On April 7, Beijing time, the NBA played a total of 4 games, of which the Western team participated in 3 games, the specific situation is as follows: the Lakers beat the Cavaliers, the Grizzlies lost to the 76ers, and the Nuggets beat the Hawks, so the Wild West pattern is chaotic again, and the current situation can be simply summarized as: the top of the list changes hands again, the Lakers aim at the top 6, and the Clippers' first-round opponent is determined.
The Nuggets defeated the Hawks 142-110, there was no suspense in this game, the Nuggets led by 7 points in the first quarter, the difference in the second quarter came to double digits, the Nuggets continued to press the Hawks in the third quarter, and the final quarter was completely reduced to garbage time, Jokic and Murray clocked out in the third quarter. In terms of statistics, Jokic easily scored 19 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals and 4 turnovers, Murray 16 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 turnovers, Pope 24 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 turnovers, Porter 20 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, Reggie 18 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, and Watson 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 blocks. After this game, the Nuggets rose to the top of the Western Conference and overtook the Timberwolves.
At present, the top three in the West are gradually becoming clear, the Thunder has suffered 3 consecutive defeats during this time, and there is already a gap with the Nuggets and Timberwolves, and the top of the Western Conference is the Nuggets and the Timberwolves take turns, but the probability of winning in the end will be the Nuggets. The Lakers are currently ranked 8th in the West, and have won 9 of the last 10 games, with such momentum we believe that the Lakers have no problem passing the play-offs, after the play-offs, the Lakers' ranking is estimated to be 7th in the West, as long as the Nuggets are at the top of the list, then the two sides will not meet in the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers actually want to play the Thunder the most, but unfortunately the Thunder are suspected of deliberately fighting for the 3rd, and the Thunder know very well that they are not the opponents of the Lakers.
Let's talk about the Clippers, ranked 4th, 3.0 wins behind the Thunder, can't catch up, the Clippers have no pressure to hold the 4th place in the West, despite Leonard's continuous absence, but George has a good hand during this time, and Harden's state has begun to recover, at least the offensive end is no longer hesitating. Judging from the situation in the West, the Clippers can't avoid the Mavericks, and the first round of the playoffs between the two sides is inevitable. Of course, the Mavericks are now 1.0 wins ahead of the sixth-placed Suns, and it is possible that the two sides will swap rankings in the future, but the Clippers will not have an easy time playing the Suns.
The Lakers beat the Cavaliers 116-97, the suspense of this battle is not big, the Lakers only led by 3 points in the first quarter, the Lakers continued to expand the difference in the second quarter, and the Cavaliers once completed the overtake in the third quarter, and then the Lakers responded strongly with a 19-0 offensive, and the Cavaliers collapsed in the final quarter. In terms of statistics, James had 24 points, 5 rebounds, 12 assists and 5 turnovers, Russell had 28 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 6 turnovers, and Brother Bush had 22 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 6 blocks. With this victory, the Lakers overtook the Kings and rose to 8th in the West, only 0.5 wins behind the 7th Pelicans, and the gap with the 6th Suns is 1.5 games, the Lakers have 4 games left, and there is definitely a chance to hit the top 6.
I have to say that the closer the end of the season, the more the Kings and Pelicans are falling behind, which is obviously what the Lakers want to see, many fans have expressed doubts, will the Lakers meet the Kings in the play-offs, because the two sides met 4 times in the regular season, and the Kings won all of them, to be honest, the likelihood is not high, the Kings are now ranked 9th, they will only play the Warriors in the play-offs, and the Lakers' opponent in the play-offs is the Pelicans, unless the Kings overtake the Lakers again, but I believe the Lakers will not give them this opportunity.
Summing up the situation in the West: The Nuggets and Timberwolves are competing for the top spot, the Thunder is very stable in 3rd, the Clippers are waiting for the Mavericks, and the Lakers are aiming for the top 6. Finally, predict where the West will stand after the play-offs: Nuggets, Timberwolves, Thunder, Clippers, Mavericks, Suns, Lakers, and Warriors.