The Clippers played the Pistons on the road and won 136-125. Leonard scored 33 points, Westbrook contributed 23 points and 9 assists, and George had 18 points and 7 assists. For the Pistons, Ivey scored 28 points and Bogdanovic contributed 26. The Clippers fell behind in the game for a while, but eventually came out on top with Westbrook and Leonard leading the way.
In the other game, the Suns challenged the Hawks on the road and eventually lost 122-126. Durant scored 35 points and contributed eight rebounds and eight assists, but the Suns couldn't extend their winning streak. For the Hawks, Booker scored 32 points and Hunter contributed 24. The Suns overtook the game at one point, but ultimately failed to hold on to the win, ending the winning streak.
In addition, Westbrook reached the milestone of 25,000 points in this game, becoming the fourth player in the active roster to reach this milestone. Although Harden did not perform well in the game, scoring only four points, the Clippers still won and showed their overall strength. In this game, the Suns didn't do well.
With the exception of Durant and Booker, the other players did not play as well as they should. Beal's shooting was not good, hitting all three-pointers, scoring just 14 points, with the only bright spot being 10 assists.
The Hawks, on the other hand, played well as a team, with Trae Young scoring 32 points and 15 assists, Murray contributing 22 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, and Capela recording a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. In the end, the Hawks defeated the Suns 129-120 at home to make it three wins in a row.
For the Suns, their prospects for the playoffs are still relatively optimistic, because they have a well-formed roster and strong strength. But if they want to challenge for a championship, their current roster may not be strong enough, and in addition to Beal's disappointing performance, their defense also has certain problems.
In the other game, the Pelicans narrowly beat the Spurs 114-113 on the road. This is the third time the Pelicans have beaten the Spurs this season. The Pelicans are currently in a pivotal time in their quest for playoff qualification, and every game counts for them. The Spurs gave the Pelicans a kick-off in the opening stanza to take a 33-24 lead in the first quarter.
Although the Pelicans fought back later, the Spurs kept showing tenacity until late in the third quarter when the Pelicans tied the score. The final battle between the two sides was played in the final quarter, with the Spurs' perimeter players playing poorly, while the Pelicans narrowly outnumbered the Spurs with Williamson's stunner and Valanciunas' consistent play.
Williamson played well in the game, finishing with 33 points, eight rebounds and four assists, McCollum had 21 points and four assists, Ingram contributed 19 points and six assists, and Valanciunas contributed 18 points and nine rebounds.
For the Spurs, Vassell had 28 points and 3 assists, Jones had 20 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, Sochan contributed 15 points and 16 rebounds, and Wembanyama had 16 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks. With this victory, the Pelicans have tied the Suns and are only one step away from the top six in the West.
The Spurs, on the other hand, have been lacking a good point guard and have always put Wembanyama in key moments too much responsibility, which has hindered their development. Overall, both games have a certain amount of to watch, especially the matchup between the Pelicans and Spurs is more intense, giving fans a great game.