NEW YORK (UNITED STATES) (ITALPRESS) – Cleveland loses again and as of today is Oklahoma City the best team in the league. Perhaps with their heads already in the playoffs, the Cavaliers cash in their third straight loss (123-119 to Sacramento), despite Mobley finding 22 of his 31 points in the last 15 minutes and Mitchell closing with 26 points.
Among other things, the Kings, led by DeRozan (27 points), were without Sabonis and LaVine. Cleveland thus drops to 56-13 while Oklahoma City moves to 57-12 by outscoring Philadelphia 133-100. The Thunder allowed themselves to leave Gilgeous-Alexander to rest, it was up to Jaylin Williams (19 points, 17 rebounds and 11 assists) and Aaron Wiggins (26 points) to sink the remaining Sixers (out Maxey and Oubre Jr, season over for Embiid and George).
OKC is also close to securing first place in the West, where the fight for the other positions is tighter than ever. Houston is back in second (116-108 over Orlando with 26 points by Green and 22 by Sengun, its eighth consecutive win) but in the slipstream are the Lakers, who took advantage of the absences of Jokic and Murray to win the direct clash with Denver: 120-108 with 31 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists by Doncic in just three quarters, 22 points for Reaves. The yellowviola, on a nine-game home winning streak, overtake the same Nuggets in third place, also complicit in Memphis’ stop at Portland’s Moda Center (115-99, Avidja lights up the Blazers with 31 points, 16 rebounds and 8 assists).
In the race for sixth place – the last one useful for direct access to the playoffs – unexpected knockout for Minnesota, the second consecutive after an eight-game winning streak: New Orleans 119-115 wins with 29 points from Williamson.
In the play-in zone, instead, important affirmation for Phoenix, dragged by Booker (41 points including 20 in the last quarter) and Durant (26 points) in the 127-121 over Chicago. In the East, said of the Cavs, New York falls to Texas despite 32 points from Towns: San Antonio wins 120-105 with Sandro Mamukelashvili making history. The long Georgian-born forward finishes with 34 points with 13/14 from the field in 19 minutes: never in the Nba had anyone scored so much while playing less than 20′.
The Knicks still retain third place, however; in fourth goes Indiana thanks to a 135-131 win over Dallas with 29 points from Siakam and 23 from Mathurin. Fourth win in the last five outings for the Pacers, who found the decisive spurt with 14″7 to go before the buzzer when Siakam stole the ball and opened for Nembhard’s triple that made it 131-130.
However, Detroit is also aiming for fourth place, aggravating Miami’s crisis (116-113, ninth consecutive loss) with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists from Cunningham. For Simone Fontecchio, two points (1/3 from the field with 0/1 from three) and two rebounds in 13 minutes. Utah returns to winning ways after 10 losses: 128-112 over Washington.
-Photo Ipa/Agency-
(ITALPRESS).
