Thursday, on its floor, the Louisiana franchise ended a series of four consecutive losses against the poorly ranked San Antonio (before-
last in the West) and is placed just behind the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics on the Eastern Conference podium. Willie Green’s players now have a record of 19 wins and 12 losses.
Largely in the lead (94-75) after three quarters, the Pelicans finished coasting, conceding no less than 44 points in the last twelve minutes. The 40 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds of CJ McCollum will not have been too much to ensure the final victory. Lithuanian pivot Jonas also contributed to this success with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Jeremy Sochan scored 23 points for the Spurs who remain mired in the depths of the Western Conference with the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers.
In the other game of the night, the Utah Jazz beat the Washington Wizards 120-112 with 25 points from Malik Beasley and 23 from Jordan Clarkson.
After a good start, the Wizards can no longer get out of a disastrous series of 11 defeats in 12 games. What make them tumble to 12th place in the Eastern Conference, well outside the qualifying places for the play-offs.
Personal record for Siakam
The day before, the Brooklyn Nets, fourth in the East, struck a blow by crushing the Golden State Warriors, outgoing champions, 143 to 113.
Looking transfigured from their completely failed start to the season, Kevin Durant’s teammates posted the third-best first-half total in NBA history.
Against the Warriors, orphans of their double MVP Stephen Curry, victim of a dislocated left shoulder on December 14 against the Pacers on December 14, they led at the halfway mark 91-51!
Nothing is going well for the defending champions. The San Francisco franchise now points to a worrying 11th place in the West which will make them spend the holidays outside the play-off zone.
The Nets have lost only one of their last twelve games and have just tied a seventh straight victory. Everyone participated in the offensive festival in the ranks of Brooklyn, where nine players scored at least ten points, completely forgetting the absence of Kyrie Irving, injured in a calf.
Their neighbors, the New York Knicks, sixth in the standings and who remained on eight victories, were less happy, yielding to Madison Square Garden against the Toronto Raptors, winners 113-106.
Pascal Siakam, with 52 points, the most points in a game of his career, helped the Raptors stop the bleeding and end a six-game losing streak.
Doncic domine Gobert
Also in this Eastern Conference, the Chicago Bulls went to blow the victory in Atlanta, 110 to 108. At the buzzer, Demar DeRozan fired a shot, missed, but Ayo Dosunmu was there to recover the ball on the rebound and offer an ultimate basket the victory to the Bulls. In the West, in the absence of the first four who were not playing, the LA Clippers, fifth, took the opportunity to get closer to the standings of Phoenix, thanks to their great success against the Charlotte Hornets 126-105. Paul George and Nicolas Batum were the Clippers’ two leading scorers, with 22 and 21 points. Clippers still tightly held by the sixth-placed Sacramento Kings, winners at home to the Los Angeles Lakers 134-120 with four players over 20 points.
In Minnesota, Rudy Gobert distinguished himself by taking 15 rebounds and scoring 19 points, but his team lost again (104-99) against the Dallas Mavericks of Luka Doncic, the game’s leading scorer with 25 units. The Timberwolves are far from their goals at the start of the season, only ranking 10th in the Western Conference with a record of 16 wins and as many losses, just like their evening opponents who, despite repeated escapades of their Slovenian rear, had to settle for a 9th place.
Source: AFP
Thursday, on its floor, the Louisiana franchise ended a series of four consecutive losses against the poorly ranked San Antonio (second to last in the West) and is back just behind the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics on the Eastern Conference podium. Willie Green’s players now have a record of 19 wins and 12 losses. Well ahead (94-75)…