By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
24 hours after an upsetting blowout loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Goran Dragic scored a game-high 26 points off the bench to lead the Miami Heat to a revenge-like 119 – 108 win.
Dragic shot 9-17 from the field while grabbing five rebounds in 27 minutes. “Tonight, we had to fight,” he said.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his first triple-double of the season. His brother Thanasis scored four points in 11 minutes.
Dennis Schroder keeps making the most out of his new role as a starter with the Los Angeles Lakers. The German guard and 2020 Six Man of the Year runner-up finished with 21 points, four assists and four rebounds while the Los Angeles Lakers downed the San Antonio Spurs 121 – 107.
Marc Gasol had five points and five rebounds. For the Spurs, Jakob Poeltl scored eight points and got seven rebounds.
Jonas Valanciunas registered a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds in 27 minutes but the Memphis Grizzlies couldn’t overcome Jaylen Brown (a career-high 42 points) and the Boston Celtics that won 126 – 107.
Daniel Theis posted 12 rebounds and five rebounds for the Celtics.
Bogdan Bogdanovic scored season-high 22 points and the Atlanta Hawks scored 141 points but weren’t enough against the Brooklyn Nets that had 145 to get the win. Clint Capela had seven points and 12 rebounds and Danilo Gallinari five points.
For the Nets, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot finished with three points and three assists.
Serge Ibaka (11 points, eight rebounds) and Nicolas Batum (11 points, eight rebounds) helped the Los Angeles Clippers rout the Portland Trail Blazers 128 – 105. Ivica Zubac pitched in seven points.
Enes Kanter had double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds off the bench while Jusuf Nurkic scored four points and got four boards.
Luka Doncic’s shooting struggles continued as the Dallas Mavericks suffered their second straight loss to the Charlotte Hornets. It was rookie LaMelo Ball who stole the show with season-highs 22 points and eight rebounds plus five assists as the Hornets beat the Mavs 118 – 99.
Doncic finished with 12 points (0-5 3-pointers, 2-21 in the season so far now) plus five boards. Maxi Kleber had 12 points and six rebounds while Boban Marjanovic played four minutes and scored two points.