Tatum annihilates Bulls and LeBron James topples Kings

There were surprises in the NBA on a day in which 12 games were played. The teams at the top each of the conferences added another win to their record and thus extend their leads and got closer to the Playoffs, even though there are still a few months left for teams to jockey for position.

One of the teams getting closer to playoff contention with each passing day is the Cleveland Cavaliers. The squad led by Kenny Atkinson beat the Philadelphia 76ers (126-99) in Ohio, with six players surpassing scoring in double digits. Darius Garland, with 26 points, and Evan Mobley, with a double-double (22 points and 13 rebounds), neutralized the 27 points scored by Tyrese Maxey.

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Sacramento Kings (103-99) at the always complicated Golden 1 Center. Unlike the last head-to-head between the two, the purple and gold struggled to achieve the victory, facing a strong team performance from the Kings. LeBron James, with 32 points, and Anthony Davis, with a double-double (10 points and 15 rebounds), invalidated De'Aaron Fox's 31 points and Domantas Sabonis' great game (19 points and 19 rebounds).

The latter was not the only intra-state duel, The Orlando Magic did not let the Miami Heat storm the Kia Center (121-114) thanks, in large part, to the 35 points scored by Cole Anthony, even though he came off the bench. The New York Knicks defeated the team with the worst record in the Western Conference, the New Orleans Pelicans (93-104). And the Milwaukee Bucks forgot all about their loss to the Cavaliers and beat the Washington Wizards.

The Dallas Mavericks, without Luka Doncic, took their revenge against the Los Angeles Clippers, a franchise they defeated (113-97) at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. Eight Mavs players scored 10 points or more. The Boston Celtics, who won their seventh game in their last 10, bested the Chicago Bulls, who succumbed to the might of the defending champions, 123-98. Jayson Tatum was dominant, putting up a triple-double (43 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists).