On March 9, Beijing time, today's NBA game has ended. The Celtics beat the Trail Blazers 115-93, and the Blazers are currently 12th in the West with 31-35. The Pelicans narrowly defeated the Mavericks 113-106 for a valuable victory, and the Pelicans finished 10th in the West with 32-34 and also entered the play-offs. The Nuggets, who were number one in the West, lost to the Bulls 96-117, but the Nuggets' top spot in the West was hard for other teams to shake. The Suns beat the Thunder 132-101, and the Thunder are 11th in the West with 31-35. The Clippers beat the Raptors 108-100 and soared in the rankings after a two-game winning streak. The western pattern has finally stabilized, and there are basically 6 teams in the west.
First, the Clippers' 2-game winning streak soared in the rankings
The Clippers have experienced a five-game losing streak, and both Wei Shao and George have endured a lot of pressure, and if they continue to lose, Wei Shao is likely to be cut. After winning their last game, the Clippers beat Eastern Conference rivals the Raptors by eight points today, and after a two-game winning streak, the Clippers soared to 6th place in the West and entered the playoff zone. Leonard chipped in 24 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals, and performed very well on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends. George had 23 points and 4 assists, Wilson had 7 points, 2 rebounds and 7 assists, Zubac had 17 points and 8 rebounds, and Mann had 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.
The Clippers are currently 6th in the West with 35-33, 0.5 wins ahead of the Timberwolves at No. 7 in the West, and considering the Clippers have the most roster depth in the league, making the playoffs shouldn't be much of a problem. The Clippers' goal should be to overtake the Warriors and enter the top 5 in the West. The Grizzlies' record looks good right now, but Morant will miss at least four games and have already suffered three consecutive losses, but with the Grizzlies five wins ahead of the Clippers, it's too difficult to overtake.
Second, the Lakers are firmly in the top 10
Since the All-Star, the most surprising team is the Los Angeles Lakers, who have bottomed out and rebounded after a trade and have found a way to win. The Lakers have won two straight games over the Warriors and Grizzlies in their last two games, and are currently 9th in the West with 32-34, 1.5 wins behind the Lone Rangers and 1 win ahead of the 11th-place Thunder. The Lone Rangers have a poor record during this time, and Doncic was also injured in the game and does not know when he will return. For the Lakers, the goal should be to get into the top 8 in the West.
The Lakers have been very good during this time, and the players are also very happy, according to NBA reporters, after the Lakers defeated the Grizzlies, the atmosphere in the locker room was very warm, and the Lakers players have not been so happy for a long time. However, James may still need 2 weeks to recuperate, and if he can return in early April, it will be a good situation. Russell is fit and he'll play this Saturday's game, the Lakers' thick brow is in very good shape, he is also one of the most dominant interior linemen in the league, and the Lakers should use him as the tactical core.
Three, 6 teams basically shore
Judging from the current record ranking and the strength of each team, the top 6 in the West have been determined. The Nuggets are 46-20 in the first place in the West and must lock up the top spot, while the Kings and Grizzlies are 2 wins ahead of the Suns, and they are safe for the time being, especially the dark horse Kings, Fox and Sabonis are already All-Stars, and the Kings have become a very strong team in the West, and the playoff spot is almost stable. The Suns, along with the Warriors and Clippers, are the teams with the best chance of winning the championship in the West, and by any measure, these three teams will definitely qualify for the playoffs. I believe that many fans also believe that the Nuggets and 6 teams such as the Kings, Grizzlies, Suns, Warriors, and Clippers will go straight to the playoffs.
And there are 2 playoff places left, the Lakers and the Timberwolves, Lone Ranger, Blazers, Thunder, Pelicans, Jazz and other teams to compete, the Lakers and the Lone Ranger should be able to enter the top ten, after all, their own strength is guaranteed, and the Timberwolves and Pelicans also have a certain degree of competitiveness, in the author's opinion, the Blazers and Thunder, Jazz should fall behind, these three teams are considered to be the Western Competitive team, and the current ranking is outside the top 10 in the West, the follow-up is weak, and it is very difficult to catch up.