The Dallas Mavericks hit rock bottom this Friday by falling at home against the Charlotte Hornets and staying out of the 'play-in' positions of an increasingly 'wild' and balanced West, on an NBA day in which Jayson Tatum he surpassed Larry Bird with forty games over thirty points and in which Luke Kennard hit ten 3-pointers for the Memphis Grizzlies.
The NBA night was also marked by the triumph of the Lakers against the Thunder, under the gaze of a smiling LeBron James, who continues to recover from his tendon injury in one foot. The Angelenos reached .500 on their record (37-37) and placed eighth, tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves, seventh.
Neither Luka Doncic's 34 points, ten rebounds and eight assists, nor Kyrie Irving's 18 points, in his return from a foot injury, could alleviate some Mavericks in free fall, with an extremely vulnerable defense and currently out of reach. play-in positions.
The Texans lost their sixth game in the last eight and dropped to eleventh position, after surrendering against some Hornets who are penultimate in the East and already thinking about next season.
Six Hornets players finished with double figures, further proof of the fragile defense of the Mavs, who lost key pieces such as Dorian Finney Smith in the operation that brought Irving to Dallas from the Brooklyn Nets.
For his part, Jayson Tatum left behind Larry Bird's mark of 39 games with more than thirty points with the Celtics and, with his 34 points, led his team's comfortable victory against the Pacers. Jaylen Brown chipped in with 27 points and Derrick White with 22 for a Celtics who are second in the East behind the Bucks.
In their second meeting in three days, the Grizzlies sealed their mathematical classification to the playoffs with a devastating attack and a 59% accuracy rate in triples with Luke Kennard as the absolute protagonist with ten of eleven from the arc.
Ja Morant played his second game after his suspension for his video with a gun at a Colorado nightclub. He came off the bench and contributed 18 points and eight assists.
In the star game of the day, Jordan Poole scored 19 of his 33 points in an extraordinary fourth period to lead the Golden State Warriors over the 76ers, despite Joel Embiid's great night, who finished with 46 points, nine rebounds , eight assists, two steals and a shot, going 19 of 22 from the free throw line.
Poole shone with 33 points and six 3-pointers coming off the bench, while Steph Curry had 29 points and Klay Thompson had 21, with six 3-pointers.
nClassifications:
. Eastern Conference:
.1. Milwaukee Bucks 53-20
.2. Boston Celtics 51-23
.3. Philadelphia 76ers 49-24
.4. Cleveland Cavaliers 47-28
.5. New York Knicks 42-33
.6. Miami Heat 40-34
.7. Brooklyn Nets 39-34
.8. Atlanta Hawks 36-3
.9. Toronto Raptors 36-38
10. Chicago Bulls 35-38
11. Indiana Pacers 33-41
12. Washington Wizards 33-41
13. Orlando Magic 31-43
14. Charlotte Hornets 24-51
15. Detroit Pistons 16-58
. Western Conference:
.1. Denver Nuggets 49-24
.2.Memphis Grizzlies 46-27
.3. Sacramento Kings 44-29
.4. LA Clippers 39-35
.5. Phoenix Suns 38-35
.6. Golden State Warriors 39-36
.7. Minnesota Timberwolves 37-37
.8. LA Lakers 36-37
.9. New Orleans Pelicans 36-37
10. Oklahoma City Thunder 36-37
11. Dallas Mavericks 36-38
12. Utah Jazz 35-38
13. Portland Trail Blazers 32-41
14. San Antonio Spurs 19-55
15. Houston Rockets 18-56
