By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The Greek Freak and Khris Middleton each scored 21 points, getting help from up and down the lineup, and the Bucks won their season-high fifth straight game by beating the Indiana Pacers 99-85. The Bucks were further depleted with guard Malcolm Brogdon (back) and Bosnian forward Mirza Teletovic (hamstring) missing the game, still got the crucial win.
Spaniard Ricky Rubio had 17 points and 13 assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 23 points to give the Timberwolves their sixth win in eight games as they try to chase down the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoff race after beating 103-102 the Warriors. Serb Nemanja Bjelica added a double double off the bench (10 p., 12 r.) and for the losing side Georgian big man Zaza Pachulia had 9 points and 5 rebounds.
German Dennis Schroder scored 26 points, including 13 in the final period, and the Hawks beat the Toronto Raptors 105-99 on Friday night to pull closer in the race for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Toronto’s
Spaniard Serge Ibaka, who had 18 points, scored to make it 86-all, the 17th tie of the game and Schroder then took over the game, scoring back-to-back baskets and eight of Atlanta’s next 10 points in a stretch that gave the Hawks a 96-88 lead. Turk Ersan Ilyasova added 9 points and Swiss Thabo Sefolosha had 4 points off the bench for the winners. For the Raptors, Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas had a double double (11 p. 12 r.).
Serb Nikola Jokic had 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in his return to the lineup, and the Nuggets clamped down in the fourth quarter to beat the Boston Celtics 119-99. Jokic played 27 minutes after missing two games because of illness and Italian Danilo Gallinari returned from sitting out Wednesday’s game with vertigo to score 20 points. Spaniard Juancho Hernangomez added 5 points and for the Celtics Swedish forward Jonas Jerebko had 1 rebounds. Here’s the rest of last night’s results and the euro-scorers.
Dallas – Brooklyn 105-96 (Nowitzki 13 p.)
Sacramento – Washington 122-130 (Gortat 2p. 9r., Bogdanovic 17 p., Mahinmi 9 p. – Koufos 8 p.)
Chicago – Houston 94-115 (Zipser 8p., Lauvergne 2 p. – Capela 17 p. 7 r.)
Charlotte – Orlando 121-81 (Batum 15 p. 10 as., Belinelli 18 p. – Fournier 14 p., Rudez 2 p., Hezonja 11 p.)
Eastern Conference
| W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF | PPG | OPP PPG | DIFF | STRK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Cleveland Cavaliers | 42 | 21 | .667 | – | 26-7 | 16-14 | 6-7 | 28-11 | 110.6 | 106.5 | +4.1 | L3 | 5-5 |
| 2Washington Wizards | 40 | 24 | .625 | 2.5 | 26-9 | 14-15 | 6-5 | 25-16 | 108.9 | 106.3 | +2.6 | W4 | 7-3 |
| 3Boston Celtics | 41 | 25 | .621 | 2.5 | 21-9 | 20-16 | 8-4 | 26-12 | 107.6 | 105.5 | +2.1 | L1 | 4-6 |
| 4Toronto Raptors | 38 | 27 | .585 | 5 | 21-11 | 17-16 | 12-2 | 23-15 | 107.6 | 103.8 | +3.8 | L1 | 6-4 |
| 5Atlanta Hawks | 36 | 29 | .554 | 7 | 19-15 | 17-14 | 5-8 | 25-15 | 103.9 | 104.6 | -0.7 | W2 | 4-6 |
| 6Indiana Pacers | 33 | 32 | .508 | 10 | 22-10 | 11-22 | 7-7 | 18-21 | 104.8 | 105.7 | -0.9 | L1 | 4-6 |
| 7Detroit Pistons | 32 | 33 | .492 | 11 | 21-12 | 11-21 | 5-8 | 19-20 | 102.1 | 102.3 | -0.1 | W1 | 6-4 |
| 8Milwaukee Bucks | 31 | 33 | .484 | 11.5 | 19-16 | 12-17 | 9-4 | 21-22 | 105.1 | 104.5 | +0.7 | W5 | 7-3 |
| Chicago Bulls | 31 | 34 | .477 | 12 | 19-14 | 12-20 | 6-7 | 20-18 | 102.1 | 103.3 | -1.2 | L4 | 5-5 |
| Miami Heat | 31 | 34 | .477 | 12 | 17-14 | 14-20 | 6-7 | 20-20 | 102.3 | 101.9 | +0.5 | W3 | 7-3 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 29 | 36 | .446 | 14 | 18-13 | 11-23 | 7-3 | 18-21 | 105.0 | 104.1 | +0.9 | W1 | 5-5 |
| New York Knicks | 26 | 39 | .400 | 17 | 15-17 | 11-22 | 4-7 | 17-23 | 105.6 | 108.6 | -3.0 | L1 | 4-6 |
| Orlando Magic | 24 | 42 | .364 | 19.5 | 12-21 | 12-21 | 7-8 | 16-24 | 99.7 | 105.9 | -6.3 | L1 | 4-6 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 23 | 41 | .359 | 19.5 | 15-19 | 8-22 | 5-6 | 16-23 | 101.8 | 108.0 | -6.1 | L3 | 3-7 |
| e –Brooklyn Nets | 11 | 53 | .172 | 31.5 | 7-24 | 4-29 | 0-10 | 3-34 | 105.5 | 114.1 | -8.6 | L2 | 2-8 |
Western Conference
| W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | ROAD | DIV | CONF | PPG | OPP PPG | DIFF | STRK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1x –Golden State Warriors | 52 | 13 | .800 | – | 26-4 | 26-9 | 11-2 | 31-8 | 116.8 | 105.3 | +11.5 | L2 | 6-4 |
| 2x –San Antonio Spurs | 50 | 14 | .781 | 1.5 | 23-6 | 27-8 | 8-4 | 28-9 | 106.5 | 98.5 | +8.0 | L1 | 9-1 |
| 3Houston Rockets | 45 | 21 | .682 | 7.5 | 23-9 | 22-12 | 9-5 | 27-11 | 115.1 | 108.2 | +6.9 | W1 | 6-4 |
| 4Utah Jazz | 41 | 24 | .631 | 11 | 22-12 | 19-12 | 6-6 | 24-17 | 100.5 | 96.2 | +4.3 | W4 | 7-3 |
| 5LA Clippers | 39 | 26 | .600 | 13 | 20-10 | 19-16 | 6-5 | 23-17 | 107.8 | 104.8 | +3.0 | W1 | 5-5 |
| 6Oklahoma City Thunder | 36 | 29 | .554 | 16 | 24-9 | 12-20 | 7-5 | 23-18 | 106.3 | 106.3 | 0.0 | W1 | 5-5 |
| 7Memphis Grizzlies | 36 | 29 | .554 | 16 | 19-13 | 17-16 | 6-4 | 26-16 | 101.4 | 100.7 | +0.6 | L4 | 3-7 |
| 8Denver Nuggets | 30 | 35 | .462 | 22 | 18-16 | 12-19 | 5-8 | 17-22 | 110.8 | 111.2 | -0.4 | W1 | 5-5 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 28 | 35 | .444 | 23 | 17-13 | 11-22 | 7-3 | 18-20 | 108.3 | 110.4 | -2.1 | W4 | 5-5 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 28 | 36 | .438 | 23.5 | 20-14 | 8-22 | 4-8 | 17-23 | 98.4 | 99.8 | -1.4 | W4 | 6-4 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 27 | 37 | .422 | 24.5 | 17-18 | 10-19 | 4-7 | 16-23 | 104.8 | 104.8 | +0.0 | W2 | 7-3 |
| Sacramento Kings | 25 | 40 | .385 | 27 | 13-20 | 12-20 | 4-6 | 15-22 | 102.9 | 106.1 | -3.2 | L7 | 2-8 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 25 | 40 | .385 | 27 | 15-18 | 10-22 | 3-9 | 12-26 | 102.6 | 105.8 | -3.3 | L2 | 4-6 |
| Phoenix Suns | 21 | 44 | .323 | 31 | 13-20 | 8-24 | 3-9 | 8-34 | 107.8 | 112.9 | -5.1 | L2 | 4-6 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 20 | 45 | .308 | 32 | 12-18 | 8-27 | 5-7 | 10-29 | 104.3 | 111.0 | -6.7 | W1 | 2-8 |