New NBA day full of disparate results and few surprises. Cthere are fewer and fewer days left for the approaching playoffs and the teams sharpen their weapons to prepare for a final phase that promises to be extraordinary. Bulls and Cavs met with a victory for the former in one of those duels that we can see again, in a series to the best of 7 games, in a few weeks. Also, Jokic couldn’t with the Raptors, the Kings have the play-in very difficultthe Blazers close to 10th place and the Pacers beat the Spurs.
MIAMI HEAT 104 – 113 MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
The Wolves emerge with a spectacular victory in Florida. Check the chronicle here.
CHICAGO BULLS 101 – 91 CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
DeMar DeRozan, with 25 points, fueled the Bulls’ victory against the Cavaliers (101-91) this Saturday, in the triumphant return of Alex Caruso after almost two months out due to injury. In a packed United Center, DeRozan once again led the Bulls who, after ending their five-game losing streak in Detroit, chained their second straight win to regain confidence in the Eastern Conference. DeRozan scored 25 points while Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic contributed 17 points and 14 rebounds, on a night in which Caruso competed again in front of his fans and scored 11 points and 4 assists. Caruso had not played since last January 21, when he was injured during the Bulls’ visit to the Milwaukee Bucks after a hard foul by Grayson Allen. From that moment on, Allen became enemy number one for Bulls fans., who gave him a loud whistle when the Bucks player visited the United Center in Chicago last week. In the Cleveland Cavaliers the best was once again Darius Garland, who contributed 25 points, seven assists and seven rebounds, supported by a double double from Kevin Love, with 10 points and 11 rebounds. The Bulls placed fourth in the Eastern Conference (41-26), while the Cavaliers fell to sixth position (38-29).
SAN ANTONIO SPURS 108 – 119 INDIANA PACERS
A double-double by Tyrese Haliburton, with 19 points and 10 rebounds, propelled the victory of the Pacers at the home of the Spurs, who fell again after making history just a day ago, when Gregg Popovich became the winningest coach in NBA history (1,336). The Spurs, in which the best was Jock Londale, with 26 points and 7 rebounds, are twelfth in the West (26-42), while the Pacers, who ended a three-game losing streak, are thirteenth ( 23-45).
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 122 – 109 MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Klay Thompson is back to who he was with 38 points. Check the chronicle here.
DENVER NUGGETS 115 – 127 TORONTO RAPTORS
Cameroonian Pascal Siakam, with 33 points, seven assists and five rebounds, and Scottie Barnes, with 25 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assistspromoted the valuable victory of the Raptors (37-30, seventh in the Eastern Conference) against the Nuggets (40-28, sixth in the Western Conference), in which the Serbian Nikola Jokic scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, with 7 assists. The Raptors placed seventh in the East, just one win behind the sixth-place Cleveland Cavaliers, who occupy the final direct playoff spot.
UTAH JAZZ 134 – 125 SACRAMENTO KINGS
Without Frenchman Rudy Gobert, it was Jordan Clarkson to lead the Jazz with the best performance of his career. He scored 45 points, with 7 triples and 15 of 21 shots, to hold 41 points and 11 assists signed by De’Aaron Fox at the Kings (24-45, with fewer and fewer playoff chances). The Jazz (42-25) recovered after the loss suffered against the Spurs and placed fourth in the West, ahead of the Mavericks of Slovenian Luka Doncic.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS 127 – 118 WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Josh Hart’s 44 points, who had never scored more in his career, together with 8 rebounds and 6 assists, propelled Portland’s victory against the Wizards (29-37, eleventh in the Eastern Conference). This victory allows the Trail Blazers to place eleventh in the Western Conference, just one win from the tenth place defended by the Pelicans (which have one game less), which is worth the ticket for the play-in.
