Lavigne scored 30 of his 39 points in the second half, to achieve a 109-105 victory for the Bulls away from home, and to set a date Friday with the Miami Heat, the eighth in the Eastern Region, to settle the ticket to qualify for the playoffs.
LaVine and former Toronto star DeMar DeRozan produced a stellar performance as Chicago rallied from a 19-point deficit in the third quarter to deliver a win that left Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena fans silently stunned.
DeRozan finished the game with 23 points, while Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic scored 14 points, 13 rebounds and four assists.
In the second game, the young Oklahoma squad showed tremendous poise under pressure, to achieve a 123-118 victory over the Pelicans in New Orleans.
This result means that Oklahoma will face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday with the opportunity to qualify for the playoffs, while the Pelicans season has ended. Born in Melbourne and not more than twenty years old, Geddy gave an amazing performance and finished the match with 31 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
Canadian Shay Gilgos-Alexander, the oldest player in the starting lineup for the Oklahoma team (24 years), scored 32 points, while Lou Dort, 23, finished the match with 27 points.
© 2023 AFP
