NBA Power Rankings:

Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant watched the Lakers get off to a tough start to the season. (AP)Los Angeles Lakers fans were in a panic after Kobe Bryant and his teammates lost their first three games. The Oklahoma City Thunder also had reason to wonder if they'd made a mistake by trading James Harden. Fans of the Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando Magic might already be dreaming of the NBA playoffs.
Yes, it was a strange opening week to the NBA season. One thing, however, didn't change: The defending champion Miami Heat remain atop Yahoo! Sports Power Rankings. Records are through Sunday's games. ay's games.
1. Miami Heat (2-1, previous ranking: first): Ray Allen saved the Heat against Denver with a late four-point play. Brooklyn Nets will give the Heat a good test on Wednesday.

2. San Antonio Spurs (3-0, previous ranking: sixth): Tony Parker's buzzer-beater gave the Spurs a nice win over Oklahoma City. Victory over Utah didn’t come easy either.

3. New York Knicks (2-0, previous ranking: ninth): The Knicks are off to one of their best starts in years because of dependable 3-point shooting, solid performance from role players and Carmelo Anthony's scoring.

4. Los Angeles Clippers (2-1, previous ranking: fifth): Give the Clippers a pass on Golden State loss after big Lakers win night before.



5. Oklahoma City Thunder (1-2, previous ranking: second): Home loss to an Atlanta team missing Josh Smith? Looks like the Thunder are dealing with some chemistry issues after trading James Harden. That includes arguing on the court.

6. Brooklyn Nets (1-0, previous ranking: 10th): The Nets' first game in Brooklyn was a victory, but there was also bad news as starting small forward Gerald Wallace sprained his ankle.

7. Los Angeles Lakers (1-3, previous ranking: third): Lakers are a work in progress and losing Steve Nash to a leg injury didn’t help.