On the morning of December 24, NBA regular season continued with the Warriors hosting the Pacers. The Pacers have been in hot form recently, winning 5 out of their last 6 games. The Warriors, on the other hand, have been performing averagely, with somewhat insufficient overall competitiveness.
In the first half, neither team managed to pull away, with the Pacers holding a slim 8-point advantage. In the second half, the Warriors' comeback attempt was mediocre, as they only managed to close the gap by 4 points in the third quarter and fell further behind in the fourth, ultimately losing 105-111. Curry had an average game, shooting 2 for 13 from the field, scoring 10 points with 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Kuminga came off the bench to shoot 9 for 16, scoring 26 points with 8 rebounds and 4 assists, the highest scorer for the team and the only player to score over 20 points.
The Lakers hosted the Pistons, where despite a clear difference in overall strength, the Lakers lacked overall competitiveness and a stable offensive output. At halftime, the Lakers held a slight 2-point lead, but the fourth quarter saw a thrilling climax with suspense building! In the final moments, James attempted a buzzer-beating three-pointer that bounced off the rim a few times before missing, which could have potentially sent the game into overtime. The final score was 114-117. James scored 28 points with 11 rebounds and 11 assists, while Christie scored 17 points. The Pistons won due to strong bench performances from players like Beasley, Fontecchio, Osar, and Holland, who all had high offensive shooting percentages.
There have been significant changes in the Western Conference standings! The Lakers dropped from 6th to 7th in the West, while the Warriors' 8th place position became unstable. In today's other games, the Rockets defeated the Hornets in a big win to complete their revenge. The Grizzlies narrowly lost to the Clippers with a score of 110-114. As a result, the Rockets overtook the Grizzlies, rising to 2nd in the West and establishing a 0.5-game lead.
The Thunder achieved an 8-game winning streak by defeating the Wizards at home with a score of 123-105, continuing to lead the West and stand alone at the top.