A swatter in the city duel with the Los Angeles Clippers stopped the Los Angeles Lakers’ winning streak in the NBA and put a sensitive damper on the record champions.
With the 118:125, the team around superstar LeBron James and national team captain Dennis Schröder missed out on a direct playoff place. On the other hand, the Clippers, like defending champions Golden State Warriors, now have 42 wins and 38 losses and with two games still to play in the main round, they have a good chance of making the playoffs without the additional games in the play-inn.
It was the Clippers’ eleventh win in a row against the Lakers. With 27 points, Norman Powell was the best pitcher for the winning team, with the Lakers LeBron James booked a worthless 33 points in the end. Schröder managed just one goal and two points in just 13 minutes on the pitch.
Bucks and Nuggets with home field advantage in playoffs
The Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets, meanwhile, have secured home field advantage in the playoffs. The Bucks beat the Toronto Raptors 97-93 and are firmly in first place in the Eastern Conference. The Nuggets benefited from the Memphis Grizzlies’ 131-138 loss at the New Orleans Pelicans and can no longer be ousted from first place in the West. The Pelicans are now level with the Lakers.
Third place for the Philadelphia 76ers behind the Boston Celtics in the east is also certain. The Sacramento Kings are safely third in the west after beating the Dallas Mavericks 119:123.
The Mavericks around national player Maxi Kleber still have hopes of tenth place and participation in the Play-Inn thanks to the win. The team is level with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The teams in places seven to ten determine two playoff participants in each of the two conferences.
