Bill Russell y Wilt Chamberlain, Magic vs Bird, Jordan contra los Pistons, LeBron frente a Curry… The history of the NBA is nurtured by great matchups that have helped keep the American league attractive and allowed it to sell those matchups better than anyone else. It is the pure essence of sport: competition and healthy rivalry.
Now that witness is collected by two of the stars called to reign in the NBA for the next decade as they are Luka Doncic and Ja Morant. Two players who seem willing to relive those great duels and who have already seen each other this season faced by the titularity in the All Star. A race that fell on the side of the Grizzlies player and that seems to have stung Doncic’s pride.
The former Real Madrid He has taken it personally not being included in the West quintet and is having his best games of the season. But nevertheless, Morant is not far behind and every stratospheric performance of Doncic, he responds with a similar one.
Thus, after Luka’s great game against the 76ers, it was the turn of the Grizzlies point guard, who did not disappoint in his match against the Magic and he finished with 33 points, five rebounds and seven assists to lead the Memphis team to its seventh win in the last 10 games.
To this give and take on the court is also added the one that Morant has fed on social networks, ironically asking for Doncic’s presence in the dunk contest after a spectacular action by the Slovenian in the game against the Sixers. One more example of the rivalry between these two players who are called to star in the great pique of this generation.
The Miami Heat They do not want to let the Chicago Bulls escape at the head of the East and for this they need the best of a Jimmy Butler that always responds when your team needs it. Against the Hornets (86-104 for Florida) he pulled out his entire arsenal and ended up with 27 points and 10 of 13 in field goals in a night to forget for the Charlotte team, which finished with 19 losses.
What a night of the Portland Trail Blazers! And there are five in a row. The Oregon team between transfers and rumors still can’t find their way on the court and they showed it again against the Milwaukee Bucks in a game in which the defending champions didn’t even need the best version of Antetokounmpo to sweep his rival (108-137).
RESULTS OF THE NBA DAY
- Magic 115-135 Grizzlies
- Hornets 86-104 Heat
- Wizards 80-95 Suns
- Lakers 122-115 Knicks
- Trail Blazers 108-137 Bucks
- Kings 113-103 Thunder
The best possible news for the Lakers: LeBron James is back. After missing five games due to injury, the forward guided the Angelenos to victory in overtime against the Knicks (122-115) with a new exhibit: 29 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. It is his fifteenth triple-double after the age of 35, far surpassing the eight that Jason Kidd achieved in his day.
In that same game and despite the scoring demonstration of R. J. Barrett (36 points) the Knicks suffered the worst version of a Tom Thibodeau who did not find tactical answers to avoid the collapse of some Knicks who came to accumulate 21 points of rent (45-66 with two minutes to go before the break) and that they ended up wasting with a defeat that leaves many open wounds in the New York team.
