On March 15, the NBA's game today has ended, today there are many upsets, the top teams in the West have lost, but from the perspective of the playoff pattern, the best show in the West is about to appear, who will want to meet a strong team like the Lakers and Warriors in the first round, let's take a look at today's focus battle. The Nuggets lost 110-125 to the Raptors and have suffered four straight losses, which is certainly not the Nuggets' true level. The Suns defeated the Bucks 104-116, the loss was expected, no Durant Suns are not as strong as the Bucks, and the Suns probably don't want to stay in the 4th place in the West, which is too dangerous. The Lakers beat the Pelicans 123-108, and now every win counts, and the Lakers seized the opportunity to break into the top 8 in the West.
First, the Nuggets started playing games with a four-game losing streak
Fans familiar with Zhuge Malone know that he is the league's best coach. The Nuggets once rode in the West, but this time suddenly came a wave of 4 consecutive losses, which is very abnormal, and, although the Nuggets are all the main players, they have lost their dominance and behaved like a fish belly. In today's game, the Nuggets lost to the Raptors by 15 points, the opponent was not the favorite, but the Nuggets did not fight back, trailing 30-49 in the first quarter, the defense was too poor, and the players seemed to be unable to fight.
The Nuggets' four-game losing streak certainly has an insider story. The Nuggets used to be close to No. 1 in the West, but now only four wins ahead of the Grizzlies, No. 2 in the West, and if they lose a few more games, the Nuggets may give up the top spot in the West. Looking at the ranking of the West, the Los Angeles Lakers are the most likely team to finish 8th in the West, and the Mavericks may also enter the playoffs as 7th or 8th. If the Nuggets stick to No. 1, they may be out of the first round, but if they stay flexible and hover between the top 2 before the end of the regular season, they may pick their ideal opponent. The Nuggets are not interested in No. 1 in the West and prefer to make a breakthrough in the playoffs, and Zhuge Malone has now begun to calculate, and the four-game losing streak is no accident.
Second, the Suns lost three straight and did not fight for 4th
Do you think only the Nuggets are making the game? With the regular season getting less and less, the No. 4 position in the West is a hot potato, and no one wants it. After losing to the Bucks, the Suns are currently ranked 4th in the West with 37-32 losses, and have suffered 3 consecutive losses, although the Suns definitely want to rush into the top 3 in the West, but they are 4 wins behind the Kings, Durant is still absent, the Suns will not fight for 4th, because 5th place may be the Warriors or Clippers, both of which are the biggest favorites in the West.
The Suns, Warriors, and Clippers will definitely fight wits in the next games, not who is in 4th and 5th, always have to meet, whether there is home court advantage or not is not important at all. The Suns are 1 win ahead of the 5th Warriors in the West and 1 win ahead of the 6th Clippers in the West, and the Warriors and Clippers have a flat record, which means that 2 of these 3 teams will most likely meet in the first round. It is estimated that the Suns will definitely find a way to slip the rankings, and if they go to the 6th position in the West and play the Grizzlies or Kings in the first round, this is definitely the best choice. In short, the best thing about the end of the regular season is not the game, but the look at who can act.
Third, the Lakers are about to break into the top 8 in the West
After the Lakers defeated the Pelicans, they ranked 10th in the West with a 34-35 record, the record was equal to the 8th place in the West Thunder, and if they beat the Rockets in the next game, they would probably come to 8th in the West. For the Lakers, there is definitely a desire to get a playoff spot straight away, but the competition in the West is fierce, and the Lakers need to make sure they can play in the playoffs first. The Lakers are different from other Western Conference powerhouses, and the Lakers are good as long as they enter the playoffs, after all, this big team's record before the All-Star Game is too poor, fishbelly-level performance.
The Lakers ended up 8th in the West and are likely to meet the Nuggets in the first round. If you can get the 6th place in the West, you will play the Grizzlies and Kings in the first round, in fact, for the Lakers to play the same person, as long as James and the thick eyebrows play the best performance, the Lakers have a chance to break through from the West. Therefore, the Lakers players and coaching staff do not need to think too much, as long as they try to win every game.