The market is over: a new era begins in the NBA
The market is closing and people are starting to realize that Luka Doncic is a Lakers player and that the Los Angeles Lakers are the winners of the market.
New NBA day, the first of the new world. That in which one of the largest transfer markets in the history of almost any sport has closed. The assumption that Luka Doncic is a new player for the Los Angeles Lakers has been complicated, but the reality is that the Slovenian is part of the Los Angeles franchise, which ends up as the big winner of the market. Now, it remains to be seen when he will debut and the sporting consequences of an event that is more social and cultural than anything else. On the one hand, because of the connotations it has within an organization in which the empowered player is no longer so empowered. On the other, because of what it may entail when the greatest asset of the best League in the world reaches the largest market to compete with the best team in the world . Meanwhile, the Nuggets win with a triple-double from Nikola Jokic, Anthony Edwards annihilates the Rockets, LeBron James lives his umpteenth new youth, the Mavericks conquer the Garden and the Blazers and Pacers win. All this and much more, in the summary of the day:
BOSTON CELTICS 120 – 127 DALLAS MAVERICKS
A rerun of the Finals, but without Luka Doncic and with a Texan victory.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES 127 – 114 HOUSTON ROCKETS
Anthony Edwards scored 49 points on Wednesday against the Bulls, and shined tonight with 41 points against the Rockets (plus 7 rebounds and 6 assists) and became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 1,000 three-pointers. An incontestable 35-16 in the fourth quarter gave the Wolves (29-23) the victory against a Rockets (32-19) team in crisis after losing their last five games and confirming their worst moment of the season. Jalen Green was Houston’s top scorer with 28 points and 6 rebounds.
DENVER NUGGETS 112 – 90 ORLANDO MAGIC
In the face of five straight defeats for the Rockets, the Nuggets’ five consecutive victories (33-19) have allowed them to overtake Houston to sit third in the Western Conference and resist the Lakers’ push from behind. Nikola Jokic, once again incredible, achieved his 24th triple-double of the season with 28 points (11 of 16), 10 rebounds and 12 assists. Michael Porter Jr. also put in a great performance with 30 points and 7 rebounds. Wendell Carter Jr. (19 points) was the most productive of a sunken Magic (25-28) with a terrifying 3-12 in their last 15 games.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS 108 – 102 SACRAMENTO KINGS
Incredible Blazers (23-29 already). Chauncey Billups’ team has, against all odds, six consecutive victories and 10 in the last 11 games. Against the Kings, the Oregon franchise had 30 points and 6 assists from Anfernee Simons and 24 points from Shaedon Sharpe. DeMar DeRozan (22 points and 7 assists), the recent signing Zach LaVine (22 points), and Malik Monk (21 points and 7 rebounds) could not stop the fourth defeat in the last five games of the Kings (25-26).
LOS ANGELES LAKERS 120 – 112 GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
LeBron James comes out on top in an incredible Lakers victory. Yin and yang in Los Angeles.
The Pacers (29-21, fourth in the Eastern Conference) conquered the Intuit Dome with 33 points and 11 assists from an extraordinary Pascal Siakam. The Clippers (28-23, seventh in the Western Conference) had up to six players with over ten points, among which James Harden stood out (22, with 10 assists). But the effort was not enough to tip the balance, and the 22 turnovers committed penalized the locals too much, who were unable to take control of the game.