The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Washington Wizards by 125:120, with another outstanding performance by Tristan Vukcevic.
Truth be told, the Lakers were the better team on the court practically throughout the entire game, as evidenced by the fact that they led for over 40 minutes. The largest lead the visitors managed to achieve was 17 points, so the Wizards ended the day “well off” with a final deficit of five points.
Anthony Davis was the main contributor to the Los Angeles Lakers’ win with 35 points and 18 rebounds. For the Wizards, Jordan Poole stood out with 29 points. The fourth highest scorer on the home team and also a starter was Tristan Vukcevic, who scored 15 points, grabbed three rebounds, and dished out one assist in 21 minutes on the court.
Washington remains 14th in the Eastern Conference standings with a modest 15 wins and 62 losses, while the Lakers are now ninth in the Western Conference with a record of 44-33.
The Charlotte Hornets suffered a defeat after a tense finish against the Portland Trail Blazers by 89:86.
It cannot be said that the visitors reached an undeserved triumph, considering they held the lead for almost 35 minutes. The Trail Blazers’ largest lead was 11 points.
Vasilije Micic was not available due to injury for the mentioned match, but Aleksej Pokusevski shined, finishing as the second highest scorer for his team with 11 points. The only player more effective than him was Brandon Miller with 21 points. DeAndre Ayton stood out for the visiting team with 24 points and 16 rebounds.
The Charlotte Hornets remain 13th in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 18-58, while the Trail Blazers are 14th in the West with 20 wins and 56 losses.
The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Detroit Pistons by 121:113, but Bogdan Bogdanovic was far from his usual shooting form.
Atlanta maintained the lead throughout the entire game, at one point even holding a significant advantage of 22 points, but they relaxed in the fourth quarter, allowing the visitors to narrow the deficit.
Jalen Johnson led the Hawks to win with 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists, while De’Andre Hunter and Dejounte Murray also contributed with 20 or more points each. On the opposing side, Malachi Flynn delivered an incredible performance, finishing the game with 50 points.
Bogdan Bogdanovic spent 33 minutes on the court but had a rather lackluster shooting display. The Serbian player scored 10 points, shooting 2/10 from three-point range and 2/5 from two-point range. He did not attempt any free throws.
The Hawks continue to hold onto the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference, and it’s becoming increasingly likely that they will be in the play-in at the end of the regular season (36-40). On the other hand, the Pistons remain anchored at the bottom with only 13 wins and a whopping 63 losses.
Darko Rajakovic experienced another debacle with the Toronto Raptors as his team suffered a heavy defeat, this time at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves by 133:85.
The Raptors held a lead for only two minutes at the start of the game, after which disaster struck for them. The Timberwolves increased their lead minute by minute, eventually reaching an impressive margin of plus 48. It’s worth noting that just seven days ago, the New York Knicks defeated the Toronto Raptors by 145:101.
With a record of 23-53, now sitting at 12th in the standings, it’s clear that the Raptors can say goodbye to the position leading to the play-in. On the other hand, the Timberwolves remain at the top of the Western Conference with a record of 53 wins and 23 losses.
NBA, other results:
Boston Celtics – Oklahoma City Thunder 135:100
Brooklyn Nets – Indiana Pacers 115:111
Milwaukee Bucks – Memphis Grizzlies 101:111
New Orleans Pelicans – Orlando Magic 108:117
Phoenix Suns – Cleveland Cavaliers 122:101