With the conclusion of several NBA regular season games today, the landscape of the NBA has once again shifted! The Clippers defeated the Lakers to rise to 5th place, while the Thunder swept the Nets 127-101 to continue leading the West! Teams ranked 6th to 11th are only separated by 2 wins, with the Lakers and Clippers vying for the top 4! Let's take a look at the summaries of these games and the Western Conference standings!
The Clippers swept the Lakers to climb to 5th place! Throughout the game, Powell scored 7 points in a row at the start, James hit consecutive three-pointers, Harden made an impressive 3+1, and the Clippers gradually took the lead with their outside shooting. James scored inside, and the Lakers responded in time to catch up with the score. The two teams were locked in a fierce battle, and at the end of the quarter, Harden hit a three-pointer. Both teams attacked the paint, and the Clippers led by 6 points at the end of the first quarter! In the second quarter, Batum and Reeves hit three-pointers, and the Lakers launched an offensive to close the gap. Porter scored with a jumper and added 4 points in a row, as the Clippers went on a 13-3 run to establish a lead of over 10 points. James continued to be a threat inside, but the Clippers continued to extend their lead! At halftime, the Clippers had a 15-point advantage! After the break, Hachimura hit a three-pointer, Harden scored with a mid-range shot, and the Clippers once again exerted force to build a lead of over 20 points. Davis was a force inside, and the two teams traded blows around the 20-point margin. At the end of the third quarter, the Lakers went on a 13-2 run to close the gap! The Lakers trailed by 15 points at the end of the third quarter! In the fourth quarter, the two teams exchanged blows, with the Clippers maintaining a lead of over 15 points. The Lakers were unable to make up the difference and had to accept defeat! Six players from the Clippers scored in double figures, with Harden contributing 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists, and Leonard adding 19 points, 1 rebound, and 4 assists; Five players from the Lakers scored in double figures, with James scoring 21 points, 3 rebounds, and 9 assists, and Davis adding 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists!
The Thunder swept the Nets 127-101 to continue leading the West! In this game, the Thunder displayed their formidable strength right from the start, dominating both offensively and defensively against the Nets. Joe had a hot hand, hitting four three-pointers in a single quarter, while the Thunder as a team hit nine three-pointers in that quarter alone, establishing a 20-point lead early on to secure their lead. In the second quarter, the Nets' offense showed some improvement, but the Thunder maintained their momentum, keeping the score difference around 20 points. The Nets scored inside, while the Thunder responded with multiple players contributing points! At halftime, the Thunder had a 20-point lead. In the second half, the Nets played tenaciously, continuously countering to reduce the deficit. However, Alexander stepped up once again, driving to the basket, shooting from outside, and connecting plays to stabilize the Thunder's situation! At the end of the third quarter, the Thunder had a 21-point lead! In the final quarter, the Thunder once again exerted force, going on a 10-4 run to further extend their lead. With a significant point difference, both teams brought in their bench players early, ending the game! Both sides also replaced their starting lineups to run out the clock in garbage time! Five players from the Thunder scored in double figures, with Alexander contributing 27 points, 3 rebounds, and 10 assists, Joe adding 24 points and 1 rebound, and new recruit Richards making his debut with 21 points and 11 rebounds; Three players from the Nets scored in double figures, with Johnson contributing 15 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists!
