The long-awaited game between Portland and Milwaukee. The two teams that traded the All Star player – Damian Lillard – faced each other. It looked like a smooth, sure victory for the visitors, but the home team overcame their opponents with an outstanding last half. Lillard, of course, had the biggest laugh as he played against his former club for the first time.
For the first time since the trade, Lillard celebrates AGAIN!
19 points difference in the last half
It was another one of the regular games when it seemed that there would be a surprise without any major breakthroughs. A club that on paper was not considered the favourite just wins. But that wasn’t Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s plan, let alone Damian Lillard‘s. Despite Portland‘s 20-point lead at halftime, it didn’t stop Adrian Griffin’s troops.
The aforementioned star duo played a major role, scoring a total of 32 points by the end of the game, 11 more than the entire Trail Blazers lineup. The Bucks won the last quarter 33:14.
“Sometimes we really make it hard for ourselves. Don’t get me wrong, Portland is a very good young team, but it’s our own fault. We shouldn’t come into the game like we did today. Then every comeback is difficult and takes a toll on the body. Well, in the end I’m really happy that we did it,”
said Antetokounmpo, who had 16 rebounds to go with 33 points. Lillard scored 31 points against his former team. Milwaukee has managed a major comeback only once in franchise history. In 2012, they were 27 points behind against Chicago.
Western Conference: Dallas less determined than at the start
Luka Dončić‘s team is still highly ranked in the Western Conference, but their performances are not as convincing anymore. A couple of defeats have followed and they are currently sitting fifth in the standings. Luka is putting up impressive numbers, as usual, and remains one of the main MVP candidates. The reigning champions Denver are still at the top of the standings, followed by Minnesota, Oklahoma City and Phoenix – the team that has stepped on the gas the most recently, thanks to their star player Kevin Durant.
How serious is Luka Dončić’s injury?
Texas’ number one Luka Dončić suffered a finger injury on his left hand in the defeat against the LA Clippers (88:107). It didn’t interfere too much with his play, as he scored 30 points by the end of the game. Imaging showed a minor sprain, which meant that he was already available for the next match against Houston. He is still playing with a bandaged thumb, but the Slovenian has overcome injuries of this kind countless times in his career.
“I hit the opponent’s knee with my hand… I watched the video later, it wasn’t very pretty to see,”
Dončić explained with a smile at the press conference, before continuing a bit more seriously:
“There were concerns about a fractured thumb, but the X-ray showed that the finger was not broken.”
When, at the end of the press conference, the journalists wanted confirmation of where the Slovenian star was in pain, he smiled again and said:
“It’s not a hand injury, it’s my thumb on my left hand. I can show you a picture, but you won’t like it.”
Eastern Conference – extremely evenly matched
Meanwhile, the real battle is in the East, where four teams are locked together. As we’ve become accustomed to over the last few seasons, Boston is near the top, and we always hope to see them jump to the top of the league also in the playoffs, as they showed in the regular season. Surprisingly, Orlando is currently on top with only five defeats in their 12 wins. The Wagner brothers have been a great fit this season. Current US international Banchero is also contributing to the young team, and here is the result. Milwaukee and Philadelphia are next, separated from the top only by the margin of a win.
TOP SCORERS:
- Joel Embiid 32.0
- Kevin Durant 31.4
- Luka Dončić 30.5
- Shai Gilgeous-Aleksander 30.4
- Giannis Antetokounmpo 29.9
THE BEST JUMPERS:
- Nikola Jokić 13.4
- Domantas Sabonis 12.3
- Anthony Davis 12.1
- Joel Embiid 11.3
- Mitchell Robinson 11.3
BEST ASSISTANTS:
- Tyrese Haliburton 11.9
- Trae Young 10.4
- fred VanVleet 9.0
- Nikola Jokić 8.9
- LaMelo Ball 8.2
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