At the end of a superb encounter, Denver ended Boston’s invincibility at home (102-100), the two franchises offering the face of potential champion Friday in the NBA.
No major absentee, magnificent duels, an indecisive meeting in a boiling TD Garden, the defending champion Denver and the best team of the season Boston put on their gala clothes on Friday, for an evening like the long regular season on offer little.
“During the regular season we have to find motivation levers for the team, the fact that they had not yet lost at home really motivated us,” explained Nuggets leader Jamal Murray.
After 20 victories in as many games in their home arena since the start of the season, the Celtics ended up giving in to the diabolical duo formed by Murray (35 points) and Nikola Jokic (34 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists). The Massachusetts franchise remains comfortably in the lead in the east (32 wins – 10 losses) and Denver 3rd in the west (29 – 14).
Tatum misses the equalizer
The start of the match offered a battle of giants between the Latvian pivot Kristaps Porzingis (2.18 m), author of his team’s first 11 points (with three long-distance shots), and his Serbian counterpart Nikola Jokic (2, 11 m), who responded with his knowledge of the game, particularly with his back to the basket.
The gap never exceeded 9 points in this match with 13 changes of leader. If Boston had made a small hole in the second quarter, it was filled by the crazy skill of Murray (15 out of 21 shooting).
The “C’s” were able to count on their discreet rear Derrick White (24 points), kissed on his bald head by Porzingis after a drive to the basket despite a foul.
Clumsy from afar (1 of 8), Boston boss Jayson Tatum (22 points) took the game in hand in the last quarter, with a spectacular dunk to bring his team back to one point 1 minute 40 from the end . Tatum then had the ball to equalize but completely missed his jump shot as the siren approached.
Denver, defending champion with unchanged squad, and Boston, Eastern Conference finalist reinforced this summer by Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, showed that a reunion in the NBA final in June was not a utopia.
First for Siakam
The grand final, Indiana has dreamed of it since 2000 and the Reggie Miller era, and hopes to get closer with the arrival of Pascal Siakam. Two days after the announcement of his transfer from Toronto, the Cameroonian interior made his debut with the Pacers in Portland (118-115 defeat).
He was even able to debut his new star duo with leader Tyrese Haliburton (21 points), back on the court after missing five games due to a hamstring injury.
A little lost in defense and author of an offensive foul for his first strong action, Siakam quickly found the target and scored his first basket in yellow with less than 3 minutes of play, before continuing from afar, for a total of 21 points too.
The Phoenix Suns won in New Orleans against the Pelicans (123-109) thanks to 52 points from Devin Booker, when Joel Embiid planted 36 points for a success for Philadelphia in Orlando (124-109).
Without its French giant Victor Wembanyama, at rest, the San Antonio Spurs lost to Charlotte (124-120). Wembanyama returns to the court on Saturday for a reunion in Washington with his former partner at the Levallois Mets Bilal Coulibaly.
2024-01-20 06:49:09
#NBA #Denver #dominates #Boston #duel #contenders #Siakam #starts #Indiana #TV5MONDE
