The surprise defeats that led the Milwaukee Bucks and the Houston Rockets over the weekend were overcome with victories that they achieved in the last day of the NBA, which allowed them to continue as leaders in their respective divisions.
The Greek power forward Giannis Antetokoumpo contributed a double-double of 30 points and 10 rebounds that left him in charge of the balanced attack of the Bucks that beat the locals 114-102 to the Utah Jazz, who also suffered the loss due to injury. of the titular base, the Spanish Ricky Rubio.
Along with Antetokounmpo, who also delivered two assists and put two blocks, the guard-forward Malcolm Brogdon added 21 points, which left him as the second highest scorer.
Australian Sudanese power forward Thon Maker emerged with another 15 points, his best record so far this season, and captured five rebounds that left him as the sixth player of the Bucks.
The victory allowed the Bucks (28-11) to leave behind the frustration of the defeat suffered last Saturday in their field against the Toronto Raptors and continue in the fight for the best record of the Eastern Conference and the league, which now he is again in the power of the Canadian team.
The combination of guard James Harden and Swiss center Clint Capela was again the key to the attack of the Rockets who beat the Denver Nuggets 125-113 in the duel of division leaders of the Western Conference.
Harden continued as the team’s leading scorer by providing a double-double of 32 points, including 6 of 15 triple attempts, 14 assists, five rebounds, and lost six balls, which returned to be the only blemish he had in his individual game.
The current Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the league extended to 13 consecutive games his streak of having scored at least 30 points.
While Capela reached his best mark as a professional after scoring 31 points, his best record as per and capture nine rebounds – defensive eight – and gave two assists.
The eaves P.J. Tucker also established his best record as a professional by scoring seven triples and finishing the game with 21 points – the highest of the season – and third highest scorer of the Rockets, who won the twelfth game in the last 14 they have played.
The victory allowed the Rockets to return to winning ways after losing last Saturday to the Portland Trail Blazers and breaking streak of six consecutive wins.
The Houston team improved its record to 23-16, which keeps it as leader of the Southwest Division, with a 5 tenths advantage in the winning percentage in relation to the San Antonio Spurs, who are second with a 24-17 mark and they also won by visitors 107-119 against the Detroit Pistons.
The Serbian center Nikola Jokic achieved a double-double of 24 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, two recoveries of ball and eight losses was the great figure of the Nuggets (26-12), who broke streak of five consecutive wins, but still leading leaders in the Northwest Division with a game and a half advantage over the Oklahoma City Thunder that had a rest day.
Base Kyrie Irving returned as a starter after missing two games with an eye injury and scoring 17 points that left him in charge of the Boston Celtics attack that prevailed by beating the Brooklyn Nets 116-95.
Irving, who played 28 minutes, also contributed six assists, recovered three balls and captured two defensive rebounds.
The star base of the Celtics had missed the previous two games after suffering the scrape of the corneas of both eyes in a clash had during the game that his team played on December 31 against the Spurs of San Antonio.
Jayson Tatum with 16 points was the second scorer of the Celtics who won the third consecutive victory and put on a record of 24-15, the third best of the Atlantic Division.
The rookie forward, the Latvian Rodions Kurucs, was in charge of leading the attack of the Nets (20-22) to provide 24 points, including five triples of eight attempts, but did not prevent the defeat that cut his team streak of three consecutive wins , and was the twelfth in the last 16 matches played.
DeMar DeRozan, with 26 points, led the balanced attack of the San Antonio Spurs that won 107-119 at home to the Detroit Pistons and achieved the fourth consecutive win, eighth in the last 10 games.
The victory allows the Spurs to go 24-17 and be second in the Southwest Division after the Rockets of Housto.
Along with DeRozan, power forward LaMarcus Aldridge contributed another 25 points and six rebounds to become the second highest scorer of the Spurs, which had five players with double-digit numbers, including the four starters.
While the figure of legendary coach Gregg Popovich was enlarged to get his team the Spurs triumph, which was the number 1,221 he had as a professional, tied with Jerry Sloan in third place on the all-time list of the NBA.
In other results of the day, Portland won 111-101 New York, New Orleans won 114-95 to Memphis, Sacramento defeated Orlando 111-95 and Los Angeles Lakers, visitors, won 97-107 to Dallas, without this Once there was the “miracle” of the Slovenian rookie Luka Doncic, although he contributed 27 points, and was the leader encestador.
