Bennedict Mathurin passed Chris Duarte for the most three-pointers by a rookie in Pacers history, with 95 this season, in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Despite this highlight and a performance of 29 points and 9 rebounds from the Quebecer, the Indiana Pacers lost their flag 149-136, suffering a fourth loss in a row.
For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokoumpo scored a hat-trick early in the third quarter after 22 minutes of action, with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. He finished the night with 38 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists.
Jrue Holiday achieved a personal best by scoring 27 points in a single half, who then had 45 after three quarters, for a total of 51. At 32 years and 290 days, Holiday became the oldest player in the organization to reach 50 in a meeting.
The Bucks took a 73-69 lead at halftime, with neither team leading by more than 4 points in the first quarter. Mathurin had 12 points and 5 rebounds at that time. The Bucks later distanced themselves, however, as the “Greek Freak” and Holiday continued to put on a show to put the game out of reach.
Brook Lopez is also on fire these days in his 15th season in the NBA. He now has more doubles (6) in 16 games since the All-Star Game break than in the 58 games before it. Best in the NBA this season in blocks (185), he managed three tonight, to add to his harvest of 21 points.
For the second game in a row, the Pacers were without their top three scorers in Tyrese Haliburton (ankle/elbow), Myles Turner (ankle) and Buddy Hield (ill).
Victorious return but not perfect for KD
Kevin Durant made a comeback with the Phoenix Suns tonight and finally played his first game in front of his new fans. His debut was capped off with a 107-100 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
He had 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists with only a 5-for-18 save percentage, however, while Chris Paul led the team with 29 points.
The Suns won a third straight game. The T-Wolves’ winning streak has ended at four. Anthony Edwards had 31 points in the loss, and Karl-Anthony Towns 25.
KD has missed the last 10 games with a sprained left ankle he suffered during a pregame warmup on March 8.
In his first three games with the Suns, he averaged 26.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists. In his absence, the team posted a 4-6 record. With him, they are always perfect (4-0).
The Sixers sink the Mavs
Philadelphia and Joel Embiid had the last word on Dallas and Luka Doncic (116-108), who are unable to hang up the wagon of the play-offs in the West.
57 seconds from the end, the Cameroonian pivot (25 pts, 9 rebounds), who had just put his team in front of the score with two crucial shots, finished his great work of potential player par excellence by inflicting an authoritarian counter to the Slovenian prodigy who was trying for last chance penetration.
The latter (24 pts, 10 rbds, 8 assists) has not yet been unworthy, any more than Kyrie Irving (23 pts). But their duo, supposed to make the Mavs a contender for the title, has for the moment rather the hints of a huge fiasco.
Despite the sense of urgency that animated them, the Mavs (11th) failed to capitalize on the 12-point lead counted in the first period. However, they badly needed a second victory in a row to hope to re-enter the top-10.
And to make the evening even more gloomy for them, the Thunder, just ahead of them, at the same time beat Detroit (107-106).
“We still have the possibility of qualifying, so we must not give up”, nevertheless called Doncic, much more combative than Irving, who castigated “the big mess at the moment” in Dallas.
With five games remaining in the regular season, to say the noose is tightening is an understatement. Especially since the Lakers and the Jazz, also engaged in this breathless race, won.
Elsewhere in the NBA:
Houston 114 – Brooklyn 123
HOU: Alperen Sengun scored 21 points and 12 rebounds
BRO: Cameron Johnson shines with 31 points
Miami 92 – New York 101
MIA: Gabe Vincent recorded 21 points
NY: RJ Barrett finished the game with 12 points
LA Lakers 121 – Chicago 110
LAL: LeBron James had 25 points in his return to the starting five. It was his second game after being sidelined for 1 month with a right foot injury.
CHI: 29 points and 12 rebounds for Nikola Vucevic
LA Clippers 136 – Memphis 128
LAC: Russell Westbrook had 36 points and 10 assists
MEM: Ja Morant had 36 points, Dillon Brooks 30, but Grizzlies’ home winning streak ended at 12
Detroit 106 – Oklahoma City 107
DET: 24 points and 9 assists for Jaden Ivey
OC: Jalen Williams gave the victory to his team by scoring 1 second from the end of the match and he finished with 27 points
Utah 128 – San Antonio 117
UTA: Talen Horton-Tucker was productive with 41 points
SA : Malachi Branham amassed 21 points
Sacramento 120 – Portland 80
SAC: Kings earned playoff berth for first time since 2006
POR: 30 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists for Shaedon Sharpe