Los Boston Celtics are the favorites for the ring and the Denver Nuggets are the current champions and also outstanding candidates, but both fell this Tuesday in a night of surprises important in the NBA.
Boston had won eleven games in a row while Denver had won six in a row.. Both will meet on Thursday on the Nuggets court in the most anticipated duel at the moment in the league.
The Cavaliers were down by 22 points with only nine minutes left and, with an absolutely furious and captivating comeback, they knocked down the almighty Celtics this Tuesday.
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Without Donovan Mitchell or Max Strus, the Cavaliers, who also lost Evan Mobley to a sprain in the second half, had a mammoth 34-11 run in the finale. The hero was Dean Wade, heavenly with 20 points in the last quarter including the dunk after offensive rebound that gave them the victory.
Jayson Tatum, masterful in the first half and missing in the second (26 points and 13 rebounds in total), had a shot in the last second but it didn’t go in.
Kevin Durant scored 8 of his 35 points in overtime and also added 8 rebounds for the Suns who, without Devin Booker, gave the surprise in Denver also thanks to Grayson Allen (28 points with 8 of 12 in triples).
For the Nuggets, Jamal Murray was the top scorer with 28 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists while Nikola Jokic, who missed the shot in the final seconds for Denver to win the game before overtime, got 25 points, 16 rebounds and 5 assists but lost 7 balls.
Denver, undefeated until today after the All-Star, trailed by 22 points in the third quarter and came very close to making a great comeback but collapsed in overtime (5-15).
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The Turkish Alperen Sengun gave a performance against Victor Wembanyama and crushed the French prodigy with 45 points (personal scoring record), 16 rebounds and 5 steals.
With this exhibition, Sengun joined Anthony Davis (who did it twice), Joel Embiid, Hames Harden and John Drew in the select group of players who scored 45 or more points, 15 or more rebounds and 5 or more assists in a game (the NBA began recording thefts in the 1973-1974 campaign).
Wembanyama could do little in the face of Sengun’s explosion, although the number one in the last draft was close to a triple-double with 10 points (4 of 10 on field goals), 11 rebounds and 7 blocks.
Luka Doncic once again posted MVP candidate numbers with a triple-double of 39 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, but the Mavericks suffered their third straight loss and their fifth in the last six games.
Doncic has four triple-doubles in his last four games, all of them with more than 30 points. Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook were the only ones so far who had achieved four consecutive triple-doubles with 30 or more points.
The Pacers cemented their victory with a powerful 18-32 lead in the third quarter and a completely collaborative game (nine players with double-digit scoring). Tyrese Haliburton (19 points, 6 rebounds and 11 assists) and Pascal Siakam (13 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists) were supported in this great Indiana performance by Myles Turner (20 points) and Bennedict Mathurin (19 points).
Paolo Banchero (22 points) took the helm of a Magic with four consecutive wins and eight in their last ten games. Orlando is now fourth in the East instead of the Knicks who are down due to their multiple injuries.
Vasilije Micic (21 points) was the top scorer for the Hornets who have lost their last five games.
Without the injured Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson (four of their theoretical starting five), the Knicks continue to lose steam and have only won three of their last eleven games.
Jalen Johnson (26 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists) led the Hawks without Trae Young while Donte DiVincenzo (21 points and 6 assists) was the Knicks’ top scorer despite his poor shooting (7 of 24 on field goals).
The Knicks are already hot on the heels of the Heat, excellent with seven wins in their last eight games and who got rid of the Pistons with 26 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists from Jimmy Butler. Mexican Jaime Jáquez Jr. (11 points and 6 rebounds) was one of the six Miami players with more than 10 points.
Cade Cunningham (23 points and 8 rebounds) and Simone Fontecchio (22 points) stood out for Detroit.
The Sixers fell to the play-in positions in the East, seventh in that conference and without Joel Embiid they continue to take steps back.
Kelly Oubre Jr. (30 points and 6 rebounds) could not prevent Philadelphia from defeating the Nets with 20 points from Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith.
Trey Murphy (34 points and 6 rebounds) commanded the beating in Toronto of the Pelicans who are moving away from the danger of the play-in in the West, installed with some margin in fifth place in the West.
Immanuel Quickley (17 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists) led the Raptors who were already far out of the fight for the postseason.
2024-03-06 10:58:00
#Celtics #Nuggets #kissed #canvas #facing #anticipated #duel #NBA
