The Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets continued to drift one more night in a day in which the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks of a great Luka Doncic confirmed their excellent moment just when the NBA is already facing the decisive stretch of its regular season.
CLIPPERS 132 – LAKERS 111
Four straight losses, just one win in their last eight games and seven straight losing games against the Los Angeles Clippers. That is the disheartening panorama of the Los Angeles Lakers, who were overwhelmed tonight by their rivals and neighbors in a devastating third quarter (40-18).
Reggie Jackson (36 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists) was the hero of some fabulous Clippers who have won five in a row while the best of the Lakers was LeBron James (26 points and 8 rebounds).
NETS 107 – HEAT 113
Not even the return of Kevin Durant (31 points) after a month and a half injured helped the Brooklyn Nets straighten their course, as they squandered a 16-point lead in the second quarter and ended up adding their third loss in a row (only three wins in their last ten games).
Bam Adebayo (30 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists) guided the Miami Heat that remain at the forefront of the East.
MAVERICKS 122 – WARRIORS 113
Luka Doncic (41 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists) beat Stephen Curry (21 points and 9 assists) for the Dallas Mavericks to add their third straight win and their eighth victory in their last ten games.
Against these tossed-up Mavericks, the Golden State Warriors are in their worst time of the season and have only posted three wins in their last ten games.
The Mexican Juan Toscano-Anderson played a minute for the Warriors without leaving a mark on the statistics.
CELTICS 120 – GRIZZLIES 107
Jayson Tatum turned 24 today and he celebrated in a big way destroying the Memphis Grizzlies with 37 points and 6 rebounds in a game that the Boston Celtics dominated from start to finish (51.7% shooting from the field).
Ja Morant’s great game (38 points and 7 assists) was not enough against the Celtics who have won eight of their last ten games and are very scary in the East.
Al Horford had a great night with the Celtics and had 21 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists in 40 minutes.
HAWKS 130 – BULLS 124
Three losses in a row lead a Chicago Bulls that seem to have lost momentum in the East and that today succumbed in the last minutes to the success of a huge Trae Young (39 points and 13 assists).
DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, with 22 points apiece, led a Bulls with doubts and with this loss they fall to third place in the East.
RAPTORS 106 – PISTONS 108
The other surprise of the night was given by the Detroit Pistons, penultimate in the East and who stormed Toronto thanks to a basket by Saddiq Bey (23 points and 6 rebounds) with 14 seconds remaining and a great block by Cade Cunningham (22 points and 12 rebounds) that prevented the Raptors’ comeback.
Pascal Siakam was the top scorer for the Canadians with 28 points.
SPURS 112 – KINGS 115
With great coolness from the free throws in the end, Harrison Barnes (27 points) gave the Sacramento Kings a tight victory against the San Antonio Spurs led by Lonnie Walker (30 points) and Dejounte Murray (29 points, 12 assists and 7 bounces).
The Spurs managed to take the lead in the last quarter but in the end they were weighed down by their inferiority in rebounding (39 versus 49) and their mistake from the free throw line (8 of 16).
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
1.- Miami Heat (42-22)
2.- Philadelphia 76ers (38-23)
3.- Chicago Bulls (39-24)
4.- Milwaukee Bucks (38-25)
5.- Boston Celtics (38-27)
6.- Cleveland Cavaliers (36-26)
7.- Toronto Raptors (34-28)
8.- Brooklyn Nets (32-32)
9.- Charlotte Hornets (31-33)
10.- Atlanta Hawks (30-32)
11.- Washington Wizards (28-33)
12.- New York Knicks (25-37)
13.- Indiana Pacers (22-42)
14.- Detroit Pistons (16-47)
15.- Orlando Magic (15-48)
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
1.- Phoenix Suns (50-12)
2.- Golden State Warriors (43-20)
3.- Memphis Grizzlies (43-21)
4.- Utah Jazz (39-22)
5.- Dallas Mavericks (38-25)
6.- Denver Nuggets (36-26)
7.- Minnesota Timberwolves (34-29)
8.- Los Angeles Clippers (34-31)
9.- Los Angeles Lakers (27-35)
10.- New Orleans Pelicans (26-36)
11.- Portland Trail Blazers (25-37)
12.- San Antonio Spurs (24-39)
13.- Sacramento Kings (24-41)
14.- Oklahoma City Thunder (20-42)
15.- Houston Rockets (15-47).
NEXT DAY (Friday, March 4)
Detroit Pistons – Indiana Pacers
Philadelphia 76ers – Cleveland Cavaliers
Washington Wizards – Atlanta Hawks
Toronto Raptors – Orlando Magic
Chicago Bulls – Milwaukee Bucks
New Orleans Pelicans – Utah Jazz
Oklahoma City Thunder – Minnesota Timberwolves
Denver Nuggets – Houston Rockets
Phoenix Suns – New York Knicks.
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