Nikola Jokic bagged his twentieth triple-double of the season because the Denver Nuggets held off the Boston Celtics 115-109 of their heavyweight NBA showdown, whereas Dante Exum starred in a comeback win for the Mavericks.
The eagerly anticipated conflict between the reigning NBA champions and Jap Convention-leading Celtics lived as much as the billing in a hard-fought duel in Denver.
Denver talisman Jokic completed with 32 factors, 12 rebounds and 11 assists whereas Jamal Murray completed with 19 factors and Aaron Gordon 16.
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The win gave Denver a clear sweep over Boston of their conferences this season. The Celtics, overwhelmed by Cleveland on Tuesday, suffered back-to-back losses for the primary time since early November.
Jokic in the meantime performed down the importance of the end result, dismissing solutions that Thursday’s showdown may very well be a preview of the NBA Finals.
“We’re a great distance from the finals my good friend,” the Serbian stated in an on-court interview after the win.
“We had a extremely good vitality tonight…our offense was actually clicking right this moment.”
Boston in the meantime have been left to mirror on a loss that got here regardless of a 41-point efficiency from Jaylen Brown, who shot 16-of-29 from the sector.
Kristaps Porzingis added 24 factors however Jayson Tatum was restricted to fifteen factors. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla stated his workforce’s 12 turnovers had been the distinction.
“If you play towards one other nice workforce, these 10-12 possessions are tremendous, tremendous important,” Mazzulla stated. “I believe Denver did a greater job of profiting from these than we did.”
Boston stay on high of the Jap Convention with a 48-14 document. Denver in the meantime are third within the West at 43-20, one recreation again from leaders Minnesota.
In different video games on Thursday, Luka Doncic accomplished a triple double to assist the Dallas Mavericks edge previous the Miami Warmth 114-108.
Slovenian ace Doncic completed with 35 factors, 11 rebounds and 11 assists as Dallas staged a late rally to finish their three-game shedding streak.
The Mavs trailed 101-100 with simply over 4 minutes remaining however pulled clear to clinch victory after a flurry of late three-pointers.
Australia’s Dante Exum performed a giant position in key moments, and completed with 13 factors, 4 rebounds and 5 assists from simply 17 minutes on the ground.
Exum hit a three-pointer together with Doncic and Kyrie Irving as a part of a 10-run that began when the Mavs have been trailing 101-100.
It was Exum who began the run with a triple that beat the shot clock.
– Wolves claw Pacers –
Doncic obtained scoring help from Irving with 23 factors whereas 4 different Dallas gamers made double figures.
Terry Rozier led Miami’s scoring with 27 factors.
Dallas improved to 35-28 with the win to stay in playoff rivalry within the Western Convention.
In Indianapolis in the meantime, the Minnesota Timberwolves snatched a 113-111 win over the Indiana Pacers due to a 44-point efficiency from Anthony Edwards in a see-saw battle that noticed the lead change palms 17 occasions.
The Timberwolves appeared to be cruising after opening up a 17-point lead within the second quarter.
However the Pacers chipped away on the deficit to arrange a tense end after outscoring Minnesota 34-23 within the third quarter.
Edwards was the undisputed star of the present for Minnesota, unfurling a 25-foot three-pointer to offer the Timberwolves a 108-105 lead with 1:11 remaining.
Rudy Gobert completed with 18 factors and 14 rebounds for the Timberwolves, with Naz Reid including 13 from the bench.
Phoenix in the meantime secured a second straight win with a wire-to-wire 120-113 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Arizona.
Kevin Durant was the decide of the Suns’ offensive performers with 35 factors from 11-of-19 capturing.
Grayson Allen caught the attention with 26 factors, together with eight three-pointers, whereas Bradley Beal completed with 20 factors.
The Golden State Warriors, who rediscovered their greatest type in an emphatic win over Milwaukee on Wednesday, have been unable to again that victory up of their dwelling recreation with the Chicago Bulls.
DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic each scored 33 factors apiece because the Bulls held off a late Warriors rally to assert a 125-122 win.
Klay Thompson’s 28-foot three-pointer gave the Warriors a 119-118 lead with 40 seconds remaining, however DeRozan hit again with a pull-up from 17 ft to revive the Bulls’ benefit.