The first week of the year is over, and the NBA did not stop giving us endless emotions in each game. First, some teams at the top of the table fell, and now the fight is much fiercer for the top.
At the same time, others managed to recover and hold on to their positions, closing the week with two or more consecutive victories.
We can’t overlook that we are probably seeing the Brooklyn Nets we have wanted to see since this super team was formed, as they are currently in second place in the NBA Eastern Conference, with nine wins in their last ten games. With that, the Nets are just one game out of first place in the standings.
The Nuggets and the Grizzlies continue to show an excellent level of play, leading the Western Conference and taking advantage of the fact that all the teams behind them have lost in the last few days.
Here is a summary of the most critical games of week 12 of the 2022-23 NBA season.
NBA Weekly Roundup 12 – Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls
When:
Monday, January 2 at 07:00 pm ET
Moneyline odds:
Cavaliers -177
Bulls +145
Where Can I Watch it?
NBA League Pass
Donovan Mitchell scored an NBA season-high and recorded 71 points as the Cavaliers came from 21 points down to defeat the Chicago Bulls 145-134 in overtime on Monday.
The 71 points matched the eighth-highest total by any player in NBA history. This was the most offensive output by a basketball player in a game since the legendary Kobe Bryant scored 81 points for the Lakers against Toronto on January 22, 2006.
Of the 15 points the Cavaliers scored in overtime, Mitchell scored 11 to lead his team to victory.
Result: Cavaliers (145) – (134) Bulls
NBA Weekly Roundup 12 – Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Boston Celtics
When:
Tuesday, January 3 at 08:00 pm ET
Moneyline odds:
Thunder +282
Celtics -379
Where Can I Watch it?
NBA League Pass
One of the first upsets of 2023 was the Thunder’s crushing victory over an inspired Celtics team on Tuesday, January 3, by a score of 150-117.
The Oklahoma City Thunder looked spectacular in this game, with Josh Giddey scoring a season-high 25 points to lead his team to victory.
Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, among the league scoring leaders averaging 30.8 points per game, did not play due to illness. Without him, the Thunder set a record for points since the team moved to Oklahoma City from Seattle before the 2008-09 season.
There is no doubt that the game was decided in the first half when the Thunder already had a 74-54 lead. Jaylen Brown scored 29 points for Boston, and Jaylen Tatum added 27, but this was not enough to avoid the terrible defeat.
Result: Thunder (150) – (117) Celtics
NBA Weekly Roundup 12 – Milwaukee Bucks vs. Washington Wizards
When:
Tuesday, January 3 at 08:00 pm ET
Moneyline odds:
Bucks
Wizards
Where Can I Watch it?
NBA League Pass
Greek superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a career-high 55 points to propel his Milwaukee Bucks to a 123-113 revenge victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.
Anteto, who missed his team’s 118-95 loss to Washington on Sunday, January 1, due to knee soreness, added ten rebounds and seven assists in the win, scoring 19 of his points in the fourth quarter to crush the Wizards.
Milwaukee’s Brook Lopez added 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Bobby Portis added 17 and 13 rebounds.
Result: Bucks (123) – (113) Wizards
NBA Weekly Roundup 12 – Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics
When:
Thursday, January 5 at 07:30 pm ET
Moneyline odds:
Celtics
Mavericks
Where Can I Watch it?
NBA League Pass
The Boston Celtics vindicated themselves last Thursday after the humiliation suffered against the Oklahoma City Thunder. They overcame the Dallas Mavericks on the road with a 124-95 score, with a triple-double by Jayson Tatum, who finished with 29 points, 14 rebounds, and ten assists.
The Celtics reacted with pride after conceding 150 points in the loss to the Thunder, their second in a row after the loss to the Denver Nuggets, and last year’s finalists showed their power in Dallas.
Tatum signed the second triple-double of his career and the Celtics, with an excellent group performance from Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon, who contributed 15 points, Grant Williams with 15, and Derrick White chipped in with 10.
Result: Celtics (124) – (95) Mavericks
NBA Weekly Roundup 12 – New Orleans Pelicans vs. Brooklyn Nets
When:
Friday, January 6 at 07:30 pm ET
Moneyline odds:
Nets
Pelicans
Where Can I Watch it?
NBA League Pass
The Brooklyn Nets beat the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday with a score of 108-102 by coming back from a 15-point home lead and Kyrie Irving, who was quite off for most of the game but was decisive in the final moments.
The Nets have had a spectacular last month and a half: they have managed to win many consecutive games, and it seems that right now is that the super team has managed to mesh perfectly.
Kevin Durant had a double-double of 33 points, ten rebounds, three assists, and two blocks; Irving added 19 points, five rebounds, five assists, and a block; and TJ Warren added 15 points, a rebound, and a steal.
On the other hand, for the Pelicans, CJ McCollum had 28 points, six rebounds, and six assists. With a personal record, Naji Marshall contributed 23 points, nine rebounds, an assist, and three steals.
Result: Nets (108) – (102) Pelicans
NBA Weekly Roundup 12 – Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers
When:
Saturday, January 7 at 10:00 pm ET
Moneyline odds:
Kings
Lakers
Where Can I Watch it?
NBA League Pass
LeBron James once again decided the course of the Lakers and the West as few others do. From his 37 points, a three-pointer on a last-minute play against the Kings changed the game’s feel.
But, AND “little” Dennis Schröder, the guy who made an impact at Eurobasket with Germany, had to come to his and Darvin Ham’s team’s aid with two agonizing free throws with 3 seconds left that broke a 134-all tie and handed the Lakers their fifth straight win.
While the Kings had a great game, James and Germany’s Schröder cut short the team’s hopes of a big win at home to move closer to the top of the NBA’s Western Conference.
Result: Kings (134) – (136) Lakers
NBA Weekly Roundup 12 – Golden State Warriors vs. Orlando Magic
When:
Saturday, January 7 at 08:30 pm ET
Moneyline odds:
Warriors
Magic
Where Can I Watch it?
NBA League Pass
Orlando Magic won in their visit to the Chase Center in San Francisco by 115-101 against a Warriors’ team that could not count on Klay Thompson. The All-Star shooting guard was out at the last minute after suffering severe pain in his knee, which was operated on in 2019.
The Magic had not won at the Warriors’ home for over ten years. Rookie Paolo Banchero led their offense with 25 points and five rebounds, seconded by Franz Wagner, who contributed 24 points.
Wendell Carter Jr. scored 13 points and ten rebounds; Markelle Fultz had 16 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and six steals.
EN 
ES 
PT 
PT_BR