Western Conference Playoff Picture: Clippers pick up key win while Kings, Lakers and Spurs all lose on the road

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Yash Matange
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Harrison Barnes, LeBron James, and LaMarcus Aldridge

There are still close to 20 games left but the result of every game for these teams only seems to make this race tighter. 

Here's a look at each of these results from Monday and how it impacted the standings.

Brooklyn Nets 101, San Antonio Spurs 85


In the finale of their annual Rodeo road trip, the Spurs lost by double-digits to the surging Brooklyn Nets.

The Spurs finished 1-7 on their eight-game road trip which spanned 21 days including the All-Star break.

All-Star D'Angelo Russell was the leader in the Nets' victory, putting up an all-round stat line of 23 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds. Joe Harris (5-of-7 shooting) and Caris LeVert (7 assists, 5 rebounds) were the other key contributors for Brooklyn with 15 points apiece.

For the Spurs, LaMarcus Aldridge (26 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks) and DeMar DeRozan (23 points, 9-of-14 shooting) put up a fight but didn't receive a lot of support from the rest of the squad as nobody else scored more than 13 points.

As a team, the Nets shot 43.2% from the field and made 19 3-pointers on 38.0% shooting. They also committed 16 turnovers and San Antonio only committed 11 turnovers but the visitors' poor shooting didn't help their cause.

The Spurs shot 36.5% from the field and only knocked down 4 3-pointers on 24 attempts. 

The recent streak on this road trip has seen the Spurs slip from a comfortable fifth seed to now a tight eighth seed in the West.

The Spurs now head back to San Antonio for a three-game homestand starting on Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons. 

Memphis Grizzlies 110, Los Angeles Lakers 105


After losing to an Anthony Davis-less Pelicans on Saturday, the Los Angeles Lakers were keen on getting back to a .500 record with a win in Memphis. 

Unfortunately for the Lakers, a shorthanded Grizzlies squad came to play and dented their playoff run. The Lakers have now lost four of their last five and are tied for 10th in the Western Conference with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

LeBron James registered his 79th career triple-double , putting up 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists, but struggled from the field as he shot just 8-23. James moved into the top 10 on the all-time assists leaderboard.


Lakers' young players Kyle Kuzma (22 points, 9-of-15 shooting) and Brandon Ingram (32 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 12-of-18 shooting) combined for 54 points, but it was simply not enough as the Lakers only received seven points from their bench. 

On the other side, the Grizzlies were led by efficient performances by Mike Conley (30 points, 5 assists, 10-of-17 shooting) and Jonas Valanciunas (20 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks, 8-of-15 shooting).

The Lakers next game is Wednesday against Anthony Davis and the Lakers, a rematch of their meeting in New Orleans over the weekend in which the Pelicans won by 13 despite the absence of Davis who did not play.

Minnesota Timberwolves 112, Sacramento Kings 105


 

In his return from concussion protocol, All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns led the Minnesota Timberwolves to their fourth win in the last five games. He received plenty of support from his starting guards in Derrick Rose and Tyus Jones, who combined for 36 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds.

In a sloppy game marked by 42 total turnovers (22 by the Wolves and 20 by the Kings), Minnesota won thanks to superior shooting as it shot 50.6 percent from the field compared to just 38.9 percent for the Kings.

Rookie Marvin Bagley led the Kings with 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting while sophomore De'Aaron Fox added 23. 

With the Lakers' recent losses (4 in last 5), the Timberwolves have the Lakers and now sit three games out of eighth. The Kings are in ninth, two games back, and now head home for four games beginning on Wednesday when they host the Milwaukee Bucks, owners of the best record in the NBA.

LA Clippers 121, Dallas Mavericks 112


 

Forward Montrezl Harrell received a lot of support from reserve guard Lou Williams, who recorded a double-double of 21 points and 10 assists to go along with his 3 rebounds and 3 steals. 

Luka Doncic returned to the Mavericks' lineup after missing the last two games and did not miss a beat, recording his fourth triple-double of the season. Unfortunately for the Mavericks, the rookie phenom wasn't able to snap their skid as they have now dropped five five straight games.


 

This is the Clippers fourth win in seven games since the Tobias Harris trade and with the recent struggles of other teams on the fringe of playoff contention, LA has actually jumped a spot to 7th in the West. 

The Mavericks now travel home to host the Indiana Pacers while the Clippers tip-off a short road trip in Utah. 

Current NBA standings

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Yash Matange

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