On January 19th, Beijing time, the Atlanta Hawks pulled off a stunning overtime victory against the Boston Celtics, the Golden State Warriors narrowly defeated the Washington Wizards at home, the Cleveland Cavaliers won a close game on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Houston Rockets achieved a big win away against the Portland Trail Blazers. Here's a brief summary of today's games!
The Warriors edged out the Wizards with a score of 122-114. In the first half, the Wizards took the lead thanks to a strong performance by Bradley Beal, who hit several difficult three-pointers. The Warriors' offense relied heavily on Andrew Wiggins and Stephen Curry to keep them in the game, as they trailed by seven points at halftime. However, after the break, the Warriors' offense exploded, with players like Dennis Schroder, Wiggins, Curry, and Jordan Poole all finding their shooting touch. They scored over 30 points in two consecutive quarters to turn the tide and ultimately secure the win, moving up to tenth place in the standings ahead of the Phoenix Suns. Curry suffered an ankle injury in the fourth quarter, putting the Warriors in a tough spot once again. Kyle Kuzma scored 22 points, Beal had 38 points, Wiggins contributed 31 points and 11 rebounds, Curry added 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists, and Schroder chipped in with 20 points.
The Hawks shocked the Celtics in overtime, with the Celtics exerting significant offensive pressure on the Hawks in the first quarter. Jayson Tatum struggled offensively in the first quarter, but Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart led the Celtics to a 33-21 lead over the Hawks. In the second quarter, the Celtics' offense experienced a sharp decline, allowing the Hawks to capitalize and respond with a 31-15 run to take the lead at halftime. Both teams fought hard offensively in the second half, pushing the game into overtime. In the extra period, the Celtics' offense faltered compared to the Hawks, resulting in a 119-115 victory for the Hawks. The "Two Towers" of the Celtics combined for only 47 points today, with Jaylen Brown scoring 21 points, Payton Pritchard adding 20 points, Trae Young contributing 28 points and 11 assists, De'Andre Hunter scoring 23 points, Jalen Johnson grabbing 14 rebounds and scoring 13 points, Onyeka Okongwu scoring 19 points, and Kevin Huerter adding 16 points.
The Rockets secured a big win at home against the Trail Blazers, with Armoni Brooks absent from the game. The Rockets started slowly in the first half, with the Blazers matching their offensive output. However, in the second half, the Blazers' offense became inconsistent, allowing the Rockets to take control with a 36-24 advantage in one quarter. In the final quarter, the Rockets maintained their lead from the third quarter and ultimately won the game, solidifying their position as second in the Western Conference. Fred VanVleet contributed 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, while three Rockets players scored over 20 points: Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, and Alperen Sengun.
Here are the latest NBA Eastern Conference rankings:
