The Brooklyn Nets around basketball world champion Dennis Schröder defeated the Chicago Bulls in the NBA with a three-game gala. In the 125:108 (47:52) home win, the Nets hit a total of 25 of their 44 long-distance shots, and with 18 successful three-pointers in the second half, the team from New York set a record in the North American Basketball League.
Schröder also appeared strong from a distance: The playmaker hit seven of his eleven three-pointers; only once in his NBA career has Schröder hit more in this category: on April 10, 2019, he made eight successful long-range throws. Schröder scored 27 points, his third most this season. “We simply played with a lot of joy and as a team, we moved the ball well for the entire 48 minutes,” said Schröder about Brooklyn’s third success in a row. With five wins behind the tenth-placed Atlanta Hawks, it will be very difficult for the Nets to make it into the pre-qualification for the playoffs.
The Franz brothers are defeated by the Clippers
The brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner suffered their third defeat in a row with the Orlando Magic, losing 97:100 (50:52) at home to the Los Angeles Clippers. The hosts took a 97:96 lead into the final minute, but superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George scored two important baskets for the Clippers. Franz Wagner remained below his potential with 13 points, Moritz Wagner contributed twelve points and nine rebounds from the bench. Daniel Theis was not used for the Clippers.
The Magic remain fifth in the East, one place ahead of the New York Knicks. Despite 61 points from their playmaker Jalen Brunson, they had to admit defeat to the San Antonio Spurs 126:130 (57:74, 121:121) after overtime. Brunson recorded the sixth-highest points total of the NBA season and missed the Knicks' team record by one point. On the other side, Victor Wembanyama excelled with 40 points, 20 rebounds and seven assists. The Frenchman is the first league rookie since Shaquille O'Neal in February 1993 to score at least 40 points and 20 rebounds in an NBA game. For the Knicks, German center Isaiah Hartenstein had seven points.
In the Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks around national player Maxi Kleber remain on the road to success. With a 107:103 (51:60) away win over the Sacramento Kings, the Texans achieved their sixth success in a row, which means the longest winning streak in the NBA. Dallas' star duo Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving scored a combined 56 points, but a bench player, Dante Exum, scored the decisive three-pointer for the 106:103 lead with 28 seconds left. Kleber scored six points.
