EIn the last update on the NBA MVP race, Nikola Jokic was still dominating the race ahead of Joel Embiid, Giannnis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, DeMar DeRozan and Jayson Tatum. All of them ahead of a Luka Doncic who has a better balance than five of the runners who are ahead of him in the fight for the highest individual prize in the league.
The Slovenian arrived late to the starting line, involved in controversy due to his physical form at the beginning of the season and weighed down by a very irregular start to the course. All those factors made us forget about him in that fight, but he has taken it upon himself to return to the fight and place his name among the candidates. And he has done it based on great matches and numbers that support his candidacy for an award that seemed impossible just a few weeks ago.
Doncic is experiencing one of his best moments in the NBA and since last February he has accelerated to recover lost positions both in the fight for court factor in the playoffs and in the race for MVP. In his last 18 games he has scored 607 points (33.7 per game) with 47.8% shooting from the field and 38.7% from three-point range, 10.3 rebounds and 7.6 assists.
Some figures that the Mavericks also accompany with victories (14 in those 18 games) like the one they signed against the Brooklyn Nets. A triumph of merit against Kevin Durant in which the former Real Madrid player was once again decisive and in which he was on the verge of a triple double with 37 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, among which the one that came out of his hands for Dinwiddie’s decisive basket. Everything is happiness in a Mavs of a Doncic who does not want his name to be forgotten in a race for which he continues to be a legitimate candidate.
The New York Knicks had one of their calmest nights of the season against the Portland Trail Blazers aimlessly this season who have only added two wins in 10 games and who fell resoundingly in Madison (128-98) in a game in which RJ Barrett’s contribution stood out: 31 points and five of 11 from the triple.
Good news for the Spanish delegation last night in the NBA. Juancho Hernangmez, who came without the confidence of Quin Snyder, started in the victory of the Utah Jazz against the Chicago Bulls (125-110). The Spaniard played 23 minutes in which he scored two points (two of four on free throws), five rebounds and a block.
For his part, Serge Ibaka came off the bench to play 18 minutes in the Bucks’ win against the Kings (126-135). The pvot scored eight points and grabbed two rebounds.
Five wins in a row lead the Toronto Raptors who, with Paskal Siakam (31 points and 12 rebounds) and Fred VanVleet (21 points) in front, defeated the Los Angeles Clippers at home and with suffering. The Cameroonian is experiencing one of the best moments of the season and in his last eight games he has averaged 27.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
- Hornets 116-106 Hawks
- Cavaliers 114-118 76ers
- Wizards 109-127 Nuggets
- Nets 111-113 Mavericks
- Knicks 128-98 Trail Blazers
- Rockets 112-129 Suns
- Timberwolves 124-104 Lakers
- Spurs122-120 Thunder
- Jazz 125-110 Bulls
- Warriors 88-110 Celtics
- Kings 126-135 Bucks
- Clippers 100-103 Raptors
While their great rivals in the East have stepped on the accelerator, the Chicago Bulls seem to lose steam (3 wins in the last 10 games) and this Wednesday they fell to the Utah Jazz of an overwhelming Donovan Mitchell: 37 points with 9 of 15 on triples, beating his particular brand from beyond the arc.
Bad game for the Washington Wizards, who were overtaken by Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets in a game in which the capital’s had a decaffeinated version of Kyle Kuzma who finished with six points after scoring three of 10 on field goals and missing his shots. three triples.
Kuzma was shipwrecked in a match in which Jokic shone again to maintain his particular fight for the MVP with Joel Embiid, who responded with another brilliant performance. The Serbian scored 29 points with 10 of 14 shooting, 13 rebounds and 8 assists and the African pvot celebrated his 28th birthday leading the valuable victory of the Philadelphia 76ers on the Cleveland Cavaliers court with 35 points and 17 rebounds.
The Phoenix Suns found no rival in the Houston Rockets and added their third victory in a row thanks to a phenomenal Devin Booker (36 points) and the collective contribution of the entire team (55.8% shooting from the field, 49 rebounds for 33 of those). Rockets). A team that has not noticed the absence of Chris Paul and that continues to be the team that has given the most assists since the All Star break.