The Portland Trail Blazers remain the team of the hour and take an important win against the Pelicans thanks to Damian Lillard, who is out of control in the fourth quarter. The Spurs lose in the capital and worry about Aldridge, the Rockets are celebrating their next blowout and the Warriors are going bankrupt without their stars.
After five consecutive victories, the Spurs have now gone bankrupt for the second time in a row on their mini-away trip and still have to fear for participation in the playoffs. And unfortunately that wasn’t the only bad news for the Texans that night: LaMarcus Aldridge suffered an injury.
Late in the second quarter he hurt his left knee and limped off the field. Hopefully it’s nothing serious,” said team-mate Manu Ginobili, “We’ll have a hard time if he doesn’t score,” which was clear: at the time of his injury, LMA was top scorer with 13 points – and stayed with the Spurs until the end of the game.
So it was no wonder that in the course of the third quarter the capital city dwellers pulled away to up to 24 points and thus decided the duel. In the probably last game without John Wall, who is about to return, they shone with team basketball (33 assists) and high throwing rates (54.1 percent FG, 41.7 percent 3FG).
Seven Wizards players scored in double figures, including Markieff Morris (15), Otto Porter (14) and Jodie Meeks (13). At the Spurs, Patty Mills scored 11 points, Bryn Forbes came in 12 from the bank.
Clint Capela and James Harden were spared at the Rockets, but Chris Paul returned to the lineup after overcoming thigh problems. He had previously suspended three games.
Among others Eric Gordon slipped into the Starting Five and as so often, when he gets this opportunity, he ran hot right away. After a short time he had 2 triples and 10 points in his account. At that time, however, the Bulls were still in the game because Lauri Markkanen (14 points, 6/7 FG in the first quarter) got off to an even better start individually.
The rookie, however, cooled off in the course of the evening, so that the game took the expected turn. The Rockets threw three of them one after the other, with a moderate hit rate being enough for them to take off. Already in the course of the second quarter, the blowout was imminent, which it should have been in the end. It was the Rockets’ tenth win in a row.
Gordon had 31 points (8/13 3FG) in the end, Trevor Ariza 21, Paul 13 and 10 assists. Markkanen finished the evening with 22 points, newcomer Sean Kilpatrick came in at 12. Paul Zipser missed the game with new problems on his foot.
Page 1: Lose Spurs and fear for Aldridge, Rockets without mercy
Page 2: Fantastic Lillard finishes Pelicans, Mavs win in Sac-Town
Page 3: Next defeat for the Warriors, Clippers with Big Point