Fans of top-notch point guard skills rejoiced Thursday over Chris Paul’s comeback. Memphis is locked in as a playoff contender. The NBA on Friday morning.
Due to a broken thumb, Chris Paul had missed several weeks. His Phoenix Suns, meanwhile, continued to run circles around the top of the Western Conference. Now “CP3” is back and showed his skills again in the 140-130 win over the Denver Nuggets. While his congenial partner Devin Booker scored 49 points, Paul had another double-double with 17 points and 13 assists in his career.
With their 60th win of the season, Phoenix can no longer be caught in the Western Conference. The fate of the Nuggets, led by league MVP Nikola Jokic (28 points), remains uncertain as the Colorado team continues to teeter on the brink of play-off eligibility in the West.
Meanwhile, the Memphis Grizzlies secured their play-off ticket with a 133-103 win over the Indiana Pacers. The team again had to do without young star Ja Morant, who will probably not be available again until shortly before the play-offs due to knee complaints. Desmond Bane made sure the Grizzlies didn’t miss a beat with twelve goals on 15 attempts and a total of 30 points.
Bucks win without Giannis and Middleton
In the Eastern Conference, the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks closed the gap on the league-leading Miami Heat even without their unused stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. The Bucks won 114-102 against the Washington Wizards and are now only minimally behind the Heat, who did not play on Thursday. Jrue Holiday (24, ten assists) took over the leading role for the champions.
The Chicago Bulls, meanwhile, lost 109-126 at the New Orleans Pelicans and came under further pressure as they continue their downward trend in the standings.