LeBron James and Kevin Durant, one aged 39 and the other 35, have both surpassed the typical retirement age for NBA players. Yet, they remain top-tier superstars in today's NBA. As talented players at the same position with overlapping careers, it's inevitable that they are often compared. LeBron James is known for his versatility and longevity, considered a historical-level ball-handler, while Kevin Durant is a historical-level scoring machine capable of scoring against any opponent. Both James and Durant are top small forwards, with James widely regarded by mainstream media as the greatest small forward in history. However, in terms of accolades, James has a significant lead over Durant, a gap that is almost impossible to close due to age, as Durant is also 35 years old and could easily find himself on the brink of retirement. James and Durant both entered the NBA at 19, with James being the first overall pick and Durant the second. Both made an immediate impact and have maintained consistency throughout their careers. In their entire careers, Durant averages 27.3 points, 7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game, with a two-point shooting percentage of 54% and a three-point shooting percentage of 38.7%. James, on the other hand, averages 27.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game, with a two-point shooting percentage of 55.4% and a three-point shooting percentage of 34.6%. In total career statistics, Durant has played 1014 games with a total of 27728 points, 7134 rebounds, and 4436 assists. James, however, has played 1453 games with a total of 39452 points, 10902 rebounds,…

The NBA regular season schedule is nearing its halfway point, and the Western Conference is in chaos. The top spot is held firmly by the Thunder, while the bottom three teams - the Trail Blazers, Jazz, and Pelicans - are content with tanking. The middle 11 teams have formed a chaotic group, with not much difference between them. According to StatMuse, the threshold for the top six in the West this season is estimated to be around a 58% win rate, and the play-in tournament threshold is expected to be around 52%. This would be enough to secure a playoff spot in the East. For a long time, the East has not received much attention, but in the past six seasons, three Eastern Conference teams have won championships: the Raptors in 2019, the Bucks in 2021, and the Celtics in 2024. They have indeed benefited greatly from their divisional advantages, with many teams being easy wins. To be precise, starting from the eighth-placed Pistons in the East, the overall competitiveness is not very strong. This includes the Nets and Bulls who are preparing to tank, the Raptors, Hornets, and Wizards who are on the way to tanking, and the 76ers who do not want to tank but have been mediocre. To be honest, the rise of young teams like the Thunder, Rockets, Grizzlies, Cavaliers, and Magic proves that tanking and rebuilding is not necessarily a bad thing. It may only take a 2-3 year cycle to complete a framework reshuffle. However, there is one team that cannot even tank because…

On January 11, 2025, the NBA court was filled with excitement as a total of 7 intense matches were scheduled. Let's take a look at the highlights of these games and the latest rankings in the Western Conference. Firstly, in the match between the Golden State Warriors and the Indiana Pacers, the Warriors suffered a defeat with a score of 96:108. This loss caused the Warriors to drop to tenth place in the Western Conference standings. The New Orleans Pelicans also had an impressive victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, winning 123:115. Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic's core player, Banchero, returned from injury, but the team still lost to the Milwaukee Bucks with a score of 106:109. The Oklahoma City Thunder displayed their strength on the road, defeating the New York Knicks 126:101. The Sacramento Kings made a remarkable performance against the Boston Celtics, winning 114:97 and achieving a six-game winning streak, becoming a dark horse in the Western Conference. The Chicago Bulls also won against the Washington Wizards with a score of 138:105. Additionally, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Brooklyn Nets. In the highly anticipated game where the Warriors faced the Pacers, the Warriors lost on the road with a score of 96:108. Notably, the Warriors' three key players, Curry, Green, and Wiggins, were unable to participate due to various reasons, significantly weakening the team's overall strength. The Pacers, taking advantage of this opportunity with a complete lineup, easily overcame the Warriors and achieved a five-game winning streak. After this game, the Warriors' situation is not optimistic, with a record of…

On January 11th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued. Let's take a look at the latest completed games and changes in the standings. The main information is as follows: The Thunder defeated the Knicks 126-101, the Warriors lost to the Pacers 96-108, the Pelicans beat the 76ers 123-115, the Bucks narrowly won against the Magic 109-106, and the Kings defeated the Celtics 114-97! The latest Western Conference standings: The first-place Thunder maintained their hot shooting on the road against the Knicks, scoring 70 points in the first half and quickly opening up a lead of more than 20 points. They held off the Knicks' counterattack in the third quarter and eventually defeated them easily with a score of 126-101, achieving a double-kill. With a record of 31 wins and 6 losses, they remain firmly atop the Western Conference, leading the second-place Rockets by 6 games. Alexander shot 21 for 15 and made all 8 free throws to easily score 39 points, while Joe shot 16 for 11, including 8 for 10 from three-point range, to score 31 points. The Knicks failed to challenge for the top two spots in the East and continue to rank third in the East with a record of 25 wins and 14 losses. Brunson scored 27 points and 5 assists on 15 shots, and Towns had 23 points and 10 rebounds. The Thunder maintain their lead in the West: The Knicks' loss meant that the second-place Celtics in the East were unable to extend their win difference. They also lost today, suffering a 97-114…

On January 11, 2025, Beijing time, there were 7 NBA games today, involving the Warriors, Nuggets, Thunder, Kings, and Pelicans. After the games, the Western Conference standings saw some changes. The Thunder played away against the Knicks, with the Thunder missing Chet and Caruso, while the Knicks were without Miro. The Thunder suffered a greater loss in combat power, and it was expected that the game would be closely contested. However, the Thunder overwhelmed the Knicks, winning the first quarter by 14 points and the second quarter by 13 points. At halftime, they led by 27 points. In the second half, the Thunder maintained their advantage, keeping a large lead throughout the game, ultimately defeating the Knicks by 25 points. Alexander scored 39 points with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals on 15 of 21 shooting. Isaiah Joe scored 31 points with 1 rebound and 2 assists on 11 of 16 shooting (8 of 11 from three-point range). Towns scored 23 points with 10 rebounds on 9 of 16 shooting, and Brunson scored 27 points with 1 rebound and 5 assists on 7 of 15 shooting. After the victory, the Thunder have a stable lead in the Western Conference with a record of 31 wins and 6 losses. They are ahead of the second-placed Rockets by 6 games, holding a significant advantage. The Kings played away against the Celtics, with Fox absent for the Kings, while the Celtics had all their main players present. On paper, the Kings were not considered strong opponents for the Celtics. However, the game…

On January 11th, Beijing time, the Thunder defeated the Knicks 126-101. After ending their 15-game winning streak at the Cleveland Quicken Loans Arena, the Thunder flew to New York to face the third-ranked Knicks in the Eastern Conference at Madison Square Garden. In this strong matchup, OKC easily overwhelmed the five giants of New York, and the game entered garbage time after three quarters, with SGA scoring 39 points in three quarters and clocking out. Before this game, the NBA's official MVP rankings had been updated: SGA, Jokic, Giannis, Wembanyama, and Tatum were in the top five, and SGA finally ended Jokic's eight-week streak at the top of the MVP rankings. After suffering a loss in Cleveland, SGA started the game with fierce momentum, scoring 13 points and 3 rebounds on 8 shots with 5 made and 3 free throws made, without any assists. He wanted to crush the Knicks with his personal attack, and he succeeded. At halftime, Alexander had already scored 19 points, with a true shooting percentage as high as 69.1%. In the third quarter, Alexander played all 12 minutes, scoring 20 points, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block on 9 shots with 7 made, 1 three-pointer made, and 5 free throws made. With his individual performance in the third quarter, Alexander directly collapsed the Knicks. In three quarters, he played 29 minutes, made 15 of 21 shots, made 1 of 1 three-pointers, and made 8 of 8 free throws, scoring 39 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, with a shooting percentage…

On January 11, 2025, Beijing time, the Knicks, with a record of 25 wins and 13 losses, faced off against the Thunder, who had 30 wins and 6 losses. This was the second meeting between the two teams this season. In their first encounter, the Thunder defeated the Knicks at home, ending the Knicks' nine-game winning streak. The Knicks were eager for revenge today. The Thunder lost to the Cavaliers in their previous game, ending their 15-game winning streak. They also hoped to bounce back. Both teams are very strong, so who would win today's game? The Knicks were without Miro, starting with Brunson, Bridges, Hart, OG, and Towns. The Thunder were missing Chet and Caruso, starting with Alexander, Wallace, Dort, Jalen, and Harten. In the first quarter, both teams played with high defensive intensity in the first five minutes, making it difficult for either side to score. The Knicks only managed to score through Brunson's two free throws, while the Thunder scored through Jalen's layup, resulting in a 2-2 tie. Brunson and Hart then scored four points, giving the Knicks a 6-2 lead. Alexander responded with a mid-range jumper, reducing the gap to two points. After a timeout, Jalen and Dort scored five points, allowing the Thunder to take a three-point lead. Brunson scored five points in response, but Alexander and Isaiah Joe combined for five points, keeping the difference at three points. Hart and Towns scored, while Alexander continued to score, with Wiggins, Dort, and Isaiah Joe also contributing, extending the lead to 14 points. At the end…

NBA announces the latest power rankings! The Thunder is ranked first, the Clippers are eighth, and the Lakers' ranking soars. Recently, the NBA officially announced the latest issue of the team's power rankings. In this issue, the Thunder surpassed the Cavaliers to top the list, while the Nuggets and Lakers returned to the top ten. Let's take a look at the specific ranking situation. The Thunder currently has a record of 30 wins and 6 losses, while the Cavaliers have 32 wins and 4 losses. The two young teams' records rank at the top of the Eastern and Western Conferences, and it is unquestionable that their strength ranks in the top two. Moreover, it should be noted that the Thunder is not yet fully formed. If Chet returns, their overall strength will inevitably rise to another level. The Celtics overtook the Knicks to rank third, with a current record of 27 wins and 10 losses, while the latter has 25 wins and 13 losses. The Rockets and Grizzlies are ranked fifth and sixth on this list, both with 24 wins, but the former leads by 0.5 games. The Nuggets are ranked seventh, up six places from the previous period. After experiencing a slump at the beginning of the season, Jokic led the team back on track, with a current record of 21 wins and 15 losses, ranking fourth in the West. The Clippers, who welcomed back Leonard, also rose in the rankings, ranking eighth with a current record of 20 wins and 17 losses. It is believed that as Leonard…

When it comes to the MVP favorites this season, Thunder's star player Alexander is undoubtedly on the list. So far, he has averaged an impressive 31.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game. Under his leadership, the Thunder have achieved a record of 30 wins and 6 losses, ranking first in the Western Conference. If they continue at this win rate, the Thunder even have a chance to challenge for 70 wins. However, despite his remarkable performance, Alexander was only selected as the 11th overall pick in the draft. So, what happened to the 10 players who were picked ahead of him? Some of them have already been eliminated from the league! Bridges (Knicks) Career average: 14.6 points, 4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 steals Bridges started his career as a 3D player but began to transition during the 2022-2023 season, which made him a better player. He was traded to the Knicks last offseason and is now averaging 18.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.3 three-pointers per game. He can not only shoot threes and defend but also handle some ball-handling responsibilities. Besides scoring, he can create opportunities for his teammates. Therefore, Bridges has undoubtedly reached an All-Star level. Knox Career average: 7.4 points, 2.9 rebounds Knox's most heavily utilized time in the NBA was his rookie season when he averaged 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. However, his 37% shooting percentage showed that his abilities fell short of team expectations. Knox gradually fell out of the rotation and moved around…

The NBA regular season continues with the Cavaliers hosting the Thunder at home. The two teams are evenly matched in strength and fought fiercely, with the outcome only being decided in the final moments. Ultimately, the Cavaliers narrowly defeated the Thunder 129-122, ending their opponents' 15-game winning streak and welcoming an 11-game winning streak at home. This battle has made it clear that these four players are simply too strong. Cavaliers center Allen dominated the paint with powerful dunks and defensive blocks, doing as he pleased inside. He was particularly crucial in key moments, continuously fighting for rebounds, grabbing 8 offensive rebounds on his own while the entire Thunder team only managed 9. His dominance is undeniable, as he went 11 for 9 from the field, 7 for 10 from the free-throw line, scoring 25 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals, with a plus-minus of +7. Cavaliers power forward Mobley is tall, tough, and possesses great mobility. In a critical moment, he successfully executed a one-on-one move against Hartenstein, securing the victory. A versatile forward who excels on both offense and defense is highly sought after. He went 13 for 8 from the field, 5 for 7 from the free-throw line, scoring 21 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block, with a plus-minus of +8. Thunder center Hartenstein was the most important acquisition during the Thunder's offseason, addressing their weakness in the paint. Today, facing the Cavaliers' twin towers, he played hard and aggressively. Against the zone defense, his mid-range jump shots posed a dilemma…