The Atlanta Hawks are once again in a bad streak, as they were defeated by the Portland Trail Blazers on the road by 106:102.
It seemed like the Atlanta Hawks were slowly finding their rhythm and could secure a position for the play-in. However, another bad streak is emerging. They opened the game against the Portland Trail Blazers well, who were an ideal opponent for a return to the winning track. In the second quarter, we saw a much poorer performance from the Atlanta Hawks, allowing the home team to reduce the lead to a respectable five points.
The third quarter was crucial, as Portland managed to build a double-digit lead. From that moment on, they didn’t relinquish the lead they had gained, securing their second win in the last six NBA games.
Anfernee Simons had a great game with 36 points, while Deandre Ayton scored 33 points and grabbed 19 rebounds. As for the Hawks, Dejounte Murray scored 40 points. Bogdan Bogdanovic had a very poor shooting night but contributed in other areas, finishing the game with eight points, seven rebounds, and eight assists.
The Chicago Bulls secured a crucial victory against the Indiana Pacers by 129:132 after overtime.
A highly competitive duel unfolded in Indiana, characterized by back-and-forth action. The first half saw a closely contested game, but the Pacers managed to enter halftime with a four-point lead.
The third quarter belonged entirely to the visiting team, led by DeMar DeRozan’s excellent performance, which gave his team an eight-point advantage going into the final quarter. However, the Indiana Pacers fought back to force overtime, where they ultimately lacked the energy to secure the win, thus halting their two-game winning streak.
DeRozan, scoring 46 points and grabbing nine rebounds, was the standout performer for the Bulls, supported by Alex Caruso who contributed 23 points. On the other side, Myles Turner led the Pacers with 27 points.