With the Thunder’s overwhelming victory over the Trail Blazers & Spurs, Nuggets’ win, and Pelicans’ heavy defeat, the NBA Western Conference standings have been updated.

On January 2nd Beijing time, the NBA regular season proceeded with more games finishing yesterday, including the Pelicans’ heavy 118-134 loss to the Bulls, the Knicks’ 132-134 upset by the Spurs, the injury-ravaged Nuggets’ 106-103 win over the Raptors, and the Trail Blazers’ 95-134 blowout by the defending champion Thunder. Thus, the newest Western Conference standings are Thunder in first place, Spurs second, and Nuggets third!

Pelicans vs. Bulls. This game was quite one-sided as the home Bulls played dominantly, steadily pulling away. Ultimately, eight Bulls players scored in double figures, securing a big win and handing the Pelicans their fifth consecutive loss!

Knicks vs. Spurs. At the start, the Knicks rained down three-pointers from the perimeter, exploding for 45 points in the first quarter to take a 9-point lead on the road. The second and third quarters saw a back-and-forth battle with both teams exchanging blows, and the Knicks still held a 9-point advantage after three quarters. In the final quarter, San Antonio’s young star Champagnie kept up his hot shooting, hitting consecutive threes to lead a Spurs comeback and take the lead. In the closing moments, the Spurs calmly scored to defeat the Knicks!

Nuggets vs. Raptors. The Nuggets have been struggling with injuries recently, with Jokic absent and their strength significantly weakened, causing a losing streak. Jokic missed this game again against the East’s fourth-ranked Raptors. The Nuggets started strong in the first quarter with explosive performances from Murray and Valanciunas, leading 32-23. The second quarter featured a fierce offensive exchange, and the Nuggets still led by 9 at halftime. In the second half, Valanciunas left due to injury, and the Raptors launched a comeback, gradually closing the gap. At a critical moment, Murray’s layup extended the lead to three points, but Brown missed two crucial free throws, giving the Raptors a chance to tie. In the final possession, Ingram hit a difficult three-pointer but was unfortunately called out of bounds. Ultimately, five Nuggets players scored in double digits, and the entire team contributed as they narrowly escaped with a tough win, ending their losing streak!

Trail Blazers vs. Thunder. Facing the defending champion Thunder, the Trail Blazers, clearly outmatched, performed very poorly, recklessly forcing plays and committing numerous turnovers. With no coherent strategy, the Blazers were thoroughly dominated and suffered a crushing 39-point defeat. Chinese player Yang Hansheng got playing time, recording 3 points and 5 rebounds. If his teammates had been less isolated, Yang’s performance might have been even better!

Written by / Sports Novel