On April 3, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued to be hot. The Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves and other Western powerhouses have all played against each other's opponents. After the day's competition, the ranking situation in the Western Division changed again.
Warriors, Suns, Lakers and Clippers
In addition, the rankings of the Lakers, Warriors, Clippers and Suns have changed slightly.
The Lakers are aiming for 5th, want to harden the Suns in the first round? The Warriors playoffs are in jeopardy, and the Clippers are embarrassed!
The Suns defeated the Thunder 128-118, and the Warriors lost 110-112 to the Nuggets. The Lakers beat the Rockets 134-109. The Phoenix went on a five-game winning streak and reached 43-35, consolidating the fourth place in the West. The Warriors lost and dropped from 6th to 5th in the West. The Clippers' 0.5-game difference behind the Warriors was erased, moving up from 6th to 5th in the West. The Lakers, on the other hand, went on a three-game winning streak and moved up from 8th to 7th in the West. The ranking situation between the four favorites to win the Suns, Clippers, Warriors and Lakers has become extremely delicate.
The latest ranking of the Western Division
The Lakers are aiming for 5th, want to harden the Suns in the first round?
After the trade deadline, the Lakers are 15-7 (4th in the league over the same period), with a win rate of nearly 70%. The comprehensive combat power of the Purple Gold Legion has been significantly enhanced. The Purple and Gold Army, which has two superstars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, is still aiming to impact the championship.
Lakers James with Anthony Davis
After the big win over the Rockets, the Lakers' record came to 40-38. The Purple and Gold are currently just 0.5 wins behind the Warriors (41-38) and Clippers (41-38). Once the winning streak continues, the Lakers have a chance to overtake the Warriors and Clippers and become 5th in the West. And, considering that the Lakers are still in the play-offs, they are bound to continue to fight for victory. The Purple and Gold Army will become the 5th strongest challenger in the West.
The Suns, who have won five straight games, are four wins behind the third-place Kings, and basically have no chance to overtake Sacramento. Meanwhile, the Suns are 2.5 wins ahead of the Clippers and are unlikely to fall out of the top 4 in the West. Considering that Kevin Durant missed some games due to injury after joining the Suns, the Phoenix still needs to continue to grind the roster and improve its chemistry. As a result, the Suns will continue to win and will most likely end up in fourth place in the West.
Suns Durant vs. Lakers James
Once the Lakers finally lock up No. 5 in the West, the Purple and Gold will be the favorites to win the Suns in the first round of the playoffs. The matchup between LeBron James and Kevin Durant, two top stars, if played in the first round of the playoffs, is bound to attract the attention of many fans.
The Warriors playoffs are in jeopardy
In the absence of Denver star Nicola Jokic, Curry and Klay did not play well, and the Warriors lost to the Nuggets in overtime. Klay Thompson's killer three-pointer was blocked by Murray, making the Golden State's efforts all game unsuccessful. The Warriors dropped to 6th in the West and trailed the Lakers by just 0.5 wins. There are only three regular-season games left for the Warriors, and future opponents are the Thunder, Kings and Trail Blazers.
The Warriors lost to the Nuggets and fell to 6th place in the West
The Thunder (tentatively 10th in the West) are still trying to move up the rankings and try to be in a better position in the playoffs as possible. OKC against the Warriors is bound to go all out. Although the Kings (basically locked in 3rd place in the West) have already secured a playoff spot, Sacramento is bound to do its best against the Golden State Army, which may become a future playoff rival. In addition, the Kings have home-court advantage. Although the Blazers have missed the playoffs, the Warriors have eliminated Portland in the playoffs for many consecutive seasons, and the Trail Blazers playing at home will inevitably do everything they can to cause trouble for the Warriors.
Warriors Stephen Curry
In the next three games, if the record is not satisfactory, the Warriors are likely to fall out of the top 6 in the West and need to participate in the playoffs to compete for a playoff spot. Once in the play-offs, it won't be easy for the Warriors to stand out and may even be eliminated. In this way, the Warriors' current battle for a playoff spot is already in jeopardy.
The Clippers were embarrassed
The Clippers became fifth in the West despite the Warriors' loss. However, the Clippers led by Paul George, Kawaii Leonard and Russell Westbrook are currently in an awkward situation. On the one hand, the Clippers, who have lost two straight games, are also at risk of falling into the play-offs and must fight to win. Meanwhile, the Clippers, 2.5 wins behind the Suns, are clearly unlikely to overtake the Phoenix with only three regular-season games left in the future. So, the Clippers are expected to end up 5th in the West, and preferably 6th in the West.
Clippers Junior, George and Wilson
Once ranked 5th in the West, the Clippers will most likely beat the Suns in the first round of the playoffs. For the Clippers, who are aiming to win the championship, avoiding top powerhouse Phoenix in the first round and minimizing physical exertion seems to be the wise move.
If they aim to be 6th in the West, that means the Clippers will continue to lose. And once they can't get out of the losing streak, the Clippers will not only be unable to lock in 6th place in the West, but may also fall into the play-off zone. For the Clippers, being No. 5 in the West right now does put them in a position too awkward.