The third matchday of Week 17 of the 2020-21 NBA season has concluded and it’s time to take a look back at the scores and highlights of the matches and standings of the teams.
Timberwolves 105-130 Bucks
Khris Middleton notched 27 points in Milwaukee Bucks’ thumping win over Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Timberwolves, despite Naz Reid’s 15 rebounds, suffered their 42nd defeat of the season.
Hornets 90-103 Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers returned back to winning ways following a convincing win over Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center.
Taurean Prince posted 25 points to lead the Cavaliers while Kevin Love chipped in with 17 points and 11 rebounds for the visitors.
76ers 123-117 Nets
In arguably the most riveting contest of the night, the two-joint leaders of the Eastern Conference Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets met at the Wells Fargo Center.
The home side emerged marginally victorious to claim the top seed for the time being. Joel Embiid registered 39 points and 13 assists to steer his side to a massive win.
On the other hand, Kyrie Irving posted 37 points in a losing cause.
Raptors 117-112 Spurs
Pascal Siakam and Chris Boucher earned a combined 23 rebounds as Toronto Raptors defeated San Antonio Spursa at the Amalie Arena.
This marks Spurs’ 7th defeat in their last 10 matches while their pursuit for a Playoff spot continues.
Bulls 106-115 Magic
Chicago Bulls’ slide down the table continued with their fourth loss in a row, The team were defeated by Orlando Magic at the United Center.
The Magic, themselves came out of a six-game losing streak following this win. Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine registered a combined 59-point effort but it still was not enought for the Bulls.
Pistons 98-100 Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers made a stagerring comeback in the final quarter to defeat Detroit Pistons by two points.
Reggie Jackson hit 29 points while Jerami Grant notched 28 points in a losing effort for the hosts at the Little Caesers Arena.
Pelicans 106-116 Knicks
An evenly contested encounter tilted in the final quarter as New Orleans Pelicans could only muster 17 points in the phase.
Brandon Ingram posted 28 points in a losing effort for the hosts. On the other hand, Julius Randle’s 32 point display secured Knicks their 29th win of the season.
Thunder 109-147 Warriors
Golden State Warriors have hit serious momentum riding on Steph Curry’s rich vein of form. Their third win in succession was marked by a sensational effort from Curry who posted 42 points in 29 minutes.
Draymond Green registered a triple-double as Warriors coasted to a win at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. With this loss, Oklahoma City Thunder find themselves without a win from their last 8 matches.
Rockets 124-132 Pacers
Despite John Wall’s top-scoring effort yielding 31 points, Houston Rockets fell short against the Indiana Pacers at the Toyota Center.
The 20-point half-time deficit proved to be too much for the Rockets in the end. The pacers guards enjoyed scoring with freedom and edged close to the eighth spot in the playoff table.
Grizzlies 113-114 Mavericks
Luka Doncic posted 29 points as Dallas Mavericks earned a tight win over Memphis Grizzlies at the FedEx Forum.
The close encounter was decided in the fourth quarter where Mavericks outscored their opponents 31-24.
Nuggets 123-106 Heat
Nikola Jokic’s triple double combined with Michael Porter Jr’s 25 points gave Denver Nuggets a comfortable win over Miami Heat at the Ball Arena.
Nuggets returned back to winning ways after their crushing losses to Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors earlier this week.
Kings 111-123 Wizards
In the final encounter for the day, Russell Westbrook’s triple double and Bradley Beal’s 25 point-display piped Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center.
De’Aaron Fox once again shone during the loss with 33 points to his name. The Kings have now lost the last eight matches in a row.
NBA Week 16 Standings
Eastern Conference
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Brooklyn Nets
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Atalanta Hawks
- Boston Celtics
- New York Knicks
- Miami Heat
- Charlotte Hornets
- Indiana Pacers
- Chicago Bulls
- Toronto Raptors
- Washington Wizards
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Orlando Magic
- Detroit Pistons
Western Conference
- Utah Jazz
- Phoenix Suns
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Denver Nuggets
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Dallas Mavericks
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Golden State Warriors
- San Antonio Spurs
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Sacramento Kings
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Houston Rockets
- Minnesota Timberwolves
