With the Thunder’s upset loss to the Pacers, the Nuggets’ narrow victory, and the Trail Blazers’ heavy defeat, the NBA Western Conference standings have been updated.

On January 24th Beijing time, the NBA regular season featured exciting clashes. In three notable games, the Pacers, last in the East, upset the defending champion Thunder 117-114, the Nuggets narrowly beat the Bucks 102-100, and the Raptors convincingly won over the Trail Blazers 110-98. Consequently, the Western Conference standings have changed, with the Thunder in first, the Nuggets third after three straight wins, and the Trail Blazers ninth.

Pacers vs. Thunder. Last season’s finalists meeting drew attention, but circumstances have changed. The Pacers, due to Haliburton’s season-ending injury, have become a bottom-tier team, ranking last in the East, while the Thunder, led by Alexander, remain firmly atop the West as defending champions. The game started with the Pacers full of energy, deploying all players to score and overpower the Thunder offensively, finishing the first quarter with a 39-28 lead, up by 11. In the second quarter, the Pacers’ offense sharply declined, allowing the Thunder to chip away at the lead, outscoring them by 6 points to trail by 5 at halftime. In the second half, the teams battled back and forth; the Thunder stayed close but couldn’t overtake. The contest was intense, with Alexander performing efficiently against the Pacers’ multiple scorers. In the final decisive moments, the Thunder committed numerous fouls, and Walker capitalized on free throws to seal the game for the Pacers. Ultimately, the Thunder suffered a shocking ninth loss of the season, truly surprising everyone!

Nuggets vs. Bucks. The Nuggets played with a severely depleted roster, missing several key players. Both teams struggled with shooting in the first quarter, resulting in a 21-21 tie. The Nuggets then faced another setback as Gordon left due to injury, but others stepped up. In the second and third quarters, the Nuggets unleashed their offense, scoring 27-21 and 30-21 respectively, dominating the Bucks and leading by 15 after three quarters. However, in the final quarter, the Bucks suddenly exploded offensively, attacking inside and out to close the gap and bring suspense back to the game. At critical moments, the Bucks missed multiple shots, and with six Nuggets players scoring in double digits, Denver narrowly secured the win. It must be said, the Nuggets’ bench is incredibly strong!

Raptors vs. Trail Blazers. Both teams shot poorly in the first quarter, with the Trail Blazers’ offense especially cold. The Raptors took advantage, building a 19-12 lead, up by 7. In the second quarter, both teams found their rhythm and exchanged baskets fiercely, tying the quarter at 31-31. The Raptors maintained a 7-point lead at halftime. After the break, the Trail Blazers’ offense gained momentum, combining inside and outside plays to chip away at the deficit, closing to within 2 points by the end of the third quarter. In the final quarter, the Trail Blazers’ offense collapsed, missing shot after shot, while the Raptors continued scoring from inside and beyond the arc, pulling away decisively. Ultimately, the Trail Blazers fell to the Raptors, with Yang Hansen’s performance notably poor in this game!

Written by / Sports Novel