SEASON-HIGH PERFORMANCE: Vasilije Micić dominates Phillie, but Charlotte still loses!

The Serbian national team player had his most efficient game so far, but Charlotte lost to Philadelphia (108:98).

Lamelo Ball was given a day off for the second consecutive game, and Serbian national team player Vasilije Micić stepped into the starting point guard position. There was no doubt for the head coach of the North Carolina team who would start at the number one position, and he talked about the former Red Star basketball player just before the game.

“He does a great job at the point guard position and in organizing the team. He puts us in the best possible positions. Sometimes when he has more space and chances to play pick-and-roll, he always does a good thing. He always finds the right solution for himself and his teammates and helps us a lot in organizing the offense,” said Charles Lee.

From the very beginning of the game, Micić took responsibility. With Lamelo, Brandon Miller, and Terry Rozier out, the keys to the team were in his hands. He shot two three-pointers within a minute and a half, and then another one in the next two minutes, but missed all three. He had a poor first quarter and didn’t score, only recording one assist. Tyrese Maxey buried the visiting team’s basket with four made three-pointers and 15 points, while Joel Embiid had more assists than field goals. The Cameroonian also had a solid eight points, so the home team had a +18 lead after the first quarter.

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In the second quarter, Charlotte consolidated, primarily defensively, and avoided a major blowout in the first half. After allowing 41 points in the first quarter, they allowed only 17 in the second and managed to reduce the deficit to 12 points before the second half. Micić hit one three-pointer by the end of the first half and had three points and two assists.

The Serbian basketball player really came alive in the third quarter when none of his teammates could hit a shot. They were even down by more than 20 points, but then Micić took matters into his own hands and scored 10 points in the third quarter. He hit one three-pointer and two two-pointers, and drew a foul on Paul George while shooting a three-pointer, making all three free throws. Joel Embid got past him with a great fake and hit a mid-range shot, and then it was time for the Cameroonian to get serious and not let Charlotte come back. With 12 minutes left, Philadelphia had a +14 lead.

The home team probably expected to routinely finish the game, but Micić appeared again. He hit a two-pointer, then a three-pointer, and created an open shot for Dwayne Jeffries, who reduced the deficit to four points with eight minutes left. Miles Bridges kept his team close in the final minutes, while Joel Embid was unstoppable on the other side. The Cameroonian restored a double-digit lead with two minutes left and the home team finished the job.
Vasa had his most efficient game of the season. His previous best was against the Indiana Pacers when he had 18 points and nine assists, while now he scored 20 points. He shot 4/6 from two-point range, 3/8 from three-point range, and 3/3 from the free-throw line. He also added a rebound and four assists. He was the most efficient player on his team, followed by Miles Bridges with 15 and Dwayne Jeffries with 12 points. Isaiah Wong and Cody Martin each added 11 points.

Joel Embid led Philadelphia to victory with 34 points, nine assists, and five rebounds. Tyrese Maxey added 23, Kelly Oubre 22 points. Paul George recorded only five points (2/12 from the field, 1/7 from three), but also had ten rebounds and eight assists.

The Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA championship and showed they are in great shape, but no one has had a good time visiting Ohio this season, not even Doc Rivers’ team. The Cleveland Cavaliers have only one home loss this season and now have 15 wins after beating the Milwaukee Bucks 124:101.
The Cavaliers demolished Milwaukee in the first half. They scored 69 points in the first half. They had a +9 lead after the first quarter and a +18 lead at halftime thanks to excellent three-point shooting and dominance in the paint. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 18 points at halftime, but he couldn’t do without Damian Lillard, who missed this game. The starting five without him managed to score only 15 points, and both Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen didn’t even score.

With a 27-point lead before the fourth quarter, the key players of both teams mostly sat out the second half, and players with less playing time got a chance.

Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points, along with six assists and two steals, and was the best player on the winning team. Darius Garland added 16, Mobley and Wade 15 each, and Jarrett Allen had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Taj Jerome added 13 points off the bench.

On the other side, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 33 points and 14 rebounds. He played all the games this season and never shot below 50%. He also added three assists and three steals. Khris Middleton had 14 points, while Brook Lopez added 10.