Bucks secure the top, Lakers lose to Clippers, Dallas stayed alive

By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net

The Bucks secured the NBA’s best record with their 105-92 win Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls despite being without star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Antetokounmpo was listed as probable on the team’s injury report with right knee soreness leading up to the game. He took the court for a shortened version of his regular pregame routine before being ruled out.

However, the Bucks improved to 11-6 without Antetokounmpo this season as Jrue Holiday picked up the slack with 20 points, eight rebounds, and 15 assists.

Montenegrin Nikola Vucevic had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls who have also secured their presence in the play-ins.

In Dallas, Kyrie Irving capped a 19-point fourth quarter with a big three to finish with 31 points, and Dallas stayed in the race for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference playoffs with a 123-119 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

Slovenian star Luka Doncic added 29 points and 10 rebounds as the Mavericks (38-42) matched Oklahoma City’s record for the 10th seed in the West with two games remaining.

Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis had a triple-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists for the Kings, who have already ended a 16-year playoff drought and are all but locked into the third seed in the West.

In LA,  Norman Powell scored 27 points, Kawhi Leonard added 25 in a game-high 43 minutes and the Clippers improved their playoff seeding chances with a 125-118 win over LeBron James and the Lakers on Wednesday night.

Croatian center Ivica Zubac added 17 points and 13 rebounds for the winning side

NBA RESULTS AND EURO SCORERS

Detroit – Brooklyn 108-123 (Hayes 4 p. 6 as.)
Indiana – New York 129-138 (Hartenstein 8 p. 7 r., Fourner 1 as.)
Atlanta – Washington 134-116 (Capela 9 p. 8 r.)
Boston – Toronto 97-93 (Anunoby 12 p.)
Milwaukee – Chicago 105-92 (Vucevic 21 p. 11 r.)
New Orleans – Memphis 138-131 (Valanciunas 4 p. 6 r. – Aldama 2 p.)
Dallas – Sacramento 123-119 (Doncic 29 p. 10 r., Kleber 3 p. – Sabonis 19 p. 11 r. 11 as., Len 2 p. 9 r.)
Clippers – Lakers 125-118 (Zubac 17 p. 11 r., Batum 5 p. 2 r. – Schroder 2 p. 4 as.)

2022-23 STANDINGS

EAST

TEAM W L LAST 10
1 y- MILWAUKEE 58 22
7-3
2 y- BOSTON 55 25
7-3
3 y- PHILADELPHIA 52 27
5-5
4 y- CLEVELAND 50 30
7-3
5 y- NEW YORK 47 33
7-3
BROOKLYN 44 36
5-5
7 MIAMI 42 37
6-4
8 p- ATLANTA 41 39
6-4
9 p- TORONTO 40 40
6-4
10 p- CHICAGO 38 42
6-4
11 e- ORLANDO 34 45
6-4
12 e- INDIANA 34 46
2-8
13 e- WASHINGTON 34 46
2-8
14 e- CHARLOTTE 26 54
4-6
15 e- DETROIT 16 64
0-10

WEST

TEAM W L LAST 10
1 y- DENVER 52 27
6-4
2 y- MEMPHIS 50 30
7-3
3 y- SACRAMENTO 48 32
5-5
4 y- PHOENIX 44 35 7-3
5 LA CLIPPERS 42 38
5-5
6 GOLDEN STATE 42 38
6-4
7 LA LAKERS 41 39
7-3
8 NEW ORLEANS 41 39 8-2
MINNESOTA 40 40 5-5
10 OKLAHOMA CITY 38 42
4-6
11 DALLAS 38 42
3-7
12 UTAH 36 43
3-7
13 e- PORTLAND 33 46
2-8
14 e- SAN ANTONIO 20 59
2-8
15 e- HOUSTON 20 60
2-8

y-clinched a Playoffs berth
p-clinched a Play-in berth
e-eliminated from Playoffs

-Top six teams of each conference advance directly to the Playoffs
-Teams seeded 7th to 10th will compete in Play-In tournament

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