The Celtics pocketed a quiet success against New Orleans, the 30th success in 42 games for the Eastern Conference leader.
The Boston Celtics, who reign over the Eastern Conference of the NBA, recited their basketball on Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans (125-114), with the baton Jaylen Brown, author of 41 points, his best total of the season.
With this 30th success in 42 games, the “C’s” can calmly prepare their trip to Brooklyn this Thursday, to face a dolphin held at a good distance – the Nets are at 27 wins in 40 games.
However, the case was not heard for the Massachusetts franchise against a New Orleans team that looks great this season, with the third record in the West (25-17).
The first quarter set the tone, with a close score of 35-32. But star guard Jaylen Brown, averaging 27 points mid-season, took charge, shooting 15 of 21 for 41 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
“The season is long, it’s a lot of basketball, all day long, and you just have to always be ready to do the job,” Brown commented soberly, well supported by the other star of the C’s, Jayson Tatum, him also author of a double-double (31 pts, 10 rebounds, 4 assists).
The doublet were however deprived of certain usual teammates (Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III), but Malcolm Brogdon, off the bench, contributed to the success, with 20 pts.
The Pelicans also had notable absentees, including Zion Williamson, still injured. And if CJ McCollum answered present (38 pts), that was not enough for the Louisianans, who stick their tongue out a little in this month of January (5 d., 2 v.).
The “Resilient” Bucks
But make way for the Celtics-Nets shock, therefore, a duel that the Milwaukee Bucks, 3rd in the East, will observe with relish after their victory on Wednesday on the floor of the Atlanta Hawks (114-105).
If this success against a soft belly team is not a surprise, the 7 small points of Giannis Antetokounmpo, they are. The Greek of the Bucks left the star to Jrue Holiday (27 pts), but still did the job in the game (18 rebounds, 10 assists).
Milwaukee, who quietly led the proceedings in the third quarter, also had a little scare when they saw Atlanta come back to them. In the money-time, a basket from the Serb Bogdan Bogdanovic even gave the advantage to the Hawks (103-101), forcing the Bucks to a burst of pride.
“We are resilient, we don’t like to lose,” said Jrue Holiday positively. “Tight matches like this allow you to gain experience”.
In Tennessee, Ja Morant did not miss his return after two games away through injury by contributing largely, with 38 points, to offer an eighth success in a row in Memphis, against the San Antonio Spurs (135-129).
And in a Western Conference hitherto hotly contested, a duel begins to take shape between the Grizzlies and the Denvers Nuggets, who crushed Phoenix (126-97) and also have 26 wins in 41 games.
The case was already folded at the break, the Colorado franchise joining the locker room with 70 points and a lead of 16 units.
Only one small regret, for their Serbian star Nikola Jokic: the reigning double MVP narrowly failed to validate his 12th triple-double of the season (21 pts, 18 rebounds, 9 assists). But the appointment is made for the next game, Friday in Los Angeles, against the Clippers…
The results of the night:
Denver-Phoenix 126-97
Atlanta-Milwaukee 105-114
Boston-New Orleans 125-114
New York-Indiana 119-113
Sacramento-Houston 135-115
Memphis-San Antonio 135-129
Detroit-Minnesota 135-118
Washington-Chicago 100-97
