Let's get something straight: The Warriors are still the team to beat in the NBA.
Sure, the Cavaliers have looked revitalized with Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert back from injury, and the Spurs have enough young talent to remain dangerous late in the season. But at the end of the day, Golden State (35-2) still owns the championship trophy and the best record in basketball.
MORE: Greatest Warriors of all time
Golden State's ability to win in tough situations was highlighted Saturday when the Warriors outlasted the Kings 128-116 in Sacramento. The Kings are by no means a contending team, but their roster is filled with some big names, and those big names came to play against the Warriors.
DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings with 33 points and 10 rebounds, but league MVP Stephen Curry was too much to handle. Curry droped a game-high 38 points with 11 assists and six rebounds, proving his shin injury is behind him. Draymond Green continued his stellar play, scoring 25 points with nine rebounds.
The NBA season is still less than halfway complete, yet it appears only three or four teams have a chance at winning it all, and a healthy Warriors team still leads the charge.
The Clippers have finally found their groove:
After losing against the Thunder on Dec. 21, Los Angeles dropped its third game in row and fell to 16-13 on the season — a far cry from the title contender it was a year ago. But since that game, the Clippers have won eight straight and no longer look lost in the deep Western Conference.
Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan led the Clippers to a 97-83 win Saturday against the Hornets. Paul scored 25 points and dished out seven assists. Jordan scored 11 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and blocked four shots. The most impressive thing about the Clippers' current run is the fact they're doing it without Blake Griffin, who has missed their past seven games with a torn quadriceps tendon and is still weeks away from returning to the lineup.
The Warriors, followed by the Spurs, look like heavy favorites to make it out of the West, but the Clippers have enough talent to make a run if Doc Rivers can keep everyone cohesive.
Highlights:
Tim Hardaway Jr. gets up in a hurry:
OMG TIM HARDAWAY JR.!!!!!! https://t.co/Ovfy6ilxSE
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 9, 2016 Jeremy Lin battles traffic to score an acrobatic bucket:
WOW. @jlin7 in transition against a handful of Clippers 🔥 #CHAatLAC https://t.co/AjuMKgTve2
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) January 9, 2016 John Wall continues to dazzle in Washington:
John Wall goes around-the-world for the FLASHY finish! #nbavine https://t.co/3Qzm5lMw9u
— NBA (@NBA) January 10, 2016 Stud of the night:
Hawks center Al Horford scored a season-high 33 points on 15-of-21 shooting. He also grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out six assists and blocked four shots. It was something of a statement game as Atlanta thrashed the streaking Bulls 120-105. With the win, the Hawks moved to within four games of the Cavaliers for first place in the Eastern Conference.
Dud of the night:
Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade struggled to get anything going Saturday, finishing with just eight points on 3-of-17 shooting. Wade also turned the ball over four times as the Jazz defeated Miami 98-83.
What's Next:
Pacers (21-15) at Rockets (18-19) 7 p.m.: Paul George has risen out of his mini-funk and shooting guard Monta Ellis is starting to gain some confidence on offense. But James Harden and the Rockets are playing their best basketball of the season right now.
Thunder (26-11) at Trail Blazers (15-24) 9 p.m.: Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant will have a tougher test against Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum than the records indicate.