NBA Sunday

NBA rankings

1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Le-Brons club was easily the first to cross the 50-win plateau.

2. Los Angeles Lakers: Kobes not pleased with his teams lack of defense in recent games.

3. Dallas Mavericks: Long winning streak has Mavs believing they can catch Lakers in West.

4. Orlando Magic: They havent just been winning, theyve been dominating in recent weeks.

5. Denver Nuggets: At home this week but will end month with rough 5-game Eastern trip.

6. Utah Jazz: D-Will lit up Rose in Chicago in another bid to show who is the leagues best point.

7. Atlanta Hawks: Forget the Celtics Hawks now clearly the No. 3 team in their conference.

8. Oklahoma City Thunder: Jazz will get a stern test on road today from Kevin Durant and Co.

9. Phoenix Suns: After a mid-season swoon, Suns are back playing solid basketball.

10. Milwaukee Bucks: Ex-Ute Andrew Bogut playing like All-Star for one of Easts hottest teams.

Game of the week: Celtics at Cavaliers

Boston is looking old and doesn't seem to be a title contender anymore. But the Celtics could go a long way to regaining some swagger if they could upset the East's top team thus far on Cleveland's home court during an ABC-televised game this afternoon (1:30 p.m., Ch. 4).

24-second clock

The NBA has signed off on Michael Jordan's bid to buy the Charlotte Bobcats, and commissioner David Stern expects the league's board of governors to approve the $275 million purchase by the end of next week.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, Stern said he expects the vote to pass "very easily." Jordan will become the first ex-player to own an NBA team and the second black majority owner. He'll replace the first, Bob Johnson, who has lost tens of millions of dollars annually.

"He considers himself a North Carolina native, and he's quite anxious to make this team into an important part of the community," Stern said.

Stern said the league updated its background and financial checks on Jordan and found nothing to stop the deal. Stern said the six-time NBA champion is the sole investor in the ownership group for now but expects him to try to find local partners. ...