Table of Contents
- 1 THUNDER 119 – MAVERICKS 121
- 2 CAVALIERS 128 – HORNETS 114
- 3 CLIPPERS 115 – JAZZ 105
- 4 TIMBERWOLVES 120 – SUNS 117
- 5 KNICKS 114 – NETS 104
- 6 BULLS 107 – ROCKETS 143
- 7 Guest 2: Absolutely, maintaining such a dominant streak is challenging in the NBA. The Cavaliers have shown great team chemistry and defense, which are key factors in their success. However, as the season progresses, they will need to stay healthy and find ways to adapt if they encounter injuries or tough matchups. It will be interesting to see if they can sustain this level of play and potentially break records as the season unfolds.
New York, Nov 17 (EFE).- The Dallas Mavericks, without Luka Doncic, surprised the Oklahoma City Thunder this Sunday, while the Cleveland Cavaliers made history with their impressive 15-0 record and James Harden as the second highest triple scorer of the NBA.
THUNDER 119 – MAVERICKS 121
With Doncic absent due to a bruised knee, the Mavericks (7-7) emerged victorious from Oklahoma, the team they eliminated last year in the Western semifinals, with an impressive performance by PJ Washington (27 points and 17 rebounds) and other notable names such as Kyrie Irving (23 points and 6 assists) and Daniel Gafford (11 points and 12 rebounds).
Taking advantage of the losses of centers Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, the Mavericks punished the Thunder in the zone, who were crushed in the fight for the rebound (29 compared to 53).
But Dallas, despite a +10 with 2:14 remaining, got very confused in the outcome and almost paid dearly against the Thunder who closed the game with a 10-2 run and had a triple at the buzzer ( although very forced) by Lu Dort to have completed the comeback.
For Oklahoma (11-3), which lost the lead in the West in favor of the Golden State Warriors (10-2), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was once again the best night with 36 points (13 of 19 on field goals) and 8 assists.
CAVALIERS 128 – HORNETS 114
Only the unforgettable Golden State Warriors of 2015-2016, who started 24-0 and finished with a 73-9 record, are ahead of these wonderful Cavaliers, who tied the second-best start of the season with their 15-0 history of the NBA, which they now share with the Houston Rockets (1993-1994) and the Washington Capitols (1948-1949).
To reach 16-0, which would leave them alone as the second best start of all time, Cleveland will have a major challenge next Tuesday, when they will meet none other than the current champions, the Celtics (11-3), in a game that will be played in Boston and that will count for the NBA Cup, after those in green already stumbled in this tournament in their first meeting.
Without Donovan Mitchell due to rest, the Cavaliers had four players above 20 points tonight: Darius Garland (25 points and 12 assists), Jarrett Allen (21 points and 15 rebounds), Evan Mobley (23 points and 11 rebounds) and Ty Jerome (24 points and 8 assists).
LaMelo Ball (31 points and 12 assists) was the best for the Hornets (5-8) with his entire starting quintet in double figures in scoring.
CLIPPERS 115 – JAZZ 105
Harden was tied with Ray Allen with 2,973 total three-pointers, so he only needed one three-pointer in the first quarter to become the second-highest three-pointer in NBA history.
The 2018 NBA MVP is now only ahead of Stephen Curry, the outstanding leader of this classification with 3,782 triples.
The Clippers (7-7) took the win with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 11 assists from Harden, while the Jazz (3-10) had 21 points from Jordan Clarkson.
TIMBERWOLVES 120 – SUNS 117
Julius Randle, with a winning triple at the buzzer, gave the Wolves (8-6) the victory and ruined Devin Booker’s 44 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists in the Suns (9-5) without Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, who have accumulated three losses in a row.
Randle finished with 35 points and 7 assists for the Wolves who sealed a great comeback with a 16-5 run in the last four minutes and who, two days ago, also survived another recital: that of De’Aaron’s 60 points Fox with the Sacramento Kings.
KNICKS 114 – NETS 104
For the second time in three days, the Knicks (7-6) beat the Nets (5-9) of Spanish coach Jordi Fernández in the New York duel. On this occasion, the Dominican Karl-Anthony Towns was there, the best of the locals with 26 points (10 of 16 on field goals), 15 rebounds and 6 assists.
Three other starters for Tom Thibodeau’s team also surpassed 20 points: OG Anunoby (24 points and 8 rebounds), Josh Hart (20 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists) and Mikal Bridges (21 points and 6 rebounds).
Cam Johnson (22 points) was the leading scorer for the Nets who have lost three games in a row and five of the last six.
BULLS 107 – ROCKETS 143
Without making much noise, the Rockets have won five in a row, they are third in that conference with a balance of 10-4 and tonight they crushed the Bulls with a triple-double from Alperen Sengun (20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists) and with a great Fred VanVleet (28 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists).
Faced with Houston’s offensive display, with seven players in double figures in scoring and all those who stepped on the court (no less than 14) with at least one point in their locker, Chicago collapsed with its 33.6% shooting from the field, as the Rockets shot 52.4%. Zach LaVine, with only 15 points, was the most productive of the Bulls.
In the rest of the day’s games, the Indiana Pacers beat the Miami Heat (119-110), the Detroit Pistons beat the Washington Wizards (104-124), the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Denver Nuggets without Nikola Jokic for personal reasons (105-90) and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Atlanta Hawks (114-110).
Guest 2: Absolutely, maintaining such a dominant streak is challenging in the NBA. The Cavaliers have shown great team chemistry and defense, which are key factors in their success. However, as the season progresses, they will need to stay healthy and find ways to adapt if they encounter injuries or tough matchups. It will be interesting to see if they can sustain this level of play and potentially break records as the season unfolds.
I’d like to start by asking both of you about the Dallas Mavericks’ performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder. PJ Washington had an impressive game, stepping up in Luka Doncic’s absence. How important is it for a team to have players who can step up when the star player is out, and how does it impact the leaderboard standings?
Guest 1: Absolutely, it’s crucial for a team to have depth and players who can step up and fill in for the star player when they’re out. This shows the strength of the team and their ability to adapt to different situations. For the Mavericks, their performance without Luka Doncic against the Thunder demonstrates their resilience and adaptability. It’s also worth noting that Dallas dominated on the boards, which is often an area where teams struggle when their star isn’t playing. Regarding the leaderboard standings, the Mavericks’ win means they remain competitive in the Western Conference, and their performance without Doncic will surely raise eyebrows and garner attention from other teams.
Guest 2: I completely agree. Teams that can maintain their level of play without key players tend to have better overall records. In this case, the Thunder, who recently lost their star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, found it difficult to keep up without him. This demonstrates the importance of having a deep roster that can contribute on both ends of the court. As for the Mavericks, their win puts them in a good position in the Western Conference, especially considering the injuries to other top teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. This could be an opportunity for them to make a push for the playoffs.
Moving on to the other game mentioned in the article, the Cleveland Cavaliers continue to impress with their undefeated record. They now tie with Houston Rockets for the second-best start in NBA history, behind only the Golden State Warriors. How impressive is this feat, and what are your thoughts on the Cavaliers’ ability to maintain their dominant streak?
Guest 1: The Cavaliers’ 15-0 start is truly remarkable and shows just how dominant they’ve been so far this season. It’s particularly impressive considering they’re missing their star player, Don
