HIt’s been a few years since such a clear dominance of the NBA has been seen as the one being exercised by the Phoenix Suns this season. maybe the Warriors de 2017 were the last tyrant of the NBA and that team included Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson y Draymond Green. All of them at their ‘prime’. However, the Arizona franchise only has two players with an ‘all star’ rank (Devin Booker y Chris Paul) and hardly has any media spotlights pointing at them due to being one of those cities considered a ‘small market’ by the league itself.
Fortunately, basketball does not always understand finance and shows, from time to time, that the important thing is the game. And that’s what some Suns are taking care of this season, who long ago had already achieved the goal of being the best team in the regular season, who had already surpassed the franchise’s all-time record for victories and who had nothing left to play for until the first game of the playoffs.
Nevertheless Booker, Paul (unbelievable that neither of them is in the talks for the MVP) and company do not understand rest and on the penultimate day of the NBA they showed that they cannot be given up at any time. Against the Jazz they turned the score around with a brutal 13-36 led by a spectacular CP3 (16 points and 16 assists) since his return from injury he has averaged 12 basket passes for only two turnovers per game.
A leader of character for an irreducible team. Quite the opposite of the Jazz, who see their fifth place in danger after a new inexplicable defeat. The Salt Lake City franchise continues to show a worrying lack of solidity in closing games and in its last three losses has conceded 105 points in the fourth quarter, being outscored by 51 points by its rivals. A more than worrying fact just before the playoffs.
With a resounding 8-30 split in the first quarter, the Milwaukee Bucks quickly laid the foundations for a comfortable victory against the Detroit Pistons that allows them to depend on themselves to be second in the East. Giannis Antetokounmpo (30 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists) he was the best and signed his 21st game with at least 30 points, 10 sacks and five assists, more than anyone else this season in the NBA.
Three out of three. Rarely this season has there been a day in which all the Spanish players were on the pitch. The first to do so was Serge Ibakawhich brings eight points and four rebounds in 11 minutes coming off the bench in the Bucks’ win. Usman Garuba I took over and added five points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in 15 minutes in the Rockets’ loss to the Raptors. Finally it was turn for Juancho Hernangmezwho played 13 minutes and scored four points, grabbed two rebounds and stole a ball in the Jazz’s loss to the Suns.
With more trouble than expected, the Toronto Raptors beat the Houston Rocketsadded their third victory in a row and secured fifth place in the East. Pascal Siakam (29 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists) He was the stronghold of the Canadians and extended his great moment of form, being the first player in franchise history to sign at least 20-10-5 in three consecutive games.
The playoffs come at the worst possible time for some Chicago Bulls who continue to accumulate defeats like the one they suffered against the Charlotte Hornets (117-133). Those of Illinois, who sign the sixth worst balance in the NBA since the All Star break, They have lost four games in a row and show their defensive gaps allowing a 60.7% success rate to their rival as they did against Charlotte.
RESULTS OF THE NBA DAY
- Pistons 101-131 Bucks
- Wizards 92-114 Knicks
- Nets 118-107 Cavaliers
- Raptors 117-115 Rockets
- Heat 113-109 Hawks
- Bulls 117-133 Hornets
- Mavericks 128-78 Trail Blazers
- Jazz 105-111 Suns
- Lakers 120-101
With an inconsequential win in their last home game this season, Los Angeles Lakers they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder with Stanley Johnson (21 points and 8 rebounds) leading eight players with at least 10 points in a game in which the Angelenos dispensed with all their stars: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook y Carmelo Anthony.
How can there still be people on this planet who doubt the Nets in it ‘play-in’? Especially while New Yorkers continue to play an alien named Kevin Durant. those of Steve Nash snatched seventh place in the East from the Cleveland Cavaliers thanks to the 36 forward pointswhich led to the third consecutive victory for the Brooklyn team.
Chauncey Billups’ first season has cast more shadows than light on the former NBA champion’s ability to lead a franchise. The Blazers fell resoundingly in their penultimate game and the loss marks the 14th game this season in which the Oregonians have lost by more than 30 points.
