After five consecutive defeats the Golden State Warriors (44-22) get up and beat the Los Angeles Clippers (34-33) for 112-97 thanks to a second quarter from 33-15. The top scorer of the quintet is a 20-point Klay Thompson loaded by comedian Will Ferrell in Jackie Moon version before the game, in addition to 21 by Jonathan Kuminga and 20 by Jordan Poole from the bench and 15 by Steph Curry. The Clippers also slide to -29 before containing the damage, barely finding 17 points from Nicolas Batum. Meanwhile, the Warriors could also try a surprise hit: Tyreke Evans. The former Pacers, after three years out of the League for a suspension for doping, is trying to return. This week he will audition with Golden State and the presence of Bob Myers, his former agent and now head of the Warriors leadership, could help him.
Evans: If not now, next season
Actually it would be Evans’ second audition, who already took one last week in Miami and would have impressed enough to convince the Warriors to take him to San Francisco for a second look, if not immediately (if he really wasn’t impress), perhaps for a spot on next year’s team. Putting him under contract now, in fact, would mean having to cut one of the 15 players currently on the roster with a guaranteed contract and further burdening (about 3 million dollars) an already exorbitant luxury tax for the property of the Warriors, in the order of 180 million dollars. An economic effort that Evans probably would not deserve at this point in his career, given that he has been out of the NBA since 2018-19 (the year in which Golden State tried to take him with the mid-level exception, then using it for DeMarcus Cousins) and will turn 33 years next September 19th.
Super-Irving rialza i Brooklyn Nets
A masterful performance by Kyrie Irving drags the Brooklyn Nets (33-33) to a 132-121 success in Charlotte (32-34). On the shoulders of their part-time playmaker, Brooklyn managed to recover the eighth place in the East alone in a head-to-head without history, also touching +34 at the Hornets’ home while conceding the return up to -11 in the final. Irving’s final figures have very few equals in the history of the NBA: 50 points with just 19 attempts, of which 15 have been scored (79% from the field) and 9/12 from three in 37 and a half minutes of play. There are only two guards in NBA history capable of making more than a 50-point game with 75% shooting career: him and Michael Jordan. His performance is the most efficient ever when calculating the percentage real (the points scored divided by the number of attempts from the field plus 0.44 for each free trial) with a sensational 101%. With such an Irving Kevin Durant was limited to just 14 points, while Andre Drummond made the big entry under the basket with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Without Gordon Hayward still injured, Charlotte suffers the 12th defeat in the last 16 games: in a play-in perspective, the third direct clash with the Nets scheduled for next March 27 will be decisive.
Vincono Phoenix, Memphis e Milwaukee
Phoenix (52-13) sprints 102-99 on the Orlando Magic field (16-50), thanks to the doubles doubles of Ayton (21 points, 19 rebounds) and Payne (18 points, 12 assists), to which are also added the 21 points of Shamet. Memphis (45-22) won 132-111 without too many problems at home against the New Orleans Pelicans (27-38), dragged by Morant’s 24 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists, followed by 22 points each from Bane and Jackson Jr. The Milwaukee Bucks (41-25) take their fifth consecutive victory by moving easily to Oklahoma City 142-115 against the Thunder (20-45), thanks to 39 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists achieved by Antetokounmpo. In the first game without Jarrett Allen, it is the other Cleveland All-Star (38-27), Darius Garland, to carry the team on his shoulders and drag them to success for 127-124 on the field of the Indiana Pacers (22-45) allowing to the Cavaliers to consolidate the sixth position in the East. The number 10 of Cleveland signs all the decisive plays of a fourth period in which he scores 21 of his 41 totals including the two free-breakers with 14 seconds left.
The results
Indiana Pacers-Cleveland Cavaliers 124-127; Charlotte Hornets-Brooklyn Nets 121-132; Memphis Grizzlies-New Orleans Pelicans 132-111; Orlando Magic-Phoenix Suns 99-102; Oklahoma City Thunder-Milwaukee Bucks 115-142; Golden State Warriors-L.A Clippers 112-97.
