Jokic’s monster game on day of wild upsets as Knicks seal epic 21-point comeback: NBA Wrap
The Orlando Magic dealt the Boston Celtics’ NBA in-season match hopes a blow on Friday because the Houston Rockets knocked reigning champions Denver out of the brand new competitors.
Houston’s Jalen Green scored 25 factors and Alperen Sengun added 21 factors and 15 rebounds for the Rockets, who withstood one other monster sport from Denver’s two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic to win 105-86.
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Jokic scored a season-high 38 factors to go together with 19 rebounds and eight assists for Denver. But the reeling Nuggets, nonetheless feeling the absence of injured Jamal Murray, shot simply 34 excellent from the ground and slumped to their fifth defeat in seven video games.
Aaron Gordon embodied their offensive woes, going 0-for-12 from the sector and placing up simply two factors. They completed group play at 2-2, however the level differential math meant an finish to their possibilities of advancing.
The Magic, who beat the Nuggets two days in the past, bullied the league-leading Celtics within the second half on the way in which to a 113-96 victory that pushed Orlando’s profitable streak to 6 video games.
Moritz Wagner scored 27 factors off the bench to guide the Magic and Paolo Banchero added 23 with seven rebounds.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 26 factors and Jaylen Brown chipped in 18 — 12 of them within the first quarter.
Brown related on simply two of 17 pictures within the final three quarters because the Magic clamped down defensively handy the Celtics their largest defeat of the season.
“That’s what we take pride in,” Banchero stated of the Magic’s defensive effort. “That’s our calling card.
“We just come into every game focused on what we’ve got to do to stop the team in front of us (and) we did a good job tonight.”
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The Celtics led by 12 early within the third quarter when Orlando unleashed a 17-0 scoring run. Orlando opened the fourth on a 10-0 run — capped by Moritz Wagner’s operating layup — and rolled from there.
The end result noticed the Magic conclude group play within the new match at 3-1. The Celtics, who might have secured their berth within the knockout stage, fell to 2-1, stage with the Brooklyn Nets and every with a sport remaining when group play concludes on Tuesday.
The six group winners and two wild card groups advance to the quarter-finals of the match that concludes with semi-finals and the ultimate in Las Vegas in December.
Banchero stated the brand new Cup-style competitors, designed to lend curiosity to early-season video games, has been “huge.”
“I’m glad we got the win,” he stated. “Hopefully we’ll be in good position to move on.”
The Minnesota Timberwolves additionally let an opportunity to achieve the quarters with a victory escape, falling 124-111 to the Sacramento Kings.
De’Aaron Fox scored 36 factors and handed out 12 assists for the Kings, who improved to 3-0 in group play.
They lead the Timberwolves, with Golden State nonetheless alive after a 118-112 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Stephen Curry poured in seven three-pointers on the way in which to 35 factors for the Warriors, who handed star rookie Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs an eleventh straight defeat.
Devin Vassell led the Spurs with 24 factors off the bench. Wembanyama and Keldon Johnson scored 22 factors apiece.
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– Knicks stun Heat –
In New York, the Knicks roared again from a 21-point third-quarter deficit to stun the Miami Heat 100-98 in a must-win match sport.
Jalen Brunson scored 24 factors and Immanuel Quickley scored 20 off the bench for the Knicks, who outscored the Heat 29-11 within the fourth quarter.
Jimmy Butler scored 23 factors for Miami however missed a possible game-winning three-pointer with two-tenths of a second left.
The Heat will now be preventing for a wild card spot on Tuesday after they tackle the Milwaukee Bucks, who had been fuelled by a career-high 39 factors from Brook Lopez in a 131-128 victory over the Washington Wizards.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard scored 31 factors apiece for Milwaukee, who at 3-0 are closing in on a quarter-final berth.
It marked the primary time in franchise historical past that three Bucks gamers scored 30 factors in the identical sport.
The Phoenix Suns stored alive their bid to advance as a wild card within the West with a 110-89 victory over the Grizzlies in Memphis.
“Hopefully that’s enough,” stated Devin Booker, who scored 40 factors to assist the Suns overcome the absence of famous person Kevin Durant, who missed his first sport of the season with a sore proper foot
