This round of regular season on April 1 made fans even more excited. Several key battles for playoff spots are like wars without gunpowder, and the teams are going all out for honor and dreams, which has also brought new changes to the ranking pattern of the West.
The battle between the Lakers and the Rockets was undoubtedly one of the most watched games of the day. This is not only a strong dialogue, but also a key card battle, with both sides sending out an all-main lineup aiming to win the game.
At the beginning of the game, Shen Jing, the core of the Rockets' interior, was in hot form, scoring consecutive points on the inside, leading the Rockets to a 9-3 start. However, the Rockets then fell into a scoring drought and failed to score consecutive shots, and the Lakers seized the opportunity and launched a wave of 9-0 offense to successfully overtake the score. During the rotation of the two teams, the game gradually regained some touch, and with Ethan's three-point shot, the Rockets ended the first quarter by a narrow 19-16 margin.
Coming back in the second quarter, the Rockets took the lead in finding their offensive rhythm, blossoming inside and out, and once again dominating the court. On the Lakers' side, Vincent felt hot, propped up the team's outside offense, and helped the Lakers bite the score. Doncic then came on the court and scored back-to-back points to tie the game at 48 at halftime.
Entering the third quarter, the game fell into a fierce tug-of-war, with the score alternating leads. The Lakers hit a small surge late in the quarter to take a five-point lead. In the final quarter, the Rockets kept the score tight and trailed by only 3 points with 1 minute left in the game. At the critical moment, Dillon steals James and makes a foul, but unfortunately only hits one of the two free throws. James, on the other hand, hit two free throws to complete the redemption, and in the end, the Lakers narrowly defeated the Rockets 104-98.
In this game, the Lakers' bench wonders Vincent and Fanny Smith performed amazingly, both hitting six three-pointers and contributing 20 points each. James had 16 points and eight rebounds, Doncic had 20 points, six rebounds and nine assists, and Rivers had 12 points and eight rebounds. For the Rockets, Amen was active, scoring 20 points, but Green shot only 4 of 13 and VanVleet shot 2 of 13.
The win was significant for the Lakers, who managed to secure fourth place in the West and further close the gap to the third-placed Nuggets in a strong position in the competitive battle for a playoff spot in the West.
In the Celtics' away game against the Grizzlies, although Jaylen Brown was absent, the Celtics did not stop the winning streak.
In the first quarter, the Grizzlies, who were playing at home, played an advantage in the rotation and took a seven-point lead at one point. However, after a period of tug-of-war between the two sides in the second quarter, the Celtics suddenly came out on fire, and with excellent teamwork and accurate shooting, they managed to take a five-point lead at halftime.
In the second half, the Grizzlies showed stubborn fighting spirit and came up with a 10-0 offensive wave to try to regain the lead. But the Celtics quickly responded with an 11-3 run to regain control of the game. In the games that followed, the Grizzlies continued to launch a counterattack, but the Celtics held on to maintain the advantage of the score, and finally defeated the Grizzlies 117-103, giving their opponent a third straight defeat.
In this game, Tatum performed steadily, cutting 25 points and 14 rebounds, White contributed 14 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists, and Horford, who came off the bench, scored a team-high 26 points, becoming one of the key factors in the team's victory.
The Grizzlies' loss put their standings in the West in jeopardy. They are currently just 0.5 wins ahead of the Warriors, who are sixth behind them in the West, and in the competitive West, they could be overtaken by the teams behind them if they were not careful. The team's instability on the offensive end and the holes on the defensive end need to be addressed as soon as possible in the next games, otherwise the prospects for the playoffs are not optimistic.
In the first quarter of the game, after the two teams went through a stalemate at the beginning, the Magic's Banchero broke through in a row and led the Magic to a six-point lead. In the second quarter, the Clippers launched a wave of 13-2 offense and successfully overtook the score. But the Magic quickly adjusted, responding with a 16-2 run to regain the advantage and give the Magic a two-point lead at halftime.
In the second half, the Clippers strengthened their defensive intensity, and Harden led the team to launch consecutive counterattack transitions, gradually reversing the momentum on the court. Since then, the Clippers have maintained a slight lead. In the final moments, Harden hit a free throw and Leonard countered with a dunk to end the game completely, and the Clippers beat the Magic 96-87.
The Clippers' four core players played well in this game, Powell and Leonard contributed 21 points steadily, Zubac dominated the interior with a double-double of 18 points and 20 rebounds, and Harden had 20 points, 5 assists and 7 steals, including 7 steals that set a season high. The Magic's Banchero scored 26 points despite being 1-of-8 from three-point range, which was a remarkable performance.
The win put the Clippers in 8th place in the West with their 43rd win of the season (32 losses). Even if the 11th-ranked Suns win all of their last eight regular season games, they will be ranked behind the Clippers, so the Clippers have successfully locked up the top 10 in the West and guaranteed the play-offs. This is undoubtedly an important milestone for the Clippers, laying the foundation for the team to hit a higher ranking in the future.
With the end of these games, the ranking pattern in the West has also undergone new changes. The Lakers held on to the fourth spot, chasing the third-place Nuggets; The Grizzlies, Warriors, Clippers and Timberwolves, ranked 5-8, are only one game apart, and the competition is extremely fierce.
Every game will be crucial for these teams in the upcoming regular season. Not only should the teams make the right tactical arrangements, but the health of the players and the on-court performance will also be the key factors that will affect the outcome of the game. It was the Grizzlies who were able to adjust their form in time to maintain their rankings; Or the Warriors, Clippers and other teams can seize the opportunity and achieve a counterattack, everything is full of suspense.
Disclaimer: The article describes the process and pictures are from the Internet
![The Rockets reached a 4-for-1 deal with the Grizzlies, and Jaren Jackson Jr. joined the Rockets[fig]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)