Houston entered the fourth quarter with a six-point advantage, and then opened the section with a 7:0 series and increased the lead to 85:72 with ten and a half minutes to go. Kawhi Leonard hit two free throws, but the Rockets then scored the next four points to further pull away.
Later in the last quarter, the Rockets had a 12-point advantage when Durant stole the ball from Brook Lopez, and Reed Sheppard hit a difficult three-pointer from the imbalance for 92:77, about six and a half minutes before the end.
Houston was up by 15 about a minute later, after which Los Angeles coach Tyronn Lue sent a backup lineup into the game.
Leonard led the Clippers with 24 points after scoring 41 in a convincing win in the teams’ last meeting in December. Los Angeles then made 20 three-pointers in the 128:108 celebration, while last night he shot only 8/30 for three points.
The Los Angeles Lakers basketball players were convincingly defeated by the San Antonio Spurs with a score of 108:136. Without Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves and several other important members of the team, they had no chance against the moody Victor Wembanyama, who already scored 37 of the Spurs’ 40 points in the first half.
By halftime, the Lakers had already scored 84 points and trailed by 29 points. They didn’t have a real chance without their big three in the continuation, even though Wembanyama was not at the same level in the third quarter as in the first part, when he scored 37 points.
The tall French already scored 25 points in the first quarter and hit eight of nine shots from the field, and finished the match with 40 points and 12 rebounds in just over 26 minutes spent on the court. In the last part, he did not enter the game.
For the team from Los Angeles, Luke Kennard and Drew Timme each scored 14 points, while Jaxson Hayes added 13.
In other games, last year’s finalists Indiana Pacers surprised the New York Knicks away. After overtime, they won 137:134, and the crowd at Madison Square Garden saw as many as 39 lead changes.
Not even Jalen Brunson’s 40 points saved the Knicks, while Pascal Siakam scored 30 points for Indiana, and Andrew Nembhard added 24 with 10 assists.
Houston beat the Los Angeles Clippers 102:95 at home, while Phoenix beat Dallas 120:111.
– results:
New York Knicks – Indiana Pacers 134:137 (overtime)
Houston Rockets – LA Clippers 102:95
Phoenix Suns – Dallas Mavericks 120:111
Los Angeles Lakers – San Antonio Spurs 108:136
(Vijesti.ba / FENA)
