The Toronto Raptors became the team with the most victories this season in the NBA to get the twenty-ninth after prevailing visitors to the Bucks of Milwaukee.
While the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings combined to set a new triple and Australian baseman Ben Simmons, who won the Rookie of the Year award last season, was better than the Slovenian forward Luka Doncic, who seeks to occupy his put this year.
Cameroonian forward Pascal Siakam and forward Kawhi Leonard contributed 30 points as leaders in the attack of the Raptors, who defeated the Bucks 116-123 at home, in a duel of the best teams in the Western Conference and with the best marks of the league.
Leonard also played a great defense by recovering five balls, which tied his best record so far this season.
The Raptors (29-12) remain in first place in the Atlantic Division with their sixth win in the last 10 games.
The nationalized Congolese Spanish Serge Ibaka had 25 points and nine rebounds for the Toronto team, second in the Eastern Conference, which made a great defense in the decisive moments.
The Bucks (27-11), Eastern Conference leaders and the Central Division, had the Greek power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, leader, with a monumental double-double of 43 points and 18 rebounds, which did not prevent the defeat and break run of five consecutive wins.
Base Stephen Curry led the attack with 42 points, including 20 in the fourth quarter, for the Warriors, who forgot the frustrating defeat suffered in their field against the Houston Rockets, last Thursday, and beat home 123-127 to the Kings.
The Warriors improved their record to 26-14 and clinched the lead in the Pacific Division with three games ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers, runners-up.
Kevin Durant contributed 29 points and nine assists and Klay Thompson scored 20 points for the Golden State team.
The Kings (19-20), penultimate in the Pacific Division, reached four straight losses, were led by the Bahamian escort Buddy Hield, with 32 points.
Both teams set a new triple record by combining for 41 that were split with 21 of 47 attempts by the Warriors and 20 of 36 by the Kings.
Bosnian power forward Jusuf Nurkic had a double-double of 25 points and 15 rebounds for the Portland Trail Blazers, who won 110-101 to the Houston Rockets, who broke a streak of six straight wins.
The Trail Blazers (23-17) secure third place in the Northwest Division after winning their sixth win in the last 10 games.
The escort C.J. McCollum had 24 points and baseman Damian Lillard contributed a double-double of 17 points and 12 assists as manager of the balanced attack of the Trail Blazers.
The Rockets (22-16) with the loss lose the solo lead of the Southwest Division, where they are tied with the San Antonio Spurs (23-17), who easily won 108-88 over the Memphis Grizzlies.
James Harden led the attack with 38 points, 7 assists and five rebounds, but he saw a streak of five consecutive games with at least 40 points and in the previous two had two triple-doubles.
The leader who had no problems to consolidate his position were the Denver Nuggets who beat the Charlotte Hornets 123-110 with the Serbian center Nikola Jokic, who contributed a double-double of 39 points – the best mark of the season- -, 12 rebounds and six assists.
The Nuggets, who added their fifth overall victory in a row, and the tenth in their field are still leading the Northwest Division and the Western Conference with a 26-11 record.
The focus with the new values of the NBA in action occurred in Philadelphia, where the local team of the Sixers had to fight to the max before getting the victory by 106-100 against the Dallas Mavericks.
Simmons emerged as the great figure of the Sixers to provide a triple-double of 20 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, while the Cameroonian center, Joel Embiid, also got a double-double.
Although the Sixers had 19 points of advantage in the second half, with just over a minute to go Doncic with a triple put the 101-97 partial that forced Embiid to score two decisive personnel shots and finish the game with 25 points and 12 rebounds.
The guard Wesley Matthews had 18 goals as leader of the Mavericks (18-21), the guard-forward reserve, Australian rookie Ryan Broeckhoff achieved his best as a professional by scoring 15 points and Doncic 14, eight defensive rebounds, four assists and recovered two balls.
The Derrick White base contributed 19 points as the Spurs’ best scorer against the Grizzlies and won the fourth
