By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Rallying from a double-digit deficit for a second straight game in the best-of-seven series of the Western Conference Quarterfinals, the Denver Nuggets took down the Los Angeles Lakers, 112-105, in Crypto.com Arena on Thursday. Up to 3-0 in the first round of the NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel behind an 11th straight win in the head-to-head series between the two teams.
“I think it is really hard to play against the same team over and over again. You kind of get ‘bored’ with the style of the play or whatever,” Serbian Nikola Jokic commented on extending the winning streak, “We need to trust what we are doing and don’t get bored with success. It can go wrong really quick.”
Jokic, 29, fell narrowly shy of a triple-double in the latest win. Making 9/13 field goals led to 24 points to go with 15 rebounds, nine assists, and one steal over 39 minutes. Slovenian teammate Vlatko Cancar (left knee surgery) remained sidelined. Aaron Gordon stood out with a 29-point, 15-rebound double-double. Jamal Murray finished with 22 points.
Joel Embiid scores 50 points
Behind Joel Embiid’s 50-point effort, the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the New York Knicks, 125-114, in the Wells Fargo Center. Coming off the bench for the team coached by Nick Nurse and lasting 29 minutes, French Nicolas Batum registered four points, six rebounds, two blocks, two assists and one steal, helping to reduce the series deficit to 2-1.
On the losing end, German Isaiah Hartenstein finished with 14 points, four rebounds, and one steal over 26 minutes. “I was just trying to be physical, do my normal thing. They were just calling more fouls. But that’s more on me. It’s not really on the refs,” he said on dealing with foul trouble in Game 3.
Fellow Knicks starter, British O.G. Anunoby tallied 17 points with 7/11 field goals, including 3/4 triples. He added four rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal. Croatian reserve Bojan Bogdanovic had five points, three rebounds, one block, and one assist. Besides a loss for the team guided by Tom Thibodeau, Mitchell Robinson sprained his left ankle.
“A similar effort on Saturday”
Down 2-0 to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Orlando Magic bounced back with a convincing 121-83 victory in Kia Center. German Franz Wagner chipped in 16 points, eight assists, and five rebounds. “I thought our urgency all night was really good. Our energy was great. Everybody was locked in. We need a similar effort on Saturday,” he said.
Additional European contributions went between his brother Moritz Wagner putting up two points, six rebounds, and one steal, and Georgian Goga Bitadze registering three rebounds and one assist. British Admiral Schofield was inactive. Paolo Banchero dropped a game-high 31 points.