Chicago achieved an unexpected triumph in the battle for the playoffs. On the road to the leader of the Western Conference, the team from the "windy city" gained the upper hand in the second half and in the end won convincingly - 117:96. Nikola Vucevic played an excellent game, scoring 25 points and 15 rebounds (9/17 field goal).
The Bulls' victory becomes even more impressive when you consider that the Nuggets are the best home team in the NBA, with a record of 30-4, and that in the last 25 games in the "Ball Arena" they have been better than their rivals 24 times.
This was Vucevic's 40th double-double performance of the season, which ranks him third in the league, and Chicago is now just one win short of Washington, who occupies the last position leading into the playoffs.
Zach Levin was the most efficient with 29 points, Vucevic had 25, Patrick Williams 18, and DeMar DeRozan 17.
Nikola Jokić played a weak match by his high standards. He scored 18 points, but snapped a streak of 51 consecutive games in which he shot over 50 percent from the field. He also added 12 rebounds and eight assists, along with five turnovers.
Aaron Gordon followed with 17, while Michael Porter Jr. added 12.
Cleveland continued to play well, recording its third straight victory. The Cavaliers beat Miami 104:100 on the road, so with a score of 42-26, they are in fourth place in the East.
In the first three quarters, the "Konjanica" allowed the hosts almost 60 percent of shots from the field, but in the last quarter they strengthened their defense and lowered the "heat" to a miserable 29 percent.
Darius Garland led the Ohio team with 25 points, Donovan Mitchell added 18, while Jarrett Allen contributed with a double-double - 15 points and 12 rebounds.
In the losing team, Jimmy Butler scored 28, Tyler Hiro 22, and Bam Adebayo 17.
Dallas is clearly having a hard time finding team chemistry after the arrival of Kyrie Irving, as they registered another setback. This time, New Orleans was better (113:106), which is the second victory for the team from Louisiana in the last eight matches.
Luka Dončić was forced to leave the game in the middle of the third period due to a thigh injury. Up to that moment, the Slovenian had scored 15 points, with eight successful passes.
C.J. McCollum scored 32 points, including a 16-pointer with two minutes left that stopped the Mavericks' final drive. Trey Murphy added 14, and Herb Jones and Jackson Hayes each had XNUMX.
Irving was the best player of the Texas team with 27 points, Tim Hardaway scored 17, and Christian Wood scored 15.
In the other matches of the evening, Atlanta beat Washington (122:120), Boston did a routine job against Portland (115:93), Phoenix was without Kevin Durant in the warm-up, who slightly injured his ankle, but that didn't stop them from outclassing Oklahoma (132:101), while the LA Clippers overcame Toronto (108:100).
THE RESULTS:
Denver - Chicago 96:117
Miami - Cleveland 100:104
New Orleans - Dallas 113:106
LA Clippers - Toronto 108:100
Phoenix - Oklahoma 132:101
Boston - Portland 115:93
Washington - Atlanta 120:122
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