The Denver Nuggets have won 10 of 12 on their way to first place in the Western Conference, but it's the Indiana Pacers who are the league's hottest team right now.

With their victory Sunday over the New York Knicks, the Pacers won their seventh straight game and became one of only five teams to join the NBA's 20-win club this season.

Throughout the regular season, our panel (ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz, Tim MacMahon and Andre' Snellings, The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears, and FiveThirtyEight's Chris Herring) is ranking all 30 teams from top to bottom, taking stock of which teams are playing the best basketball now and which are looking most like title contenders.

Previous rankings: Week 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | Camp | Offseason

1. Golden State Warriors

Record: 20-10

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 1 2-1 MEM, @UTAH, DAL, LAC

Center DeMarcus Cousins will return to Santa Cruz on Monday to practice with the Warriors' G League team for the third time. The four-time All-Star also played some lighthearted one-on-one with Warriors teammate Kevin Durant during Sunday's practice. It is still uncertain when Cousins will be able to debut for the Warriors after having a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in January. -- Spears

2. Denver Nuggets

Record: 20-9

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 9 3-0 DAL, @LAC

The Nuggets put together three huge wins this week, finishing with consecutive statement victories over the Thunder and the Raptors. Nikola Jokic & Co. have won 10 of their past 12 games to move into the top spot in the Western Conference, and they are winning despite missing three of their five starters due to injury. The Nuggets are a combined 3-0 this season against the Raptors and the Warriors and look like legitimate championship contenders as 2018 winds to a close. -- Snellings

3. Toronto Raptors

Record: 23-9

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 2 2-2 IND, CLE, @PHI

The Raptors concluded their 2-2 trip out west banged up. Kyle Lowry missed the final pair of games -- losses at Portland and Denver -- with a thigh bruise, and Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet sat out on Sunday with back injuries. The Raps can take some consolation in Lowry's return to form before the injury. After a lengthy shooting slump, the point guard shined in back-to-back wins at the Clippers and Golden State, converting 17 of 31 field goal attempts. -- Arnovitz

4. Milwaukee Bucks

Record: 19-9

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 3 2-1 @DET, NO, @BOS, @MIA

Most teams wouldn't complain about a 2-1 week, but something felt different about the Bucks' loss to Indiana this week, when the Pacers held Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton to just 22 points combined. Antetokounmpo, in particular, took only six shots -- the least he has attempted since January 2017, when he left a game early because he was under the weather. -- Herring

5. Boston Celtics

Record: 18-11

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 6 3-1 PHX, MIL, CHA

The Celtics lost on Saturday to the Pistons to snap their eight-game winning streak, but they are still one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now. Kyrie Irving is exerting a huge effect on offense this season, ranking sixth in the NBA with an Offensive Real Plus Minus of plus-4.44. -- Snellings

6. Indiana Pacers

Record: 20-10

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 11 4-0 CLE, @TOR, @BKN, WAS

Don't look now, but the Pacers -- winners of seven straight -- are the hottest team in the league at the moment. Perhaps most impressive: They began this streak a full four games before Victor Oladipo's return from injury. This would've been unthinkable last year, when Indiana went 0-7 in games without him. -- Herring

7. Oklahoma City Thunder

Record: 18-10

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 4 2-2 CHI, @SAC, @UTAH, MIN

Paul George has arguably been the Thunder's MVP thus far this season. In their 18 wins, George is averaging 25.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.2 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. When his shot is working, George has been nearly unstoppable this season, and it is translating directly into team success. -- Snellings

8. Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 18-12

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 7 2-2 @BKN, NO, MEM

It was a ragged week for the Lakers, who saw LeBron James and Lonzo Ball each record a triple-double in Saturday's win at Charlotte but who looked gassed in a loss Sunday at Washington, where LeBron scored a season-low 13 points in three quarters. The weary Lakers close their road trip in Brooklyn on Tuesday and will then play their next eight games in California, a stretch that will carry them well past New Year's Day. -- Arnovitz

9. Philadelphia 76ers

Record: 20-11

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 5 2-2 @SA, NY, TOR

Jimmy Butler proved to be the bellwether for the Sixers last week, as they dropped both games he missed to injury -- rough home losses to Brooklyn and Indiana. Butler's durability is especially vital because Philadelphia sacrificed depth to acquire him. Both Furkan Korkmaz, who started in Butler's absence, and Wilson Chandler, who has effectively replaced Dario Saric as the Sixers' starting power forward, have struggled to produce consistently. -- Arnovitz

10. LA Clippers

Record: 17-12

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 8 1-3 POR, DAL, DEN, @GS

The reeling Clips own the league's second-worst net rating in December (and it has taken a 56-point loss by the Bulls to keep LA out of the basement). When asked who could pick up the scoring slack for Lou Williams, who was lost to a hamstring injury in the Clippers' win Monday night in Phoenix, coach Doc Rivers prophetically stated, "no one." Accordingly, the Clippers have scored 97 points in 100 possessions in the three losses since. -- Arnovitz

11. Houston Rockets

Record: 14-14

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 15 3-0 UTAH, WAS, @MIA, SA

James Harden scored 82 points on 40 field goal attempts over the past two games, when he posted a pair of triple-doubles in wins over Western Conference teams currently in playoff position. His spectacular performance in a nationally televised win over the Lakers -- a record-breaking fourth career 50-point triple-double -- delivered a message that the reigning MVP will be a force to be reckoned with this season. Harden has to carry the Rockets with Chris Paul struggling (12.6 points per game on 34.7 percent shooting since coming back from a hamstring strain). -- MacMahon

12. Portland Trail Blazers

Record: 16-13

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 12 1-2 @LAC, MEM, UTAH, DAL

Remember when Portland was first in the Western Conference after an 11-5 start? Now, the Blazers are in eighth place in the West after winning just five of their past 13 games. So what's wrong? One problem is the Blazers need more scoring from their bench. Portland's reserves showed some promise by scoring 58 in a win over Toronto on Friday. -- Spears

13. Memphis Grizzlies

Record: 16-13

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 10 1-3 @GS, @POR, @SAC, @LAL

Memphis has to hope that giving Joakim Noah regular minutes helps Marc Gasol refresh. He played at an All-NBA level in November, but he averaged 37.2 minutes that month, and that seems to have taken a toll on Gasol's 33-year-old legs. His stats have plummeted in December, during which Gasol has averaged only 11.1 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 35.1 percent from the floor. -- MacMahon

14. Sacramento Kings

Record: 16-13

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 17 3-1 @MIN, OKC, MEM, NO

Point guard De'Aaron Fox is an early Most Improved Player candidate. Fox has scored at least 25 points in three of the past four games and four of the past six. The speedster has also had at least three steals in half of the eight games in December. -- Spears

15. Dallas Mavericks

Record: 15-13

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 14 2-2 @DEN, @LAC, @GS, @POR

Good news for the Mavs: Bench leader J.J. Barea plans to return Tuesday in Denver after missing the previous two games to a left ankle sprain he suffered while celebrating on the way back to the bench during a timeout. (Yes, seriously.) The Mavs are 0-3 in games Barea missed this season. "He's been playing at such a high level," Dirk Nowitzki said. "Obviously, he's been missed." Bad news: The Mavs (2-10 on road) are headed out on a trip to play the Nuggets, Clippers, Warriors and Trail Blazers. -- MacMahon

16. Detroit Pistons

Record: 14-13

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 13 1-2 MIL, @MIN, @CHA, ATL

Detroit needed a win worse than anyone in the NBA on Saturday, when it knocked off the Celtics. The Pistons entered that contest having lost six in a row despite Blake Griffin averaging 28 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists over that stretch on 49 percent shooting. The victory was also nice since Detroit will be on the road for six of its next nine games. -- Herring

17. New Orleans Pelicans

Record: 15-16

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 20 1-2 @MIL, @LAL, @SAC

Depth continues to be a major problem for the Pelicans. Only the Rockets get less bench scoring than New Orleans, which averages only 29.6 bench points per game despite Julius Randle (19.3 points, 9.5 rebounds per game) establishing himself as an early Sixth Man of the Year candidate. Injuries have been a big part of the issue, including an ankle sprain for Nikola Mirotic that has Randle serving as a fill-in starter. -- MacMahon

18. San Antonio Spurs

Record: 15-15

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 21 2-1 PHI, @ORL, MIN, @HOU

Just when the Spurs start looking like a team that plans to make the playoffs for a 22nd straight season, they blow a 21-point lead at home to the Bulls? So much for the momentum San Antonio had built during this long homestand with wins by margins of 13, 13, 25 and 38 points. The Spurs, as erratic as Texas weather, are the only team in the league to both win and lose by at least 38 points this season. -- MacMahon

19. Utah Jazz

Record: 14-16

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 19 1-2 @HOU, GS, @POR, OKC

The Jazz are 4-1 when Jae Crowder starts and 10-15 when he doesn't. The lineup of Crowder at power forward plus the four every-night starters has a net rating of plus-13.7 points per 100 possessions. Coach Quin Snyder uses that group to close games consistently, but he has been hesitant to commit to it as a starting lineup, most frequently going with Derrick Favors at power forward despite that group's problems generating offense (101.4 points per 100 possessions this season). -- MacMahon

20. Charlotte Hornets

Record: 14-15

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 18 1-2 CLE, DET, @BOS

Two-time All-Star guard Kemba Walker has cooled down offensively after starting off the season as one of the league's hottest scorers. Walker has made only 32 percent of his field goal attempts over the past six games. He also missed 11 of 13 shots in a loss against the Lakers on Sunday. Perhaps more scoring from Malik Monk and rookie Miles Bridges can take some scoring pressure off Walker. -- Spears

21. Minnesota Timberwolves

Record: 13-16

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 16 0-3 SAC, DET, @SA, @OKC

It was a winless West Coast trip for Minnesota this past week, with the Wolves coming up empty against the Warriors, Kings and Suns. The club is in second-to-last place in the West, ahead of only Phoenix -- a less-than-ideal reality considering how much better than expected Derrick Rose has played this season. -- Herring

22. Brooklyn Nets

Record: 13-18

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 25 3-0 LAL, @CHI, IND, PHX

With their fifth straight victory Sunday over Atlanta, the Nets extended their longest winning streak since March 2015, the eve of their last playoff appearance. All the while, the bugaboo of close losses has passed, with Brooklyn on the happy end of nail-biters, including a gutsy win at Philadelphia on Wednesday. With four of their next five at home -- their only road date at Chicago -- the Nets have a chance to climb into the Eastern Conference playoff chase. -- Arnovitz

23. Orlando Magic

Record: 14-15

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 24 2-1 SA, @CHI, MIA

The Magic are quietly building a potentially elite defensive front line of the future in rookie center Mo Bamba and second-year power forward Jonathan Isaac. The duo has had 34 total combined steals and blocks in the past six games the two have played in together, including 15 over the past two, despite Bamba coming off the bench for under 17 minutes per game during that stretch. -- Snellings

24. Miami Heat

Record: 13-16

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 22 2-2 HOU, MIL, @ORL

The Heat are becoming the proverbial team no one wants to face, with aggressive defending wings who funnel opponents to a traditional big-man-centric defensive back line of rim protectors. Their games are ugly, and they are still below .500 on the season, but they've won four of six games of their Western Conference road swing to gain a bit of momentum ahead of another tough week featuring games against the Rockets and Bucks. -- Snellings

25. Washington Wizards

Record: 12-18

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 23 1-3 @ATL, @HOU, PHX, @IND

Wizards stars John Wall and Bradley Beal played great ball alongside veteran Paul Pierce during the 2014-15 season. While Wall and Beal are older, perhaps they could get a veteran boost from the addition of newcomer forward Trevor Ariza (we won't get into all the twists and turns of that deal). The 15-year NBA veteran won a 2009 NBA championship with the Lakers. -- Spears

26. New York Knicks

Record: 9-22

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 26 1-2 PHX, @PHI, ATL

The Knox Watch is on in New York, as rookie Kevin Knox has moved into the starting lineup and is averaging 21.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.3 3-pointers per game during his past three outings. The Knicks are firmly on pace to finish in the lottery again this season, and the development of young players such as Knox is paramount well beyond their record this season. -- Snellings

27. Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 7-23

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 27 1-3 @IND, @CHA, @TOR, CHI

Tristan Thompson might not seem like an important offensive cog, but given how inefficient Cleveland is -- the Cavs have the second-worst effective field goal percentage in the league -- there's a case to be made that he is. His offensive rebounds bring about some of Cleveland's most valuable offense (tied for ninth in second-chance points per game). He could miss up to a month now, though, with a foot sprain, testing the young Cavs. -- Herring

28. Atlanta Hawks

Record: 6-23

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 28 0-3 WAS, @NY, @DET

The Hawks gave up 387 points over an 0-3 week, concluding with a 144-127 loss at Brooklyn on Sunday. It has been a rough December for Trae Young, who is 5-for-25 from beyond the arc for the month, while averaging 5.8 assists per game against 4.2 turnovers. Among the 76 players averaging at least 12 shots per game this season, Young ranks last in true shooting percentage at 47.4. -- Arnovitz

29. Phoenix Suns

Record: 6-24

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 30 2-2 @NY, @BOS, @WAS, @BKN

Landing swingman Kelly Oubre Jr. could end up being a steal and a needed boost for the Suns. Phoenix acquired a talented 23-year-old who is athletic, has high energy, can hit 3-pointers, is a long defender and can increase his scoring average away from John Wall and Bradley Beal. The challenge for the Suns will be dividing playing time between Oubre and fellow small forwards Josh Jackson, T.J. Warren and rookie Mikal Bridges. -- Spears

30. Chicago Bulls

Record: 7-23

PREV. RANK LAST WEEK THIS WEEK 29 1-2 @OKC, BKN, ORL, @CLE

With Jabari Parker out of Chicago's rotation and Zach LaVine missing at least some time with an ankle injury, it's worth watching what impact their absences have on the Bulls' defense. Those two were often the team's weak links on D, especially while playing together. So it might not be mere coincidence that the club has held its past two opponents to less than 100 points. -- Herring