The Dallas Mavericks have secured home court in the first play-off round in the West. The best player was once again Luka Doncic, who will miss the final game of the regular season.
The Dallas Mavericks have claimed a clear 128-78 home victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. After the sixth win from the past seven games, the Texans remain in fourth place in the Western Conference. With a record of 51:30 wins, the Mavericks can still knock the Golden State Warriors (51:29 wins) out of third place. Dallas cannot slip any further, which means they will enjoy home court advantage in the first play-off round for the first time since 2011.
The Mavericks dominated the first quarter against Portland on Friday (local time), leading by 23 points after twelve minutes. The Mavericks’ best player was Luka Doncic with 39 points, eleven rebounds and seven assists. The Slovenian national player hit seven three-pointers. However, Doncic also picked up his 16th technical foul of the season for fouling. As a result, the 23-year-old will be suspended for one game and will miss the Mavs’ last game of the main round. German international Maxi Kleber missed the game due to an ankle injury.
The Phoenix Suns overcame a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to ultimately celebrate a 111-105 win at the Utah Jazz. Top scorer Devin Booker scored 33 points. The West-leading Houston Rockets lost 115-117 to the Toronto Raptors without Dennis Schröder, who is still injured.
Bucks consolidate second place
The Milwaukee Bucks, meanwhile, have strengthened their claim to second place in the Eastern Conference ahead of the Boston Celtics around national player Daniel Theis. After a 131-101 win over the Detroit Pistons, top star Giannis Antetokounmpo and colleagues have a chance to secure their position behind the leaders Miami Heat in their last game on Sunday against Cleveland.
Kevin Durant led the Brooklyn Nets to a 118-107 home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Nets superstar was the game’s top scorer with 36 points. After their third success in a row, the Nets pushed the Cavaliers out of seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Both teams could face each other in the play-in tournament, the winner of which will qualify for the play-offs. As the seventh-place team, the Nets would get to play a home game against the eighth-place team.
The Los Angeles Lakers, without their stars LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, halted their eight-game winless streak. The Lakers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-101 at home. Even before the game, it was clear that the Lakers would miss the play-offs this season.