ONE System | 30/01/2021 05:44
Russell Westbrook dismissed (Reuters)
Washington (12: 3) – Atlanta (9:10) 116: 100
The team’s weak season opener from the capital continued with another loss, with Danny Abdia no longer a partner and forced to be absent due to the NBA Health Protocol. The Israeli’s team again failed to be a worthy opponent and it remained in last place in the East with the weak balance in the league. On the other hand, the Hawks recovered from the loss to Brooklyn and returned to a positive balance.
After the Wizards still managed to stay close in the first half, during the third quarter the visitors’ advantage crossed the 20 point mark and there in fact the story of the game was already over. Terra Young was level above everyone on the floor and led the winner with 41 points, while on the other side Bradley Bill and Russell Westbrook finished with 26 points each, in a very nervous game during which Westbrook and Burke Lopez were sent off by the host after suffering 2 technical fouls each. Rajon Rondo, who waved Westbrook in peace as he stepped off the floor, was also sent off later.
Oklahoma (10: 8) – Brooklyn (8:13) 147: 125
Bents’ campaign continued with a fourth straight win, which Kevin Durant, who was given a rest, saw from the sidelines. In the absence of one of the members of the deadly trio, both of his friends did the job and led the gang from the Big Apple to an offensive display in a defenseless game. James Harden finished with a triple but that included 25 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, Kyrie Irving added 25 points of his own and another 7 players of the winner finished with double digits in the points column. The Nets once again showed how much potential their attack has when they finished all quarters with more than 30 points, and in fact already during the second quarter climbed to a promising advantage that was not in doubt until the last buzzer.
Minnesota (14: 4) – Philadelphia (6:14) 118: 94
The team from the top of the East did not have a hard time against the table lock in the West and completed a fifth victory in six games. The Timberwolves, who recorded a third straight loss, managed to maintain a reasonable gap midway through the third quarter, so the Sixers put up gear and ran for a double-digit margin to produce for themselves a calm final quarter and sail for another win. Joel Ambide as usual was the standout player on the statistics board with an impressive double-double that included 37 points and 11 rebounds.
Orlando (12: 8) – Los Angeles Clippers (5:15) 116: 90
The City of Angels team has continued to impress with its ninth win in its last 10 games, to stay close to Utah at the Western Summit. The Magic, on the other hand, did not manage to rise in the Eastern table and were left with a single victory in five games. The first quarter still ended in a draw, but 22:36 to the credit of the visitors in the second quarter, caused the game to protocol only during quarters 3-4, with the Clippers advantage already hovering around the 30-point range. Paul George (26 points and 9 rebounds) and Kwai Leonard (24 points) made their way to another easy W.
New Orleans (10: 7) – Milwaukee (7:11) 126: 131
A respectable performance by the Pelicans provided them with an impressive and prestigious victory despite the short roster with which they went up to the floor, which included only 8 players. The hosts achieved a second straight win and signaled that they really did not give up their place in the Western Playoffs, while Milwaukee, for its part, lost for the second time in a row and allowed Philadelphia to escape from it a bit at the Eastern Summit. The game already looked over during the first half when the Pelicans opened a gap of 29 points, but the Bucks managed to keep the game alive and 48 seconds to go they were already down to just 127: 121, before Brandon Ingram put an end to the story from the line.
6 of the 8 winning players finished the game with double digits in the points column with Ingram leading with 28 and Zion supporting with 21 of his own alongside 9 rebounds. Stephen Adams finished with just 4, but dropped no less than 20 rebounds, while on the other side Yannis Antocompo finished with a double-double of 38 points and 11 rebounds.
New York (11: 9) – Cleveland (10: 9) 81: 102
The Knicks stopped a streak of three losses and after an impressive defensive performance they again find themselves in an unfamiliar place – within the opening eight of the East. The Big Apple side, who have not appeared in the playoffs since the 2012/2013 season, believe the season can be back there, and after keeping the Cubs at less than 20 points in each of the first two quarters, they went down to the break with a 33:47 lead. Cleveland still got a little closer during the third quarter but towards the end the locals ran away again, not looking back until the end of the 48 minutes at Madison Square Garden. Emanuel Quickley led the winner from the bench with 25 points.
San Antonio (8:11) – Denver (8:11) 109: 119
The two teams tied for 4-5 places in the Western Conference table met head-to-head as the Spurs came out with their hand on the top and tied their balance to that of the Nuggets with a third straight win, stopping five wins from the visitors on the way. The game was close most of the way, but at the start of the last 5 minutes Greg Popovich’s trainees managed to create a double-digit gap that was also maintained until the last buzzer. Nikola Jukic this time settled for a double-double of 35 points and 10 rebounds, while on the winning side, Damar Drusen stood out with his own double-double, which included 30 points and 10 assists.
More results
Toronto (12: 7) – Sacramento (10: 8) 126: 124
Charlotte (11: 8) – Indiana (8:11) 105: 108
