By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The game of the night was the Denver Nuggets against the Dallas Mavericks—a clash between two teams from the top of the West, but also between European superstars, Nikola Jokic vs. Luka Doncic.
While it showed great promise, it ended up being a one-sided match, with Denver taking a 130-104 win at home, improving their record to 18-10.
With a glance over the final score, it would only be logical that Nikola Jokic dominated, but… The Serbian center finished the match with single digits in all three top statistical categories—eight points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Of course, he was still very influential and didn’t even participate in the final quarter.
On the other side, Doncic was flying solo with 38 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. He continued with great performances, but the Mavs were nowhere near the defending champions.
Other European stars shined too, with Domantas Sabonis leading the Sacramento Kings to a 143-131 victory over the Washington Wizards with a triple-double.
The Lithuanian center finished the match with 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists, and only Jokic and Doncic have more triple-doubles than him this season. Sasha Vezenkov followed him with another solid outing, scoring eight points and grabbing seven rebounds.
On the other side, talented Frenchman Bilal Coulibaly had 11 points, while Deni Avdija scored nine for the Wizards.
The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Houston Rockets 135-130 despite Alperen Sengun scoring 24 points, while Ivica Zubac had a great game, scoring 18 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in a 151-127 LA Clippers win over the Indiana Pacers on the road.
Clint Capela also recorded a double-double with 17 points and 15 boards in a 130-124 Atlanta Hawks victory over the Detroit Pistons. Bogdan Bogdanovic was spared, but Bojan Bogdanovic shined for the losing side with 25 points.
NBA results:
Cleveland – Houston 135-130 (Sengun 24p)
Indiana – LA Clipers 127-151 (Zubac 18p, 16r, Theis 4p, 9r)
Philadelphia – Chicago 104-108 (Embiid 40p, 14r – Vucevic 23p)
Atlanta – Detroit 130-124 (Capela 17p, 15r – Bogdanovic 25p)
Miami – Minnesota 108-112 (Gobert 9p, 16r)
Toronto – Charlotte 114-99 (Schroder 13p, Anunoby 5p, Poeltl 4p)
Oklahoma – Memphis 116-97 (Sarr 6p, Dieng 4p – Aldama 9p, 9r)
Denver – Dallas 130-104 (Jokic 8p, 9r, 7as – Doncic 38p, 11r, 8as)
Utah – Brooklyn 125-108 (Markkanen 20p, 10r, Samanic 5p, Fontecchio 2p)
Sacramento – Washington 143-131 (Sabonis 28p, 13r, 12as, Vezenkov 8p, 7r – Coulibaly 11p, Avdija 9p)
LA Lakers – New York 109-114 (Hartenstein 9p, 17r)
Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Boston Celtics 20-5
2. Milwaukee Bucks 19-7
3. Philadelphia 76ers 18-8
4. Orlando Magic 16-9
5. New York Knicks 15-11
6. Cleveland Cavaliers 15-12
7. Miami Heat 15-12
8. Indiana Pacers 13-12
9. Brooklyn Nets 13-13
10. Atlanta Hawks 11-15
11. Toronto Raptors 11-15
12. Chicago Bulls 11-17
13. Charlotte Hornets 7-17
14. Washington Wizards 4-22
15. Detroit Pistons 2-25
Western Conference
1. Minnesota Timberwolves 20-5
2. Oklahoma City Thunder 17-8
3. Denver Nuggets 18-10
4. Sacramento Kings 16-9
5. Dallas Mavericks 16-10
6. Los Angeles Clippers 16-10
7. New Orleans Pelicans 16-11
8. Los Angeles Lakers 15-12
9. Houston Rockets 13-11
10. Phoenix Suns 14-12
11. Golden State Warriors 12-14
12. Utah Jazz 10-17
13. Memphis Grizzlies 6-19
14. Portland Trail Blazers 6-19
15. San Antonio Spurs 4-21
-Teams ranking first through sixth advance directly to the Playoffs
-Teams ranking seventh through tenth compete in the Play-Ins