By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Nikola Jokic put on a show in a convincing 141-128 win against the Washington Wizards, being just two assists short of a monstrous triple-double.
The reigning MVP scored 43 points and shot 17 of 20 from the field, missing just one attempt from inside. He also grabbed 14 rebounds and five steals.
“I was rolling. Guys were finding me,” Jokic said after the game.
Jokic’s stat line hasn’t been seen in the NBA since Larry Bird’s era, as he is the first player to record 43/14/8/4 on 50 FG% since the legendary Boston Celtic.
The Wizards missed Kristaps Porzingis, while Deni Avdija got himself nine points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Luka Doncic had another solid night, but it wasn’t enough for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who won at Dallas 105-90.
The Slovenian star scored 30 points, six assists, and five rebounds.
“They have a pretty big and a great team,” said Doncic, who shot 9 of 23 and was held below his averages.
Detroit Pistons won at Charlotte 141-134, with Bojan Bogdanovic scoring 24 points and Killian Hayes with a near-triple-double performance: 25 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds.
The Frenchman Theo Maledon got nine points and six rebounds for the losing side.
Orlando Magic defeated Atlanta Hawks 135-124 at Florida, as Franz Wagner led the way with 24 points, Paolo Banchero added 20, and Moritz Wagner scored 17.
The European trio from Orlando shadowed Bogdan Bogdanovic with 17 points, and Clint Capela scored 16 for the losing side.
New York Knicks grabbed a 128-120 win at Chicago against the Bulls, with Isaiah Hartenstein scoring six points with eight rebounds. Nikola Vucevic was among the best on the losing team scoring 19 points and grabbing seven boards, with five assists.
Domantas Sabonis gave another brilliant performance, this time with 21 points and 20 rebounds in a 124-123 win against Toronto Raptors. Juancho Hernangomez had five and five for the losing side.
Portland Trail Blazers grabbed an easy 128-112 win at San Antonio Spurs, with Jusuf Nurkic scoring 15 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Jeremy Sochan got four points and five rebounds for the Spurs.
Los Angeles Clippers got a third win in a row, with 99-88 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Nicolas Batum had a good night with 13 points, and seven rebounds, while Ivica Zubac added just two points but eight boards.
Rudy Gobert got a double-double for the Minneapolis team, with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
Results:
Charlotte Hornets – Detroit Pistons 134-141 OT (Maledon 9p – Hayes 25, Boj. Bogdanovic 24)
Indiana Pacers – Golden State Warriors 125-119 (Curry 38p, 7as, 7rb)
Orlando Magic – Atlanta Hawks 135-124 (F. Wagner 24, Banchero 20, M. Wagner 17 – Bog. Bogdanovic 17, Capela 16)
Chicago Bulls – New York Knicks 120-128 (Vucevic 19p, Dragic 7p – Hartnstein 6p, 8rb)
Toronto Raptors – Sacramento Kings 123-124 (J. Hernangomez 5p, 5rb – Sabonis 21p, 20rb, 7as)
Oklahoma City Thunder – Miami Heat 108-110 (Pokusevski 2rb, 1as)
San Antonio Spurs – Portland Trail Blazers 112-128 (Sochan 4p, 5rb – Nurkic 15p, 7rb)
Dallas Mavericks – Cleveladn Cavaliers 90-105 (Doncic 30p, Bertans 2p, Ntilikina 3rb)
Denver Nuggets – Washington Wizards 141-128 (Jokic 43p, 14 rb, 8as – Avdija 9p, 6rb, 5as)
LA Clippers – Minesotta Timberwolves 99-88 (Batum 13p, 7rb, Zubac 2p, 8rb – Gobert 11p, 13rb)
Standings:
West
1. New Orleans Pelicans 18-9
2. Memphis Grizzlies 18-9
3. Denver Nuggets 17-10
4. Phoenix Suns 16-12
5. Portland Trail Blazers 16-12
6. Los Angeles Clippers 17-13
7. Sacramento Kings 15-12
8. Utah Jazz 16-14
9. Dallas Mavericks 14-14
10. Golden State Warriors 14-15
11. Minnesota Timberwolves 13-15
12. Los Angeles Lakers 11-16
13. Oklahoma City Thunder 11-17
14. San Antonio Spurs 9-19
15. Houston Rockets 9-18
East
1. Boston Celtics 22-7
2. Milwaukee Bucks 20-7
3. Cleveland Cavaliers 18-11
4. Brooklyn Nets 17-12
5. Philadelphia 76ers 15-12
6. New York Knicks 15-13
7. Indiana Pacers 15-14
8. Atlanta Hawks 14-15
9. Toronto Raptors 13-15
10. Miami Heat 14-15
11. Chicago Bulls 11-16
12. Washington Wizards 11-18
13. Orlando Magic 9-20
14. Charlotte Hornets 7-21
15. Detroit Pistons 8-22