With the Thunder Spurs causing an upset, the Warriors dominating the Timberwolves, and the Clippers securing a big win, the NBA Western Conference rankings have been released.

On January 27th Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued with multiple games ending yesterday and early today. The Kings were overwhelmed 116-139 by the Pistons, the Warriors surged in the third quarter to trounce the Timberwolves 111-85, the Raptors caused a major upset by toppling the defending champion Thunder 103-101, the Pelicans unexpectedly defeated the Spurs 104-95, the Heat easily beat the Suns 111-102, the Nets collapsed 89-126 against the Clippers, the Pacers lost 116-132 to the Hawks without much fight, and the 76ers were defeated 93-130 by the Hornets in a demoralizing loss. Consequently, the latest Western Conference standings are out: Thunder first, Spurs second, Suns sixth, Warriors eighth, Clippers tenth!

Warriors vs. Timberwolves. Both teams showed average offensive efficiency in the first half, with neither side heating up, and they exchanged leads each quarter. At halftime, the Warriors held a slim one-point advantage. In the third quarter, the long-awaited Warriors’ triple surge and the familiar collapse of the Timberwolves’ trio both occurred, as the Warriors erupted with scoring from multiple players to post a 38-17 run, extending the lead to 20 points. In the final quarter, the Timberwolves slumped while the Warriors maintained pressure and a steady lead, easily defeating the Timberwolves and handing them their fifth consecutive loss. This game was especially surprising with Curry’s efficient performance!

Raptors vs. Thunder. The Thunder started strong, controlling the first quarter and suppressing the Raptors. In the second quarter, the Raptors’ multi-player scoring spree helped them outscore the Thunder by 9 points and take the lead. In the second half, Alexander stepped up to score and helped the Thunder regain a 2-point lead. The final quarter was fiercely contested with the game intensely close. At a critical moment, Barnes made a decisive block and then grabbed a key offensive rebound, enabling the Raptors to clinch the win and hand the Thunder their 10th loss!

Pelicans vs. Spurs. Facing the Western Conference’s last-place Pelicans, whose center played very tough, the Spurs struggled throughout the game. Their forwards were ineffective, and Wembanyama couldn’t penetrate and was limited to ineffective three-point shots. Kastel had a disastrous performance. The Pelicans pulled away in the second and third quarters, and in the end, the Spurs suffered a surprising upset loss to the Pelicans, shocking many!

Nets vs. Clippers. Against the extremely weak Nets, the Clippers played wildly at home, hitting hard from the first quarter with full firepower, relentlessly attacking and overwhelming the Nets. Their massive offensive pressure was unstoppable, the point gap kept growing, and the game entered garbage time early. Ultimately, the Clippers had five players scoring in double digits and crushed the Nets by 37 points!

Pacers vs. Hawks. The lowly Pacers caused a huge upset last round by toppling the Western Conference leader Thunder. This round, although they kept pace with the Hawks in the first half, they collapsed in the second half and ended with a heavy defeat. It seems the Pacers only know how to beat the Thunder!

76ers vs. Hornets. This game was one-sided from the start. The 76ers’ shooting was cold and the whole team seemed dazed, while the Hornets shot hot and aggressively racked up points. The Hornets’ strong offense left the 76ers helpless, and the game was effectively decided after three quarters. In the final quarter, the 76ers frantically tried to close the gap just to avoid a blowout. Ultimately, the Hornets had eight players score in double digits and easily secured a big win!

Written by / Sports Novel