Facing the Detroit Pistons, who have shown significant improvement this season, the Phoenix Suns found themselves in a tough battle when they traveled to the Motor City. Fortunately for the Suns, Bradley Beal was absent, allowing their remaining two superstars, Kevin Durant and Beal, to stabilize the situation and secure a narrow victory for the Suns on the road. After the game, the Suns had four reasons to celebrate. Firstly, their new frontcourt addition, Nick Richards, set a record. He recently joined the Suns, and coincidentally, his last game representing the Hornets was against the Suns. In this match, Nick Richards came off the bench to score 21 points and grab 11 rebounds, achieving a double-double. His plus-minus led the team, and during his time on the court, the Suns outscored the Pistons by 22 points. It's clear that Nick Richards' debut performance was nothing short of perfect, even becoming the first player in Suns history to score 20+10 in his first appearance for the team. Let's discuss the other two pieces of good news together. From this game, it's evident that the Suns have improved in two areas where they were previously lacking. Firstly, regardless of wins or losses in the past, the Suns' offense was often chaotic, leading to various inexplicable turnovers. However, in this game, there was a noticeable improvement; the Suns only had 9 turnovers as a team, with no player committing more than two turnovers. As the saying goes, "the devil is in the details," and the Suns certainly paid attention to these details. Secondly,…

Despite the Houston Rockets traveling to the high altitude of Denver, the balance of victory tilted in their favor as two key players from the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon, were declared absent. The Rockets indeed took an early lead, especially in the second quarter when they unleashed a 41-25 scoring spree, quickly rendering the game's outcome predictable. They ultimately secured a 20-point victory. Beyond winning the game, the Rockets experienced four pieces of good fortune. First, after easily defeating the Nuggets, the Rockets solidified their position as second in the Western Conference with this five-game winning streak. Considering their upcoming schedule and current form, barring any unforeseen circumstances or minor setbacks, it is highly probable that the Rockets will maintain a top-four spot in the West, or even hold onto their second-place position by the time the All-Star break arrives. The Rockets also managed to secure an early finish, allowing their starters to conserve energy for the second game of a back-to-back. This is crucial as the Rockets have just embarked on a series of consecutive away games. After facing the Nuggets in Denver, the team hurriedly traveled to Sacramento to play against the Kings, who, after a slow start to the season, have transformed under new management. Although the Kings lost their previous game against the Bucks, they had previously achieved a seven-game winning streak and are still in excellent form. Following the game against the Kings, the Rockets will face another challenge on the road against the Trail Blazers, making this period particularly demanding for the…