Western Conference standings in chaos: Lakers climb to fifth with a win, Spurs shockingly drop to third, and the last place changes hands

01/02/2026 08:26:00 esportapi

On February 1st Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued with multiple fierce battles concluding yesterday and early today. The Lakers exploded offensively to dominate the weak Wizards 142-111. The Kings endured an 8-game skid after a 93-112 loss to the Celtics. The Trail Blazers collapsed, suffering a heavy 97-127 defeat to the Knicks. The Grizzlies lost 106-114 to the bottom-ranked Pelicans, and the Spurs were upset 106-111 by the struggling Hornets from the East. Consequently, the latest Western Conference standings have been shaken up: the Spurs’ loss allowed the Nuggets to overtake them, dropping the Spurs to third; the Lakers rose to fifth; the Pelicans moved up to second; and the last place was taken over by the Kings!

Lakers vs. Wizards. After a heavy defeat to the strong Eastern team Cavaliers in their last game, the Lakers faced the very weak Wizards this round, whose defense was fragile. The Lakers went on a rampage, striking hard in the first half. Doncic dominated everywhere, LeBron contributed scoring, and Allen showed his center dominance. Ultimately, the Lakers fired on all cylinders to beat the Wizards by 31 points, with five players scoring in double figures—truly a team effort and a big victory!

Kings vs. Celtics. Facing the Western Conference’s bottom-ranked struggling Kings, the Celtics held a commanding advantage. They spread their offense in the first half, beating the Kings badly with quarter scores of 40-25 and 32-21, leading by 26 points at halftime. In the second half, the Celtics slowed down somewhat, and although the Kings tried to rally, their momentum wasn’t strong enough. In the end, the Celtics secured a solid win, handing the Kings their eighth consecutive loss, a defeat that felt almost inevitable!

Trail Blazers vs. Knicks. Right from the start, the Knicks attacked from multiple angles and dominated the Trail Blazers, opening a double-digit lead with a 37-22 first quarter. In the second quarter, the Knicks’ offense dropped sharply, allowing the Blazers to hit several three-pointers and narrow the gap. By halftime, the Knicks led by 10. In the second half, the Blazers’ offense was stifled and remained quiet, while the Knicks seized the chance to surge again. Their starting five produced efficiently, outscoring the Blazers by 8 points in the quarter and extending the lead. In the final quarter, the Knicks’ offense roared like a tiger, overwhelming the Blazers and widening the margin. Ultimately, seven Knicks players scored in double digits to crush the Trail Blazers!

Grizzlies vs. Pelicans. Against the last-place Pelicans, the Grizzlies controlled the first half but only managed a slim 3-point lead. The second half saw a dramatic shift as the Grizzlies’ offense collapsed, scoring just 15 points in one quarter, while the Pelicans exploded offensively, putting up 35 points. By the end of the third quarter, the Pelicans had taken a 17-point lead. The Grizzlies launched a strong comeback in the final quarter to cut the deficit, but the Pelicans held firm and secured the win, handing the Grizzlies their fifth straight loss!

Spurs vs. Hornets. The Hornets have been on fire lately, consecutively beating top Western Conference teams and impressing many. In this matchup, the Hornets dominated the second quarter with a 35-17 run, effectively deciding the game. Their starting five consistently scored and maintained offensive pressure, ultimately leading the Hornets to a victory over the Spurs and extending their winning streak to six games!