By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a huge first half and finished with 32 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for the streaking Bucks, who cruised to a 116-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
The win moved the youthful Bucks into a tie with Indiana for the sixth spot, one game behind fifth-place Atlanta in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race. The Bucks have been the NBA’s hottest team the past three weeks, winning 10 of 12 games. Bosnian Mirza Teletovic added 13 points for the winners, while the Greek center of Sacramento Giorgos Papagiannis had 4 points and 7 rebounds.
Spaniard Nikola Mirotic scored a season-high 28 points, and the Chicago Bulls beat the Detroit Pistons 117-95. Mirotic shot 12 of 15 and made 4 of 6 3-point attempts to lead Chicago to an easy win after dropping eight of 10.
French Joffrey Lauvergne filled in for suspended center Robin Lopez and outplayed Andre Drummond with 17 points and seven rebounds and German rookie Paul Zipser added a career-high 15 points as the Bulls moved into a ninth-place tie with Detroit. For the losing side Serb Boban Marjanovic had 7 points and 2 rebounds, while Slovenian Beno Udrih added one rebound.
French center Rudy Gobert also scored a career-high 35 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and the Utah Jazz rallied from 13 down to defeat the New York Knicks 108-101. French forward Boris Diaw added 5 points for the Jazz. Latvian Kristaps Porzingis led New York with 24 points and Spaniard Willy Hernangomez flirted with a double double (9 p. 10 r.).
Last but not least in the East-leading Cleveland’s stunningly thorough 126-113 loss to the 8th in the West Denver Serb Nikola Jokic flirted again with the triple double (16 p. 10 r. 7 as.) and Spaniard Juancho Hernangomez added 4 points and 4 rebounds. Here’s the rest of last night’s results and the euro-scorers.
Boston – Indiana 109-100
Orlando – Charlotte 102-109 (Vucevic 14 p. 10 r. 8 as., Fournier 15 p., Hezonja 8 p. – Batum 10 p. 6 as., Belinelli 20 p.)
Oklahoma City – Philadelphia 122-97 (Kanter 24 p. 11 r., Abrines 5 p., Sabonis 3 p., Saric 12 p., Cabarro 3 p., Rodriguez 6 p.)
Washington – Atlanta 104-100 (Ilyasova 5 p., Sefolosha 10 p., Schroder 18 p. 6 as. – Gortat 4 p. 6 r., Mahinmi 4 p. 10 r., Bogdanovic 5 p.)
Eastern Conference
| W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF | PPG | OPP PPG | DIFF | STRK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x –Cleveland Cavaliers | 46 | 24 | .657 | – | 28-7 | 18-17 | 7-7 | 30-11 | 110.5 | 106.6 | +3.8 | L1 | 4-6 |
| x –Boston Celtics | 46 | 26 | .639 | 1 | 25-9 | 21-17 | 9-5 | 30-13 | 107.4 | 104.9 | +2.6 | W2 | 6-4 |
| Washington Wizards | 43 | 28 | .606 | 3.5 | 28-10 | 15-18 | 7-6 | 27-18 | 108.7 | 106.7 | +2.0 | W1 | 6-4 |
| Toronto Raptors | 42 | 29 | .592 | 4.5 | 24-12 | 18-17 | 12-2 | 26-16 | 107.1 | 103.3 | +3.8 | W3 | 6-4 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 37 | 34 | .521 | 9.5 | 19-17 | 18-17 | 5-10 | 25-17 | 103.4 | 104.5 | -1.2 | L5 | 3-7 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 36 | 35 | .507 | 10.5 | 20-16 | 16-19 | 9-4 | 21-22 | 104.6 | 104.2 | +0.4 | W2 | 8-2 |
| Indiana Pacers | 36 | 35 | .507 | 10.5 | 25-10 | 11-25 | 7-7 | 20-24 | 104.1 | 105.0 | -1.0 | L1 | 5-5 |
| Miami Heat | 35 | 36 | .493 | 11.5 | 21-15 | 14-21 | 6-7 | 21-21 | 103.0 | 102.0 | +1.0 | W1 | 7-3 |
| Chicago Bulls | 34 | 38 | .472 | 13 | 21-15 | 13-23 | 7-7 | 22-21 | 102.3 | 103.3 | -1.0 | W1 | 3-7 |
| Detroit Pistons | 34 | 38 | .472 | 13 | 23-14 | 11-24 | 5-10 | 20-24 | 101.5 | 102.2 | -0.8 | L2 | 4-6 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 32 | 39 | .451 | 14.5 | 20-15 | 12-24 | 10-3 | 21-23 | 104.8 | 104.0 | +0.8 | W3 | 6-4 |
| New York Knicks | 27 | 44 | .380 | 19.5 | 16-18 | 11-26 | 4-9 | 18-26 | 105.2 | 108.7 | -3.4 | L3 | 2-8 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 26 | 45 | .366 | 20.5 | 17-19 | 9-26 | 6-6 | 17-24 | 102.4 | 107.8 | -5.4 | L2 | 3-7 |
| Orlando Magic | 26 | 46 | .361 | 21 | 13-23 | 13-23 | 7-9 | 17-26 | 100.2 | 106.5 | -6.4 | L1 | 3-7 |
| e –Brooklyn Nets | 14 | 56 | .200 | 32 | 9-27 | 5-29 | 2-11 | 6-35 | 105.7 | 113.6 | -7.9 | W1 | 4-6 |
Western Conference
| W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF | PPG | OPP PPG | DIFF | STRK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y –Golden State Warriors | 57 | 14 | .803 | – | 29-4 | 28-10 | 11-2 | 33-9 | 116.1 | 104.5 | +11.6 | W5 | 7-3 |
| x –San Antonio Spurs | 54 | 16 | .771 | 2.5 | 26-7 | 28-9 | 8-5 | 31-11 | 106.4 | 98.6 | +7.9 | W2 | 7-3 |
| x –Houston Rockets | 49 | 22 | .690 | 8 | 26-9 | 23-13 | 9-6 | 30-12 | 115.5 | 108.6 | +6.8 | W2 | 7-3 |
| Utah Jazz | 44 | 28 | .611 | 13.5 | 24-12 | 20-16 | 6-7 | 25-18 | 100.4 | 96.5 | +3.8 | W1 | 6-4 |
| LA Clippers | 43 | 29 | .597 | 14.5 | 23-11 | 20-18 | 7-5 | 24-19 | 108.2 | 104.8 | +3.4 | W3 | 6-4 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 41 | 30 | .577 | 16 | 27-10 | 14-20 | 8-5 | 25-19 | 106.9 | 105.9 | +1.0 | W1 | 6-4 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 40 | 31 | .563 | 17 | 21-14 | 19-17 | 7-5 | 27-17 | 101.1 | 100.3 | +0.8 | L1 | 4-6 |
| Denver Nuggets | 34 | 37 | .479 | 23 | 21-17 | 13-20 | 5-8 | 20-24 | 111.5 | 111.0 | +0.5 | W1 | 6-4 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 32 | 38 | .457 | 24.5 | 17-15 | 15-23 | 7-3 | 20-21 | 108.0 | 109.7 | -1.7 | L1 | 7-3 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 30 | 40 | .429 | 26.5 | 20-16 | 10-24 | 4-8 | 17-25 | 98.0 | 100.4 | -2.4 | L1 | 6-4 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 30 | 41 | .423 | 27 | 19-18 | 11-23 | 5-9 | 16-26 | 103.5 | 105.7 | -2.2 | W3 | 6-4 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 28 | 42 | .400 | 28.5 | 18-19 | 10-23 | 4-7 | 16-25 | 104.8 | 105.4 | -0.6 | L4 | 4-6 |
| Sacramento Kings | 27 | 44 | .380 | 30 | 14-22 | 13-22 | 5-6 | 16-25 | 102.9 | 106.5 | -3.6 | L3 | 2-8 |
| e –Phoenix Suns | 22 | 49 | .310 | 35 | 13-23 | 9-26 | 3-10 | 9-36 | 107.1 | 112.5 | -5.4 | L5 | 3-7 |
| e –Los Angeles Lakers | 20 | 51 | .282 | 37 | 12-22 | 8-29 | 5-8 | 10-32 | 104.6 | 112.2 | -7.5 | L6 | 1-9 |