Today, all 7 games scheduled by the NBA have ended, including as many as 6 games involving Western teams, the results are Kings 102-109 Wizards, Pelicans 106-121 Magic, Rockets 127-117 Bulls, Mavericks 113-97 Jazz, Nuggets 113-100 Knicks, Suns 128-115 Hawks. As a result, the latest ranking and situation of the western region are as follows:
Playoff qualifiers (1-6): Thunder, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Clippers, Pelicans, Mavericks
Play-in qualifiers (7-10): Suns, Kings, Lakers, Warriors
11-15: Rockets, Jazz, Grizzlies, Trail Blazers, Spurs
Murray retired from injury, and the Nuggets won two consecutive victories over the Knicks by 13 points, bringing their record to 49-21, continuing to rank second in the West, no win gap with the Thunder in first place, and 1.5 wins ahead of the Timberwolves behind them.
Ingram retired from injury, and the Pelicans lost by 15 points to the Magic's three-game winning streak was ended, and their record came to 42-27, continuing to rank fifth in the West, 1.5 wins behind the fourth-place Clippers.
The Mavericks beat the Jazz by 16 points to win three in a row, bringing their record to 41-29 and moving up to sixth place in the West, 1.5 wins behind the Pelicans. The Jazz are on a four-game losing streak and are in 12th place in the West with a 29-41 record, eight wins away from the play-in tournament.
The Suns won back-to-back 13 points against the Hawks to win two in a row, bringing their record to the same 41-29 as the Mavericks, moving up to 7th place in the West, 0.5 wins ahead of the Kings behind them.
The Rockets beat the Bulls by 10 points to win seven in a row, bringing their record to 34-35 and continuing to rank 11th in the West, 2.5 wins away from the 10th-place Warriors and 5.5 wins ahead of the Jazz behind them.
After today's game, the Western Conference standings and situation have changed again. In the battle for the top spot, the Nuggets will continue to win and erase the Thunder's win gap, and the Timberwolves, who are in third place in the West, are already 1.5 wins behind. After the Pelicans lost, the Clippers, who are fourth in the West, can take a breather. With Ingram injured, the Pelicans will usher in a difficult schedule again, with the Mavericks, Suns, and Kings eyeing the Mavericks, Suns, and Kings, and the No. 5 position in the West may not be guaranteed. The rankings between 6th and 8th places have changed dramatically, but the maximum win margin is still only 0.5, so you can imagine how fierce the competition is. The Lakers and Warriors, who are ranked at the end of the play-offs, are not resting, and the Rockets behind them are menacing with 7 consecutive wins, and the Lakers and Warriors need to continue to win to stabilize the situation.
A total of 8 games are scheduled for the NBA tomorrow, including as many as 7 games involving Western teams, namely Thunder vs. Raptors, Pelicans vs. Heat, Timberwolves vs. Cavaliers, Grizzlies vs. Spurs, Warriors vs. Pacers, Clippers vs. Trail Blazers, Lakers vs. 76ers. Focus on the Thunder, Pelicans, Timberwolves, Warriors, Clippers, and Lakers, whose results will affect the standings and situation in the West. I have to say, the West at the end of the season is very exciting!