(Basketball news) The Los Angeles Clippers continued their fine run of form as they beat the Phoenix Suns 116-107. For the Clippers, Paul George and Terance Mann each scored 26 points while Kawhi Leonard added 16 points, all in the second half, and nine rebounds as Ivica Zubac and Eric Gordon each scored 13 points and Zubac also had 12 rebounds. Recent trade acquisitions Gordon, Bones Hyland and Mason Plumlee all played important roles in the victory. They combined for 30 points and 10 rebounds and were a collective 11 for 11 from the foul line. For the Suns, Okogie led scoring with 24 points as he was 6 of 12 from behind the arc, Booker had 19 points and nine assists while Ayton scored 18 points and newcomer Terrance Ross had 16 points. Booker was 1 of 6 from 3-point range, but tied Steve Nash’s franchise record with 1,051 3s.
”The new guys came in and just plugged right in as if we started the season,” George said. ”We played great team basketball. We shared it and got stops as we needed to. We got everything we needed. We just have to bring that all together and find an identity that can carry us.”
”It feels good without having to look over your shoulder when you mess up,” said Okogie ”Coach (Monty Williams) told me, `I don’t care if you miss eight in a row. I won’t take you out for missing but I will take you out for not shooting.”’
”I don’t want to think about it,” Lue said about the Suns adding Durant to their rotation. ”It’s a tough coverage, tough matchup. I’m interested to see how they play, and how they share the basketball. But on paper it looks really good.
The Milwaukee Bucks went level on top with the Celtics after they beat the Chicago Bulls 112-100. For the Bucks, Antetokounmpo became Milwaukee’s career assists leader before getting injured, and won their 12th straight win as Brook Lopez scored a season-high 33 points While Jevon Carter had 22 against his hometown team, and Jrue Holiday added 15 points and nine assists. For the Bulls, Nikola Vucevic had 22 points and 16 rebounds while Zach LaVine scored 18 points, and Patrick Williams had 16 points. Antetokounmpo finished with a season-low two points and three assists, giving him 3,274 over 10 seasons to break Paul Pressey’s record of 3,272 from 1982 to 1990. He also had seven rebounds. With this result the Bucks improved their record to 41-17.
”We’ll just see how he feels tomorrow, see how he feels the next few days and continue to evaluate it,” Budenholzer said.
”He’s a guy that’s attacking the basket all the time,” Budenholzer said. ”He’s fearless. He takes a lot of falls so you kind of learn to just expect him to always just bounce back up, and that’s what we’re hoping for from this one.”
”It’s greatness, right?” Holiday said. ”Especially to do it with one franchise, to be here through the ups and the downs, to see where he started and where he is now. I’m so happy for him.”
Also read: NBA: New Lakers trio help beat the Pelicans while Mavericks lose to the Nuggets
