On January 4th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continues. Let's take a look at the performance of the Western Conference teams and the latest standings changes. The main information is as follows: Thunder defeated the Knicks 117-107, Rockets lost to the Celtics 86-109, Grizzlies lost to the Kings 133-138, Lakers defeated the Hawks 119-112, Mavericks lost to the Cavaliers 122-134, and Nuggets narrowly lost to the Spurs 110-113!
The latest Western Conference standings
The first-place Thunder in the West are unstoppable. Today, they trailed by as many as 14 points at home but made a strong comeback in the final quarter to defeat the Knicks 117-107, securing their 14th consecutive victory. Their record improved to 29 wins and 5 losses. With both the Grizzlies and Rockets losing, the Thunder extended their lead to 6.5 games over second place, solidifying their position at the top. The second-place Grizzlies played an offensive battle against the Kings on the road with Morant absent. Jackson committed a level 1 malicious foul on Fox in the final moments and fouled out for the sixth time, ultimately losing 133-138 but still leading the Rockets by 0.5 games.
The Kings bounce back with 3 straight wins
The Rockets' shooting went cold at home, losing 86-109 to the reigning champion Celtics. They have lost three of their last four games, with their record remaining at 22 wins and 12 losses. Jalen Green scored 24 points, and Jabari Smith suffered a left hand fracture during training, needing to rest for 4-8 weeks, which will have some impact on the Rockets. The Mavericks are the team that has declined the most recently. Today, without Irving and Doncic, they lost 122-134 to the league-leading Cavaliers, suffering their fourth consecutive loss. Their real-time ranking has dropped to sixth in the West with a record of 20 wins and 15 losses.
Lakers rise to 4th
Playing at home, the Lakers welcomed the return of Davis and easily defeated the Hawks 119-102 to secure their second consecutive victory. Their record improved to 20 wins and 14 losses, leading the Nuggets by 0.5 games and rising to fourth in the West. In this game, LeBron James shot 13 of 20 for 30 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists, while Davis contributed 18 points, 19 rebounds, and 4 assists on 6 of 17 shooting. Reeves scored 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists on 6 of 18 shooting. The recent Lakers have been in good form, improving their record, and the addition of Finney-Smith and Milton has enhanced the Lakers' rotation strength.
Nuggets narrowly lose to Spurs
The Nuggets performed poorly at home against the Spurs, with Jokic committing a turnover on the final attack, allowing Vassell to steal and dunk to seal the game. The final score was Spurs 113-110 over the Nuggets. This loss caused the Nuggets to drop to fifth place, only leading the seventh-place Clippers by 0.5 games. Jokic had an impressive stat line of 41 points, 18 rebounds, and 9 assists, but it wasn't enough. The Spurs secured their second consecutive win with an 18-16 record, temporarily ranked eighth, just one game ahead of seventh place. Wen Banyama contributed 35 points, 18 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 7 turnovers. The two teams will face each other again tomorrow. The last-place Pelicans in the West defeated the Wizards, who are also last in the East, 132-120, with McCollum scoring 50 points.