In the absence of the injured LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, Dennis Schröder has scored his most points in the Los Angeles Lakers jersey.
In the 104:130 against the Phoenix Suns, the captain of the German national basketball team ended the game with 30 points. A reporter from the Los Angeles Times tweeted during the game: “Dennis Schröder is hotter than mulled wine.”
Despite the strong performance, the Lakers were largely without a chance against the Suns around point guard Chris Paul and were mostly at a disadvantage, especially with rebounds. “It wasn’t enough today. We lost, so it doesn’t matter that much,” Schröder said of his haul.
Davis is likely to be out for a month with the Lakers, James (left ankle) and Westbrook (left foot) were unavailable at short notice and should be able to play again soon.
Orlando is defeated by the Hawks
For the Orlando Magic around the German brothers Moritz Wagner and Franz Wagner, a series of six victories came to an end. The team lost 125:126 against the Atlanta Hawks. From a 13-point deficit, the Magic had made a narrow lead thanks to a 12-0 run in the final minutes, but had to admit defeat with two converted free throws with less than two seconds to go.
“We are all competitors and losing sucks. But we are moving in a direction in which we are pushing ourselves more and more and yes, results are important, but the path is even more important,” said Moritz Wagner after his game with 16 points. “This fourth quarter gives us courage, if you’re a good team you come back after defeats and that’s the mood right now.” His brother had 19 points, while Trae Young had 37 points for the Hawks.
In the top game of the day, the Milwaukee Bucks won 128-119 against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Bucks, where Giannis Antetokounmpo had 42 points, are leaders in the Eastern Conference. The Pelicans slipped from second to fourth in the West after their fourth loss in a row. The Memphis Grizzlies are first ahead of the Denver Nuggets, while the Suns climbed to third.
