The Miami Heat have underlined their ambitions this season with a clear victory in the NBA top game. Ja Morant came up big in the Memphis Grizzlies’ victory.
Against the second-place Chicago Bulls, Eastern Conference leaders Miami claimed a 112-99 home win on Monday night to extend their lead. The fourth straight win for the Heat was also the second consecutive loss for the Bulls. Zach LaVine was the best scorer in the game with 22 points, but he couldn’t prevent his Bulls from going down to defeat.
In the chasing pack, the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks took a 130-106 win over the Charlotte Hornets. The Bucks are fourth ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who lost their home game to the Minnesota Timberwolves 122-127. Of the teams still hoping for a direct play-off spot, only the Toronto Raptors won apart from the Timberwolves from the Western Conference. The Canadians took a 133-97 win over the Brooklyn Nets, who continue to struggle without their stars and also had to do without coach Steve Nash, who was on the NBA’s Corona list at short notice.
52 points! Morant posts career best
Without playoff prospects are the Orlando Magic led by Berlin’s Franz and Moritz Wagner. But the Eastern Conference’s bottom team recorded its second win in a row by beating the Indiana Pacers 119-103 and were happy to see Markelle Fultz play his first game since tearing his cruciate ligament more than a year ago. Franz Wagner finished with 15 points, two rebounds and three assists.
Ja Morant had a career-best 52 points in the Memphis Grizzlies’ 118-105 win. Just two days earlier, Morant had already shone with 46 points against the Chicago Bulls. The surprise team moved closer to the Golden State Warriors, who are second in the Western Conference behind the Phoenix Suns.
