Western Conference standings in chaos! Lakers climb to fifth with a win, Rockets shockingly lose to Hornets, Warriors narrowly prevail

On February 6th Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued with four games just concluded. The Hornets upset the Rockets 109-99, Spurs crushed the Mavericks 135-123 in a back-to-back, the depleted Warriors edged the Suns 101-97, and the 76ers were stunned by the Lakers 119-115 after a late comeback. This caused a major shakeup in the Western rankings: Rockets dropped to fourth after two losses, Lakers rose to fifth with two wins, Suns hold seventh, and Warriors are eighth!

Hornets vs. Rockets. The Hornets have been on fire recently, defeating strong Western teams and riding a 7-game winning streak. This round they faced another Western powerhouse, the Rockets. The game started with Durant battling the Hornets’ multi-point attack, leaving the Rockets trailing by three. In the second quarter, the Rockets struggled offensively, allowing the Hornets to seize momentum and build a 12-point halftime lead. In the second half, the Hornets maintained pressure while the Rockets, aside from Durant, couldn’t provide consistent scoring. The gap widened to 16 points. The Rockets gave up early in the final quarter, but their bench made a strong push late; however, the deficit was too large to overcome. The Hornets secured their 8th straight win and moved into the play-in zone!

Spurs vs. Mavericks. The Spurs played back-to-back games and secured consecutive wins to stay in the top two. This round they faced the Mavericks, who were on a 5-game losing streak and near the bottom of the standings. Right from the first quarter, both teams fought hard with offensive exchanges, but the Spurs had a slight edge leading by 3. The Spurs kept up efficient scoring in the second quarter while the Mavericks struggled to keep pace, ending the half down by 9. In the second half, the Spurs’ offense cooled off with many missed shots, and the Mavericks aggressively closed the gap to just 1 point by the end of the third. In the final quarter, the Mavericks kept it close, but the Spurs managed to score steadily at critical moments to suppress their opponents. Ultimately, the Spurs relied on teamwork to overpower the Mavericks!

Warriors vs. Suns. The Warriors entered this game severely shorthanded, facing a Suns team without Booker. The Suns dominated early with efficient scoring in the first quarter, taking control. In the second quarter, the Warriors boosted their offense, outscoring the Suns by 8 points and taking a 4-point lead at halftime. However, the Warriors’ shooting cooled off in the second half, while the Suns combined inside and outside plays to outscore them 27-17 in the third quarter, regaining the lead. In the final quarter, the Suns went cold, and the Warriors seized the chance, launching a 10-0 run to complete a stunning comeback victory!

76ers vs. Lakers. The Lakers hosted the 76ers, who were on a 5-game winning streak. The 76ers started strong offensively, scoring in waves both inside and out, building an 8-point lead by halftime. In the second half, Reeves caught fire for the Lakers, chipping away at the deficit. The Lakers then pulled ahead by double digits, though the 76ers responded to stay close. In the final moments, a LeBron turnover nearly cost the Lakers, and the 76ers missed several shots in a row. Klay Thompson’s dunk sealed the game, and the Lakers completed the comeback to defeat the 76ers!

Written by / Sports Novel