By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The Milwaukee Bucks scored a season-best 142 points to take down the Oklahoma City Thunder 142-115 on the road Tuesday and win their fifth straight game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led six more Bucks players in double-digits with an MVP-like performance of 39 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals, while making 13 of his 19 shots and hitting 4-of-4 from the three-point line.
Khris Middleton added 25 points and 9 assists and Bobby Portis had 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Bucks, that also shot 53% from the field.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 33 points, a career-high 14 assists and 8 rebounds, though the team suffered their third consecutive defeat.
Big man Aleksej Pokusevski added 13 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in 28 minutes while coming from the bench for the Thunder and Isaiah Roby followed with 12 points.
Kyrie Irving scored nine three-pointers and totaled 50 points as the Brooklyn Nets snapped a four-game skid to beat the Charlotte Hornets 132-121 on the road.
Andre Drummond added to Irving’s efforts with 20 points, 14 rebounds, while Patty Mills, Kevin Durant and Bruce Brown all scored 14 points for the Nets.
Terry Rozier and Miles Bridges both tapped 30 points for the Hornets, which held a two-game winning streak prior to their Tuesday meeting with Brooklyn.
The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Indiana Pacers 127-124 thanks to Darius Garland’s new career-high of 41 points, 13 assists, and a pair of game-winning free throws in the final 14 seconds. With the Pacers up 124-122, Garland tied the score with a putback and was awarded with a trip to the lane to hand Cavs the victory.
Evan Mobley added to the winners’ efforts with 22 points, 12 rebounds and Lauri Markkanen posted 21 points and 5 rebounds.
Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 25 points, 9 assists, while Goga Bitadze, Jalen Smith and Duane Washington all had 15 points while coming from the bench.
Jonathan Kuminga led the way and Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole scored 20 points each to lift the Golden State Warriors to a 112-97 victory over the LA Clippers to snap a five-game skid at home.
The Clippers slipped their second straight game coming from a five-game winning streak, while Nicolas Batum paced the team with 17 points, 6 rebounds and Marcus Morris dropped 11 points.
The Phoenix Suns defeated the Orlando Magic 102-99 on Tuesday night, with DeAndre Ayton and Landry Shamet each scoring 21 points and Mikal Bridges blocking a potential game-tying three-pointer effort by Franz Wagner in the final seconds. Ayton also grabbed 19 rebounds while scoring the Suns‘ last two points in an intense finale on the road.
Wendell Carter Jr. led Orlando with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Mo Bamba added 9 points and 15 rebounds. Wagner exited the court with 6 points on 3-8 shooting.
Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson combined for 68 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies past the New Orleans Pelicans 132-111. Morant led all scorers with 24 points, while Bane and Jackson shared 22 points apiece to help Memphis snap back after a defeat to the Rockets.
CJ McCollum dropped 32 points and 11 assists for the Pelicans, Willy Hernangomez had 17 points and 9 rebounds while coming from the bench and Jonas Valanciunas scored 10 points against his former team.
NBA results – March 8:
Charlotte Hornets – Brooklyn Nets 121-132
Indiana Pacers – Cleveland Cavaliers 124-127
Orlando Magic – Phoenix Suns 99-102
Memphis Grizzlies – New Orleans Pelicans 132-111
Oklahoma City Thunder – Milwaukee Bucks 115-142
Golden State Warriors – LA Clippers 112-97
NBA standings:
Eastern Conference
| TEAM | W | L | WIN% | GB | CONF | DIV | HOME | ROAD | OT | LAST 10 | STREAK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | 22 | .667 | — | 28-13 | 11-2 | 23-7 | 21-15 | 1-3 | 8-2 | W 3 | |
| 40 | 24 | .625 | 3 | 24-15 | 6-7 | 19-13 | 21-11 | 2-1 | 8-2 | W 1 | |
|
3 Milwaukee Bucks |
41 | 25 | .621 | 3 | 25-18 | 9-3 | 23-12 | 18-13 | 0-2 | 6-4 | W 5 |
| 39 | 26 | .600 | 4.5 | 24-17 | 7-4 | 24-10 | 15-16 | 0-1 | 5-5 | L 5 | |
| 39 | 27 | .591 | 5 | 28-16 | 9-6 | 23-11 | 16-16 | 4-2 | 8-2 | W 3 | |
|
6 Cleveland Cavaliers |
38 | 27 | .585 | 5.5 | 23-16 | 8-4 | 20-11 | 18-16 | 0-0 | 4-6 | W 2 |
| 34 | 30 | .531 | 9 | 23-19 | 7-5 | 17-15 | 17-15 | 2-1 | 3-7 | L 3 | |
|
8 Brooklyn Nets |
33 | 33 | .500 | 11 | 23-18 | 7-6 | 13-18 | 20-15 | 2-0 | 4-6 | W 1 |
|
9 Charlotte Hornets |
32 | 34 | .485 | 12 | 21-21 | 5-7 | 16-16 | 16-18 | 0-7 | 4-6 | L 1 |
| 31 | 33 | .484 | 12 | 20-21 | 8-5 | 19-13 | 12-20 | 0-1 | 5-5 | L 1 | |
| 29 | 34 | .460 | 13.5 | 22-21 | 6-7 | 17-17 | 12-17 | 3-1 | 5-5 | W 1 | |
| 27 | 38 | .415 | 16.5 | 14-25 | 4-9 | 13-19 | 14-19 | 1-2 | 3-7 | W 2 | |
|
13 Indiana Pacers |
22 | 45 | .328 | 22.5 | 11-33 | 2-13 | 15-19 | 7-26 | 4-4 | 3-7 | L 3 |
| 18 | 47 | .277 | 25.5 | 14-25 | 5-7 | 11-21 | 7-26 | 3-1 | 6-4 | W 3 | |
|
15 Orlando Magic |
16 | 50 | .242 | 28 | 10-32 | 2-11 | 7-23 | 9-27 | 0-2 | 3-7 | L 2 |
Western Conference
| TEAM | W | L | WIN% | GB | CONF | DIV | HOME | ROAD | OT | LAST 10 | STREAK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 Phoenix Suns |
52 | 13 | .800 | — | 30-9 | 6-4 | 28-7 | 24-6 | 1-0 | 7-3 | W 1 |
|
2 Memphis Grizzlies |
45 | 22 | .672 | 8 | 30-14 | 8-5 | 23-10 | 22-12 | 2-1 | 6-4 | W 1 |
|
3 Golden State Warriors |
44 | 22 | .667 | 8.5 | 27-16 | 10-3 | 27-7 | 17-15 | 0-2 | 3-7 | W 1 |
| 40 | 24 | .625 | 11.5 | 26-14 | 12-1 | 22-10 | 18-14 | 1-0 | 7-3 | L 1 | |
| 40 | 25 | .615 | 12 | 29-15 | 11-2 | 23-11 | 17-14 | 1-2 | 8-2 | W 5 | |
| 39 | 26 | .600 | 13 | 24-18 | 5-9 | 20-11 | 19-15 | 3-0 | 9-1 | W 3 | |
| 37 | 29 | .561 | 15.5 | 25-18 | 10-4 | 21-12 | 16-17 | 2-1 | 8-2 | W 5 | |
|
8 LA Clippers |
34 | 33 | .507 | 19 | 21-24 | 7-7 | 19-14 | 15-19 | 0-2 | 7-3 | L 2 |
| 28 | 36 | .438 | 23.5 | 16-24 | 3-10 | 19-16 | 9-20 | 6-1 | 2-8 | L 1 | |
|
10 New Orleans Pelicans |
27 | 38 | .415 | 25 | 18-22 | 4-8 | 15-17 | 12-21 | 1-2 | 5-5 | L 2 |
| 25 | 39 | .391 | 26.5 | 11-29 | 1-11 | 16-18 | 9-21 | 0-1 | 4-6 | L 5 | |
| 25 | 40 | .385 | 27 | 15-22 | 4-7 | 12-19 | 13-21 | 1-3 | 5-5 | W 1 | |
| 24 | 43 | .358 | 29 | 17-26 | 5-7 | 15-19 | 9-24 | 1-0 | 3-7 | L 2 | |
|
14 Oklahoma City Thunder |
20 | 45 | .308 | 32 | 14-28 | 4-7 | 9-24 | 11-21 | 3-1 | 3-7 | L 3 |
| 16 | 49 | .246 | 36 | 8-32 | 3-8 | 9-21 | 7-28 | 1-1 | 1-9 | L 1 |
Photo credit: Getty Images