By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The Atlanta Hawks are in good form lately, trying to secure the best possible position in the Eastern Conference standings before the Play-Ins.
Led by Bogdan Bogdanovic and Vit Krejci, they defeated the Chicago Bulls, their rivals in the battle for the ninth spot and home-court advantage in the first round of Play-Ins, with a final score of 101-113, notching their fifth victory in the last six matches.
Bogdanovic led the way with 20 points and six assists, shooting 6/7 from the field and 6/6 from the free-throw line, while Krejci had an amazing 6/6 from beyond the arc for a total of 18 points. Clint Capela had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Nikola Vucevic scored five points with 14 boards for the losing side.
The Serbian guard also had a confrontation on the sidelines with Coach Quin Snyder, but they quickly shook hands and put the argument to bed.
“We do this almost every other minute, or we are verbally fighting all the time, which is normal. That means we both care, and everyone cares. Quin is my guy, for sure. And, he pushed me through the whole year. We had these little fights. It’s normal that happens,” Bogdanovic said after the match.
As for the impact of European players, Jusuf Nurkic had a strong double-double in a 111-124 Phoenix Suns win over the New Orleans Pelicans with 19 points and 19 rebounds. Jonas Valanciunas had 11 and seven on the other side.
However, Devin Booker took the glory with 52 points, notching his eighth 50-point game as a Sun. Every other player in Suns history combined had six.
Kristaps Porzingis was among the top scorers in the 104-118 Boston Celtics win over the Charlotte Hornets with 20 points and seven rebounds, while Vasilije Micic had another solid outing for the losing side with 13 points, just an assist shy of a double-double.
Franz Wagner led the Orlando Magic to a 104-103 home win over the Portland Trail Blazers with 20 points, with Moritz adding eight points. Rayan Rupert had a career-high 11 points for the Oregon-based side.
NBA results:
Charlotte Hornets – Boston Celtics 104-118 (Micic 13p, 9as, Bertans 8p, Bolden 4p, Pokusevski 3p – Porzingis 20p, 7r)
Detroit Pistons – Memphis Grizzlies 108-110 (Evbuomwan 10p, Fournier 5p – Aldama 2p)
Indiana Pacers – Brooklyn Nets 133-111 (Schroder 7p)
Orlando Magic – Portland Trail Blazers 104-103 (F. Wagner 20p, M. Wagner 8p – Rupert 11p)
Chicago Bulls – Atlanta Hawks 101-113 (Vucevic 5p, 14r – Bogdanovic 20p, Krejci 18p, Capela 15p, 11r)
New Orleans Pelicans – Phoenix Suns 111-124 (Valanciunas 11p, 7r – Nurkic 19p, 19r)
Eastern Conference
| TEAM | W | L | WIN% | GB | CONF | DIV | HOME | ROAD | OT | LAST10 | STREAK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Boston Celtics– e | 59 | 16 | .787 | — | 39-9 | 15-1 | 32-3 | 27-13 | 2-4 | 8-2 | W 2 |
| 2 Milwaukee Bucks– ps | 47 | 27 | .635 | 11.5 | 32-14 | 10-7 | 29-8 | 18-19 | 2-2 | 6-4 | W 1 |
| 3 Cleveland Cavaliers– ps | 45 | 30 | .600 | 14 | 30-20 | 10-5 | 24-14 | 21-16 | 3-1 | 4-6 | L 1 |
| 4 New York Knicks– ps | 44 | 30 | .595 | 14.5 | 30-15 | 10-5 | 24-14 | 20-16 | 0-1 | 7-3 | L 2 |
| 5 Orlando Magic– ps | 44 | 31 | .587 | 15 | 30-17 | 9-6 | 27-12 | 17-19 | 2-1 | 7-3 | W 2 |
| 6 Indiana Pacers– ps | 43 | 33 | .566 | 16.5 | 29-18 | 11-5 | 23-15 | 20-18 | 0-1 | 6-4 | W 2 |
| 7 Miami Heat– ps | 41 | 33 | .554 | 17.5 | 28-18 | 12-3 | 19-17 | 22-16 | 1-0 | 6-4 | W 2 |
| 8 Philadelphia 76ers– ps | 40 | 35 | .533 | 19 | 27-21 | 7-8 | 21-16 | 19-19 | 0-2 | 4-6 | W 1 |
| 9 Chicago Bulls– pi | 36 | 40 | .474 | 23.5 | 19-26 | 6-9 | 19-20 | 17-20 | 7-3 | 4-6 | L 1 |
| 10 Atlanta Hawks | 35 | 40 | .467 | 24 | 21-27 | 8-6 | 20-18 | 15-22 | 4-1 | 6-4 | W 1 |
| 11 Brooklyn Nets | 29 | 47 | .382 | 30.5 | 21-26 | 4-9 | 17-20 | 12-27 | 1-4 | 3-7 | L 2 |
| 12 Toronto Raptors– o | 23 | 51 | .311 | 35.5 | 16-30 | 1-14 | 13-25 | 10-26 | 1-3 | 0-10 | L 13 |
| 13 Charlotte Hornets– o | 18 | 57 | .240 | 41 | 11-37 | 4-10 | 10-27 | 8-30 | 1-1 | 2-8 | L 3 |
| 14 Washington Wizards– o | 14 | 61 | .187 | 45 | 10-38 | 4-12 | 6-31 | 8-30 | 0-2 | 3-7 | L 3 |
| 15 Detroit Pistons– o | 13 | 62 | .173 | 46 | 10-37 | 2-13 | 7-32 | 6-30 | 1-2 | 1-9 | L 1 |
Western Conference
| TEAM | W | L | WIN% | GB | CONF | DIV | HOME | ROAD | OT | LAST10 | STREAK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Oklahoma City Thunder– x | 52 | 22 | .703 | — | 33-16 | 12-4 | 29-8 | 23-14 | 3-1 | 7-3 | W 2 |
| 2 Denver Nuggets– x | 52 | 23 | .693 | 0.5 | 29-17 | 8-6 | 30-8 | 22-15 | 0-1 | 7-3 | W 1 |
| 3 Minnesota Timberwolves– x | 51 | 23 | .689 | 1 | 35-12 | 12-3 | 26-10 | 25-13 | 1-4 | 7-3 | L 1 |
| 4 LA Clippers– ps | 47 | 27 | .635 | 5 | 27-18 | 8-5 | 22-13 | 25-14 | 0-1 | 6-4 | W 3 |
| 5 Dallas Mavericks | 45 | 29 | .608 | 7 | 29-19 | 10-5 | 22-15 | 23-14 | 0-0 | 9-1 | W 7 |
| 6 New Orleans Pelicans | 45 | 30 | .600 | 7.5 | 26-20 | 9-6 | 21-16 | 24-14 | 0-1 | 6-4 | L 2 |
| 7 Phoenix Suns | 44 | 31 | .587 | 8.5 | 25-21 | 7-8 | 23-14 | 21-17 | 3-0 | 6-4 | W 1 |
| 8 Sacramento Kings | 43 | 31 | .581 | 9 | 28-19 | 9-6 | 22-15 | 21-16 | 5-1 | 6-4 | W 1 |
| 9 Los Angeles Lakers | 42 | 33 | .560 | 10.5 | 25-23 | 7-9 | 27-12 | 15-21 | 4-1 | 7-3 | W 1 |
| 10 Golden State Warriors | 40 | 34 | .541 | 12 | 20-24 | 6-9 | 18-19 | 22-15 | 1-4 | 6-4 | W 4 |
| 11 Houston Rockets | 38 | 36 | .514 | 14 | 26-20 | 9-6 | 26-12 | 12-24 | 2-4 | 9-1 | L 1 |
| 12 Utah Jazz– o | 29 | 46 | .387 | 23.5 | 14-32 | 5-10 | 20-18 | 9-28 | 2-2 | 1-9 | L 9 |
| 13 Memphis Grizzlies– o | 25 | 50 | .333 | 27.5 | 14-34 | 8-7 | 8-28 | 17-22 | 1-3 | 3-7 | W 1 |
| 14 Portland Trail Blazers– o | 19 | 56 | .253 | 33.5 | 8-40 | 1-15 | 11-27 | 8-29 | 5-3 | 0-10 | L 10 |
| 15 San Antonio Spurs– o | 18 | 57 | .240 | 34.5 | 11-35 | 1-13 | 10-28 | 8-29 | 3-1 | 4-6 | L 1 |