The pattern in the West is chaotic again: the top three rankings are reversed, the gap between 7-11 places is narrowed, and the Rockets create an NBA miracle
On March 30, Beijing time, the NBA played a total of 12 games, of which the important results are as follows: the Warriors beat the Hornets, the Lakers lost to the Pacers, the Clippers narrowly beat the Magic, the Thunder beat the Suns, the Timberwolves beat the Nuggets, the Rockets reversed the Jazz, and the Mavericks narrowly beat the Kings.
The top four in the West all have games today, the Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets 111-98, the suspense is not big in fact, the Timberwolves led by 7 points in the first quarter, the difference in the second quarter came to double digits, the difference in the third quarter exceeded 20 points, and the Nuggets failed to fight back in the final quarter. In terms of statistics, Edwards had 25 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 turnovers, Conley had 23 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 turnovers, and Gobert had 21 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. On the Nuggets side, Jokic had 32 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block and 4 turnovers, and Gordon had 14 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 turnovers. After this game, the Timberwolves rose from second to first in the West, while the Nuggets fell directly from first to third because the Thunder also won.
The Thunder defeated the Suns 128-103, and there was basically no suspense in this battle, the Suns only trailed by 2 points in the first quarter, the Thunder overtook in the second quarter, and the Suns' shooting rate declined significantly in the third quarter, and the Thunder led by 21 points in waves, and the Suns were powerless to fight back in the final quarter. In terms of statistics, Keady had 23 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 turnovers, Holmgren had 20 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists, and Jalenway had 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. On the Suns' side, Durant had 26 points, 6 rebounds and 3 turnovers, Beal had 15 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, and Booker had 14 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists. With this victory, the Thunder moved up from 3rd to 2nd in the West, and the Suns remain 7th in the West.
The top three rankings are reversed, yesterday's order is the Nuggets, Timberwolves and Thunder, today is the Timberwolves, Thunder and Nuggets, it can be said that the top three competition in the West is quite fierce, if the Lakers can enter the playoffs, then the ranking will most likely be 8th in the West, obviously the Lakers will definitely not want to touch the Nuggets in the first round, and the Timberwolves are not easy to play, but the Thunder is the most ideal opponent, because the Lakers killed the Thunder three times in the regular season, but the problem is that the top three in the West have become a mess, it is difficult to say who the Lakers' first-round opponent will be, even if the Lakers can rush to the 7th place in the West after the play-offs, it is difficult to judge who the first-round opponent will be.
The Clippers narrowly defeated the Magic 100-97, the two sides played very fiercely, the Clippers led by 4 points in the first quarter, the two sides were equal in the second quarter, the Clippers had the upper hand in the third quarter, and the Magic once overtook in the final quarter, Leonard scored continuously at the critical moment, Harden completed the steal, and George made a step-back jumper, and the Clippers won in a thrilling way. In terms of statistics, Leonard had 29 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, 2 steals and 3 turnovers, Harden had 11 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 4 turnovers, and George had 12 points and 4 rebounds. After this game, the Clippers won two in a row and continued to rank fourth in the West, 1.0 wins ahead of the Pelicans in fifth place.
The Mavericks narrowly defeated the Kings 107-103, the process of the battle was full of ups and downs, the Mavericks fell behind by 8 points in the first quarter, the second quarter was still the upper hand of the Kings, the third quarter of the two sides became 21 draws, the final quarter of the King suddenly lost power, under the leadership of Irving (14 points in a single quarter), the Mavericks gradually overtook and locked the win. In terms of statistics, Irving had 30 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 turnovers, Doncic had 26 points, 9 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 steals and 5 turnovers, and Lively had 12 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists. On the Kings' side, Fox had 23 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals, and Sa Jr. had 13 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists and a triple-double. After this battle, the rankings of both teams did not change, with the Mavericks 6th and the Kings 8th.
The Lakers lost to the Pacers 90-109, the process of the battle was full of ups and downs, the Lakers only trailed by 3 points in the first quarter, the difference in the second quarter still could not be opened, the third quarter became a turning point, the Pacers opened the gap with an 11-3 offensive in the second half, and the Lakers completely collapsed in the final quarter. In terms of statistics, Brother Thick Mei had 24 points, 15 rebounds and 3 assists, James had 16 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 turnovers, Reaves had 16 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 turnovers, and Hachimura had 14 points. The Lakers' five-game winning streak was ended and they continued to rank 9th in the West after the loss, while the Warriors and Rockets reaped the benefits, both teams won today, but the Lakers are still relatively stable in 9th place, currently leading the Warriors by 1.5 wins.
The Warriors defeated the Hornets 115-97, the suspense of this battle was not big, the Warriors led by 9 points in the first quarter, the Hornets narrowed the gap in the second quarter, and the Warriors played a brave three crazy in the third quarter, winning by 13 points in a single quarter, and the Warriors did not give the Hornets another chance in the final quarter. In terms of statistics, Wiggins had 20 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 2 turnovers, Curry had 23 points and 4 assists, Davis had 18 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals and 3 blocks, Paul had 11 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 turnovers, and Moody had 15 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. The Warriors continue to rank 10th in the West, but they dare not relax because the Rockets behind them are in hot pursuit, and interestingly, the Warriors will play the Rockets and Lakers next, and it is indeed talent who invented the play-offs.
The Rockets reversed the Jazz 101-100, the battle was full of suspense, the first quarter of the Rockets fell behind by 10 points, the second quarter narrowed the difference, the third quarter of the Rockets continued to press the Jazz to play, the last quarter of the Rockets once opened the difference, but then the Jazz chased back, at the critical moment Van Jordan hit the board, and then Green made two free throws to end the suspense. In terms of statistics, Green scored 34 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 4 turnovers, VanVleet 22 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks, and Amen 18 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. With this victory, the Rockets continue to chase the Warriors with an 11-game winning streak, with a 1.0-game gap between the two sides, and the Rockets also created an NBA miracle, with a 13-1 record in March, the best in the league during the same period.
Summing up the situation in the West, the top three are in a big smash, with the Clippers and Pelicans battling for the 4th place, the gap between 7-11 and the Rockets trying to catch up with the Warriors. Finally, predict where the West will stand after the play-offs: Thunder, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Clippers, Pelicans, Mavericks, Suns, and Lakers.