NEW YORK (UNITED STATES) (ITALPRESS) – The back-and-forth battle between the NBA’s top two teams continues. Cleveland touches the 42-win mark by outscoring Washington 134-124 in the Eastern Conference tailspin: 33 points for Mitchell, 27 for Mobley and 23 for Garland in the Cavs’ ranks, which extend their lead over Boston, while the Wizards – 12 losses in the last 12 direct clashes with Cleveland – needn’t rely on Poole’s career-best performance (45 points). Success number 41 (but with two games less than the Cavaliers) for Oklahoma City, dragged by Williams (27 points) and Gilgeous-Alexander (25 points) in the 121-109 win over Toronto that also marks the return after three months of Holmgren (4 points, 5 rebounds and 4 wicks in 22 minutes). Staying in the West, Phoenix’s incredible victory: down 120-116 with 4″7 to go to the buzzer, it forced Utah into overtime with two triples by Allen (21 points) and then won 135-127 with the best Booker of the season (47 points). In contrast, a triple at the end is fatal to San Antonio, sunk by Miles Bridges with 1″4 to go: Charlotte wins 117-116 and breaks a six-game losing streak. Incidentally, the Spurs had found the game-winning basket from 3 with Fox but the play was reviewed by the referees, who ruled the former Sacramento man’s shot out of maximum time. Trae Young (24 points) led Atlanta’s comeback from -21, which folded Milwaukee (still out of Antetokounmpo, fifth stop in last six outings) 115-110 and looked to bounce back with its second win in 11 contests. In the first post-Butler game but still without newcomers Wiggins, Anderson and Mitchell, Miami collapses 102-86 against Brooklyn, playing a bad fourth quarter where it scores only 9 points. The Heat cede sixth place in the East to Detroit, which beats Philadelphia 125-112 with Beasley (36 points) not making up for Cunningham’s absence. For Simone Fontecchio 10 points (1/2 from two, 2/8 from three, 2/2 at the free), 5 rebounds, two assists, two turnovers and a stoppage in 19 minutes. In the Sixers, also out of the play-in today, 27 points by Maxey and 23 by Embiid.- photo Ipa Agency -(ITALPRESS).
