Western Conference Latest Rankings: Lakers Overtake Mavericks into Top Six, Warriors Return to Top Ten, Competition Intense
On January 16th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continues. Today is an NBA game day, and all the matches have now concluded. Several strong teams in the West faced off today, including the Warriors, Lakers, Clippers, and Mavericks. As everyone knows, the competition in the West is very fierce. After today's games, there have been new changes in the Western Conference rankings. Let's take a look at the improved rankings for the Lakers and Warriors.
Grizzlies Easily Defeat Spurs
The game between the Grizzlies and the Spurs was intense, with Wenban restricted on offense but relying on his excellent defensive abilities to help close the gap with the third place in the West. The two sides were closely contested in the first three quarters, but in the fourth quarter, the situation changed dramatically. In the last five minutes of regular time, Morant, Jaren Jackson, and Bane scored successively, allowing the Grizzlies to establish a 16-point lead, effectively ending the suspense of the game. Ultimately, the Spurs lost to the Grizzlies with a score of 115-129.
In this game, Morant scored 21 points and 12 assists, while Bane also had 21 points. On the Spurs' side, Wenban contributed 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 blocks. With the victory, the Grizzlies' record stands at 26 wins and 15 losses. Despite the significant lead held by the top two teams in the West over them, the Grizzlies remain in third place. The Spurs' record has reached 19 wins and 20 losses, equaling that of the 11th-ranked Suns in the West. However, due to their inferior head-to-head record, the Spurs fell from ninth to twelfth place.
Mavericks Suffer Consecutive Losses
The Mavericks faced the Pelicans in a direct confrontation. In this match, the Pelicans took on a weakened Mavericks team and established a 10-point lead in the first quarter. However, the Mavericks, displaying remarkable resilience, managed to overtake their opponents in the fourth quarter. The game went down to the wire, with Murphy delivering a game-winning block to secure the victory for the Pelicans, who won 119-116 against the Mavericks. This loss marked the Mavericks' third consecutive defeat, while the Pelicans extended their winning streak to two games. After the loss, the Mavericks' record stands at 22 wins and 19 losses, dropping them to seventh place after a three-game winning streak.
Warriors Narrowly Defeat Timberwolves
In the game between the Warriors and the Timberwolves, the Warriors quickly found their rhythm, establishing a 24-point lead at one point in the first quarter. However, the Timberwolves did not give up and managed to tie the score at 107 with just one minute left in the fourth quarter. Curry and Wiggins combined for 5 points to help the team regain the lead. Although Edwards and Diwen led the Timberwolves to close the gap to just 1 point, time was not on their side, as they ultimately lost to the Warriors with a score of 115-116.
In this game, Curry scored 31 points, 1 rebound, and 8 assists, while Wiggins had 24 points. Edwards contributed 28 points and 8 rebounds, and Diwen added 28 points and 9 assists. After the loss, the Timberwolves' record stands at 21 wins and 19 losses. They have won several games recently and remain in eighth place in the West. Meanwhile, the Warriors climbed from 12th to 10th place, displacing the Spurs from the top ten. Currently, the Warriors are tied with the ninth-ranked Kings in terms of win-loss differential, trailing the eighth-ranked Timberwolves by one game.
Lakers and Clippers Secure Wins
The Lakers faced the Heat in a challenge, with the Heat relying on Herro's outstanding performance to establish a 13-point lead at one point in the first half. However, in the second half, James took control of the game, leading the team to gradually overtake their opponents and establish a 9-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Heat failed to mount a significant comeback, and the Lakers ultimately defeated the Heat with a score of 117-108. James scored 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists. After the victory, the Lakers' record stands at 21 wins and 17 losses, moving them from seventh to fifth place in the West.
However, their stay in fifth place was short-lived as the Clippers replaced them. The Clippers faced the Nets today, who were without Cameron Johnson, Russell, and Cameron Thomas. The Clippers showed no mercy, leading 90-38 with five minutes left in the third quarter, illustrating the intensity of the game. The Clippers secured a 59-point victory. After the win, the Clippers' record stands at 22 wins and 17 losses, propelling them to fifth place in the West and pushing the Lakers down to sixth. The Lakers hold a half-game lead over the Mavericks.
Nuggets Fall to Rockets
The Nuggets, on a four-game winning streak, faced the Rockets, who were also on a four-game winning streak. In this match, Jokic was absent, and the Rockets seized the opportunity, leading by 21 points at halftime. The Nuggets were unable to mount a significant comeback, and the Rockets ultimately won with a score of 128-108. Jalen Green scored 34 points, and Westbrook added 17 points and 4 rebounds. After the loss, the Nuggets' record stands at 24 wins and 16 losses, remaining in fourth place in the West with a 1.5-game lead over the fifth-ranked Clippers. The Rockets, after a five-game winning streak, are six games behind the Thunder and two games ahead of the Grizzlies.
The current latest ranking in the West is as follows: The Thunder leads the second-place Rockets by six games, the third-place Rockets by eight games, the Grizzlies lead the fourth-place Nuggets by 1.5 games, and the fifth-place Clippers by three games. There is a half-game difference between the fifth-place Clippers, sixth-place Lakers, and seventh-place Mavericks. The eighth-place Timberwolves lead the ninth-place Kings and tenth-place Warriors by one game each, while the eleventh-place Suns and twelfth-place Spurs trail the Warriors by half a game each.
A single game can change the rankings from 9th to 12th and from 5th to 7th in the West, making the competition incredibly fierce. What do you think about the current Western Conference rankings? Feel free to leave your comments and discuss.