Scoreboard
Cavaliers 102, Hornets 101
Celtics 102, Pistons 93
Bulls 122, Pacers 115
Raptors 125, Hawks 114
Spurs 131, Rockets 106
Jazz 125, Nets 102
Pelicans 113, Nuggets 105
Mavericks 107, 76ers 98
Thunder 96, Trail Blazers 93
What went down
There is a shift now in the Eastern Conference with several teams slowly gaining ground. The Raptors, who own a 28-23 record, won their fifth straight game after disposing of the Hawks while the Celtics are right behind with a 29-25 card after getting one over the Pistons. Boston is surging after securing its fourth consecutive victory.
The Bulls (33-19) withstood a gritty effort from the Pacers to maintain their dominance in the East. The Cavaliers (32-21) are equally continuing their winning ways after outlasting the Hornets.
The good teams continue to win while the middle pack is gradually closing in. The most telling development, however, is the situation in Brooklyn. The Nets (29-23) suffered their seventh straight defeat after getting blown out by the Jazz. Looking at the team standings and the win streaks, there is a ton of traffic for tickets to the playoffs and play-in tournament.
As the season crosses the halfway mark, the Eastern Conference is getting more and more interesting.
Big-time baller
Luka Doncic exploded for 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists, notching his 44th career triple-double. He is now 10th on the NBA’s triple-double list. Another footnote to his big night is that he moved second all-time in players who have the most games with at least 30-10-15, behind only Oscar Robertson.
Congrats to @luka7doncic of the @dallasmavs for moving up to 10th on the all-time TRIPLE-DOUBLES list! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/QIWzYSELGH
— NBA (@NBA) February 5, 2022
What he said
We’re only days away from the trade deadline and there have been some early fireworks already. The Clippers and Trail Blazers agreed on a five-player deal that saw Norman Powell and Robert Covington move to Los Angeles. In return, Portland got Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson, plus a 2025 second-round draft pick.
Thank you to the @trailblazers organization for everything. Appreciate the staff, my teammates, and of course, the fans. Will always remember my time in 🌹 City
— norman powell (@npowell2404) February 4, 2022
Did you see that?
Luka knew something was wrong with the rim after this shot 😅 pic.twitter.com/w9BmAnYIGE
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 5, 2022
There was a prolonged stoppage during the Sixers and Mavericks game because of a rim issue. Luka Doncic noticed that the rim was slanted while he was taking a shot (he still made it) and called the attention of the officials. Even the huge hands of Boban Marjanovic couldn’t quite get it right.
After the rim was fixed, it turned out the backboard was off so an entirely new hoop was needed. The whole changeup lasted so long that the two squads needed to do warmups all over again. Even the teams’ Twitter accounts decided to play their own game to pass the time.
while we wait...@dallasmavs, down for a game of tic tac toe?!
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 5, 2022
we'll start
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