On January 10th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued, and the competition in the West remained fierce. After this round of matches, the rankings changed once again. Among them, the Rockets defeated the Grizzlies directly and won three consecutive victories while maintaining second place; the Warriors successfully stopped their decline and held on to the top ten positions; the Suns also won the game successfully, avoiding further widening of the gap; the Clippers reaped what they sowed, falling to eighth after two consecutive defeats.
The Thunder, who topped the Western Conference, had a huge advantage, even though they lost to the Cavaliers in the previous game, they still had a 5.5-game lead. However, the competition for second and third places was still intense. In this direct dialogue between the two teams, the Rockets successfully came out on top, holding off the Grizzlies' counterattack and achieving three consecutive victories. This time, Shen Jing scored 32 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Green also contributed 27 points. Their outstanding performances helped the team secure victory and establish a 1.5-game lead.
The Warriors successfully stopped their decline, defeating the Pistons who were on a five-game winning streak away from home. Curry failed to maintain his momentum this time, shooting only 5 out of 21 for 17 points, not in good form. However, his teammates around him exploded, allowing Curry to win without much effort. Hield hit five three-pointers for 19 points; while reserves Waters and Santos also hit three-pointers in succession, helping the team widen the gap. With such outstanding performances from their teammates, they successfully stopped their decline and maintained their position in the top ten in the West.
The Suns were in a similar situation, having lost several consecutive games in the past period, dropping out of the top ten in the West. As a result, the team adjusted their starting lineup, benching Beal and Nurkic. The team won two out of their last three games, easing some pressure. This time, they also defeated the Hawks at home, trailing the tenth-ranked Spurs by half a game, still with a chance to catch up.
The Clippers reaped what they sowed, losing both of their last two games, especially the previous one against the Nuggets without Jokic, suffering a two-game losing streak. Not only did they fail to climb up, but they also slipped down. With the Timberwolves easily defeating the Magic and securing three consecutive victories, they tied the Clippers with 20 wins and 17 losses. Since the Timberwolves had a 3-0 record in direct matchups, they overtook the Clippers, rising to seventh in the West. In contrast, the Clippers fell to eighth.
The latest Western Conference rankings are as follows: Thunder, Rockets, Grizzlies, Nuggets, Mavericks, Lakers, Timberwolves, Clippers, Warriors, Spurs, Kings, Suns, Trail Blazers, Jazz, and Pelicans.