The triumphs of the Celtics, Bucks, Warriors and Lakers, in addition to the setback at home by the Mavericks, marked a new day in the NBA.
The Dallas Mavericks hit rock bottom this Friday by losing at home against the Charlotte Hornets and by staying out of the ‘play-in’ positions of an increasingly wild and balanced West, on a day of the NBA in which Jayson Tatum surpassed Larry Bird with forty games over thirty points and in which Luke Kennard hit ten 3-pointers for the Memphis Grizzlies.
The night was also marked by the victory of the Lakers against the Thunder, before the eyes of a smiling LeBron James, who continues to recover from his tendon injury in one foot. The Angelenos reached .500 in their balance (37-37) and they placed eighth, tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves, seventh.
MAVERICKS 109 – HORNETS 117
Neither the 34 points, ten rebounds and eight assists from Luka Doncic, nor the 18 points from Kyrie Irving, in his return after a foot injury, could alleviate some Mavericks in free fall, with an extremely vulnerable defense and currently out of the ‘play-in’ positions.
The Texans lost their sixth game in the last eight and dropped to eleventh after giving up against a few Hornets that they are penultimate in the East and that they are already thinking about the next season.
Six Hornets players finished in double figures, further proof of the defensive fragility of the Mavs, who lost key players like Dorian Finney Smith in the deal that brought Irving to Dallas from the Brooklyn Nets.
CELTICS 120 – PACERS 95
Jayson Tatum surpassed Larry Bird’s mark of 39 games with more than thirty points with the Celtics and, with his 34 points, he led his team’s comfortable victory against the Pacers.
Jaylen Brown chipped in with 27 points and Derrick White with 22 for a Celtics who are second in the East behind the Bucks.
Big performances in the Boston win ????
Tatum: 34 PTS, 7 REB
Brown: 27 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST pic.twitter.com/LBw908H2Qv— NBA (@NBA) March 25, 2023
GRIZZLIES 151 – ROCKETS 114
In the second matchup in three days between these franchises, the Grizzlies sealed their mathematical classification to the playoffs with a devastating attack and a 59% success rate in triples with Luke Kennard As the absolute protagonist with ten out of eleven from the arc.
Ja Morant played his second game after his suspension for his video with a gun at a Colorado nightclub. He came off the bench and contributed 18 points and eight assists against the Rockets.
Luke Kennard tonight:
???? Sets career-high and franchise record with 10 threes
???? Becomes 1st player ever with 10+ 3PM on 90%+ FG
???? Leads Grizzlies to a playoff-clinching W pic.twitter.com/7WEjWEi926— NBA (@NBA) March 25, 2023
WARRIORS 120 – 76ERS 112
Jordan Poole scored 19 of his 33 points in an extraordinary fourth quarter to lead the Golden State Warriors above the 76ersdespite the great night of Joel Embiid, who finished with 46 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, two steals and a shot, with 19 of 22 from the free throw line.
Poole shone with 33 points and six three-pointers coming off the bench, while Stephen Curry had 29 points and Klay Thompson had 21, with six three-pointers.
Warriors won a thriller behind big performances from Steph and Jordan Poole ????
Steph: 29 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST
Poole: 33 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST, 6 3PM pic.twitter.com/R7twDoYCbQ— NBA (@NBA) March 25, 2023
JAZZ 116 – BUCKS 144
With a shower of triples, the Bucks they crushed the Jazz in Salt Lake City. Pat Connaughton hit six 3-pointers for 22 points and Grayson Allen had five for 25 points. The entire starting five of the 2021 champions finished above 18 points, with Giannis Antekounmpo contributing a double-double of 24 points and eleven assists.
In the Jazz, without Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton or Rudy Gay, the Italian Simone Fontecchio signed the best performance of his career with 26 points.
LAKERS 116 – THUNDER 111
Los Lakersstill without LeBron James, sidelined with a tendon problem in one foot, achieved a hard-fought win at home against the Thunder and they reached the Minnesota Timberwolves in seventh place in the West in the NBA (37-37).
Anthony Davis he dominated with 37 points and fourteen rebounds, with 15 of 21 shooting, supported by Dennis Schroder’s 21 and Lonnie Walker’s 20.
For the Thunder, tenth (36-38), Josh Giddey had a double double of 27 points and 18 rebounds and Shai Gilgeous Alexander contributed 27.
37 points and 15 boards in the W ????
AD showed out tonight as the Lakers moved to 37-37. pic.twitter.com/TIG9GCba0h
— NBA (@NBA) March 25, 2023
