game by game, Follow the race for positions in the East, with much to decide in the last week of the regular season. With the Nets, Hornets and Hawks all in the play in (all with the same record: 40-37), it seems more and more clear that the other team of repechage it will be the Cleveland Cavaliers (42-35), which is arriving with very little personnel and strength at the end. The Ohioans are losing sight of some packed Raptors, who look like a very dangerous team for the favorites in the playoffs. After fulfilling in Orlando (89-102), Nick Nurse’s men have five wins in a row and are 45-32. They are sixth in the East, but they already have the same balance as the Bulls, so they aspire to fourth place… and don’t let the Sixers and Celtics (30 losses each) get lost.
The Raptors are a team tailored to the aggressive style and positions liquid de Nurse. Lots of muscle, lots of physical forwards with tremendous wingspan on defense: the Magic finished with 21 turnovers from which the Raptors got 32 points, a team with less talent than the best in the East but that can surprise anyone who does not play 100% against them. Fred VanVleet directed with 13 in the third quarter (19 in total, with 5 steals) the definitive breakaway against the Magic (20-58). Siakam finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds, Anunoby with 14+6, Trent Jr with 17 points and the wonderful rookie Scottie Barnes with 19 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. The Raptors are arriving in top form at the right time of the season.
Celtics win, Bucks rest
The Celtics once again have a shot at second place in the East after a day in which they beat the Pacers (128-123) with difficulty while the Bucks crashed on their track against the Clippers (119-153) without any member of the big three on track.
The Celtics (48-30) are half a game behind the Bucks, second, and one ahead of the Sixers, fourth. They controlled the Pacers with more problems than expected, among the five worst teams of the season with, now, six straight losses. And that they were without Tyrese Haliburton, due to fouls, for almost the entire fourth quarter. The point guard was eliminated with 30 points. In the Celtics, 31 (with 6 rebounds and 6 assists) from Jayson Tatum and 32 with 7 assists from Jaylen Brown. It is the eighth time this season in which both reach thirty in the same game. For the Celtics, who continue to adapt to the absence of Robert Williams, the best thing was to avoid further problems: Jaylen Brown received a heavy blow to the head from his teammate Grant Williams and Marcus Smart hurt his ankle but both were able to continue in the game. match.
The Bucks, meanwhile, were shipwrecked on their track without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton or Jrue Holiday. And they did it (119-153) against a Clippers without Paul George, Reggie Jackson or Marcus Morris. On back to back After playing overtime, in Brooklyn and Chicago, the two teams gave rest to their main players and that facilitated the explosion of unexpected heroes in the Californians: Robert Covington finished with 43 points and an 11/18 triple. And Amir Coffey added 32 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals with a 5/9 in triples. Add 23 points from Kennard… the Clippers reached their regular-season scoring cap and Covington broke the franchise record for 3-pointers. They are 38-40, an island in eighth place in the West.
The Bucks are forced to continue winning, with the Celtics and the Sixers at their heels. Tomorrow they host Luka Doncic’s Mavs one game from the East leadership but with only a game and a half over the third.
The Wolves want the sixth in the West
Great game in Denver between sixth and seventh in the West. The Wolves won (130-136), with more resources in the last quarter, when Nikola Jokic was already visibly exhausted (only five points in the last quarter). With a crucial victory, the Wolves (seventh, in play in) allow themselves to continue going for sixth place and escape the playoffs. They are now (44-34) two games behind the Nuggets but now have the tiebreaker won. For those of the rocky, there are many accounts. They are half a game from the fifth and two from the fourth… but they missed the opportunity to leave the Wolves behind… and the risk of play in.
D’Angelo Russell in the first half (he finished with 24 points) and Anthony Edwards later (18 with 8 rebounds and 7 assists) did a fundamental job, like a Prince (16 points) who opened the court for Karl-Anthony Towns, who fought a tremendous duel with Jokic. The one from the Wolves finished with 32 points and 9 rebounds), and the Serbian played a monstrous game, another one, until he ran out of energy in the final minutes: 38 points, 19 rebounds, 8 assists, 14/21 shooting. He was again lacking accompaniment although Morris added 23 points and 6 assists, Gordon 24 points and 5 rebounds and Hyland 17+4+7.
Minutes as a starter for Garuba
In Houston, the Kings’ second win in three days against the Rockets. After Wednesday’s 118-121, this time 117-122 with a comeback in the second half after a very good first quarter by the Texans (41-26). Jalen Green (33 points) went from more to less and Usman Garuba started again. The Spaniard is taking advantage to add minutes and filming in this season finale. He added 30 on the court this time, without points (0/3 shooting) but with 14 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. For the Kings, 25 points from Barnes, 17 and 10 assists from Mitchell, 17 and 17 rebounds from Jones, 18+13 from Metu and 19 from DiVincenzo. The Kings are (29-49) three and a half games from play in, which they will not reach, and the Rockets are even with the Magic with the worst balance in the entire NBA (20-58).
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