In the East, the fight in the playoff zone and play in it’s tremendous. Every night, or that’s how it feels, there are direct duels that show that the fight is going to be fierce from the playoffs and the first round qualifiers. The equality seems absolute, the changing hierarchies. Now, the Raptors and Hawks are clearly on the upside. And not only that, if the seconds are one of the fashionable teams in recent weeks, the Raptors are not far behind… and they have beaten them twice this week. In fact, the Hawks had seven wins in a row, in their Resurrection particular, until they lost to the Canadians on Monday. Then they beat the Suns, who seemed invincible… but they have fallen again with the Raptors (this time 125-114).
So they have eight wins in ten games but their two losses have been against the same rival, one that keeps them at a good distance: three and a half games. It’s 28-23 now for the Raptors and 25-27 for the Hawks, who played in back to back and his fifth match in eight days…against a rival who played in back to back and the fifth in seven. The difference, basically, was in the line of three. The Raptors signed a sensational 14/24 to crown an exceptional shooting record: almost 57% total, 63% in triples and 89% from the free throw line. The Hawks, who had molten out to the Suns less than 24 hours earlier, they missed 19 of their first 24 3-pointers. Already in the last quarter they scored four in a row and got to three with almost three and a half minutes ahead. But they did not finish, and Gary Trent Jr sentenced with a triple from the corner.
Pascal Siakam at his best in a long time, finished with 33 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists after adding 21 points in the first quarter. Scottie Barnes, one of the best rookies of the course, went to 16+9+4, Trent Jr scored 19 and Fren VanVleet premiered condition of all star with 26 points, 11 assists and a 5/10 in triples. in the Hawks, Trae Young lowered the piston after his exhibition against the Suns (22 points, 13 assists, 0/4 in triples)John Collins added 23 points despite playing with physical problems, De’Andre Hunter another 23 and Bogdan Bogdanovic 18 with 5 assists and 4 steals.
INDIANA PACERS 115-CHICAGO BULLS 122
Above the area occupied by Raptors and Hawks (one trying to get out of the play in and the other clinging to him… at the very least), they are the Bulls, who lead the East again (33-19) after adding four wins in six games, the last on track for some Pacers in the box. If the visitors were very depleted in the backcourt (without Zach LaVine or Coby White plus Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso), the Pacers are literally in the picture: Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, Malcolm Brogdon, TJ McConnell, TJ Warren, Goga Bitadze are missing…
Despite their absences, the Pacers put their hearts into it and came out ahead in the third quarter (86-85) and with options before going 0-10 in the last quarter, with the excellent rookie Ayo Dosunmu contributing decisive points (15 with 14 assists). In addition, the interior problems of the Pacers left the way clear to Nikola Vucevic, who played his best game of the season: 36 points, 17 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and 16/21 shots. DeMar DeRozan went to 31 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. In the Pacers, 42+5+8 from Caris LeVert (19/26 in shots) and a lot of work from two rookies with a very low profile but who are leaving excellent sensations when the opportunity has come: Duane Washington Jr (17+7+ 4) and Terry Taylor (21+14+5). Those of Rick Carlisle (19-35) move in the area of those with the most ballots to choose in the top 5 of the next draft.
DETROIT PISTONS 93-BOSTON CELTICS 102
The duel with less girl of the East, especially when it became known that Cade Cunningham was not going to play, ended in Detroit with a comfortable victory for the Celtics, who are still in their best moment of the season and are already 29-25, four games above 50% of victories. Without the number 1 in the draft, the Pistons confirmed once again that Jerami Grant (10 points, 12 shots) needs to get back on track after his injury. Bey and Diallo scored 21 points each against Jayson Tatum’s 24 in 28 minutes, Jaylen Brown’s 13 and Robert Williams’ 11 with 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks. The Celtics, whose biggest lead was 24 points, have won four straight and six of their last seven.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS 131-HOUSTON ROCKETS 106
The Spurs (20-34 now) had lost three in a row, but nothing like facing these Rockets (15-37, always bottom of the West): 134-104 on January 25, 131-106 this time. It was the Spurs’ last game before embarking on their traditional rodeo tour, so they won’t be local again until March 3. The party, sentenced with a 40-23 in the third quarter, had news: Zach Collins debuted with the Spurs and played his first NBA minutes since October 27, 2019. He scored 10 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and dished out 3 assists. Popovich’s starters produced without opposition: 19 points and 5/6 triples for McDermott, 28 with 7 rebounds for Keldon Johnson, 21+10 for Poeltl, 12 with 7 assists for Derrick White and 19 + 7 + 11 for a Dejounte Murray who was left out of the All Star but aspires to enter as a replacement. Juancho Hernangómez played just 2 minutes and missed the only triple he attempted. In the Rockets, injury to Kevin Porter Jr and only 12 points for Jalen Green. Better were the other two rookies: 18 points from Alperen Sengun and 23 for Josh Cristopher, their best figure of the season.
DENVER NUGGETS 105-NO PELICANS 113
Good win for the Pelicans in Denver, where a tired Nuggets weighed down by casualties played poorly and sank in the final minutes (97-97 midway through the fourth quarter). They have lost three games in a row and are 28-14, with the play in peeking out from behind, the same one that those from NOLA have very close by. Nikola Jokic finished with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists, but he was not at his usual level. Instead, everything went well for the Pelicans: Brandon Ingram beat his assist ceiling (12 and scored 23 points), Hayes went beyond 20+10 (22 points, 11 rebounds, 9/9 shooting) for the first time in his career and the excellent rookie Herb Jones played touched by a magic wand: to his usual defensive work he added 18 points in the last quarter (25 in total). The Pelicans scored 58 points in the paint against a very gray opponent.
#Raptors #threat