Utah had a fourth success in a row against Houston (91-122). The Knicks won on the wire, (103-104) in Chicago.
Last undefeated team, the Jazz reduced the Rockets to smithereens for a fourth success in a row, unlike the Warriors and the Bulls, beaten for the first time and nothing, respectively by the Grizzlies and the Knicks, Thursday in NBA.
It is no coincidence to see Utah, the best team of the last regular season, maintain its good habits. It is rather in the play-offs, where it does not manage to cross a course, that it will have to change them. In the meantime, she marched on Houston (122-91) by showing a collective show of force, with five players having brought between 14 and 19 points.
If Bojan Bogdanovic was the most prolific, the French Rudy Gobert went there with his usual double-double (16 pts, 14 rebounds), his domination inside forcing Houston to fall back behind the arc with remarkable clumsiness ( 9/44, 20.5% pass).
Embiid clenched teeth
And if the match was dominated for a long time by the Knicks, carried by Kemba Walker (21 pts), RJ Barrett (20 pts) and Julius Randle (13 pts, 16 rebounds, 9 assists), it became unbreathable in the money-time. Because the Bulls, in the wake of Zach LaVine (25 pts) inflicted a 12-0 to them to return to a point (104-103), in an atmosphere of play-offs, without DeMar DeRozan (20 pts) reaching to succeed in the hold-up.
In San Francisco, as in the play-offs qualifying play-offs last season, Memphis played a nasty turn at Golden State by winning (104-101) after extra time, after being led by 19 lengths in the first period.
Author of class actions, including a decisive spin-move in the last minute, Ja Morant was decisive (30 pts, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 interceptions), winning his duel with Stephen Curry, certainly author of 36 points ( 8 rebounds, 7 assists), but without putting one more basket in the 4th quarter nor in the overtime.
Like Golden State, New York and Chicago, Washington surprises at the start of the championship, with now four wins (one loss), after beating Atlanta (122-111).
Bradley Beal (27 pts) and Montrezl Harrell (25 pts, 13 rebounds) were the main contributors in the absence of point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, left to rest against the Hawks who relied mainly on John Collins (28 pts at 14 / 16 on shots), Trae Young not being outdone (15 pts, 13 assists) although below his standards in scoring.
On that side, Joel Embiid had no problems, his 30 points (18 rebounds) allowing Philadelphia to win (110-102) against Detroit. All despite a sore knee and the prolonged absence of Ben Simmons, back in training but not yet mentally ready to replay after having sought, in vain, to be transferred.
In Dallas, the Mavericks had a big ignition delay, led 25-5 after nine minutes of play by San Antonio. But without panicking, with Luka Doncic, author of 19 of his 25 points (5 assists) in the second half, they ended up turning things around to get a third success (104-99) in four games.
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