Dirk Nowitzki scored a season’s best score of 22 points against the Los Angeles Lakers and scored for the first time this season. The debut of Isaiah Thomas is therefore not only positive. The New Orleans Pelicans are trembling in Brooklyn to win a double overtime victory.
What a roller coaster ride in Brooklyn. Guests from New Orleans dominated the action for almost three quarters, but it took 58 minutes of basketball to clinch an important win in the battle for the playoffs. The Pelicans scored up to 28 points in the third quarter, but Brooklyn returned to the game with a few threesomes.
At the end of the regular season, it looked as if the Pels were still rocking this game home. D’ Angelo Russell (21.7/18 FG) lost an unnecessary ball with a backcourt violations at three points behind, but Anthony Davis could not close the bag on the opposite side. But then Spencer Dinwiddie (24.5/22 FG, 10 Assists) blocked the brow away, but the Nets stayed in possession and Allen Crabbe netted the three-way from the corner to equalize. Davis, strongly defended by DeMarre Carroll, then missed the potential game winner.
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In the first overtime it was still hard fought, but Carroll left a jumper for the Nets 6 seconds before the end and the Pelicans could not create a throw in return, so a second overtime had to bring the decision. There the Pelicans finally put the lid on it, as Davis scored four points in a 7-0 run. That was too much for the brave Nets.
Meanwhile, Davis laid out an astronomical statline with 44 points (16/35 FG), 17 rebounds, 6 steals and 3 blocks. He got support from Nikola Mirotic (21,16 Boards, 5 Blocks), Jrue Holiday (22) and Rajon Rondo (25,10 Rebounds, 12 Assists). For the Nets, Allen Crabbe (28) was the best man with eight transformed threesomes.
It was mainly a clash of two different styles. While the guests caused a lot of damage mainly in the zone (70:38 points in the paint), the Nets sought their salvation in the Distance Throw and took 59 threesomes. They only missed the NBA record of the rockets by two attempts. The hosts scored a respectable 21 goals (35.6 percent), but especially in the extra time the Long Ball did not want to fall as much as it did before (2/10 threesomes).
The small winning streak of the Magic (3 games) is over. Orlando had no answer to Giannis Antetokounmpo (32 points, 14/24 FG) even though the hosts were very tight. It was also the Greek player who set the course for victory with a three-point game 45 seconds before the end (100:107).
“I don’t think many teams have a player like Giannis,”said Bucks coach Joe Prunty,”You can look at the boxing score and you’ll always find that it’s full,” said 40-year-old Jason Terry, who took the lead with two important threesome to the end of the third quarter. The jet delivered all its 11 counters (4/7 FG) after the switch and gave a welcome boost to the otherwise weak Bucks-Bank.
The Magic never let themselves be shaken off and were never two-digit behind at any time of the game. Especially Mario Henzonja (23) and Evan Fournier (20) did a good job, but backup playmaker Shelvin Mack with 19 points and 10 assists played a strong double-double in only 27 minutes.
The shooting was problematic for the hosts after the change, however, since nothing came together from a distance. Jonathon Simmons turned the Magic’s only threesome after the break (14 attempts), while Milwaukee’s jet just ran hot. In addition, Khris Middleton (21.9 Rebounds, 7 Assists) also played well and helped the Bucks in various ways.
The Sixers have consolidated their eighth place in the east and will have a deep breather. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Joel Embiid went down after he had slipped unhappily. All of Philadelphia held their breath as they watched the Cameroonian walk out of the field in pain. The fact that the Sixers had almost lost a 16-point lead at this point in time was a minor matter.
But about four minutes before the end, the center came back and also played its part in expanding the small cushion of four points. The lead over the Detroit Pistons is now 1.5 victories. The sixers profited against L. A. from the weak transition defense of the Clippers, who approved 33 (!) points in the fastbreak.
It also helped that J. J. J. Redick (17.5/10 threesome) had a hot hand against his former team and was able to relieve Embiid (29.16 rebounds, 3 blocks) well. Philly got it from Ben Simmons (14,10 Assists) and T. J. McConell (17,6/7 FG, 8 Assists) good playmaking.
The Clippers, on the other hand, seemed a bit tired after their emotional victory in Detroit the day before and did not have much left to oppose in the final stage. Lou Williams with 23 points (9/21 FG) was the best scorer of the guests, but he also managed to lose 7 balls. Danilo Gallinari contributed 22, while DeAndre Jordan (10,21 Rebounds) did his duty under the boards again.
Page 1: Pels Survive 2OT Crimes in Brooklyn – Short Shock at Embiid
Page 2: Dirk Dunk sets season record and misses IT’s comeback for the Lakers
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