NBA: OKC loses on return of Melo, LeBron in MVP form

On his return to New York, Carmelo Anthony experiences an emotional evening, but is then cold-blooded by the Knicks. LeBron James confirms his MVP form with a triple double against jazz. The Rockets win their 13th. The second game in a row against Milwaukee and the Wolves win an unnecessary bankruptcy against Phoenix.

That was bitter for the Hornets – because they showed great morale at first, but in the end they didn’t reward themselves for a last-minute catch-up hunt. 10 minutes to the end the Blazers still led with 14 points, but then remained almost 5 minutes without basket success, which made the crunchtime very exciting once again.

After 32 seconds (92:91 Blazers) on the clock, after a video review, there was a throw-in for the guests under the Hornets basket, but Evan Turner threw the ball out after a misunderstanding with Jusuf Nurkic. The Hornets couldn’t take advantage of this opportunity – Kemba Walker put a midrange jumper on the other side of the ring. The subsequently fouled C. J. But McCollum only had one free-throw, so there were further chances on the other side.

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But first it was Walker (this time by contested layup) and after an offensive rebound Jeremy Lamb by Dreier, who missed the chance to equalize or take the lead. But it still wasn’ t: 3 seconds before the end Al-Farouq Aminu rejected both free throws. So the hornets launched a final desperate attack, but Walker’s floater threesome was clearly missed. Portland’s free-throw weakness was not punished.

Damian Lillard sniffed at a triple double with 18 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds, C. J. McCollum hung up 25 points. Top scorer of the Hornets was Walker (23 points, 5 assists), Lamb contributed 15 points from the bank. One of Charlotte’s problems: the three-way ratio of 22.5 percent (7/31). Blazers hit 42 percent.

Triple-double number 60! LeBron James underlined his MVP-suspicious form against Jazz and finally passed Larry Bird in the eternal list of triple doubles. It was also his fifth of the season and his third within the last four games.

No wonder the king was feeling “all right” at the moment.”It’s the 15th century. year and maybe the best in my career. I want to refute the prejudice that you are no longer in your prime at the age of 32:” With 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, he has succeeded to a certain extent.

The Jazz fought back against their fate for a long time and stood up to their favourite. They even won the first quarter, although without Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors they were very limited on the road. This was particularly noticeable in the decisive phase: they simply lacked the individual quality to approach the ripped cavs on less than two Possessions.

Ekpe Udoh, who moved into the Starting Five, walked in Goberts footsteps and blocked 6 throws. In addition there were 9 points and 7 rebounds. Jazz top scorer was once again Rookie Donovan Mitchell with 26 points and a strong 11/16 from the field. In the Cavaliers, James Kevin Love (15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) and Kyle Korver (12 points) made decisive contributions to the victory. The Bank of Cavs was anyway a big factor (46 points).

The return of Carmelo Anthony to New York was of course in focus and the question arose: How would he be received by the fans? The answer: With many positive emotions. Before the tip-off there was a ceremony in his honor and the crowd at Madison Square Garden thanked him with standing ovations for his achievements as a New Yorker. There were only a few buck calls, but they increased in the game.

His team treated him to a lot of throws in the first quarter, of which he scored 3/6 in the first quarter and was thus mainly responsible for the early lead of the Thunders. But it didn’t last long: The Knicks took command without Kristaps Porzingis (knee) thanks to improved defense. In the second quarter there were still a few changes of leadership, but after the break tea the Knicks settled down piece by piece. This had a lot to do with Michael Beasley, who represented the unicorn more than worthy in the Starting Five. Jeff Hornacek noticed that the scorer had caught a good day and ran many plays for him. The result: 30 points at 11/18 from the field.

The Thunder was noted in the course of the game that they had fought a triple-OT battle against the Sixers the day before. Melo, too, was obviously exhausted and was held out of the field by the Knicks at 12 points and 5/18.”It was a bittersweet evening for me,” he said afterwards. I’m sorry I didn’t reach them.”

His team mate Russell Westbrook hung up 25 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, Paul George scored 18 points. Beside Beasley Courtney Lee, the Knicks won with 20 points and 5 rebounds.

Page 1: LeBron with next Triple-Double, Melo loses on return to New York

Page 2: Heat bring Spoelstra record win, Rockets cruising to victory number 13

Page 3: Sun’s annoying Minnesota, Theis runs up in victory with mask