Sunday, 19 January 2020

Croats in NBA: Bojan Bogdanovic Scores 30 Points for 9th Time this Season

January 19, 2020 - On Saturday night, 11 games were played in the NBA, with Bojan Bogdanovic and Dario Saric brilliant for their teams. 

Bojan Bogdanovic led the Utah Jazz with 30 points in a 123:101 home win over Sacramento. The Croatian basketball player played 31 minutes with 30 points (two-pointers 10/15, three-pointers 6/9, free throws 4/4), two rebounds, one assist, and one steal.

In addition to Bogdanovic, Rudy Gobert was also great for the Jazz with 28 points and 15 rebounds, as was Donovan Mitchell with 22 points and Jordan Clarkson with 20 points. In the ranks of the defeated Kings,  De'Aaron Fox was the best with 21 points.

Also outstanding was Dario Saric, whose Phoenix Suns celebrated somewhat surprisingly in Boston against the Celtics 123:119.

In 38 minutes spent on the court, Saric achieved a double-double with 13 points (two-pointers 6/12, three-pointers 1/4), 11 rebounds and five assists. The Suns were led by Devin Booker, who lacked one assist for the triple-double. He scored 39 points, ten rebounds and nine assists. Deandre Ayton tallied 26 points and 15 rebounds in the win.

The brilliant Marcus Smart scored 37 points for the Celtics, including 11 three-pointers. Jayson Tatum added 26 points with ten rebounds and Gordon Hayward scored 22 points.

The NBA's best Milwaukee Bucks celebrated 117:97 against Brooklyn, and Dragan Bender scored six points with six rebounds in 20 and a half minutes on the court.

The Los Angeles Clippers also defeated the Pelicans in New Orleans 133:130. Ivica Zubac had three points, three rebounds, and two assists in 15 minutes.

Oklahoma City defeated Portland 119:106 in front of its fans. Mario Hezonja played 28 and a half minutes for the guests, scoring four points with eight rebounds and one steal.

Eastern Conference 

Atlantic Division

1.  Toronto        28  14  .667   -
2.  Boston         27  14  .659   0  1/2
3.  Philadelphia   28  16  .636   1
4.  Brooklyn       18  23  .439   9  1/2
5.  New York       11  32  .256  17  1/2

Central Division

1.  Milwaukee      38   6  .864   -
2.  Indiana        27  15  .643  10
3.  Detroit        16  27  .372  21  1/2
4.  Chicago        16  28  .364  22
5.  Cleveland      12  31  .279  25  1/2

Southeast Division

1.  Miami          29  12  .707   -
2.  Orlando        20  23  .465  10
3.  Charlotte      15  29  .341  15  1/2
4.  Washington     13  28  .317  16
5.  Atlanta        10  33  .233  20

Western Conference

Northwest Division

1.  Denver         29  12  .707   -
2.  Utah           29  13  .690   0  1/2
3.  Oklahoma City  24  19  .558   6
4.  Portland       18  26  .409  12  1/2
5.  Minnesota      15  27  .357  14  1/2

Pacific Division

1.  LA Lakers      34   8  .810   -
2.  LA Clippers    30  13  .698   4  1/2
3.  Phoenix        18  24  .429  16
4.  Sacramento     15  27  .357  19
5.  Golden State   10  34  .227  25

Southwest Division

1.  Dallas         27  15  .643   -
2.  Houston        26  15  .634   0  1/2
3.  Memphis        20  22  .476   7
4.  San Antonio    17  23  .425   9
5.  New Orleans    16  27  .372  11  1/2

Source: HRT

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Tuesday, 7 January 2020

Croats in NBA: Bojan Bogdanovic Makes NBA History in 6th Straight Jazz Victory

January 7, 2020 - Croatia basketball team player Bojan Bogdanovic had another memorable night in the NBA on Monday. 

Namely, T.portal reports that the Croatia captain scored 35 points (8/12 two-pointers shot, 3/9 three-pointers, 10/10 free throws) in 33:16 minutes on the court. Bogdanovic was the Utah Jazz's top scorer in the 128:26 away win against the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Croatian basketball player also made NBA history on Monday and became the first player to have played more than one game in which he scored more than 25 points without registering one assist, rebound, block, or steal. Bogdanovic first achieved this on March 29, 2018, playing for Indiana against Sacramento. The last player to score 35 points without rebounds and assists was Alan Houston in 2000.

Utah has thus reached its sixth consecutive win in New Orleans, and the 11th in its last 12 appearances. In the uncertain ending, the Jazz led 128:126 thanks to Donovan Mitchell, who scored 1:12 minutes before the final buzzer. Brandon Ingram had the last chance, but Rudy Gobert prevented the game from going into extra time. 

In addition to Bogdanovic, Joe Ingles was excellent for the Jazz with 22 points, Rudy Gobert recorded 19 rebounds, while Brandon Ingram scored 35 points for the Pelicans.

Serbian and Slovenian players also had a great Monday evening. Nikola Jokic set a new career record with 47 points in the 123:115 away victory for the Denver Nuggets against the Atlanta Hawks, while Luka Doncic achieved a triple-double with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the 118:110 Dallas Mavericks home win against the Chicago Bulls. 

The San Antonio Spurs were able to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 126:104 at home, giving them only their seventh defeat of the season. DeMar DeRozan led the Spurs with 25 points, while Giannis Antetokounmpo was the best for the Bucks with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Luka Samanic did not play for the Spurs, nor did Dragan Bender for the Bucks

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Sunday, 22 December 2019

Croats in NBA: Bogdanovic Records 10th Game with 25+ Points this Season

December 22, 2019 - Bojan Bogdanovic played another excellent game in the NBA this season, and as the top scorer, led the Utah Jazz to their fifth consecutive victory.

Away in Charlotte (114:107), Bogdanovic scored 26 points with 7/12 shots in play and 4/9 three-pointers, plus three rebounds and one assist. It was Bojan’s 10th game of the season in which he exceeded 25 points.

"I have never seen a player that whenever he receives the ball, everyone on the bench shouts for him to shoot. He usually does, especially at the right time," praised coach Quin Snyder.

Donovan Mitchell added 20 points, Rudy Gobert scored 17 with 19 rebounds, while Terry Rozier led the Hornets with 29 points.

Ivica Zubac played one of his best games this season, recording 15 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal in the Clippers 134:109 win against San Antonio. However, what was truly impressive was that Ivica scored from all seven attempts in play, which made up for missing two of his three free throws. Zubac spent 11 minutes on the court in the third quarter, though he usually goes out after the fifth, which is the best evidence of how well he played. 

In the spotlight, of course, was Kawhi Leonard, who achieved his first victory in San Antonio after an ugly breakup with the Spurs in the summer of 2018. Last season with Toronto, he lost on his return to the court, and this time he was welcomed with strong whistles and boos every time he touched the ball. Leonard led the Clippers with 26 points, while the Spurs' best was DeMar DeRozan with 24 points. Marko Samanic did not get a chance to play.

The Phoenix Suns lost at home to Houston 139:125. Dario Saric made a considerable effort for the Suns, though it was questionable whether he would play at all due to a leg injury. In less than 20 minutes on the court, he scored 10 points (5/9 shots in play) with five rebounds and one steal. James Harden scored 47points for the Rockets this time.

Mario Hezonja did not play in Portland's 113:106 win over Minnesota, which was the Timberwolves’ 10th consecutive defeat. Dragan Bender also didn’t get a chance in Milwaukee's win against New York (123:102), in which Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and ten assists.

Source: Index.hr, NBA

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Saturday, 14 December 2019

Croats in NBA: Bogdanovic Scores 32 Points, Ties Jazz Record with Eight 3-Pointers in Game

December 14, 2019 - Croatian basketball player Bojan Bogdanovic scored 32 points on Friday night, eight of which were three-pointers, in the Utah Jazz victory over the Golden State Warriors (114-106), while Ivica Zubac was modest with five points in the LA Clippers' win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Utah was able to make up for a double-digit deficit in the first half and finally celebrated against the visiting Warriors. Our brilliant Bogdanovic spent 37 minutes on the court, and with the impressive 32 points scored (shots in play 8/18, three-pointers 8/13), he recorded four rebounds and one assist. The Croatian basketball player evened the club’s record in the number of three-pointers scored in one game. Donovan Mitchell added 28 points and Rudy Gobert had 15 with the same number of rebounds for Utah’s tenth home win.

Alec Burks with 24 points and Damion Lee with 21 points were the best for the Warriors, who recorded their seventh defeat in the last eight games.

The Los Angeles Clippers outscored the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-117. Paul George led the Clippers victory with 46 points,  while Kawhi Leonard added 42. Ivica Zubac played 17 minutes and added five points (shots in play 2/2), with seven rebounds and one block.

The best for the Timberwolves was Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished the game with 39 points, and Andrew Wiggins with 34.

The king of the NBA on Friday night was once again James Harden, who contributed 54 points, ten of which were three-pointers, and seven assists in his Houston Rockets victory over the Orlando Magic (130-107). Recall, Harden scored 55 points two nights earlier in the win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Russell Westbrook notched 23 points for the Rockets, while the Magic's best individual was Evan Fournier with 27 points.

The Milwaukee Bucks were better than the Memphis Grizzlies (127-114). Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 37 points with 11 rebounds for their 17th consecutive away win. Dragan Bender did not enter the game for Milwaukee. Jaren Jackson Jr. led Memphis with 43 points.

Source: Gol.hr

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Tuesday, 10 December 2019

Croats in NBA: Dario Saric Scores 20 Points in Phoenix Win

December 10, 2019 - Croatian basketball player Dario Saric scored 20 points in the Phoenix Suns victory, Bojan Bogdanovic scored 13 points in the Utah Jazz loss, and Ivica Zubac contributed 13 points to the triumph of his LA Clippers. 

HRT reports that the Phoenix Suns defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 125:109 on Monday and Saric just missed another double-double. In addition to the 20 points he scored in 32 minutes on the court, scoring 7/11 shots in play (three-pointers 2/6), he also recorded nine rebounds, one assist, and one steal.

Devin Booker was the top scorer of the winning team with 26 points, and Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 24 points on his 24th birthday. Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 33 points and 15 rebounds. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder was better than the Utah Jazz 104:90, and Bojan Bogdanovic played 32 minutes and scored 13 points with a poor four shots in play from 17 attempts (three-pointers 3/7). Bogdanovic added five rebounds and one steal.

Dennis Schroder led Oklahoma with 27 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 20 and Chris Paul 16, while Utah's top scorer was Donovan Mitchell, who finished the game with 26 points. This is Utah's sixth defeat in the last eight games.

Ivica Zubac's LA Clippers outscored the Indiana Pacers 110:99 at home. The most credited for the win was Paul George, who scored seven three-pointers against his former team for a total of 36 points.

Montrezl Harrell added 26 points and eight rebounds for the Clippers playing without an injured Kawhi Leonard, and Ivica Zubac recorded 13 points with eight rebounds, two assists and one block in 21 minutes on the court. Malcolm Brogdon was the best in Indiana with 20 points.

The Boston Celtics beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 110:88 at home. Kemba Walker scored 22 points for his team’s win, while the Cavaliers' best was Jordan Clarkson with 19 points. Ante Zizic played three minutes with two misses and no points scored.

The Milwaukee Bucks were better than the Orlando Magic 10:101 at home and reached their 15th straight win. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 32 points for the Bucks and recorded 15 rebounds, while Khris Middleton added 20.

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Saturday, 23 November 2019

Croats in NBA: Bojan Bogdanovic Brilliant in Utah Win against Golden State

November 23, 2019 - Bojan Bogdanovic led the Croatian basketball players in the NBA on Friday night, scoring 17 points for the Utah Jazz. 

Utah Jazz defeated the 2019 NBA runners-up, the Golden State Warriors, 113:109 on Friday night, and Bojan Bogdanovic scored 17 points for the hosts with five rebounds and three assists.

Bojan Bogdanovic was Utah's third-best scorer after Donovan Mitchell (30 points) and Mike Conley (27 points). It was Conley and Bogdanovic who brought Utah to 16:2 in the second quarter, which stopped Golden State early in the game. 

The Warriors were without Draymond Green and used only eight players in the game. Utah is 10-5 sixth in the Western Conference, and Golden State, with just three wins and 14 losses, is the worst in the league.

There was panic in Salt Lake City after the game, when a suspicious package was found at the Vivant Arena, forcing Bojan Bogdanovic and his teammates to be evacuated. Fortunately, the message turned out to be fake. 

The LA Clippers celebrated against the Houston Rockets 122:110, with Ivica Zubac racking up 8 points, five rebounds, and two assists. The game was decided by Kawhi Leonard (24 points), who scored 15 seconds before the final buzzer, while the hero of the victory was Lou Williams, who scored all 26 points in the second half.

James Harden (37 points, 12 assists) and Russell Westbrook (22 points) were the best for Houston, which is third in the Western Conference (11:5).

Thanks to a triple-double performance by Nikola Jokic (18 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists), Denver celebrated 106:102 against Boston, making the Nuggets second in the West with a ratio of 11-3. The Western Conference is led by the Lakers (13-2), who celebrated 130:127 against the Oklahoma Thunder. Anthony Davis (33 points) and LeBron James (23 points, 14 assists) led the Lakers, who won 13 of their last 14 games.

The Dallas Mavericks were better than the Cleveland Cavaliers (143:101). Croatian Ante Toni Zizic scored 7 points and three rebounds. The great Slovenian player Luka Doncic (30 points, 14 assists), has scored 30 or more points for the third game in a row. Furthermore, Dallas has scored over 140 points for the second game in a row.

Source: T.portal

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Tuesday, 19 November 2019

Croats in NBA: Bogdanovic Top Scorer for Jazz, Zubac Records Double-Double

November 19, 2019 - Croatian basketball player Bojan Bogdanovic was the best for the Utah Jazz in their defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night, while Ivica Zubac registered a double-double in the victory of his LA Clippers. Dario Saric's Phoenix Suns lost to the Boston Celtics.

The Utah Jazz lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves at 102:112 at home, with Bojan Bogdanovic playing 31 minutes and scoring 18 points (shots in play 7/17, three-pointer 3/7) to be the team's top scorer. He added six rebounds and two assists. Donovan Mitchell finished the game with 17 points and Rudy Gobert with 16 points and 14 rebounds.

Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 29 points, including seven three-pointers and 13 rebounds, while Jeff Teague added 21 points and 11 assists.

The LA Clippers celebrated against the Oklahoma City Thunder 90:88 at home, with Paul George scoring for the win 25.9 seconds before the final buzzer. 

Montrezl Harrell scored 28 points with 12 rebounds in the Clippers’ win, George added 18, and Zubac contributed 12 points (shots in play 4/8, three-pointers 0/1) and ten rebounds with one assist in 20 minutes on the court. This is his third double-double this season. Chris Paul was the best for Oklahoma with 22 points.

The Boston Celtics are back on a winning streak, defeating Dario Saric's Phoenix Suns 99:85 last night. The Croatian basketball player just missed a double-double, scoring nine points in 29 minutes on the court (shots in play 3/13, three-pointers 2/6) and recorded ten rebounds with three assists and two steals.

Jayson Tatum led Boston to victory with 26 points and 11 rebounds, Kemba Walker scored 19 points, while Devin Booker was the best for Phoenix scoring 20 points.

The Portland Trail Blazers lost to the Houston Rockets 132:108. James Harden and Russell Westbrook tallied 64 points. And while Harden scored 23 of his 36 total points in the first half, Westbrook nailed 15 of 28. In the second half, Westbrook registered 13 rebounds and ten assists, and Houston increased their winning streak to eight games.

CJ McCollum led the Trail Blazers with 25 points and Mario Hezonja scored one basket in nine minutes on the court and recorded five rebounds.

The New York Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers at 123:105. Julius Randle scored 30 points for the New York win, while Kevin Porter Jr. was the best for the Cavaliers with 18 points, who also just recorded their fourth consecutive loss. Ante Zizic contributed to his team victory with five points (shots in play 2/4) and six rebounds in 20 minutes on the court. 

In the Dallas Mavericks' 117:110 home win over the San Antonio Spurs last night, Luka Doncic reached his sixth triple-double of the season, scoring 42 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists.

Finney-Smith added 22 points for Dallas and Kristaps Porzingis 18 with ten rebounds. San Antonio's best was DeMar DeRozan, who finished with 36 points. Luka Samanic did not enter the game for San Antonio.

The Milwaukee Bucks outscored the Chicago Bulls 115:101. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points and recorded ten rebounds, while Dragan Bender did not enter the game.

Source: Gol.hr

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Wednesday, 13 November 2019

Croats in NBA: Dario Saric Plays Best Game in Suns Jersey

November 13, 2019 - Dario Saric scored 18 points on Tuesday night in the Phoenix Suns' defeat to the LA Lakers, while Bojan Bogdanovic contributed 12 points to the Utah Jazz victory.

The Phoenix Suns lost to the LA Lakers 115:123 at home. Saric played 35 minutes and in that time, scored 18 points (shots in play 7/11, three-pointers 4/6), adding seven rebounds and two assists.

The Lakers were too strong for Phoenix last night, with Anthony Davis scoring 24 points with 12 rebounds, Kyle Kuzma scoring 23 points, and Le Bron James adding 19 points and 11 assists. Devin Booker was the best for the Suns with 21 points and Aaron Baynes with 20.

Utah Jazz managed to beat the Brooklyn Nets at home 119:114, even though they were behind 15 points during part of the game. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 12 points in 30 minutes on the court (shots in play 5/13, three-pointers 1/3) and added four rebounds, one assist, and one steal.

Donovan Mitchell was the game's best scorer with 30 points, and Rudy Gobert added 18 points and 15 rebounds. Kyrie Irving was the best for the Nets with 27 points.

The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Cleveland Cavaliers at 98:97 at home, and Joel Embiid scored 27 points with 16 rebounds in the win, which was his fifth double-double of the season. Embiid's dunk 13.2 seconds before the end brought Philadelphia the win.

Kevin Love and Jordan Clarkson each scored 20 points for the Cavaliers and Ante Zizic did not play. The Portland Trail Blazers lost 99-107 to the Sacramento Kings.

Mario Hezonja played 23 minutes and scored two points (shots in play 1/4, three-pointers 0/1) with three rebounds and two assists. Bogdan Bogdanovic led Sacramento with 25 points and ten assists, while Damian Lillard scored 27 points for Portland.

NBA Game Results played November 12:

Miami Heat - Detroit Pistons 117:108
Indiana Pacers - Oklahoma City Thunder 111:85
Philadelphia 76ers - Cleveland Cavaliers 98:97
Chicago Bulls - New York Knicks 120:102
Denver Nuggets - Atlanta Hawks 121:125
Phoenix Suns - Los Angeles Lakers 115:123
Utah Jazz - Brooklyn Nets 119:114
Sacramento Kings - Portland Trail Blazers 107:99

Source: HRT

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Saturday, 9 November 2019

Croats in NBA: Bogdanovic Becomes Utah Jazz Hero after Hitting Buzzer-beater to Win

November 9, 2019 - Bojan Bogdanovic became the hero of the Utah Jazz on Friday night. Not only was he their top scorer of the game with 33 points, which is his record for the season, but he also scored a three-pointer at the final buzzer to win 103-100 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

His fifth three-pointer of the game came after a series of team mistakes at the end of the game. Donovan Mitchell really should have settled the win, but George Hill stole the ball and called a time out with 2.3 seconds left. The possession went to the Bucks' side, but Khris Middleton also failed to score 1.3 seconds before the buzzer.

Joe Ingles carried the ball, Babo ran into the corner, received it, and nailed a three-pointer at the sound of the final buzzer. Salt Lake City erupted into joy. 

"I was surprised to receive a standing ovation of the whole arena, regardless of the shot to win. It was a great atmosphere, like in a playoff game,” Bogdanovic said.

After the game, Bojan revealed that Mike Conley was meant to shoot to win, but Bojan demanded the action goes to him. The two agreed, and coach Quin Snyder blessed the deal. 

"That's what is great about this team. The coach listens to what the players have to say because we're on the court and we execute. Conley should have gone in that corner, but I asked him to take his place on the high quadrant, so I had the option to slip into the corner,” Bojan said. 

Bojan said it is a pleasure to play in teams like the Jazz.

"I'm surrounded by a great group of guys who are selfless players. Quin is a great coach who knows how to fit you into a system with a lot of organized action. I didn't like that on other teams," Bogdanovic said.

Conley praised Bojan one more time.

"He is still showing the world what he's capable of. A lot of people don't know how good he is," the Jazz player concluded. 

In 37 minutes on the court, Bogdanovic scored 33 points, hitting 9/19 shots in play, 5/10 three-pointers, and all ten free throws. He even recorded five rebounds.

The Croatian ace was the best for the Jazz, although on the other side of the court was current MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo who hit 30 points and 13 rebounds.

Giannis scored 28 of his 30 points in the second half, giving the Bucks the only lead of the game 89-88, but fouled out shortly after. 

Dragan Bender has yet to make his Milwaukee debut.

Source: Index

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Friday, 8 November 2019

Croats in NBA: Ivica Zubac Records Double-Double in Clippers Win against Portland

November 8, 2019 - Ivica Zubac was better than Mario Hezonja last night in the Clippers' victory against the Portland Trail Blazers. 

The LA Clippers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 107:101 on Thursday night, which saw Croatian basketball player Ivica Zubac contribute to the win with his second double-double performance of the season. 

Zubac finished the game with 15 points (shots in play 7/12), 13 rebounds, nine of which were on offense, one assist, and a steal and two blocks in 20 minutes on the court.

Kawhi Leonard, who returned to the court after a one-game break, scored 27 points with 13 rebounds for the 900th victory of LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers. Lou Williams added 26 points with eight assists.

Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum were the best for Portland with 22 points each, while Mario Hezonja played 25 minutes and scored just two points with a catastrophic shot in play (1/9), though he was 3/3 on three-pointers, recorded five rebounds and one steal. 

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On Thursday night, Dario Saric also hit the NBA court and scored nine points in the Phoenix Suns defeat to the Miami Heat (108:124). Saric scored nine points (shots in play 3/9, three-pointers 2/7) and recorded four rebounds, two assists, and one steal.

Jimmy Butler led Miami with 34 points and Goran Dragic with 25 points. The Suns' top scorer was Aaron Baynes with 23 points, while Devin Booker scored 22.

The San Antonio Spurs outplayed the Oklahoma City Thunder 121:112, and LaMarcus Aldridge scored his season-best 39 points to help his team win the first game after two losses. Danilo Gallinari led Oklahoma with 27 points.

Luka Samanic did not enter the game for San Antonio.

In the last game played last night, the Boston Celtics outscored the Charlotte Hornets 108:87.

On Wednesday night, Bojan Bogdanovic contributed 20 points to the Utah Jazz win over the Philadelphia 76ers (106:104). Bogdanovic scored 20 points in 35 minutes (shots in play 9/18 shot, three-pointers 3/5) and added six rebounds, five assists, one steal ball, and one block. 

Source: HRT

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