Washington, December 14 (EFE). – The Lakers made up for their exit from the NBA Cup this Sunday with a 114-116 win over the Phoenix Suns, while the Golden State Warriors, despite the Stephen Curry Festival, lost 136-131 to the Portland Trail Blazers and the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 127-72.
The Lakers (18-7) and Suns (14-12) could have been in Las Vegas had they won their NBA Cup quarterfinal games against the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, respectively.
The Lakers had a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, but Phoenix responded with a 35-14 run, scoring on a Dillon Brooks triple with 12 seconds left to take the lead (114-113).
But it was a frustrated comeback as the Lakers won the game from the free throw line in the final moments.
Luka Doncic became the Lakers’ top scorer with 29 points, although he had a lot of targeting problems: 7 of 25 (28%) on field goals, including 2 of 14 on three-pointers (14.3%). LeBron James contributed 26 points and Deandre Ayton 20 points and 13 rebounds.
Devin Booker returned from an injury that prevented him from playing in the NBA Cup quarterfinals with 27 points.
Stephen Curry shined in Portland with 48 points, including 12 triples, but in his last four attacks in which the Warriors risked their lives, he chained together a missed triple, a missed layup, a turnover and another missed triple.
Despite these last two mistakes, Curry made 12 of 19 shots from outside, a more than remarkable 63.2%.
This game between the Warriors (13-14) and the Blazers (10-16) had 20 scoreboard changes and 14 ties.
For the Blazers, Shaedon Sharpe and Jerami Grant each scored 35 points, while Deni Avdija scored 26.
The Nets (7-18) have never had a 30-point lead this season. Today they defeated the Bucks (11-16) in 45 minutes, a real humiliation for a team that has a poor record of 2-8 without Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Jordi Fernández was unable to witness his men’s performance live due to illness and was replaced on the bench by his deputy Steve Hetzel.
As many as nine Nets players finished in double figures tonight in Brooklyn, led by Russian rookie Egor Dëmin with 17 points.
In addition to these games, the Atlanta Hawks won 120-117 against the Philadelphia 76ers with 27 points and 10 rebounds from Dyson Daniels and 20 points and 15 rebounds from Onyeka Okongwu.
The Washington Wizards defeated the Indiana Pacers 89-108 in their second road win of the season, while the Charlotte Hornets won 111-119 in overtime against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Bulls 104-114 in Chicago and in Minneapolis the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Sacramento Kings 117-103 with 24 points and 10 rebounds from Julius Randle. EFE
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