The duel of MVPs between Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo smiled on the Jokic Nuggets, easy winners (136-100) at the Bucks on Sunday in the NBA, where Trae Young’s Hawks overpowered (129-121) the Lakers, still deprived of LeBron James.
What happens to the defending champion? Beyond this eighth defeat in fourteen matches, it is the content of Milwaukee basketball that questions, Antetokounmpo having recently lamented that his Bucks team “is currently playing badly”.
The Bucks (5th in the East) are not really doing better, only the “Greek Freak” (the Greek monster) Antetokounmpo having held his rank of double MVP (2019, 2020). But especially in the first period during which he scored 22 of his 29 points (9 rebounds), when Khris Middleton spent the match like a shadow (9 pts, 7 assists).
Facing them, was Jokic, MVP in title, as usual busy to multiply (18 pts, 15 assists, 9 rebounds). His team, like Aaron Gordon (24 pts 7 rbds), got in tune by shooting at 62% success.
“A lot of our guys shot very well. It’s a very, very good win for us,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone, taking 5th place in the West in Dallas, beaten in Orlando. (110-108) despite a triple-double from Luka Doncic (34 pts, 12 rebounds, 11 assists).
Denver is also getting closer to Utah (4th) defeated (126-106) for the fifth time in a row in Minnesota (8th), where Karl-Anthony Towns (31 pts, 11 rebounds, 10 assists), took full advantage of the absence by Rudy Gobert (calf).
– The Suns at the zenith –
Undisputed leader of the championship, Phoenix fought for a tenth consecutive victory, once morest San Antonio (115-110). Led by 12 units in the last quarter, the Suns relied on Devin Booker (28 pts), author of two award-winning shots that tipped the game, and the inevitable Chris Paul (20 pts, 19 assists , 8 rbds).
Earlier, Atlanta (10th in the East) confirmed its ascending form, with a seventh rank success which took shape in the “money-time” once morest the Lakers, thanks to Trae Young (36 pts, 12 assists) .
His banderilla behind the arc restored the advantage (112-110) to his family, without LA managing to reverse it, despite Malik Monk (33 pts, 8/14 at long distance, 10 rebounds). John Collins (20 pts, 11 rbds) and Onyeka Okongwu (16 pts), “X factor” from the bench with two important dunks in the last minutes, also contributed.
After this third consecutive defeat, the Lakers remain stuck in 9th place in the West. But they did not deserve, even leading by 11 lengths in the wake of Anthony Davis (27 pts) and Russell Westbrook (20 pts, 12 assists). Only, the absence of James, who went back to Los Angeles to treat a swelling in his right knee, ended up weighing.
The Clippers walked to Charlotte (115-90) at the cost of an excellent collective performance, without Kawhi Leonard (knee), Paul George (elbow) or Nicolas Batum (back). More than half of the points were the work of the bench (62), Brandon Boston Jr by registering 19, just like the holder Reggie Jackson.
The Clips remain 7th in the West, just like Charlotte in the East, where Chicago retained its 2nd place following its victory (130-116) at the expense of Portland.
The Bulls were skilful (56.8% success), like Nikola Vucevic (24 pts at 11/15, 14 rebounds) and DeMar DeRozan (23 pts, at 9/13, 10 assists), once morest Blazers (10th in the West) guided by CJ McCollum (29 pts).
