The Cavs crucify the Mavs
Crazy final in Cleveland, therefore, where Dallas, buoyed by the 75 points of the duo Luka Doncic (45) and Kyrie Irving (30), still had a 10-unit lead less than four minutes from the buzzer.
But this is precisely the moment that Cavaliers winger Max Strus chose to pull out all the stops. By hitting four winning shots first, which allowed Cleveland to come back to within one point (113-112).
Then by scoring an incredible basket from his own half, at the buzzer.
At the end of a back-and-forth on the scoreboard, Donovan Mitchell and Kyrie Irving going blow for blow, Dallas had just regained the lead thanks to a lay-up from PJ Washington...
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Strus' victorious shot was followed by trance-filled scenes at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and ignited the networks, even arousing the admiration of Kansas City Chiefs star player Travis Kelce, recent Superbowl winner and Cavs fan, in a fiery exchange with his quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“It was crazy
,” reacted the hero of the day, aged 27.
“It’s a big victory, we needed it.
We've been struggling lately, so it feels good to get one like that
,” added the former Miami Heat player, author of 21 points in total.
Logically, he attracted the praise of his trainer.
“The way he plays, the determination, this mentality of never giving up, it inspires these teammates every day
,” said JB Bickerstaff.
The Cavs of Donovan Mitchell, author of 31 points, thus consolidate their second place in the East with a record of 38 victories and 19 defeats, while Dallas, 8th, will have to continue to jostle in the West.
The C's, as usual
If Cleveland stole the spotlight from them for one evening, the Boston Celtics are not close to giving up their leading position in the East... The C's have indeed won a 9th victory in a row, this time beating the Philadelphia Sixers, with 60 points from the pair Jaylen Brown (31) - Jayson Tatum (29).
Phila was able to believe in her lucky star for a long time, but Boston inflicted a 15-0 on them in the middle of the fourth quarter...
“We learned from our mistakes last year.
We react really well in these situations
,” commented Tatum.
The men in green peak at 46 victories (against only 12 defeats) and are more than 7 victories ahead of their runner-up.
Life is less good for the Sixers, who have lost eight of their last 12 games in the absence of injured Joel Embiid.
Victor Wembanyam and Rudy Gobert DAVID BERDING / AFP
Gobert wins the duel against Wemby
Franco-French duel in Minneapolis, where Rudy Gobert's Wolves hosted Victor Wembanyama's Spurs.
And it was the first named, spared in recent days, who won 114-105, achieving a double-double (13 pts, 17 rebounds) within a collective led by Anthony Edwards (34 pts ).
“Wemby”
also had his double-double (17 pts, 13 rebounds), but the Spurs, last in the Western Conference (11-48), were no match for defeating Minnesota, co-leader alongside from Oklahoma City, also winner Tuesday evening, from Houston (112-95).
Note, however, a surprise in the East, where Detroit, the worst franchise in the League, won its 9th success in 58 matches on the floor of the Chicago Bulls (105-95), with 26 points from Cade Cunningham.