Chicago (USA), 2 Jan. Donovan Mitchell signed the best performance in the last 17 years in the NBA, scoring 71 points this Monday in the victory of the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime once morest the Chicago Bulls, in an NBA day in which the Brooklyn Nets chained their twelfth consecutive win.
The NBA night also saw Klay Thompson throw for the Warriors, with 54 points that contributed to the victory once morest the Atlanta Hawks following two overtimes; LeBron James, with 43 points and eleven rebounds, and the Slovenian Luka Doncic, with 39 points and twelve rebounds, also lit up the day.
CAVALIERS 145 – BULLS 134
Mitchell sealed the sixth-best performance in NBA history with his 71-point endorsement once morest the Bulls, 13 of them in overtime following helping his team rally from a 21-point deficit in the second quarter. The former Jazz forced overtime by missing the second of two free kicks, grabbing the rebound and scoring two points with a shot to the backboard.
It was the best performance since 2006, when Kobe Bryant scored 81 points once morest the New York Knicks. Only Wilt Chamberlain, with 100 points, 73 and 72 in 1962, Bryant and David Thompson, with 73 in 1978, managed to better Mitchell’s mark in American league history.
WARRIORS 143 – HAWKS 141
A stellar Klay Thompson achieved his best performance since his cruciate and Achilles tendon injuries and led the Warriors’ victory with 54 points and ten 3-pointers following two overtimes once morest the Hawks.
The Warriors confirmed themselves as the best team in the NBA at home (17-2) and prolonged the fall of some Hawks who have four consecutive defeats despite the tremendous effort of the Chase Center, in which Trae Young’s 30 points and fourteen assists they joined three other double doubles of their peers.
NETS 139 – SPURS 103
The Nets passed over the Spurs, with 28 points from Kyrie Irving and 25 from Kevin Durant, and celebrated their twelfth consecutive victory in the NBA, to place second in the East, just one victory behind the leading Boston Celtics.
Also at the Barclays Center were the Frenchman Kylian Mbappé and the Moroccan Achraf Hakim, footballers for Paris Saint Germain, who are enjoying a few days off following the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
TIMBERWOLVES 124 – NUGGETS 111
The Wolves defense interrupted the streak of two triple doubles by Serbian Nikola Jokic, who finished the game with 24 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
Anthony Edwards had a double double of 29 points and ten rebounds and they were reunited with victory following six consecutive losses.
CLIPPERS 100 – HEAT 110
The Heat added a great victory in Los Angeles led by Bam Adebayo’s 31 points and twelve rebounds and Tyler Herro’s 25 points, with five triples.
Erik Spoelstra’s team added its fourth victory in the last five games at the cost of some Clippers orphaned by Kawhi Leonard, in which Paul George scored 25 points.
76ERS 120 – PELICANS 111
Joel Embiid contributed a double double of 42 points and twelve rebounds and, helped by James Harden’s 27, gave the 76ers their tenth consecutive victory at home, at the cost of some Pelicans who lost Zion Williamson to injury when he had 26 points and a brilliant ten out of twelve on shots.
The 76ers are fifth in the Eastern Conference, while the Pelicans slipped to third in the West, behind the Memphis Grizzlies and the Denver Nuggets.
ROCKETS 106 – MAVERICKS 111
Doncic signed a double double of 39 points and twelve rebounds, with eight assists, and the Mavericks sealed a 12-2 run in the last 4.23 minutes to knock out the Rockets in a Texas derby.
The Mavericks add seven consecutive victories and are placed fourth in the West with a record of 22-16. For the Rockets, bottom of the West, the Spanish Usman Garuba contributed six points and three rebounds in 11.27 minutes on the track.
HORNETS 115 – LAKERS 121
LeBron James shone with a double double of 43 points and eleven rebounds in the Los Angeles Lakers’ victory once morest the Charlotte Hornets (115-121) and is already less than 500 points away from the absolute record for points in NBA history (38,387 ), by Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
Two days ago, on his 38th birthday, James signed 47 points once morest the Atlanta Hawks and once more surpassed 40 points once morest the Hornets sunk in the penultimate place in the Eastern Conference.
KNICKS 102 – SUNS 83
A double double of 28 points and 16 rebounds from Julius Randle and 24 points from Jalen Brunson, coupled with the Suns’ lousy percentages (39%), allowed the Knicks to add their second consecutive victory.
The Suns continue to pay for Devin Booker’s injury leave, who suffered a relapse of his pubic problems last Christmas Day in the game once morest the Nuggets.
TRAIL BLAZERS 135 – PISTONS 106
The Blazers moved past the Pistons with 36 points from Jerami Grant, thirty from Anfernee Simons and a double-double of 19 points and ten assists from Damian Lillard.
The locals sealed a tremendous 20-0 run between the second and third periods that allowed them to go from 46-52 to 66-52.
PACERS 122 – RAPTORS 114
Bennedict Mathurin led a group of seven Pacers over 10 points with 21 points, including a 19-point Buddy Hield and a starring Miles Turner with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Gary Trent’s 32 points and Pascal Siakam’s 26 were not enough for the Raptors, on a night in which the Spanish Juancho Hernangómez had no minutes.
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— Classifications:
. Eastern Conference:
.1. Boston Celtics 26-11
.2. Brooklyn Nets 25-12
.3. Milwaukee Bucks 23-13
.4. Cleveland Cavaliers 24-14
.5. Philadelphia 76ers 22-14
.6. Indiana Pacers 21-17
.7. Miami Heat 20-18
.8. New York Knicks 20-18
.9. Atlanta Hawks 17-20
10. Washington Wizards 17-21
11. Chicago Bulls 16-21
12. Toronto Raptors 16-21
13. Orlando Magic 13-24
14. Charlotte Hornets 10-28
15. Detroit Pistons 10-30
. Eastern Conference:
.1. Denver Nuggets 24-13
.2. Memphis Grizzlies 23-13
.3. New Orleans Pelicans 23-14
.4. Dallas Mavericks 22-16
.5. Sacramento Kings 19-16
.6. LA Clippers 21-18
.7. Portland Trail Blazers 19-17
.8. Phoenix Suns 20-18
.9. Golden State Warriors 20-18
10. Utah Jazz 19-20
11. Minnesota Timberwolves 17-21
12. LA Lakers 16-21
13. Oklahoma City Thunder 15-21
14. San Antonio Spurs 12-25
15. Houston Rockets 10-27
. EFE
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