The superiority of the Golden State Warriors as the best team in the league in all facets of the game was again demonstrated by defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second game of the past NBA Finals rematch within the traditional holiday of the Martin Luther King’s day.
Forward Kevin Durant scored 32 points, including 16 in the third period, and again led the balanced attack of the Warriors that defeated 108-118 home to the Cavaliers.
Durant, who also contributed eight rebounds and three assists, had the support of base Stephen Curry who reached 23 points, distributed eight assists and recovered two balls.
The victory of the Warriors (36-9), the best record in the league, was the thirteenth in a row that they won outside their field, while the Cavaliers (26-17), who have lost four straight, broke a 13-game winning streak. in a row they had in their field of Quicken Loans Arena.
The Warriors’ best winning streak outside their field is 14 consecutive wins they achieved in the 2015-16 season when the Cavaliers won the Finals.
In addition to having the best record in the league, the Warriors are also leaders in points, assists, plugs, field goal percentage, triples and personnel.
The Warriors, who had also won the Cavaliers, on Christmas Day, in the first rematch after having played both the past NBA Finals, with victory for the Californian team, returned to be better team in the individual section as a collective.
The forward LeBronJames returned to be the leader of the Cavaliers with 32 points, eight rebounds and six assists, who could not make the winning difference.
The Cavaliers star needs just 41 more points and will become the seventh player in NBA history to reach the 30,000 mark as a pro.
The escort Lou Williams took revenge of his exequipo when contributing 31 points and the power forward Blake Griffin achieved 29 before being expelled, that helped Los Angeles Clippers to win 113-102 to the Rockets of Houston.
The game, full of tension for the return of the base Chris Paul for the first time to Staples Center to face the Clippers, which he left to go to the Rockets, had Williams – was part of the package of players transferred – , like the protagonist when achieving by thirteen consecutive encounter 20 or more points and its equipment gained the followed fifth.
Paul, who was greeted with permanent boos, had 19 points, six rebounds and seven assists, which did not stop the Rockets from losing a streak of three straight wins.
German baseman Dennis Schroder had 26 points, seven assists and five rebounds that made him the leader of the Atlanta Hawks’ attack – the league’s worst team – who got the surprise of the day by beating the Spurs 102-99. of San Antonio, third best classified in the Western Conference.
The power forward LaMarcus Aldridge returned to be the undisputed leader of the Spurs to provide a double-double of 25 points and 11 rebounds, which this time did not prevent the defeat, the fourteenth that have suffered outside their field so far season.
The other negative news for the Spurs was the injury of veteran Argentine guard Manu Ginobili, who suffered a concussion in the right thigh at the end of the first quarter and did not return to the field, without the team having made known the scope of it.
The veteran 40-year-old guard was injured when he collided with the body of his former teammate Dedmon, who was trying to make a screen in attack play of the Atlanta team.
Before getting injured, Ginobili played five minutes in which he missed the only shot he made and gave an assist.
Base Russell Westbrook totaled 19 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists before being sent off, in a game in which the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from a 15-point deficit in the first half to defeat the Sacramento Kings 95-88 and avoid suffering the fourth consecutive defeat in his field.
Cameroonian center Joel Embiid scored a double-double of 34 points and 11 rebounds that helped the Philadelphia Sixers beat the Toronto Raptors 117-111 and win the fourth victory in the last five games.
Another decisive foreign player was the Greek forward Giannis Antetokounmpo who contributed a double-double of 27 points and 20 rebounds –better professional mark–, and guided the Milwaukee Bucks to a 95-104 road win against the Wizards. from Washington.
Escort Zach LaVine scored 18 points in what was only his second game with the Chicago Bulls, which beat the Miami Heat’s 119-111 Southeast Division leaders and cut a streak of seven straight wins.
The base Justin Holiday achieved the best mark of his career, with seven triples, and reached the top 25 points of the Bulls, who have won 14 of the last 21 games.
The day also left winners to the Knicks that were imposed at home 104-119 to their neighbors Nets; Detroit did the same with Charlotte (107-118) and Indiana against Utah (94-109). While the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 123-114 in a duel of losing teams.
