The games of the night: the Doncic-Irving couple does not work for the Mavs, the Pelicans beat the Clippers and “see” the playoffs
Two games of the NBA regular season were played on the Italian night of April 2nd. Wins for the Miami Heat and New Orleans Pelicans, respectively against the Dallas Mavs and the Los Angeles Clippers. Here’s how the races went.
miami heat-dallas mavericks 129-122
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Proof of Miami pride. Jimmy Butler pride performance. The Heat (41-37), returning from three straight defeats that complicated their chances of direct access to the playoffs, beat Dallas showing off one of the best offensive performances of the season, scoring 129 points, shooting over 52% from the field and dispensing 27 assists against just 8 turnovers. Jimmy Buckets charms: 35 points shooting 12/16, 12 assists, no turnovers. And the decisive “treat” in the final match: 9 decisive consecutive points for coach Spoelstra’s team, which is getting closer to Brooklyn, sixth in the East. Excellent performance by Zeller, in his first time as starter in place of the bruised Adebayo (hip) , 18 points in 19′ for Love off the bench, best offensive performance since his arrival in Florida. Miami, also ahead by 18 points, makes a comeback up to -5 Mavs, but then knows how to find defensive stops when it matters most. Dallas (37-41) seems to be in an irreversible crisis. He had lost 7 of the last 10 games he played, he crashed once more, unable to defend. The coexistence between Doncic and Irving on that half of the pitch is worthy of Candid Camera: “free den for everyone” and everyone means every opponent. The Slovenian scores 42 efficient points, yet they are not enough, they cannot be enough: the side dish is mediocre and badly matched. The Texans are eleventh in the West, one game away from Oklahoma City and with the negative balance in direct clashes with the Thunder, in case of arrival with the same record. In short, the playoffs are bloody at risk. These teams played the final of their respective Conferences in 2022. It seems like a century ago… Fun fact: a few hours before the tap-off at the start of the game, it was announced that the respective symbols of the franchise, Wade and Nowitzki, will be introduced in the Hall of Fame for the class of 2023. Dutiful.
You love me: Butler 35 (11/13, 1/3, 10/11 tl), Zeller 20, Love/Strus 18. Rebounds: Zeller 8. Assists: Butler 12
Dallas: Doncic 42 (15/19, 2/6, 6/7 tl), Hardaway 31, Irving 23. Rebounds: Doncic 10. Assists: Doncic 8
new orleans pelicans-los angeles clippers 122-114
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Is there anyone more unstoppable than Brandon Ingram in the NBA right now? The answer is no. The New Orleans winger, last week’s player in the West, mortgages the encore with yet another stellar performance. Against the Clippers he scores 36 points shooting 13/23 from the field, he even wins the duel with Kawhi Leonard, who replies with 40, but fails to mark him in the sprint. The Pelicans (40-38) win for the seventh time in their last eight games, move up to seventh place in the West and are just half a game away from their recently beaten opponents, against whom they boast favorable head-to-head matches if they finish paired . Los Angeles (41-38) is on the ropes: it really risks slipping to the play-in, without the injured George at least until the start of the post season. This time a great first half by Westbrook and a Leonard in form are not enough: coach Lue’s rotations are disturbing, the adjustments always late compared to the moves of the opposing coach, the arrivals of Plumlee and Hyland from the market are proving to be a minus. And it shouldn’t surprise anyone. The difference in the evening is the 11-2 run with which the Louisiana team goes up 99-92. He will never look back. Ingram and Valanciunas keep her in front, never even trembling. Closest playoffs: The Pels are playing their best basketball at the most important moment of the season. And Williamson is still missing, if he too returns…
New Orleans: Ingram 36 (13/23, 10/11 tl), Valanciunas 23, McCollum/Murphy 19. Rebounds: Valanciunas 12. Assists: Ingram 8
Los Angeles: Leonard 40 (11/20, 4/8, 6/6 tl), Westbrook 24, Zubac 15. Rebounds: Leonard 8. Assists: Westbrook 9
April 2 – 08:09
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