On January 11, 2025, Beijing time, there were 7 NBA games today, involving the Warriors, Nuggets, Thunder, Kings, and Pelicans. After the games, the Western Conference standings saw some changes.
The Thunder played away against the Knicks, with the Thunder missing Chet and Caruso, while the Knicks were without Miro. The Thunder suffered a greater loss in combat power, and it was expected that the game would be closely contested. However, the Thunder overwhelmed the Knicks, winning the first quarter by 14 points and the second quarter by 13 points. At halftime, they led by 27 points. In the second half, the Thunder maintained their advantage, keeping a large lead throughout the game, ultimately defeating the Knicks by 25 points. Alexander scored 39 points with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals on 15 of 21 shooting. Isaiah Joe scored 31 points with 1 rebound and 2 assists on 11 of 16 shooting (8 of 11 from three-point range). Towns scored 23 points with 10 rebounds on 9 of 16 shooting, and Brunson scored 27 points with 1 rebound and 5 assists on 7 of 15 shooting.
After the victory, the Thunder have a stable lead in the Western Conference with a record of 31 wins and 6 losses. They are ahead of the second-placed Rockets by 6 games, holding a significant advantage.
The Kings played away against the Celtics, with Fox absent for the Kings, while the Celtics had all their main players present. On paper, the Kings were not considered strong opponents for the Celtics. However, the game took an unexpected turn, with the Kings leading by 7 points in the first quarter. The Celtics won the second quarter by 9 points to take a 2-point lead, but the Kings won the third quarter by 2 points, ending the third quarter tied. In the fourth quarter, the Kings put on a strong performance while the Celtics struggled to score, resulting in the Kings winning by a 17-point margin. Sabonis scored 23 points with 28 rebounds and 3 assists on 10 of 15 shooting (3 of 4 from three-point range), DeRozan scored 24 points with 4 rebounds and 9 assists on 9 of 26 shooting, Monk scored 22 points with 3 rebounds and 8 assists on 9 of 24 shooting, Tatum scored 15 points with 12 rebounds and 5 assists on 5 of 13 shooting, Brown scored 28 points with 1 rebound and 5 assists on 9 of 19 shooting, and Porzingis scored 22 points with 10 rebounds and 2 blocks on 6 of 15 shooting.
Without Fox, the Kings achieved a remarkable victory on the road against the Celtics. After this win, they secured a six-game winning streak, with a record of 19 wins and 19 losses. They surpassed the Warriors and Spurs in the standings, rising from 11th to ninth in the West.
The Nuggets hosted the Nets, with Jokic returning for the Nuggets while Gordon remained out. The Nets were missing key players such as Russell, Johnson, and Thomas. On paper, they were not considered strong opponents for the Nuggets. However, the Nets played well, suppressing the Nuggets for much of the first half and leading by as many as 8 points at one stage. In the latter part of the second quarter, the Nuggets made a comeback to take the lead, ending the half up by 6 points. In the third quarter, the Nuggets extended their lead, reaching a 22-point advantage at one point, and finished the quarter up by 15 points. In the fourth quarter, the Nets made a strong start to close the gap to 5 points, but the Nuggets' starters came back to widen the lead, eventually winning the game by a 19-point margin. Jokic scored 35 points with 12 rebounds, 15 assists, and 4 steals on 14 of 21 shooting, and Westbrook scored 25 points with 11 rebounds and 10 assists on 8 of 17 shooting, achieving a triple-double once again. For the Nets, Keane scored 22 points with 4 rebounds and 4 assists on 8 of 21 shooting.
With the win, the Nuggets improved to 22 wins and 15 losses, remaining in fourth place in the Western Conference. They trail the third-placed Grizzlies by 1.5 games. Since Westbrook became a starter, the Nuggets have been performing well. With a less challenging schedule ahead compared to the Grizzlies, they have a chance to climb into the top three.
The Pelicans played away against the 76ers, with the Pelicans missing key players such as Zion, Ingram, Murphy, and Jones, while the 76ers were without Embiid and Drummond. The Pelicans suffered a greater loss in combat power compared to the 76ers. However, the game result was surprising, with the Pelicans dominating the 76ers throughout and ultimately winning by an 8-point margin. McCollum scored 38 points with 3 rebounds and 3 assists on 13 of 24 shooting (6 of 11 from three-point range), Murray scored 17 points with 10 rebounds and 6 assists on 7 of 17 shooting, Maxey scored 30 points with 6 rebounds and 12 assists on 10 of 21 shooting, and George scored 25 points with 11 rebounds and 5 assists on 10 of 22 shooting.
With the win, the Pelicans remain at the bottom of the Western Conference with a record of 8 wins and 31 losses.
The Warriors played away against the Pacers, with the Warriors playing back-to-back games and missing key players such as Curry, Green, Wiggins, Kuminga, and Poole. Their paper strength could not match the Pacers, so despite their efforts, they could only keep up with the score for a while. However, in the fourth quarter, the Pacers increased their lead, ultimately defeating the Warriors by a 12-point margin. Haliburton scored 25 points with 2 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 steals on 8 of 10 shooting, Siakam scored 25 points with 10 rebounds on 12 of 16 shooting, Hield scored 17 points with 4 rebounds and 5 assists on 6 of 19 shooting, and Schroder scored 12 points with 2 rebounds and 4 assists on 5 of 13 shooting.
After the loss, the Warriors have a record of 19 wins and 19 losses, dropping from ninth to tenth in the Western Conference. With the recent improvements of the Kings and Suns, if this trend continues, the Warriors may be pushed out of the top ten.
After today's games, the rankings of the Kings, Warriors, and Spurs in the Western Conference have changed, while the other teams' rankings remain unchanged. Below is the latest ranking situation in the Western Conference: