EFEReading: 4 min.
Los Dallas Mavericks hit bottom this Friday when they lost 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 in 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 NBA night was also marked by Los Angeles Lakers triumph against Oklahoma City Thunderbefore the look of a smiling LeBron James, who is still recovering from a tendon injury in his foot. The Angelenos reached .500 in their balance (37-37) and placed eighth, tied with the Minnesota Timberwolvessevenths.
MAVERICKS 109 – HORNETS 117
Neither Luka Doncic’s 34 points, ten rebounds and eight assists, nor Kyrie Irving’s 18 points, in his return from a foot injury, could alleviate some Mavericks in free fall, with an extremely vulnerable defense and currently out of reach. play-in positions.
The Texans lost their sixth game in the last eight and dropped to eleventh position, after surrendering against some Hornets who are penultimate in the East and already thinking about next season.
Six Hornets players finished with double figures, further proof of the fragile defense of the Mavs, who lost key pieces such as Dorian Finney Smith in the operation that brought Irving to Dallas from the Brooklyn Nets.
CELTICS 120 – PACERS 95
Jayson Tatum surpassed Larry Bird’s mark of 39 games with thirty-plus points with the Celtics and, with his 34 points, led his team to a 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.
GRIZZLIES 151 – ROCKETS 114
In the second confrontation in three days between these franchises, the Grizzlies sealed their mathematical classification to the playoffs with a devastating attack and a 59% accuracy rate in triples with Luke Kennard as the absolute protagonist with ten 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.
WARRIORS 120 – 76ERS 112
Jordan Poole scored 19 of his 33 points in an extraordinary fourth quarter to lead the Golden State Warriors over the 76ers, despite Joel Embiid’s great night, who finished with 46 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, two steals and a pop, with 19 of 22 from the free throw line..
Poole shone with 33 points and six 3-pointers coming off the bench, while Steph Curry chipped in 29 points and Klay Thompson had 21, with six 3-pointers.
JAZZ 116 – BUCKS 144
Showering 3-pointers, the Bucks 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.
KINGS 135 – SUNS 127
On the day it was learned that Kevin Durant is finalizing his recovery and could return next Wednesday, the Suns fell on their visit to the Kings before Kevin Huerter’s 29 points and Domantas Sabonis’ 27, nine rebounds and nine assists .
The Suns led by eleven points at halftime, but a disastrous third quarter, 45-26, led the Kings to a victory that allows them to take a giant step toward third place in the West, ahead of Phoenix.
LAKERS 116 – THUNDER 111
The Lakers, still without LeBron James, out due to a tendon problem in one foot, achieved a hard-fought win at home against the Thunder and reached the Minnesota Timberwolves in seventh place in the West (37-37).
Anthony Davis dominated with 37 points and fourteen rebounds, on 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.
RAPTORS 118 – PISTONS 97
The Raptors beat the Pistons, bottom team in the East, with 32 points and nine assists, with 12 of 19 shooting, by Pascal Siakam.
Chris Boucher had a double double of 19 points and thirteen rebounds coming off the bench for the Canadians, ninth in the East.
TRAIL BLAZERS 96 – BULLS 124
Against some Blazers without Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons or Jusuf Nurkic, the Bulls achieved a momentous victory to maintain their tenth place, which gives access to the ‘play-in’.
Zach LaVine had 34 points, eight assists and four rebounds for the Bulls, who won with a bang despite the absence of DeMar DeRozan.
WIZARDS 136 – SPURS 124
The Wizards were reunited with victory after four consecutive losses driven by Corey Kispert’s 26 points, with six three-pointers.
The capital team is eleventh, two games behind the Bulls. The Spurs, in which Keldon Johnson scored thirty points, are penultimate in the West.
