NBA Euro-watch: Rockets beat the Warriors and Capela says Houston is better

By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net

The Swiss big man, however, stole the show with what he had to say after the game.

“We’re confident because we know if we’re doing what we’re supposed to do, we’re going to beat them,” Rockets center Clint Capela told ESPN. “Today, we were ready. I think that if we’re doing what we’re supposed to do on defense — all the switches, the weak side — and keep playing our offense by keeping that mentality all game long, we have the weapons to beat them. We are better than them.”

French star Nic Batum scored a season-high 26 points and Kemba Walker had 22 for Charlotte, which had a two-game winning streak snapped as Miami without Eurobasket MVP Goran Dragic got the 106-105 road win.

With Miami trailing 105-100, Joe Johnson got free for a dunk. The Hornets inbounded the ball to Batum, but Josh Richardson stripped the ball and passed it to Johnson, who knocked down a 3-pointer from the wing to tie it.

“I didn’t see him,” Batum said. “I was facing the (inbounder) and he came in from behind. I had no idea he was behind me. I barely touched the ball. … I don’t have eyes in the back of my head.”

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Khris Middleton had his first career-triple double — 23 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists — for the Giannis-less Bucks in their second straight loss to the Sixers with 116-94 as Frenchman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored 16 points in a rare start as the Sixers (22-20) moved past Milwaukee (23-22).

Here’s the rest of last night’s results and the euro-scorers

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS	OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER	124-148	Osman 2 p. Calderon 2 p. 1 as.
ATLANTA HAWKS	CHICAGO BULLS	97-113	Schroder 18 p. 5 as. Ilyasova 9 p. Belinelli 6 p. – Markkanen 19 p. 4 r. 1 as. Mirotic 10 p. 7 r.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS	MIAMI HEAT	105-106	Batum 26 p. 3 r. 6 as. 3 st.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS	MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES	111-104	Gasol 16 p. 5 r. 7 as.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS	MILWAUKEE BUCKS	116-94	Saric 13 p. 6 r . 7 as. Luwawu-Cabattor 16 p. 3 r.
HOUSTON ROCKETS	GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS	116-108	Capela 18 p. 5 r. – Pachulia 4 p. 4 r. 3 as.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES	TORONTO RAPTORS	115-109	Ibaka 13 p. 5 r. Valanciunas 3 r. Poeltl 6 p. Bjelica 8 p. 6 r.
UTAH JAZZ	LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS	125-113	Gobert 16 p. 7 r., Rubio 12 p. 6 r . 6 as. Jerbeko 7 p. 6 r. – Teodosic 8 p. 4 as.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS	DALLAS MAVERICKS	117-108	Nurkic 10 p. 6 r. – Nowitzki 21 p. 4 r. Kleber 10 p.

#	TEAM	PTS	MP	W	L	POINTS	+/-
EASTERN
1	BOSTON CELTICS		46	34	12	4725 – 4505	220
2	TORONTO RAPTORS		45	31	14	5009 – 4682	327
3	CLEVELAND CAVALIERS		45	27	18	4937 – 4927	10
4	MIAMI HEAT		46	27	19	4654 – 4686	-32
5	WASHINGTON WIZARDS		46	26	20	4932 – 4849	83
6	PHILADELPHIA 76ers		42	22	20	4550 – 4501	49
7	INDIANA PACERS		46	24	22	4897 – 4863	34
8	MILWAUKEE BUCKS		45	23	22	4711 – 4775	-64
9	DETROIT PISTONS		44	22	22	4503 – 4496	7
10	NEW YORK KNICKS		46	21	25	4807 – 4843	-36
11	CHARLOTTE HORNETS		44	18	26	4648 – 4653	-5
12	CHICAGO BULLS		46	18	28	4746 – 4983	-237
13	BROOKLYN NETS		46	17	29	4865 – 5004	-139
14	ORLANDO MAGIC		45	13	32	4736 – 4983	-247
15	ATLANTA HAWKS		45	13	32	4660 – 4853	-193
WESTERN
1	GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS		47	37	10	5441 – 5032	409
2	HOUSTON ROCKETS		44	32	12	5047 – 4703	344
3	SAN ANTONIO SPURS		47	30	17	4744 – 4588	156
4	MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES		48	30	18	5211 – 5044	167
5	OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER		46	26	20	4843 – 4660	183
6	PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS		46	25	21	4793 – 4741	52
7	NEW ORLEANS PELICANS		45	24	21	4984 – 4974	10
8	LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS		45	23	22	4843 – 4818	25
9	DENVER NUGGETS		46	23	23	4876 – 4860	16
10	UTAH JAZZ		46	19	27	4685 – 4715	-30
11	PHOENIX SUNS		46	17	29	4851 – 5160	-309
12	MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES		45	16	29	4479 – 4594	-115
13	LOS ANGELES LAKERS		45	16	29	4776 – 4950	-174
14	DALLAS MAVERICKS		46	15	31	4721 – 4819	-98
15	SACRAMENTO KINGS		45	13	32	4395 – 4808	-413