By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Luka Doncic went for 27 points, seven assists, and four rebounds in his first NBA Christmas day gig, but the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 138-115, Friday evening at the Staples Center.
“You can’t win a game where the second-chance points are 35-0,” he mentioned summing up the drop to 0-2, “It’s as simple as that. We box out, we win the game.”
Anthony Davis registered 28 points, LeBron James and Montrezl Harrell had 22 apiece. At the European front, starters Dennis Schroder and Marc Gasol combined for 20 points, 18 of those scored by the German floor general.
For Dallas, apart from Doncic, Serbian Boban Marjanovic produced six points and German Maxi Kleber five, both coming off the bench. Injured Kristaps Porzingis remained out, despite traveling with the team, as expected.
The Los Angeles Clippers moved to 2-0 with the win, 121-108, over the Denver Nuggets overcoming Nikola Jokic nearing a triple-double. The Joker produced 24 points, ten assists, and nine rebounds but was not enough for the “W”.
Paul George poured 23 points and Kawhi Leonard added 21 points before taking an elbow from teammate Serge Ibaka late in the fourth quarter.
Fellow starters, Ibaka and Nicolas Batum shaped up a 28-point European contribution separated between 15 points by the Congolese-Spanish big and a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double from the French forward. Croatian Ivica Zubac finished with 12 points coming off the bench.
Back to the losing side, German Isaiah Hartenstein got to six points and five rebounds in ten minutes. However, Facu Campazzo did not get on the board in three minutes and Slovenian Vlatko Cancar did not leave the bench.
The Brooklyn Nets went over the Boston Celtics, 123-95, at the TD Garden. Kyrie Irving threw in 37 points returning to Boston and Kevin Durant got 29 points.
French Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot added four more points. Latvian Rodions Kurucs played three minutes but did not score. German Daniel Theis started for the Celtics ending up with two points, five rebounds, and three assists.
In the earlier games, the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Golden State Warriors and the Miami Heat took down the New Orleans Pelicans.
Standings:
Eastern Conference
1. Brooklyn Nets 2-0
2. Atlanta Hawks 1-0
3. Indiana Pacers 1-0
4. Orlando Magic 1-0
5. Cleveland Cavaliers 1-0
6. Philadelphia 76ers 1-0
7. Boston Celtics 1-1
8. Miami Heat 1-1
9. Milwaukee Bucks 1-1
10. Toronto Raptors 0-1
11. Washington Wizards 0-1
12. Detroit Pistons 0-1
13. Charlotte Hornets 0-1
14. Chicago Bulls 0-1
15. New York Knicks 0-1
Western Conference
1. Los Angeles Clippers 2-0
2. Minnesota Timberwolves 1-0
3. San Antonio Spurs 1-0
4. Utah Jazz 1-0
5. Sacramento Kings 1-0
6. Phoenix Suns 1-0
7. New Orleans Pelicans 1-1
8. Los Angeles Lakers 1-1
9. Houston Rockets 0-0
10. Oklahoma City Thunder 0-0
11. Portland Trail Blazers 0-1
12. Memphis Grizzlies 0-1
13. Dallas Mavericks 0-2
14. Denver Nuggets 0-2
15. Golden State Warriors 0-2
Photo Credit: Getty Images