The Golden State Warriors succumbed to the Utah Jazz in a heartbreaking 124–123 defeat at the Vivint Smart Home Arena.
The Warriors, without All-Star trio Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins, were hoping to put an end to their terrible away form this season but fell short in the last second of the game after guard Jordan Poole was stripped of the ball.
With less than 14 seconds left, the Warriors were up by four points, but Malik Beasley made a crucial corner three to cut the margin to one. Following a Warriors timeout, Nickeil Alexander-Walker then stole the ball from Poole in the game’s defining moment.
Poole led both teams in scoring with 36 points, along with 8 assists and 4 rebounds, scoring all but one of his thirteen free throw attempts.
Congolese-born Jonathan Kuminga provided the Warriors with enough support off the bench with 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in 30 minutes. The 20-year-old was very solid on the defensive end, blocking a Jordan Clarkson attempt late on, leading to the latter getting ejected due to a flagrant 2-foul.
Klay Thompson had his second straight 20-point game with 22 points in 36 minutes, but Simone Fontecchio’s 18 points off the bench, including a clutch last-second dunk, helped the Jazz to their third win in four games.
The Jazz improve to their fifteenth win of the season, while the Warriors slip to tenth in the Western Conference standings with their 13th loss of the season.
In other games, Cameroonian-born Pascal Siakam led the Toronto Raptors to their thirteenth win of the season in a 126-113 victory over the shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers were without All-Stars Anthony Davis (illness) and LeBron James (ankle injury) in their second straight loss, dropping to 13th in the Western Conference standings.
Siakam finished the game with a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds—his ninth of the season—while dishing out 7 assists.
OG Anunoby, of Nigerian descent, scored 23 points, while Fred VanVleet, a Canadian point guard, scored 25 points, helping the Raptors defeat the 16-time champs and move into the 7th playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Boston Celtics were rampant in a 125–98 blowout victory over the Phoenix Suns at the Footprint Center.
D’Tigers shooting guard Josh Okogie led the Suns in scoring with a season high of 28 points and 7 rebounds.
However, Jason Tatum (25 points) and Jaylen Brown (25 points) combined for 50 points in just three quarters to lead the 2022 NBA finalists to their twenty-first win of the season—the best record in the league this season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks got their third consecutive win with a 126-113 triumph over the ex-D’Tigers head coach Mike Brown-led Sacramento Kings.
The Bucks earned their eighteenth victory of the season thanks to Antetokounmpo, who finished the game with 35 points, his fourteenth 30-point or more game this season.
Jrue Holiday scored 31 points, while returning guard Khris Middleton ended the game with 14 points, as all of the Bucks’ starters ended with double digit points.
