The first matchday of Week 19 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.
Wizards 143- 146 Spurs
Washington Wizards’ exemplary streak was brought to an end by an overtime loss at the hands of San Antonio Spurs.
The high scoring affair saw Bradley Beal slam 45 points while Russell Westbrook netted his usual triple double.
DeMar DeRozan’s 37-points and 10 assists and Dejounte Murray’s 17 assists were the highlights for Spurs.
With the score reading 133 each after the end of regulation time, Spurs edged out Wizards by 3 points to claim the contest.
Magic 103-114 Lakers
A diligent outing by Lakers enabled them to win against Orlando Magic at the Amway Center.
Dennis Schroder notched 21 points and 10 assists and Anthony Davis made his mark with 18 points.
76ers 121-90 Thunder
Philadelphia 76ers returned back to winning ways with a thumping win over Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Eastern Conference giants led the scoring across all the four quarters over their opponents who now stare at a 14 game losing streak now.
Joel Embiid led the scoring after 21 points to his name at the Wells Fargo Center.
Pistons 100-85 Hawks
Detroit Pistons maneuvered a shocking win over Atlanta Hawks at the Little Caesars Arena.
Jerami Grant posted 18 points while Isaiah Stewart raked 11 rebounds for the win.
Knicks 110-118 Suns
New York Knicks’ cruising nine-game winning run was brought to a halt by Western Conference giants Phoenix Suns at the Madison Square Garden.
Devin Booker scored 33 points while Deandre Ayton registered 13 rebounds. Derrick Rose top scored for the hosts with 22 points in the loss.
Raptors 112-96 Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers lost their third game in a row following a loss to Toronto Raptors at the Amalie Arena.
Pascal Siakam top scored with 25 points for the Raptors and Darius Garland posted 10 assists.
Timberwolves 105- 104 Jazz
Minnesota Timberwolves recorded back to back shocking wins over the Western Conference leaders Utah Jazz with a slender win at the Target Center.
Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell both notched vital double doubles for the win. Despite running away with a 16-point lead in the first quarter, Timberwolves fought back to turn it around and amass a 14-point advantage at the end of the third quarter.
Jazz fought hard with 34 points in the final phase, but found to be a point short at the end of the match.
Heat 102-110 Bulls
Jimmy Butler’s 33 points ended in vain as Chicago Bulls recorded a win over Miami Heat at the American Airlines Center.
With honors even at half time and Heat obtaining a thin lead at the end of the third quarter, the Bulls stepped up which resulted in a 34-20 quarter in favour of them.
Pelicans 120-103 Clippers
New Orleans Pelicans brought an halt to the high flying clippers after a monumental win at the Smoothie King Center.
Zion Williamson racked 23 points as Clippers suffered their 20th loss of the season.
Nuggets 120-96 Grizzlies
Denver Nuggets cruised to a dominant win over Memphis Grizzlies at the Ball Arena to bring up their 40th win of the season.
Nikola Jokic slammed 24 points and 15 assists while it was Michael Porter Jr who led the scoring with 31 points.
Ja Morant’s 27 point display ended up being in a losing cause for the team.
Kings 113-106 Mavericks
Sacramento Kings, without De’Aaron Fox in their ranks were able to muster a win over Dallas Mavericks at the Golden 1 Center.
Richaun Holmes and Luka Doncic both scored 24 points while the former ended in a winning cause, the same could not be said for the latter.
NBA Week 18 Standings
Eastern Conference
- Brooklyn Nets
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Milwaukee Bucks
- New York Knicks
- Atlanta Hawks
- Boston Celtics
- Miami Heat
- Charlotte Hornets
- Indiana Pacers
- Washington Wizards
- Chicago Bulls
- Toronto Raptors
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Detroit Pistons
- Orlando Magic
Western Conference
- Utah Jazz
- Phoenix Suns
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Denver Nuggets
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Dallas Mavericks
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- San Antonio Spurs
- Golden State Warriors
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Sacramento Kings
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Houston Rockets
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