Chicago (USA), Dec 1 (EFE).- Slovenian Luka Doncic returned in a big way this Sunday after missing five games due to injury and led the Dallas Mavericks’ victory against the Portland Trail Blazers with 36 points, in a NBA day in which the Cleveland Cavaliers hit the table against the Boston Celtics to the rhythm of an unstoppable Donovan Mitchell.
The NBA night also saw the defeat of the Oklahoma City Thunder, leaders of the West, in the field of the increasingly competitive Houston Rockets, seconds only one win behind their rivals this Sunday.
TRAIL BLAZERS 131 – MAVERICKS 137
Doncic returned to compete after missing five games due to a wrist injury and shone with 36 points, seven rebounds and thirteen assists in Dallas’ victory at the Blazers’ field.
The Texans sealed their fourth consecutive victory despite not being able to count on Kyrie Irving in Portland, due to a shoulder problem, or Klay Thompson, absent due to a foot injury.
Without them, Quentin Grimes took center stage with 28 points, the result of nine out of thirteen field goals, with five triples.
CAVALIERS 115 – CELTICS 111
Mitchell destroyed the Celtics with twenty points in a magnificent fourth quarter that allowed the Cavaliers to overcome a fourteen-point deficit and confirm themselves as the best team in the NBA so far in the regular season.
Mitchell led the Cavs’ victory with 35 points and seven rebounds, with 12 of 21 shooting from the field and six triples, supported by Darius Garland’s 22 points, five rebounds and eight assists. He was perfect in the fourth quarter with six of six field goals and four three-pointers.
The Cavs snapped the Celtics’ seven-game winning streak, which paid for the losses of Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. Jayson Tatum contributed 33 points and eight rebounds, without a reward.
JAZZ 104 – LAKERS 105
LeBron James became the second player in NBA history to reach 15,000 field goals made, in the Los Angeles team’s victory over the Utah Jazz.
LeBron, who will turn 40 on December 30, is the second player with the most field goals made, behind Kareem Abdul Jabbar, who added 15,837.
Against the Jazz, LeBron finished the game with 27 points and fourteen assists and his Lakers left behind the last defeat suffered against the Oklahoma City Thunder to increase their balance to twelve wins and eight losses.
ROCKETS 119 – THUNDER 116
With 38 points from Fred VanVleet, the Rockets hit the table, beating the Thunder in a cross between first and second in the West. The Texan team won six of its last seven games.
Shai Gilgeous Alexander scored 32 points for the Thunder. OKC is 15-5, while the Rockets are 15-6.
KINGS 125 – SPURS 127
Frenchman Victor Wembanyama recorded the third triple double of his NBA career, directing the Spurs’ victory at the Kings’ field with 34 points, fourteen rebounds and eleven assists.
The number one in the 2023 draft hit five triples and had three blocks in the Sacramento game.
GRIZZLIES 136 – PACERS 121
The Grizzlies sealed their sixth consecutive victory, beating the Pacers led by 25 points and eight rebounds from Jaren Jackson. Spaniard Santi Aldama contributed 15 points (3 triples), four rebounds and six assists in 25 minutes off the bench.
Ja Morant contributed 19 points and eight assists for the Grizzlies, third in the West (14-7).
The Pacers suffered their second consecutive loss on an afternoon in which Tyrese Haliburton did not exceed eight points, with three of ten field goals.
NETS 92 – MAGIC 100
The Orlando Magic won at the Nets’ field under Spanish coach Jordi Fernández and inflicted their second defeat in three days.
Orlando finished with six players in double figures despite shooting 45.9% from the field and connecting just seven triples out of 28 attempts. German Franz Wagner was the Magic’s leading scorer with 20 points, although he only connected on four of his 17 field goals. He finished 0 for 6 from the arc.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 16 points, Wendell Carter Jr scored fourteen, while Goga Bitadze had a double double of twelve points and thirteen rebounds. German Moritz Wagner contributed twelve points off the bench.
