The inspiration for the star guard of the Toronto Raptors, DeMar DeRozan, captured the prominence of the short holiday with which the new year began in the NBA competition.
DeRozan started 2018 in style after scoring 52 points, his best individual and team record, and eight assists with which he helped the Raptors to win in extra time by 131-127 to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The victory also gave the Raptors the twelfth consecutive in its field of the Air Canada Center, with which they tied the best in the history of the Canadian team, which is 25-10, the second best of the Atlantic Division and Conference East
DeRozan scored 17 of 29 field goals, including five of nine 3-pointers – he was one to tie the best mark as a pro – and was perfect from the line of personnel to score 13 of 13.
The Raptors also won 12 consecutive wins at the Air Canada Center from January 18 to March 6, 2016 and are currently 14-1, the best in the league at home.
DeRozan became the third player in the history of the Raptors who scored 50 or more points in a single game after before they got the escorts Vince Carter (2000) and Terrence Ross (2014), who reached 51 points.
Base Kyle Lowry also stood out with 26 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Spanish Congolese power forward Serge Ibaka reached 11 points.
Base Eric Bledsoe scored 29 points with seven rebounds, three assists and four turnovers, which left him in charge of the Bucks (19-16), who lost the third game in the last five and broke a two-game streak. victories followed.
Greek forward Giannis Antetokounmp became the most complete player of the Bucks after contributing 26 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
While guard Khris Middleton reached 18 points and was the third highest scorer of the Raptors, who won the first rematch that both teams have had this season since the past playoffs played in the first round and the Canadian team He won 4-2 to the best of seven.
The escort Jimmy Butler was again responsible for being the leader of the attack of the Minnesota Timberwolves and with 28 points he led them to the easy win of 14-96 before the decimated and tired Lakers of Los Angeles, who lost the seventh consecutive game.
The Dominican American center Karl-Anthony Towns was commissioned to provide a double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds, the thirtieth so far this season, which consolidated him as leader of the league in that statistical section.
The combination of Butler’s seniority, which has scored at least 20 points in eight games, and the youth of Towns was again decisive in the triumph of the Timberwolves (24-14), who won the seventh in the last eight games played and the tenth of 13.
Canadian forward Andrew Wiggins also excelled by contributing 21 points and nine rebounds, his best mark of the season in this facet of the game, while the Timberwolves consolidate leadership in the Northwest Division.
The Senegalese center Gorgui Dieng was present as sixth player and had 17 points, four rebounds and two blocks that also helped the Timberwolves, who for the second consecutive game in their field of the Target Center managed to fill the stands, the fifth time so far seasonal.
Despite the five full at the Target Center, the average attendance in the league so far is 15,864, the fourth worst in the NBA.
The last time the Timberwolves made the Target Center fill up in consecutive matches was February 25-28, 2015, when power forward Kevin Garnett returned to the franchise.
Reserve backup Jordan Clarkson contributed 20 points as the Lakers’ leading scorer, who have lost 10 of the past 11 games.
Another escort, C.J. McCollum emerged as the leading scorer of the Portland Trail Blazers by contributing 32 points, including 25 after the break, and guided his team to victory in overtime by 120-124 against the Chicago Bulls.
McCollum also scored the basket that with 56.5 seconds of extra time broke the tie on the scoreboard and allowed the Trail Blazers to secure victory.
Power forward Al-Farouq Aminu set his best record of the season with 24 points and seven rebounds, while guard-forward Evan Turner reached 22 points, which were also the highest production he has had since the start of the season. new league
The base Kris Dunn emerged as the leader of the attack of the Bulls to provide 22 points and seven assists that left him in front of a list of seven players who had double-digit numbers.
The rookie pivot Jarrett Allen, who went on reserve, scored 16 points, his best mark as a pro, and forward Allen Crabbe contributed 15 points and plugged the potential shot of the tie, which helped the Brooklyn Nets win 98- 95 to the Orlando Magic, in a duel of losing teams in the Eastern Conference.
