On January 12th, Beijing time, a total of four NBA games were played, with three involving Western Conference teams. The specific results are as follows: the Suns defeated the Jazz, the Grizzlies narrowly beat the Timberwolves, and the Trail Blazers suffered a heavy loss to the Heat. As a result, the wild Western Conference landscape has changed once again. The current situation can be summarized as follows: the Thunder remains stable, the Rockets have created an NBA miracle, the Lakers and Clippers have received big gifts, and the Suns are about to break into the top ten.
Firstly, in terms of the top three in the West, the Thunder's position at the top is basically unshakable. They currently have a record of 31 wins and 6 losses, making them the only team in the West with a win rate exceeding both 70% and 80%. They also lead the Rockets by a significant margin of 6.0 games. With Holmgren's return, it will be even more impossible for the Thunder to be surpassed. The Rockets, with a record of 25 wins and 12 losses, rank second in the West and have already established a 1.0-game lead over the third-placed Grizzlies. The Rockets have undoubtedly created an NBA miracle, especially considering that they did not even make it to the play-in tournament last season. While catching up to the Thunder may not be realistic, being able to maintain their position as the second seed in the West is still a huge success.
The Grizzlies managed a narrow 127-125 victory over the Timberwolves, with the game being quite intense. The Grizzlies led by only 2 points in the first quarter, but the Timberwolves took the lead in the second quarter. The Timberwolves continued to dominate in the third quarter, leaving the Grizzlies chasing points throughout the fourth quarter. In the crucial moments, Morant scored 4 consecutive points, while Edwards missed two potential game-winning three-pointers, ultimately resulting in the Grizzlies' victory. In terms of statistics, Morant had 12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 turnovers; Jaren Jackson contributed 33 points and 8 rebounds; and Bane added 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. For the Timberwolves, Edwards had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 turnovers; DiVincenzo scored 27 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists.
Randle chipped in with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. After this game, the Grizzlies ended their three-game losing streak and maintained their third place in the West with a record of 25 wins and 14 losses. However, it will not be easy for them to catch up to the surging Rockets. On the other hand, the Timberwolves' three-game winning streak came to an end, leaving them with a record of 20 wins and 18 losses. This outcome was a gift for both the Clippers and the Lakers. Firstly, the Timberwolves dropped from seventh to eighth in the West, overtaken by the Clippers. Secondly, after the Timberwolves' loss, the gap between them and the sixth-seeded Lakers widened to 1.0 game. The Lakers had recently suffered two consecutive defeats and could have been overtaken by the Timberwolves at any moment, but now they can breathe a sigh of relief.
The Suns secured a 114-106 victory over the Jazz, with the game being full of ups and downs. The Suns had the upper hand in the first half, but the Jazz narrowed the gap in the third quarter, even reducing it to just 1 point at one point. The two teams were locked in a stalemate in the fourth quarter until Allen suddenly erupted, hitting three consecutive three-pointers, which sealed the victory for the Suns. In terms of statistics, Durant had 25 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 5 turnovers; Booker contributed 34 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 3 turnovers; Beal added 12 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists; and Allen chipped in with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. Following this victory, the Suns achieved a two-game winning streak, improving their record to 18 wins and 19 losses, surpassing the Spurs to rise to eleventh in the West, and only trailing the tenth-seeded Warriors by 0.5 games.
Since Beal moved to the bench, the Suns have shown signs of resurgence. Their previous major weakness was poor defense and incompatibility among the three superstars. Now, with Beal on the bench, Durant and Booker have increased their ball-handling opportunities, while Beal adds firepower to the Suns' second unit. Dunn, although just a rookie, has performed well defensively since joining the starting lineup. Overall, the Suns have the potential to re-enter the top ten in the West, which will undoubtedly affect the Warriors the most, as their play-in tournament spot is no longer secure.
No one denies that Curry is a legendary superstar, but he is indeed showing signs of aging this season, with both his competitive form and statistics declining significantly. This has led to the Warriors also experiencing a downturn. In fact, the Warriors have quite good roster depth, but unfortunately, their star player is getting older, and Kerr's用人 strategy is stubborn, such as preferring to use Bjelica instead of Lee. Besides the Warriors, the Spurs are also in a precarious situation, having suffered three consecutive losses. They had previously climbed up the rankings with difficulty, but now they have fallen back to twelfth place. It is truly tough for both the Warriors and the Spurs.
