The Warriors pulled off one of the most impressive comebacks in recent NBA history, having trailed by as many as 25 points against the Lakers, but ultimately secured a 112-95 victory, with Steph Curry winning the big head-to-head matchup against Luka Dončić.
The Slovenian had an incredible first quarter, scoring 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including five three-pointers, five assists, and two steals, leading the Lakers to a 38-15 lead. The picture, however, changed completely in the second quarter.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The Warriors responded with an identical quarter score, 38–15, and tied the game before halftime. They thus became the first team in the shot clock era to trail by at least 23 points at the end of the first quarter and still manage to tie the game or take the lead by halftime.
Curry finished the game with 31 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds, while Dončić had 37 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. In the third quarter, the two stars traded big three-pointers, with Curry scoring over Dončić and the latter responding immediately from the other end.
The night also had a historic significance for the Warriors’ leader, as he surpassed Dominique Wilkins and moved up to 18th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Brandin Podziemski added 21 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds, while De’Anthony Melton and Georges Niang came off the bench with 16 and 11 points, respectively.
The Warriors’ comeback was historic in terms of the final margin as well. Never in the shot-clock era has a team that trailed by 20 or more points at the end of the first quarter gone on to win by such a large margin.
In Dallas, the Mavericks ended the Rockets’ unbeaten streak with a 116-111 victory, led by an impressive duo. Kyrie Irving scored 35 points—26 of them in the second half—while Cooper Flagg added 33 points.
Irving made the basket that gave the Mavericks a decisive 102-100 lead, while Flagg made two crucial baskets after the Rockets missed free throws. Kevin Durant had 28 points for Houston, which suffered its first loss of the season.
In Boston, the Celtics had little trouble against the Bulls and prevailed 125-111. Payton Pritchard scored 30 points, including 20 in the first half, while Jayson Tatum added 26.
The lead reached as high as 32 points before halftime, with the Celtics dominating in the paint, where they scored 56 points. For Chicago, which suffered its fourth consecutive loss, Caleb Wilson had 23 points.
In Philadelphia, LeBron James showed his class in the clutch, leading the 76ers to a 98-93 victory over the defending champion Knicks. The 41-year-old superstar had 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists and made the basket that gave his team the lead with 1:10 remaining.
Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia in scoring with 27 points, while V.J. Edgcomb hit a clutch three-pointer in the closing moments. For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson had 24 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 22.
Finally, in Denver, the Nuggets defeated the Suns 127-120, with Jamal Murray having a big night with 39 points, while Christian Brown added another 31.
The results:
Wizards-Hornets 95-79
Celtics-Bulls 125-111
Nets-Pistons 94-110
76ers-Knicks 98-93
Raptors-Magic 114-121
Mavericks-Rockets 116-111
Heat vs. Pacers 145-125
Timberwolves-Clippers 127-101
Warriors vs. Lakers 112-95
Suns-Nuggets 120-127
*Photo source: AP
