By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
James Harden scored 31 points and the Rockets held on to outlast the Denver Nuggets for a 110-104 win that secured the third seed in the Western Conference. Swiss Clint Capela added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the winners, while Italian Gallinari had 23 points and Jokic finished the night with 12 points, 19 rebounds, 9 assists and 5 steals for the Nuggets, who are in ninth place and are fighting for the last playoff spot in the West.
Slovenian Goran Dragic scored 33 points, and the Heat made a franchise-record 21 3-pointers – six of those by James Johnson – to pull back into a tie for eighth place in the Eastern Conferenc, getting a crucial 112-99 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. French star Nicolas Batum led Charlotte with 24 points while Italian Marco Belinelli added one rebound and one assist.
Russell Westbrook fell a rebound short of an historic triple-double, but scored 45 points, including the Thunder‘s final five points to lead Oklahoma City to a 103-100 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Westbrook also had 10 assists with the nine rebounds, while Spaniard Marc Gasol led Memphis with 23 points. Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis had 5 points and one rebound, while Turk Enes Kanter added 10 points and 5 rebounds.
LeBron James had 36 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and the Cleveland ran past the Boston 114-91 to move back into first place in the East. Sweden’s Jonas Jerebko had one point and 3 rebounds for the Celtics. Here’s the rest of last night’s results and the euro-scorers.
San Antonio – LA Lakers 95-102 (Parker 14 p. 4 as. Bertans 14 p. Gasol 9 p. 8 r.)
Phoenix – Golden State 111-120 (Curry 42 p. 11 r. – Len 8 p. 4 r.)
LA Clippers – Dallas 112-101 (Nowitzki 9 p.)
Detroit – Toronto 102-105 (Udrih 8 p. 8 as. – Ibaka 7 p. 7 r. Valanciunas 19 p. 5 r. Poeltl 4 p. 1 r.)
Eastern Conference
| W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF | PPG | OPP PPG | DIFF | STRK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1y –Cleveland Cavaliers | 51 | 27 | .654 | – | 31-8 | 20-19 | 8-8 | 35-13 | 110.5 | 106.7 | +3.8 | W4 | 6-4 |
| 2x –Boston Celtics | 50 | 28 | .641 | 1 | 28-11 | 22-17 | 10-5 | 33-15 | 107.6 | 105.2 | +2.4 | L1 | 7-3 |
| 3x –Toronto Raptors | 48 | 31 | .608 | 3.5 | 27-13 | 21-18 | 13-2 | 31-18 | 107.1 | 103.1 | +4.0 | W1 | 8-2 |
| 4y –Washington Wizards | 47 | 31 | .603 | 4 | 30-10 | 17-21 | 8-6 | 30-18 | 109.4 | 107.5 | +1.9 | W1 | 5-5 |
| 5Milwaukee Bucks | 40 | 38 | .513 | 11 | 22-18 | 18-20 | 10-5 | 25-23 | 104.3 | 104.3 | 0.0 | L2 | 6-4 |
| 6Atlanta Hawks | 39 | 38 | .506 | 11.5 | 20-18 | 19-20 | 5-10 | 26-21 | 102.7 | 104.0 | -1.3 | L2 | 2-8 |
| 7Chicago Bulls | 38 | 40 | .487 | 13 | 23-16 | 15-24 | 9-7 | 25-23 | 102.5 | 103.3 | -0.8 | L1 | 6-4 |
| 8Miami Heat | 38 | 40 | .487 | 13 | 21-18 | 17-22 | 7-7 | 24-24 | 102.9 | 101.9 | +1.0 | W1 | 5-5 |
| Indiana Pacers | 38 | 40 | .487 | 13 | 27-12 | 11-28 | 7-8 | 22-26 | 104.7 | 105.6 | -1.0 | W1 | 3-7 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 36 | 43 | .456 | 15.5 | 22-18 | 14-25 | 10-5 | 22-27 | 105.5 | 104.7 | +0.7 | L2 | 6-4 |
| Detroit Pistons | 35 | 43 | .449 | 16 | 24-16 | 11-27 | 5-11 | 21-29 | 101.1 | 102.4 | -1.3 | L2 | 2-8 |
| e –New York Knicks | 30 | 48 | .385 | 21 | 18-20 | 12-28 | 4-10 | 21-28 | 104.5 | 108.0 | -3.5 | W1 | 3-7 |
| e –Philadelphia 76ers | 28 | 50 | .359 | 23 | 17-21 | 11-29 | 7-8 | 19-29 | 102.6 | 108.2 | -5.6 | L4 | 3-7 |
| e –Orlando Magic | 27 | 51 | .346 | 24 | 14-24 | 13-27 | 7-9 | 18-30 | 100.9 | 107.2 | -6.3 | L5 | 3-7 |
| e –Brooklyn Nets | 19 | 59 | .244 | 32 | 12-28 | 7-31 | 3-12 | 10-38 | 106.2 | 112.5 | -6.4 | W3 | 6-4 |
Western Conference
| W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF | PPG | OPP PPG | DIFF | STRK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1z –Golden State Warriors | 65 | 14 | .823 | – | 34-4 | 31-10 | 13-2 | 40-9 | 116.1 | 104.4 | +11.7 | W13 | 10-0 |
| 2y –San Antonio Spurs | 60 | 18 | .769 | 4.5 | 31-9 | 29-9 | 10-5 | 35-13 | 105.8 | 98.2 | +7.6 | L1 | 8-2 |
| 3x –Houston Rockets | 53 | 25 | .679 | 11.5 | 29-10 | 24-15 | 10-6 | 34-15 | 115.3 | 109.0 | +6.3 | W2 | 6-4 |
| 4x –Utah Jazz | 48 | 30 | .615 | 16.5 | 27-12 | 21-18 | 7-7 | 28-20 | 100.6 | 96.5 | +4.1 | W1 | 5-5 |
| 5x –LA Clippers | 48 | 31 | .608 | 17 | 27-12 | 21-19 | 9-6 | 28-21 | 108.5 | 104.8 | +3.7 | W4 | 8-2 |
| 6x –Oklahoma City Thunder | 45 | 33 | .577 | 19.5 | 28-12 | 17-21 | 8-5 | 27-21 | 106.8 | 105.7 | +1.1 | W2 | 6-4 |
| 7x –Memphis Grizzlies | 42 | 37 | .532 | 23 | 23-15 | 19-22 | 8-7 | 28-23 | 100.7 | 100.1 | +0.6 | L3 | 3-7 |
| 8Portland Trail Blazers | 38 | 40 | .487 | 26.5 | 22-15 | 16-25 | 9-5 | 25-23 | 108.3 | 109.1 | -0.8 | L2 | 7-3 |
| Denver Nuggets | 37 | 41 | .474 | 27.5 | 21-18 | 16-23 | 5-9 | 21-27 | 111.7 | 111.7 | +0.0 | L1 | 4-6 |
| e –New Orleans Pelicans | 33 | 45 | .423 | 31.5 | 21-20 | 12-25 | 6-10 | 19-29 | 104.5 | 106.1 | -1.6 | L2 | 6-4 |
| e –Dallas Mavericks | 32 | 46 | .410 | 32.5 | 21-18 | 11-28 | 4-10 | 18-30 | 97.9 | 100.5 | -2.6 | L2 | 3-7 |
| e –Minnesota Timberwolves | 31 | 46 | .403 | 33 | 20-20 | 11-26 | 5-8 | 18-29 | 105.5 | 106.4 | -0.9 | L1 | 3-7 |
| e –Sacramento Kings | 31 | 47 | .397 | 33.5 | 16-23 | 15-24 | 6-7 | 20-28 | 102.4 | 106.4 | -4.0 | W2 | 4-6 |
| e –Los Angeles Lakers | 23 | 55 | .295 | 41.5 | 14-24 | 9-31 | 5-9 | 13-35 | 104.7 | 111.9 | -7.3 | W2 | 3-7 |
| e –Phoenix Suns | 22 | 57 | .278 | 43 | 13-26 | 9-31 | 3-12 | 9-40 | 107.4 | 113.3 | -6.0 | L13 | 0-10 |