Last night, the Detroit Pistons beat the Golden State Warriors 115-101 at home, becoming the first Eastern Conference team to secure a place in the playoffs.
He led them to victory Jalen Duren who finished the game with 23 points and six rebounds in the absence of Cade Cunningham. Daniss Jenkins added 22 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Pistons. Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors with 15 interceptions, who suffered their seventh loss in eight games. Gary Payton II and De’Anthony Melton each scored 14 points for Golden State, which is 10th in the Western Conference with a 33-37 record.
Denver Nuggets won at home with 121-115 Toronto Raptors and climbed to fifth place in the Western Conference. They were led to victory by Jamal Murray, who scored 12 of his 31 points in the last quarter. He was followed by Nikola Jokić, who scored 22 points with nine assists and eight rebounds, and Tim Hardaway Jr. who finished with 23 points, seven of which were 3-pointers. For Toronto, which is in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, the best was Jakob Poeltl with 23 points and 11 rebounds, Brandon Ingram added 19, and RJ Barrett 18 points.
Houston Rockets ended their streak of 11 victories Atlanta Hawks defeating them at home with 117-95. Kevin Durant scored 25 points in three quarters, Jabari Smith Jr. added 23 with nine rebounds for the Rockets, who outscored Atlanta in the third quarter. Houston made six of 11 3-pointers to turn an eight-point halftime lead into a 101-76 advantage. At Atlanta, Nickeil Alexander-Walker was the best with 21 points, while CJ McCollum scored 17.
New York Knicks narrowly won 93-92 at home Brooklyn Netsand the victory was ensured by Jalen Brunson, who scored two decisive baskets. Brunson scored 17 points, while the best Knicks scorer was Karl-Anthony Towns with 26 points and 15 rebounds. The Knicks lost 13 points in the first half, and then lost a 14-point advantage in the last quarter. Josh Minott was the most effective in the ranks of the Nets, who lost their sixth in a row, with 22 points, and Ziaire Williams added 17 points. Ben Saraf had a chance to give the Nets the win in the last second, but missed a long shot.
Boston Celtics registered their fourth win in a row, beating the home team 117-112 on the road Memphis Grizzlies. Jaylen Brown contributed to his team’s victory with 30 points, Luke Garza added 22, and Payton Pritchard 19. For the Grizzlies, who suffered their ninth loss in the last ten games, rookie Tyler Burton was the best with 23 points.
Portland Trail Blazers beat the home team 108-104 in Minneapolis Minnesota Timberwolves. Jerami Grant scored 26 points and Deni Avdija 25 for Portland, which won its third consecutive victory. Donovan Clingan added a double-double performance with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Portland ranks eighth in the Western Conference with 35 wins and 36 losses. Julius Randle scored 19 points for Minnesota, which is sixth in the Western Conference with a record of 43-28. Rudy Gobert had a double-double with 18 assists and 15 rebounds, as did Ayo Dosunmu, who finished the game with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
(Hina | Photo: Detroit Pistons)
