Buoyed by Nikola Jokic’s 41 points, Denver may have taken a definitive advantage for first place in the Western Conference by dismissing Minnesota (116-107).
The Nuggets on pole
In the mano a mano they are engaged in for the lead in the Western Conference, the Nuggets took the lead in the last quarter over the Wolves thanks to a great Nikola Jokic (41 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists) . With this victory (116-107), the reigning NBA champions took a good shot at first place in the West with two matches remaining in the regular season. Denver (56 wins, 24 losses) now has one more victory than its pursuers Oklahoma and Minnesota (tied at 55-25) and have their destiny in their hands: they will face the poorly ranked Spurs and Grizzlies on Saturday and Sunday. Despite Anthony Edwards’ 25 points and Rudy Gobert’s 15 rebounds, the Wolves fell. At the same time, Oklahoma crushed San Antonio (127-89), without Victor Wembanyama left to rest.
The Suns bounce back
After their defeat against the Clippers at home on Tuesday, the Suns took their revenge on Wednesday on the floor of the Los Angeles franchise (124-108). Devin Booker’s 37 points gave Phoenix the win, with Kevin Durant adding 24 points and Bradley Beal adding 26 points. This victory leaves Phoenix, currently 7th just behind the Pelicans, a chance to qualify directly for the play-offs with two days remaining – otherwise they will go through the play-offs reserved for teams ranked between 7th and 10th place (play-offs). in). Phoenix’s victory means that the Lakers and the Warriors, currently 9th and 10th, will necessarily have to go through these play-ins to hope to reach the play-offs.
Dallas continues
The Dallas Mavericks consolidated their 5th place in the West by winning their fifth consecutive victory against the Miami Heat 111 to 92. Luka Doncic scored 29 points for Dallas. This victory combined with the defeat of Miami, 8th in the East, allows the New York Knicks, 3rd in the East, to secure a place in the play-offs. Injured in the calf during the victory against the Celtics leaders on Tuesday, Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the victory of the Milwaukee Bucks (2nd in the East) against Orlando Magic (117-99). The 29-year-old Greek star will miss at least the last two games of the regular season, his team said after medical examinations. According to the site The Athleticthe MRI taken by the player, however, showed no sign of damage to the Achilles tendon, an injury that ruled out Antetokounmpo last month.
