On December 31st, Beijing time, the NBA regular season saw the Denver Nuggets face off against the Utah Jazz on the road. Despite trailing by 7 points at one point, Nikola Jokic delivered a massive triple-double to lead the Nuggets to a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Jazz managed to close the gap to just 2 points, but Jokic's combination of scoring and passing helped the team pull away once again. Ultimately, the Nuggets secured a 132-121 victory over the Jazz, marking their third win against them this season and their second consecutive win overall. This win propelled the Nuggets past the Los Angeles Lakers to claim the sixth spot in the Western Conference standings, while the Lakers dropped to seventh after being overtaken by both the Clippers and the Nuggets. The Jazz, on the other hand, suffered their fourth consecutive loss. Statistical Highlights Nuggets: Nikola Jokic with 36 points, 23 rebounds, and 10 assists; Russell Westbrook with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists; Bruce Brown with 20 points; Michael Porter Jr. with 21 points; Jamal Murray with 20 points and 10 assists; and Bones Hyland with 13 points. Jazz: Collin Sexton with 24 points; Lauri Markkanen with 17 points; Walker Kessler with 12 points and 13 rebounds; Malik Beasley with 22 points; and Rudy Gay with 14 points. Notably, Jokic recorded his 13th triple-double of the season, maintaining his league-leading position. In his career, Jokic has now amassed 144 triple-doubles, ranking him third in NBA history behind only Westbrook (201) and Robertson (181). Westbrook, with 201…

On December 31st, Beijing time, Lakers reporter Anthony Irwin revealed the inside story of the Lakers' trade, offering Valanciunas but failing to reach an agreement with the Wizards. The target centers also include Kessler, Lowry, Richards, and Sharp. The pursuit of Kessler encountered obstacles because Anji was worried that Kessler's performance after James retires would weaken his own first-round pick in 2027. Previously, the Lakers had completed a major trade, sending Russell, Lewis, and three second-round picks to the Nets, recruiting Finney-Smith and Shake Milton; the Lakers strengthened their perimeter and defense, and they still plan to strengthen the team through trades. Lakers beat reporter Anthony Irwin reported that the Lakers are still seen as the more advantageous side to get Valanciunas; however, the Wizards are asking for more draft picks than the Lakers are willing to give, and they were previously seeking Russell's expiring contract. The Wizards are exploring throughout the league, wanting a better offer than the Lakers', but teams are quite cautious about Valanciunas' contract. His contract will continue until the 2026-27 season, with no guarantee in the last year. Anthony Irwin continued to report that the Lakers have discussed internally with the Trail Blazers' Robert Williams, the Hornets' Richards, the Nets' Sharp, and the Utah Jazz's Kessler. Sources say that the Lakers and the Jazz were quite close to reaching a deal on Kessler this summer, but the negotiations between the two sides this year have been very unstable. One concern of the Jazz is that sending Kessler to the Lakers to partner with Davis will…

With the rise of young teams like the Thunder and Rockets, it has become clear that change is constant in the world of sports. Just as with the Sichuan team in our CBA, which initially had mediocre results and wasn't highly regarded, they later made significant improvements through hard work, tactical adjustments, and the cultivation of new talent, surprising many with their rapid progress. This is similar to the rise of the Thunder and Rockets, who have undergone remarkable changes that no one could have predicted! Today, we're talking about the Utah Jazz, a team that also shows signs of resurgence. In the 2022 offseason, the Utah Jazz traded away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, acquiring seven first-round draft picks, six of which had no protection measures. However, up to now, only one of these draft picks has been used, selecting the promising Keldon Johnson. We can say that the Jazz's operation was quite bold. Imagine trading away two of the team's biggest stars; it takes a lot of courage! It's like our village basketball team letting go of the two best players on the team, which would be quite shocking! However, if you can really select good prospects through draft picks, it's worth it. For example, the basketball team from the neighboring town didn't perform well at first, but they selected a particularly talented young player named Xiao Li through the draft. Once Xiao Li joined the team, his performance was outstanding, leading the team's results to soar. Therefore, if draft picks are used well, they can truly bring…