The 2022-2023 NBA regular season is in full swing, and after the game on January 18, take a look at today's game and the latest Western Conference rankings:
The Clippers hosted the 76ers, Leonard and George played, but 76ers player Maxi scored 11 points in the fourth quarter with three consecutive three-pointers, and the Clippers lost 110-120 to the 76ers. Spurs host the Nets, before the game Irving due to a calf injury early withdrawal from the game, Nets Simmons scored 10 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists and 4 steals, but the team's overall firepower was insufficient, and finally lost to the Spurs 98-106, Spurs Kelden cut a game-high 36 points and 11 rebounds. In a civil war in the West, the top Nuggets fought off the Blazers without bloodshed.
1. Direct access to the playoffs: 1st-6th place:
The Nuggets hosted the Trail Blazers at the Plateau, Lillard scored 44 points, Grant 18 points, but Nuggets star Jokic continued to perform like a hang-up, easily scoring a triple-double of 36 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, Porter 23 points, Murray 17 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds. After this game, the Nuggets continued to hold first place in the West with 0.5 wins.
The Grizzlies did not play today, second in the West.
The Pelicans, Kings, and Lone Rangers are ranked 3-6 in the West.
The Clippers lost home to the 76ers, Leonard scored 27 points and George went 5 of 11 for just 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists. On the 76ers side, Harden did not perform well, 1 of 6, only 6 points and 9 assists, Embiid easily scored 41 points, Harris 20 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, Maxi broke out and cut 22 points. After this battle, the Clippers went 23-23 and slipped to seventh in the West, while the Warriors had a 22-22 record, rising to sixth in the West.
2. Play-off Zone: 7th-10th place:
The Clippers lead the play-offs, finishing seventh in the West.
The Jazz and Timberwolves are eighth and ninth in the West.
In the battle between the Blazers and Nuggets, the two sides played inextricably in the first half, and the Blazers' shooting percentage fell in the second half, and the Nuggets seized the opportunity to successfully stretch the gap to double digits and maintain it until the end. Lillard shot 12 of 20 and scored 44 points. The Blazers lost to rival Nuggets and ceded 10th play-off qualification in the West, and the Thunder barely squeezed into the playoffs with a 21-23 record.
3. Lotto Zone: 11th-15th place
After the Blazers lost, they ranked 11th in the West and led the lotto zone, but the win difference was equal to that of the Thunder in tenth place in the West.
The Suns and Lakers ranked twelfth and thirteenth in the West.
The Spurs beat the Nets, who lacked Durant and Irving, to a 14-31 record, four more games than the bottom-to-bottom Rockets in the West.
After today's game, the Nuggets were still unstoppable, and the pressure came to the Grizzlies, who trailed by only half a win. Not surprisingly, the top spot in the West this season is likely to be Jokic, and three consecutive MVPs are just around the corner. After the Warriors lay sixth in the West, coupled with Curry's return, the Warriors basically locked up playoff qualification. The Blazers lost, the good news is that the Lakers are only 1 win away from the play-off qualification zone, and the bad news is that there is another competitor on the way to the playoffs, the Thunder. The Spurs and Rockets are increasingly elusive in the battle for the top pick.