Denver Nuggets fall out of top spot in CBS Sports' NBA Power Rankings

In the last edition of CBS Sports' weekly NBA Power Rankings the Nuggets reached the top of the heap. It was the first time in quite a while that Denver has been in the No. 1 spot in the rankings.

It didn't last long.  

After a loss on Sunday -- their first in 10 games -- the Nuggets slipped in the brand new rankings that came out on Monday. Those pesky Boston Celtics now own the No. 1 position.

Still, No. 2 isn't a bad place to be, and the Nuggets can probably be "let off the hook" for losing to the "red-hot" Oklahoma City Thunder without their MVP center Nikola Jokic, who has sat out the last two games with hamstring tightness.

CBS Sports writer Colin Ward-Henninger noted that Nuggets guard Jamal Murray "has put together his best stretch of the season, averaging 21.7 points 7.5 assists and 5.7 rebounds on 41 percent 3-point shooting in six games this week."

"He logged the first triple-double of his career in just 29 minutes in the win over Indiana," writes Ward-Henninger.

The Nuggets have also been without their head coach Michael Malone for several games, due to the league's health and safety protocols. His return will certainly help the Nuggets as the team continues to roll further into the second half of the NBA season and looks to secure a high seed in the playoffs.

While the Nuggets still own the highest current rank of any Western Conference squad, they should keep an eye on the Kings, who jumped 5 spots to the No. 4 position (and these rankings came out just before Sacramento's impressive Monday night win over the Memphis Grizzlies.)

"With much of their competition slipping, the Kings have gone the opposite direction, winning six of their last seven games to grab a firm hold of third place in the Western Conference," Ward-Henninger writes.