Bucks secure the top, Lakers lose to Clippers, Dallas stayed alive

By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net

The Bucks secured the NBA’s best record with their 105-92 win Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls despite being without star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Antetokounmpo was listed as probable on the team’s injury report with right knee soreness leading up to the game. He took the court for a shortened version of his regular pregame routine before being ruled out.

However, the Bucks improved to 11-6 without Antetokounmpo this season as Jrue Holiday picked up the slack with 20 points, eight rebounds, and 15 assists.

Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls who have also secured their presence in the play-ins.

In Dallas, Kyrie Irving capped a 19-point fourth quarter with a big three to finish with 31 points, and Dallas stayed in the race for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference playoffs with a 123-119 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

Slovenian star Luka Doncic added 29 points and 10 rebounds as the Mavericks (38-42) matched Oklahoma City’s record for the 10th seed in the West with two games remaining.

Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis had a triple-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists for the Kings, who have already ended a 16-year playoff drought and are all but locked into the third seed in the West.

In LA,  Norman Powell scored 27 points, Kawhi Leonard added 25 in a game-high 43 minutes and the Clippers improved their playoff seeding chances with a 125-118 win over LeBron James and the Lakers on Wednesday night.

Croatian center Ivica Zubac added 17 points and 13 rebounds for the winning side

NBA RESULTS AND EURO SCORERS

Detroit – Brooklyn 108-123 (Hayes 4 p. 6 as.)
Indiana – New York 129-138 (Hartenstein 8 p. 7 r., Fourner 1 as.)
Atlanta – Washington 134-116 (Capela 9 p. 8 r.)
Boston – Toronto 97-93 (Anunoby 12 p.)
Milwaukee – Chicago 105-92 (Vucevic 21 p. 11 r.)
New Orleans – Memphis 138-131 (Valanciunas 4 p. 6 r. – Aldama 2 p.)
Dallas – Sacramento 123-119 (Doncic 29 p. 10 r., Kleber 3 p. – Sabonis 19 p. 11 r. 11 as., Len 2 p. 9 r.)
Clippers – Lakers 125-118 (Zubac 17 p. 11 r., Batum 5 p. 2 r. – Schroder 2 p. 4 as.)

2022-23 STANDINGS

EAST

TEAM	W	L	LAST 10
1 y- MILWAUKEE	58	22	7-3
2 y- BOSTON	55	25	7-3
3 y- PHILADELPHIA	52	27	5-5
4 y- CLEVELAND	50	30	7-3
5 y- NEW YORK	47	33	7-3
6 BROOKLYN	44	36	5-5
7 MIAMI	42	37	6-4
8 p- ATLANTA	41	39	6-4
9 p- TORONTO	40	40	6-4
10 p- CHICAGO	38	42	6-4
11 e- ORLANDO	34	45	6-4
12 e- INDIANA	34	46	2-8
13 e- WASHINGTON	34	46	2-8
14 e- CHARLOTTE	26	54	4-6
15 e- DETROIT	16	64	0-10

WEST

TEAM	W	L	LAST 10
1 y- DENVER	52	27	6-4
2 y- MEMPHIS	50	30	7-3
3 y- SACRAMENTO	48	32	5-5
4 y- PHOENIX	44	35	7-3
5 LA CLIPPERS	42	38	5-5
6 GOLDEN STATE	42	38	6-4
7 LA LAKERS	41	39	7-3
8 NEW ORLEANS	41	39	8-2
9 MINNESOTA	40	40	5-5
10 OKLAHOMA CITY	38	42	4-6
11 DALLAS	38	42	3-7
12 UTAH	36	43	3-7
13 e- PORTLAND	33	46	2-8
14 e- SAN ANTONIO	20	59	2-8
15 e- HOUSTON	20	60	2-8

y-clinched a Playoffs berth
p-clinched a Play-in berth
e-eliminated from Playoffs

-Top six teams of each conference advance directly to the Playoffs
-Teams seeded 7th to 10th will compete in Play-In tournament