In twenty-four hours, Brooklyn had to cross the United States to comply with the NBA schedule and erase one of its postponed matches due to Covid-19. After a victory early Sunday afternoon against San Antonio (121-119, ap), the Nets joined Portland, 4,600 kilometers from Brooklyn, to challenge the Blazers. Along the way, they tracked down Kyrie Irving, unvaccinated and deprived of home matches.
Hit in the left knee, James Harden left Irving and Kevin Durant in charge. But the Nets broke their teeth on a Portland team (108-114) yet diminished with the absence of Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and Norman Powell, his three top scorers of the season.
In the lead at the break (62-55), Brooklyn dropped the flag in the third quarter under the onslaught of Anfernee Simons (23 points, 11 assists) and Robert Covington (21 points), author of an important award-winning shot to recreate the gap at the end of the match (107-100, 46th). Drafts, Irving (22 points) and Durant (28) missed several shots to return and had to bow. Second in the East, the Nets will challenge the leader Chicago Wednesday night in Illinois, with their leader in the workforce.
Ball and Charlotte bring down Milwaukee again
For the second time in three days, the defending champion fell in North Carolina. Like Sunday (114-106), Charlotte again made the Bucks fold (103-99). The deliverance came from LaMelo Ball, author of a “floater” (one hand shot) 16 seconds from the buzzer after getting rid of Wesley Matthews (101-99, 47th). The final point of the wake-up call of the leader of the Hornets, held to only two points in the first half (23 in the end).
Opposite, without Jrue Holiday, Milwaukee relied on the other two pieces of its “Big Three”: Giannis Antetokounmpo (26 points) and Khris Middleton (27). At 40 seconds from the buzzer, the Greek interior brought their own to a point with a powerful lay-up with the fault of Miles Bridges. On his bonus throw, the ball bounced off a capricious circle before Wesley Matthews grabbed it to equalize (99-99, 47th).
After Ball’s basket, the Bucks had a chance to equalize or win but Pat Connaughton, shifted by Antetokounmpo, stepped out of bounds. Milwaukee is fourth in the Eastern Conference (26 wins – 17 losses) while Charlotte remains eighth (22-19).
.
