The NBA playoffs continue to gain momentum and tonight (Monday through Tuesday) another seven games were played in the best league in the world when in focus, the missing Brooklyn continued to plummet and this time was humiliated at home by Toronto, Miami defeated Chicago in a direct battle for first place in the East and Ja Morant provided an evening Rare in a Memphis victory.
Still without the injured Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons who is not yet fit and Kyrie Irving who has not yet received permission to take part in the home games, the Nets were humiliated in front of the home crowd and suffered a fourth loss in their last four games, a loss that further pushed them away from the playoff ticket. On the other hand, the Canadian team stopped a streak of two losses and kept themselves in the battle picture for sixth place preventing play-off participation.
The story practically ended already at the end of the first quarter, when the Raptors took advantage of the locals’ lack of defense on the way to 27:42, and increased the difference, which had already crossed the 20-point mark with the drop to the break. In the second half the guest continued to cultivate its huge advantage and at the end celebrated with 36 points in front of the desperate crowd, who are just waiting to see his three stars back on the floor. Scotty Barnes won the Canadian celebration with 28 points and 16 rebounds.
The two Easterners met for a head-to-head battle that the Bulls reached knowing a victory would create a balance in the balance, but sadly they failed to stop the hottest bunch from Florida, who celebrated a fourth straight and ninth win in their last ten games to open a two-game gap. On the way down to the break Chicago still managed to maintain a reasonable lag, but a third quarter of 21:36 hit arranged them a final 12 minutes on who rests with a promising gap. Tyler Hiro and Gabe Vincent led the hosts with 20 points each, and Zack Lavin’s 22 points on the other hand did not save the bulls.
The Grizzlies did not give up on Golden State in a battle for the runners-up in the West and with a second straight win they remained close to a bunch from San Francisco. Greg Popovich’s team has lost for the second time in a row but despite its weak season it is still in the picture of the battle for the 10th place that gives participation in the play-in. The guest kept a reasonable distance for three and a half quarters, but towards the end the locals pressed the gas pedal and opened a double-digit gap that arranged for them last minutes without pressure. On this victory was recorded one player – Ja Morant by name, who with 52 points set a personal record and a club record in a simply great game.
In another one-sided encounter, the champion came back to win after two losses and clung to Cleveland in a battle for fourth place and a home run in the East. The guest, on the other hand, counted a fifth loss in its last six games and failed to get out of the negative balance with which it rose to the floor. After a close first quarter that ended in a draw, the Bucks ran away with 21:44 in the second quarter, a result that turned the remaining 24 minutes into one big Garbage Time. Yannis Antocompo led the locals with a wonderful stat line that included 26 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, four blocks and two steals. Lamello Bull scored 24 on the other side.
In the only game tonight that ended with a single-digit lead, the Timberwolves recorded an important victory and remained in the battle picture for sixth place in the West. The Cubs, on the other hand, have lost for the fourth time in their last five games and they know that fourth place in the East is in real danger. The late escaped to an 11-point lead at the end of the opening 12 minutes, but by the time the break was over the Wolves had turned the bowl over with 24:38 left in the second quarter.
During the third quarter the business would have already looked finished with Minnesota leading by 23 points, but the locals recorded an impressive comeback and 1:30 to finish Isaac Okuro lowered to just 120: 118 with a big three. 33.8 seconds to buzzer Chady Osman equalized (122: 122), but All-Star three-pointer Carl Anthony Towns justified the title when he responded with an outside clutch shot 12 seconds to go. Osman missed a three on the other side and the Timberwolves survived the thriller with an important W. DiAngelo Russell stood out in the winning ranks with 25 points, Kevin Love led the Cubs with 26 points off the bench.
In more games
Oklahoma (42:19) – Sacramento (40:23) 131:110
Orlando (47:15) – Indiana (42:21) 103: 119