Josh Giddey’s huge double-double couldn’t stop his Oklahoma City Thunder shedding an NBA thriller to the Los Angeles Lakers in a key NBA western convention match-up.
Both groups went into the match in LA with 36-37 season data and eight additional common season matches remaining as they battle to make the playoffs.
Centre Anthony Davis in the end carried the Lakers to their 116-111 victory, posting 37 factors and grabbing 14 rebounds as he led the way in which at each ends of the courtroom.
The Thunder dropped right into a tie with the Dallas Mavericks for tenth spot within the western convention, with the 4 groups positioned seventh to tenth after the common season to contest the play-in match.
Young Australian guard Giddey flirted with a fifth triple-double of the season as he scored 27 factors on 50 per cent capturing to go together with his 17 rebounds and 7 assists whereas All-Star teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander additionally had 27 factors.
The youthful Thunder misplaced for less than the fourth time of their previous 12 video games, having held the Lakers to solely 42 factors within the second half after LA put up 41 within the first quarter alone.
“That’s a testament to our ability to scrap and hang in there,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault stated.
“All the things they got down the stretch are things we’re willing to live with.”
The Lakers moved even with Minnesota in seventh place within the west regardless of the damage absences of LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell.
They improved to 8-5 throughout James’ newest damage absence, staying within the race with out the NBA’s profession scoring chief.
It was a must-win recreation for us,” said Davis, who made 15 of his 21 shots. “We needed to come out and get this recreation, and we got here out offensive and defensively simply taking part in extraordinarily effectively.
In Dallas, the Mavericks had All-Stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving of their line up however fell to a deflating 117-109 residence loss to the undermanned Charlotte Hornets.
Doncic had 34 factors and 10 rebounds whereas Irving scored 18 factors and the Mavericks are actually 3-7 with each within the line-up.
The Memphis Grizzlies, sitting second within the west, clinched a playoff spot as they coasted to a 151-114 residence win over the hapless Houston Rockets.
Mid-season arrival Luke Kennard hit a franchise-record 10 3-pointers – from 11 makes an attempt – to match his profession excessive rating with 30 factors for the Grizzlies, whereas Ja Morant scored 18 factors and had eight assists in his second recreation since his eight-game league-imposed suspension.
The Milwaukee Bucks prolonged their NBA-best document to 53-20 with a 144-116 away win over the Utah Jazz.
Australian veteran Joe Ingles had six factors and 6 assists for the japanese convention leaders in his 22 minutes on courtroom.
In Boston, Jayson Tatum scored 34 factors, setting a franchise document together with his fortieth 30-point recreation this season because the Celtics (51-23) rolled the Indiana Pacers 120-95.
Tatum handed Hall of Famer Larry Bird, who had 39 30-point video games throughout the 1987-88 season.
In San Francisco, defending champions Golden State (39-36) claimed a 120-112 win over the Philadelphia 76ers (49-24) as they sit in sixth place within the western convention, one spot above the play-in match.
with The AP
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
