The Los Angeles Clippers won a high-voltage derby against the Lakers on Wednesday and accelerated to fifth place in the West, in a day in which Kyrie Irving kept the Dallas Mavericks alive with a monumental performance in the victory against the Sacramento Kings and in which the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets they sealed the mathematical leadership respectively in the East and West.
CLIPPERS 125 – LAKERS 118
The Los Angeles Clippers sealed their eleventh consecutive victory against the Lakers and, with 27 points from Norman Powell and 25 from Kawhi Leonard, they claimed their fifth position in the West, which gives direct access to the ‘playoffs’to leave their rivals in seventh place, which would force them to play the ‘play-in’ against the New Orleans Pelicans.
They knocked down some Lakers in which LeBron James scored thirty of his 33 points in the second half and in which Anthony Davis contributed a double double of 17 points and eleven rebounds in his first ‘back to back’ (games on consecutive days) since November.
Paul George was the well-known casualty of the Clippers, but Tyronn Lue’s team imposed their law and they are one step away from direct access to the ‘playoffs’. If they were fifth, however, they would face Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns, the great unknown for this postseason. BUCKS 105 – BULLS 92
The Bucks, without Giannis, came back to beat the Bulls and shielded their first position in the East with the best record in the NBA (58-22), which will give them home field advantage in their ‘playoff’ series.
With Giannis in the middle of the fight for his third MVP, excellent offensive mechanisms both inside the paint and from the perimeter, and a rocky defense, the Bucks made sure they finished the regular season ahead of the Boston Celtics, the only ones who could reach them.
Bobby Portis dominated with 27 points and thirteen rebounds (his 38th double double of the year), Brook Lopez chipped in with 26 points and Jrue Holiday chipped in twenty points, eight rebounds and fifteen assists. Also, the Bucks defense conceded just eight points to DeMar DeRozan. Khris Middleton withdrew from the game due to a soreness in his right knee, a problem he has been living with for months.
MAVERICKS 123 – KINGS 119
Kyrie Irving scored 19 of his 31 points in an extraordinary fourth quarter and gave the Mavericks a momentous win at home against the Kings to keep his team alive in the fight for a West play-in spot.
Dallas still trails the Thunder, who won head-to-heads in the regular season, so they need to win one more than the Thunder in their remaining two games.
Irving finished with 31 points, six 3-pointers and eight assists, while Luka Doncic of Slovenia contributed 29 to resist De’Aaron Fox’s 28.
The Mavericks will host the Bulls on Friday and the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday. The Thunder will play in the field of the Jazz and will be measured next with the Memphis Grizzlies, second.
PELICANS 138 – GRIZZLIES 131
With a tremendous choral performance and Herbert Jones (35), CJ McCollum (31) and Trey Murphy (30) all over thirty points, the Pelicans pulled off a great overtime win against the Grizzlies to move into eighth, ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In the Grizzlies, second in the West, Jaren Jackson signed forty points, with nine rebounds, three assists and four blocks. Ja Morant was absent and Spanish starter Santi Aldama had to leave the game with an elbow injury when he had two points in six minutes. The Grizzlies’ loss gave the Denver Nuggets the first mathematical seed in the West.
CELTICS 97 – RAPTORS 93
With a quintet without Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart or Al Horford, the Celtics triumphed in the Garden against the Raptors with a double double of 25 points and eleven rebounds from Jaylen Brown and 29 points from Malcolm Brogdon coming off the bench.
The Raptors fell to ninth place despite Pascal Siakam’s 28 points, so they would meet the Bulls in the first round of the ‘play-in’.
PACERS 129 – KNICKS 138
Without Jalen Brunson, the Knicks triumphed in Indiana driven by the trio of Immanuel Quickley (39 points), Quentin Grimes (36) and Obi Toppin (32).
The New Yorkers hit 18 triples, seven with Quickley, five with Grimes and Toppin. Tom Thibodeau’s team has five consecutive victories and is mathematically fifth in the East, with a first-round playoff date with the Cavaliers on the horizon.
PISTONS 108 – NETS 123
Mikal Bridges led a Nets group display with 26 points, with six players above ten points, and the Brooklyn franchise accelerated toward direct qualification to the ‘playoffs’.
With two games to play, the Nets have a two-game lead over the Heat, seventh, who have one game less.
HAWKS 134 – WIZARDS 116
With great enthusiasm after the great victory achieved the day before in Chicago, the Hawks imposed their law against an already eliminated Wizards with 25 points and 16 assists from Trae Young, who returned after a health problem suffered on Tuesday.
The Hawks placed eighth, which would allow them to be measured in the ‘play-in’ with the Heat and, in case of victory, advance directly to the playoffs. .
– Classifications:
.1. Milwaukee Bucks 58-22 .2. Boston Celtics 55-25 .3. Philadelphia 76ers 52-27 .4. Cleveland Cavaliers 50-30 .5. New York Knicks 47-33 .6. Brooklyn Nets 44-36 .7. Miami Heat 42-37 .8. Atlanta Hawks 41-39 .9. Toronto Raptors 40-40 10. Chicago Bulls 38-42 11. Orlando Magic 34-45 12. Indiana Pacers 34-46 13. Washington Wizards 34-46 14. Charlotte Hornets 26-54 15. Detroit Pistons 16-64 . Western Conference: .1. Denver Nuggets 52-27 .2. Memphis Grizzlies 50-30 .3. Sacramento Kings 48-32 .4. Phoenix Suns 44-35 .5. LA Clippers 42-38 .6. Golden State Warriors 42-38 .7. LA Lakers 41-39 .8. New Orleans Pelicans 41-39 .9. Minnesota Timberwolves 40-40 10. Oklahoma City Thunder 38-42 11. Dallas Mavericks 38-42 12. Utah Jazz 36-43 13. Portland Trail Blazers 33-46 14. San Antonio Spurs 20-59 15. Houston Rockets 20-60
