordan, on the eve of his firing, was the first to admit that ''not in our wildest dreams'' did the Wiz ever expect to start out 1-10.
	30 (29)	Thunder	1-13	Clip and save, because it'll be the only time you ever catch us rooting for an Irvine guy. Yet we're indeed pulling for Scotty Brooks, if mostly because the Thunder had become unwatchable and we want to enjoy Durant again.