Not a single team - not counting the Los Angeles Lakers and the Indiana Pacers who already had their ticket to the quarterfinals since Tuesday - managed to close their qualification for the NBA In-Season Tournament playoffs this Friday, so the NBA will experience Tuesday a day of great emotions with the last matches of the group stage.
The Milwaukee Bucks and the Sacramento Kings look good with a 3-0 balance while the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks - these on the rebound and without playing tonight - were officially eliminated in the crazy Group B of the West .
Despite Nikola Jokic's 38 points, 19 rebounds and 8 assists, the Nuggets, current NBA champions, said goodbye after losing decisively to the Rockets led by Alperen Sengun (21 points, 15 rebounds and 8 assists).
Houston (2-1, 16 point difference) will face the Dallas Mavericks (1-2 but already eliminated due to this Friday's results) in Group B of the West with the Pelicans surprisingly in the lead (3-1, 33 ).
With 32 points from Zion Williamson and 30 from Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans sent home the Clippers (1-3) who were already definitively out of options and are now the favorites to advance in a group full of dangers that also included the Nuggets and the Mavericks (both also eliminated).
Paul George added 34 points for the Angelenos and Kawhi Leonard had 20.
Brook López equaled his career-high score with 39 points and the Bucks beat the Washington Wizards with great difficulty and also thanks to 31 points each from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
In Group B of the East, Milwaukee (3-0) will play the last game in Miami (2-1) but, in case of a tie, it benefits from the point difference (39) with respect to the Heat (11) and the New York Knicks (2-1, 18).
The Knicks trailed by 21 in the third quarter but staged an epic comeback in the fourth quarter, with a run of 29-11, to stay alive in the tournament and put the Heat in serious trouble.
Jalen Brunson (24 points) was the hero of the New York team, which will close its group stage against the Charlotte Hornets (1-2).
Six wins in a row and two consecutive victories against the current champions (Nuggets) and the best balance in the league at the moment (Celtics). That is the excellent situation of some Magic who beat Boston with 23 points and 7 rebounds from Paolo Banchero. The Celtics were without Jrue Holiday and lost Kristaps Porzingis to injury.
The Magic lead East Group C (3-1, 22) while the Celtics (2-1, 0) and Brooklyn Nets (2-1, 8) still have to play against the eliminated Chicago Bulls (0-3 ) and Toronto Raptors (1-2), respectively.
Their victory against the Bulls with 36 points from Zach LaVine but in free fall was of no use to the Raptors. OG Anunoby, with 26 points, was Toronto's leading scorer.
With the Lakers (4-0) unreachable as the first in Group A of the West, the Suns, with 40 points from Devin Booker, did their homework by defeating the Grizzlies from a once again outstanding Santi Aldama (21 points).
The Suns, who have also accumulated six consecutive wins, have a 3-1 balance with a 34 point difference, which places them as candidates to win the wild card of the West, which will receive the best second of the three groups of that conference.
The Kings won this very interesting duel between two of the contenders to change the West's pecking order with 36 points, 7 rebounds and 12 assists from De'Aaron Fox. Anthony Edwards was the best of the Wolves with 35 points and 7 rebounds.
Sacramento leads Group C in the West (3-0, 29) but still has to play the Warriors (2-1, 5). Minnesota (2-1, -3) will finish its group stage against the eliminated Oklahoma City Thunder (1-2).
With 35 points from Stephen Curry, the Warriors defeated the Spurs and will reach the last day of the group stage with a chance.
The Spurs are already out (0-4), who tonight had 22 points and 9 rebounds from Victor Wembanyama but who continue to sink with 11 consecutive defeats.
The Pacers already had their place guaranteed in the playoffs but they once again displayed an explosive attack (seven players with over 10 points) and signed the thirteenth consecutive defeat for the Pistons in ruins.
Tyrese Haliburton (26 points and 10 assists) and Cade Cunningham (31 points) were the main references for Indiana and Detroit, respectively.
