The Celtics, leaders in the East, easily won in Dallas (124-95) by managing to contain Luka Doncic, who is currently untenable but appeared physically diminished on Thursday in the NBA, where the Nuggets, in the lead in the West, made short work of the Clippers (122-91).
Boston, which remained on two setbacks, was able to reconnect with its fundamentals, in particular these constant defensive inclinations, which paved its way to the final of the last championship.
During an evening where he was admittedly diminished by pain in his left ankle and seemed bothered by a recurring cough, Doncic paid the price.
The Slovenian, prodigious during the previous four games since his stratospheric triple-double with 60 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists once morest New York, was shooting an astounding average of 46.2 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10 assists over this short period.
This time, his genius might not be expressed: he was limited to 23 points (7/23 on shots including 0/6 from behind the arc), 9 rebounds and 3 assists. And nobody at the Mavs might really take over offensively, despite the efforts of Spencer Dinwiddie (18 pts).
Opposite, Jayson Tatum was dominant in attack (29 pts), although not always skilful (8/22), and he also struggled on all fronts, rewarded with a triple-double (14 rebounds, 10 assists ) quite rare for him since it is only the second of his career.
“We had to respond following our last two lost matches. We simply had to play better, we succeeded,” commented the All-Star winger soberly, satisfied with having “know how to make life difficult for Doncic, who is a hell of a player, capable of taking any shot”.
His friend Jaylen Brown contributed more modestly than usual (19 pts). Sufficient nevertheless for the C’s, who will finish their mini road trip on Saturday in San Antonio.
– Markkanen cartonne –
For Dallas, the series of consecutive victories stops at seven, without its 4th position in the West being weakened.
At the top of this conference remains Denver, author of a collective show of force once morest the needy Clippers (122-91), who persisted in sending cinder blocks at long distance (5/37), cheerfully opening the way to a fourth straight loss.
Shortly following the break, the Nuggets’ lead peaked at 43 units. All without Nikola Jokic having to pull out all the stops (12 pts, 9 assists in 24 minutes). Like the reigning double MVP, six other players finished with at least 10 points, the most prolific being Jamal Murray (18 pts).
On the LA side (6th), the star duo Kawhi Leonard-Paul George, off-topic, illustrated the overall debacle, accumulating 9 small points at 3/16.
Earlier, Memphis, winner in Orlando (123-115), had temporarily tickled Denver’s first place.
If they relaxed a little too much at the end of the match, leaving Orlando to come back to six lengths in the last two minutes following having nevertheless counted a lead of 25 units, the Grizzlies relied on Ja Morant (32 pts) to secure their fifth victory in a row.
Previously, Jaren Jackson Jr. (31 pts, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks) had also done a big job.
On the Magic side (13th in the East), the N.1 of the last draft Paolo Banchero distinguished himself (30 pts, 9 rebounds) during a vain last stand in the last quarter.
In Houston finally, the Finn Lauri Markkanen succeeded in the evening card with 49 points (new personal best) very useful to the Jazz to win once morest the Rockets (131-114). Utah, which thus ends a five-game losing streak, remains 10th in the West.
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