The Nets are they saved in Washington (118-119) after playing a very good first half (62-74, 63% shooting for Steve Nash’s men) and falling apart at the end. The Wizards, who weren’t ahead from the opening 3-2, they were able to take the lead on the last play, in which Kyle Kuzma and Spencer Dinwiddie missed three-pointers, who had the last option after an attacking rebound by Motrezl Harrell, who had prevented James Harden’s basket in the previous action. The Wizards are 23-22, eighth in the East, and the Nets are 28-16, third. Half a game of Bulls and Heat, the two that precede them.
It was not a complete game for the Nets, which however they receive with open arms any victory that comes in these weeks in which they will not have Kevin Durant, who suffers a knee injury and will not play until after the All Star break. However, they are the best team in their Conference away from home (16-5), where they are now stronger than on their court because they can count on Kyrie Irving , which has made it clear that it is not going to be vaccinated. So that’s not going to change. Kyrie was the best of his team and reached 30 points for the first time since his return two weeks ago. Added 7 assists, with 22 points in a great first half. James Harden had 18 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists but with 7/21 shooting, 0/5 triples and 8 turnovers. The Nets, between last season and this season, are 17-5 when Kyrie and Harden play without Kevin Durant.
The missing points were scored between Patty Mills (17 with 5 triples) and LaMarcus Aldridge (27 with 6 rebounds and 11/15 shooting). Enough, albeit barely, against some Wizards who did not give up after their bad first half and who they had options at the end to complete the upset after being 16 down. Kuzma, who missed late, finished with 16 points, including the 3-pointer that put his team within one in the last minute. Dinwiddie with 11, Bradley Beal with 23 and 9 assists, Hachimura with 14 and 5 rebounds, Avdija with 13+5+3 and Harrell with 14+6+3. After the loss, Kuzma took his mistake on the last play naturally but he pestered of another action in the last quarter, an unusual one: someone on the Nets bench put his hand so that the power forward did not receive in the corner, in a clear shooting position. The referees didn’t notice.
HAWKS 134-TIMBERWOLVES 122
For the first time since November, when they won seven games in a row to an 11-9 score that did not herald the disaster that followed, the Hawks have linked two wins (against Bucks and Wolves). And they are still in a horrible situation, but at least they show the spirit to fight: at 19-25, they are three games away from the play in from an East in which they were finalists last season.
Against the Wolves, things got ugly another ugly one: 26-42 in the first quarter and 61-73 at halftime. But the third quarter (40-25) released the best version of the Hawks who opened with a 20-2 quarter that gave them control. It included three triples from a huge Trae Young: 23 points in that third quarter and 37 in total, with 5 rebounds and 14 assists. The point guard was accompanied by John Collins (17+12), the intense Okungwu (17+8), Hunter (22+5), Huerter (12) and Gallinari (15+5). The Wolves lost two starters along the way: Patrick Beverley was injured in the first half and Anthony Edwards was ejected in the third quarter for a technical double. D’Angelo Russell finished with 31 points and 5 assists and Karl-Anthony Towns with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists for a Wolves that are in negative again (22-23) and are still in the zone play in from West.
CELTICS 102-HORNETS 111
The Celtics, for their part, lost an excellent opportunity to continue their good progress, albeit in fits and starts, and they lost at the Garden against the Hornets who are still ahead of them, 25-20 (9-3 in the last 12 games) to Ime Udoka’s team 23-23. Those from Carolina are seventh in the East, the Celtics only have a half-game advantage over the first team outside the zone play in, so they continue to live in a constant squeeze.
As is almost usual, the verdes they were forced to come back. And they came close to doing it again. They went from -12 to 84-88 but took 0-10. Every time they cut the lead below ten, the Hornets made 3-pointers and didn’t budge. Terry Rozier, a former Celtic, finished with 28 points, 10 assists and a 6/11 triple. Miles Bridges scored 22 points, Kelly Oubre 18 and LaMelo Ball grabbed the rebound with two tenths to go to give him the triple-double (15+10+10). The Hornets held up well on a lousy day ((14/46 on 3-pointers) on the Celtics shot. Neither Jaylen Brown (21 + 6 + 6 but 2/11 in triples) nor Jayson Tatum (foul problems, 12 points, 0/7 in triples) were brilliant. Between the two, 2/19 in triples and 6 turnovers. Schröder finished with 24 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
BUCKS 126-GRIZZLIES 114
One of the big games of the day came crooked for the Grizzlies, the sensation of the season, that to the loss of Dillon Brooks they added that of Desmond Bane, in the COVID protocols. Without the two of them, they were left without two starters and without more than 36 points. Ja Morant (33 points, 8 rebounds, 14 assists) and Jaren Jackson Jr (29+9 and 4 blocks) did what they could, but the Grizzlies crashed at the champion’s home after making rubber throughout the second half. They remain at 31-16, still third in the West ahead of a losing Jazz. The Bucks are now 28-19, a nice win after six losses in eight games. They are fourth in the East, two games off the lead but only half ahead of a rising Sixers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 15 points in the first quarter and had the Bucks up 61-47 when he drew the fourth foul. The Greek appeared with six points in a row in the final stretch of the fourth quarter, after the penultimate approach attempt by the Grizzlies, who never gave up. Giannis finished with 33 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists, and Khris Middleton had 27+7+7. Jrue Holiday is back (his team 2-5 in six games without him), who started from the bench and finished with 9 points and 4 assists.
