The latest ranking of the Western Conference, the Clippers dropped to 12th, the Rockets received a good 2, and the Lakers approached the 1st place

The NBA regular season continues to stage exciting showdowns. In the highlight of the day, the Suns defeated the Clippers 115:102 at home, directly rewriting the Western Conference ranking pattern. At the same time, the Thunder are firmly on top with 8 wins and 1 loss, the Lakers are chasing after 7 wins and 2 losses, and the Rockets 5 wins and 2 losses hold the key to the top three, while the Warriors are facing bad news. Core Curry will miss the next game against the Nuggets due to a cold. The competition in the Western Conference has completely entered a white-hot stage. Let’s talk about the latest results and the rankings of each team in detail:

First, let’s take a look at the focus matchup on the 7th - Suns vs. Clippers. The result of this game can be described as both happy and sad. With this victory, the Suns improved their record to 4-5, successfully climbed to 9th place in the Western Conference, and firmly stood in the play-off area; while the Clippers suffered their fifth loss of the season, and their record fell to 3-5. After suffering a 3-game losing streak, they fell directly to 12th place in the Western Conference. The lineup they spent a lot of money to build during the offseason failed to achieve the expected results, and the performance disappointed fans.

The game showed a one-sided situation from the beginning. The Suns took advantage of their home court advantage to quickly enter the state. They established a lead in the first quarter and then expanded the point difference step by step. Although the Clippers tried their best to launch a counterattack in the final quarter, trying to narrow the point difference, the Suns always firmly controlled the rhythm of the game and did not give their opponents too many chances to come back. The key to the outcome of this game lies in the explosion of the Suns' two core players, as well as the complete crotch reduction of Bill, whom the Clippers invested heavily in.

Suns new aid Jaylen Green's debut was a godsend. You must know that this was his first game back from injury, and his playing time was limited to 22 minutes and 58 seconds. But even so, he still played a dominant performance. He made 10 of 20 shots in the game, 6 of 13 from beyond the arc, and 3 of 5 free throws. He scored 29 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. His plus-minus value was as high as +30. He was the team's biggest winner on both offense and defense. According to statistics, the 29 points scored in the first game of the Suns ranked second highest in the history of the Suns, second only to Barkley's 37 points, and the 6 three-pointers directly broke the record for three-pointers made by a new player in the team's first game. It only took one game to prove his worth.

Except for Green, Suns star Booker's performance is still frighteningly stable. He played 37 minutes, making 10 of 22 shots, 3 of 7 three-pointers, 1 of 1 free throws, contributing 24 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals, with a plus-minus of +11. So far this season, Booker is in an extremely hot state, averaging 30.2 points and 7 assists per game, hitting 2.8 three-pointers, and shooting 51%, 43%, and 86% respectively. Such efficient performance has fully supported the Suns' offensive system and is a well-deserved anchor for the team. With the addition of Green, Booker no longer has to bear the offensive pressure alone. The dual-core combination of the two has raised the Suns' offensive firepower to a higher level.

In sharp contrast to the highlights of the Suns' dual-core team, Beal of the Clippers. Kawhi Kawhi and Harden both missed the game due to injuries. The team originally expected Beal to step up and shoulder the heavy responsibility of the backcourt offense, but he slapped the fans in the face with his actual performance. Facing the overwhelming boos from Suns fans, Beal was completely lost. He only played 19 minutes, made only 2 of 14 shots, 1 of 5 three-pointers, only 5 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist. He also committed 2 turnovers and 3 fouls, with a plus-minus value as low as -23, completely failing to play his role as a core. According to statistics, among Bill's 586 regular season career games in which he took 14+ shots, his 2-for-14 field goal percentage ranked fourth-worst in his career. Such performance not only made the team passive on the offensive end, but also disappointed fans who were full of expectations.

In this game of the Clippers, except for Zubac's double-double performance of 23 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals on 8 of 14 shots, most of the other players were in a sluggish state. The Clippers spent a lot of money to bring in Bill and Paul during the offseason. They originally wanted to strengthen the backcourt, but now one of them is stretched and the other is in a slump. Coupled with the frequent injuries to core players, the team's record has plummeted and it has become a laughing stock of the league.

Second, after watching this focus battle, let’s look at the latest ranking pattern of the Western Conference. The Thunder currently rank first in the Western Conference with a record of 8 wins and 1 loss. They have a mature offensive and defensive system and have maintained a strong winning streak recently. They are currently the most stable team in the Western Conference. Followed closely by the Lakers, they are ranked second in the Western Conference with a record of 7 wins and 2 losses. They are only 1 win away from the Thunder and have a chance to hit the top spot at any time.

This season's Lakers have completely gotten rid of the previous curse of "collapse if they lack core players" and have shown strong resilience and competitiveness. When Reeves leads the team as a single core, he can always connect the team with precise passes. On the offensive end, he can not only break through tough situations but also create opportunities for his teammates. He has led the team to victory in stalemate situations many times. When Doncic is sitting alone, the offensive organization can grasp the situation. Qi played 5 games for the Lakers this season, averaging 40 points, 11 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 2 steals, 0.6 blocks, shooting 50.0% from the field, 30.5% from the three-point range, and 78.9% from the free throw line. . Doncic has performed very well in the new season. Since the start of the season, he has led the Lakers to a good record. In these 5 games, he scored 35+ points in 4 games, including 49 points against the Timberwolves, 44 points against the Grizzlies, and an overall performance of 35 points, 9 rebounds, 13 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks against the Spurs.

What's even more rare is that even if Reeves and Doncic are absent at the same time, the Lakers' role players can step in. Everyone performs their duties, the defensive end is united, and the offensive end blossoms more, without collapse at all. This state of full strength gives the Lakers a clear advantage in the Western Conference competition this season. As the season progresses, they are likely to continue to attack the Thunder and compete for the first place in the Western Conference..

Third, the Rockets are ranked third in the Western Conference. They are currently tied with the Spurs with a record of 5 wins and 2 losses, but they are temporarily ranked third due to the advantage of playing against each other, while the Spurs are ranked fifth in the Western Conference with the same record. Next, the Rockets will face a key matchup. They will have a head-on confrontation with the Spurs. The result of this game is directly related to the ranking trend of the two teams. For the Rockets, this is also a good opportunity to hit the top two in the Western Conference.

What is even more gratifying is that the Rockets received two pieces of good news before this crucial battle. Coupled with the strong support of the three heroes, the probability of victory is greatly increased. The first major advantage comes from the core inside matchup. According to statistics, Shen Jing has been double-teamed by opponents 87 times this season, and the Rockets can score 1.16 points per round in this case. On the other hand, the Spurs core Bunyama has been double-teamed 55 times in pick-and-rolls, singles or low posts, and the Spurs can only score 0.82 points per round. Looking at this key data alone, Shen Jing's containment power and the team's subsequent scoring conversion efficiency far exceed that of Bunyama, which undoubtedly adds important confidence to the Rockets' victory.

The second biggest advantage is the targeted defensive strategy. The Rockets can completely imitate the previous successful experiences of the Lakers and Suns and use the forward group to double-team and defend Wenbanyama, and the team happens to have three perfect candidates. During the recent five-game winning streak, Amen Thompson is in hot form, averaging 20.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game, with a true shooting percentage of 57.5%. He can shoulder the heavy responsibility on both offense and defense; Tari Eason averages 15.8 points, 5.0 rebounds per game, and can hit 3. With 6 three-pointers, he has both offensive firepower and defensive toughness; the most surprising thing is that Okogie, who joined with a minimum salary, averaged 2.1 steals and 1.9 blocks per game. His 3D attributes of offense and defense can be called a "hexagonal warrior", and he is doing the work of a $20 million player with a minimum salary. The defensive triangle formed by these three people is an excellent weapon to double-team Wenban Yama. As long as Wenban's performance can be restricted, the Rockets are 90% sure of winning.

With data advantages and targeted defensive strategies, coupled with the team's recent hot feel and good chemical reaction, the Rockets have a high probability of defeating the Spurs, continuing to improve their record, and launching an impact towards a higher ranking in the Western Conference. This dialogue between the Western Conference's powerful players has also become a major attraction next.

Fourth, there is another team in the Western Conference rankings that needs to be focused on, and that is the Warriors. The Warriors are currently ranked seventh in the Western Conference with a 5-4 record, and the Nuggets are fourth in the Western Conference with a 5-2 record. The Warriors' current record is not ideal, and they also received bad news - in the next game against the Nuggets, core boss Curry will continue to miss the game due to a cold. The Nuggets themselves are very strong. Now that the Warriors are missing the core of Curry's offense, their offensive organization and firepower will be greatly affected. Coupled with the news that the main general is injured, it will be extremely difficult for the Warriors to win this game. If they lose again in this game, the Warriors' ranking may fall further, and the team will also face greater pressure.