NBA Power Rankings: DeMar DeRozan's historic streak powers Bulls; Celtics, Mavs rising as All-Star break nears

Also, the Suns just keep on winning, and the Lakers encountered another tough break

We tend to call everything that happens before the NBA All-Star break the "first half" of the season, but in reality that's far from the truth. Most teams have already hit or are nearing the 60-game mark, so the portion of the schedule that takes place after the All-Star break would be more aptly characterized as the "stretch run" than the "second half."

That being said, teams and players could certainly use the week of rest. It's been a trying year with injuries and COVID, so they should all look forward to getting away for a while and/or enjoying this weekend's festivities in Cleveland.

One team that's going to be living the sweet life over the break is the Phoenix Suns, who have continued to dominate the league and remain in the No. 1 spot in this week's Power Rankings. While other contenders made huge moves before the trade deadline to increase their championship odds, the Suns just keep plugging away with their tried and true formula of execution on both ends.