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Friday night of NBA action saw another six games take place across the three venues at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
The Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans faced each other in an eliminator. Meanwhile, the Memphis Grizzlies looked for their first favorable NBA result after losing four straight in the bubble.
Philadelphia 76ers increased the pressure on the seeds above them while more misery was on the cards for the Sacramento Kings. The Boston Celtics needed a win against the Toronto Raptors to keep slim hopes of usurping the second seed in the East alive.
Without further ado, let us get into the NBA results from August 7th.
#1 San Antonio Spurs keep NBA Playoffs hopes alive with win over Utah Jazz
The San Antonio Spurs made the most of a severely depleted Utah Jazz lineup to record their third win in the NBA bubble. Each of their starters got into double figures as Gregg Popovich's men led for almost the entire game.
The likes of Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, and Rudy Gobert all missed the tie due to injuries. The Spurs shot well over 50% and won comprehensively despite Jordan Clarkson's 24-point effort off the bench for Utah.
Final Score: Jazz 111-119 Spurs (Bradley 15 points, 11 rebounds; White 24 points, 6 rebounds)
Also read: Denver Nuggets vs Utah Jazz Prediction & Match Preview - August 8th, 2020
#2 Memphis Grizzlies beat OKC Thunder after a massive turnaround
The Memphis Grizzlies entered this ball game desperate to keep hold of their eighth seed in the West. Late into the first quarter, they trailed the OKC Thunder by 18 points and it looked like a fifth-consecutive loss was on the cards for Ja Morant and co. in the NBA bubble.
However, the Grizzlies clamped up their defense as points became hard to come by for the Thunder. Eventually, Memphis blew out OKC by 29 points. Billy Donovan's side missed several players including Dennis Schroder and Steven Adams and the Grizzlies made the most of that.
Final Score: Thunder 92-121 Grizzlies (Paul 17 points, 5 assists, 4 steals; Valanciunas 19 points, 11 rebounds)
#3 Brooklyn Nets add to Sacramento Kings' woes
The Sacramento Kings are back to the drawing board after suffering their fourth loss inside the NBA bubble. Their counterparts for the night, the Brooklyn Nets, are enjoying a decent run in Orlando and have improved their hold on the seventh seed with this win.
Both De'Aaron Fox and Bogdan Bogdanovic were in their elements again on Friday night but received little to no help from their teammates. Meanwhile, Brooklyn shot over 40% from downtown to keep their opponents at bay after gaining the lead in the second quarter.
Final Score: Kings 106-119 Nets (Bogdanovic 27 points, 6 rebounds; LeVert 22 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds)
#4 Philadelphia 76ers extend winning run to three against Orlando Magic
The Philadelphia 76ers have stitched together a winning run in the NBA bubble and are now merely a game behind the fourth-seeded Miami Heat after tonight's win against the Orlando Magic.
In a neck-and-neck affair, Brett Brown's men reclaimed the lead early in the fourth quarter and held on to win their third consecutive game. Philly had the second-easiest schedule entering the NBA campus and they've now started making the most of it.
Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris dominated proceedings with 20-10 double-doubles apiece. Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier impressed for Orlando Magic but it wasn't enough. They're now looking increasingly likely for an eighth seed finish.
Final Score: Magic 101-108 76ers (Vucevic 21 points, 12 rebounds; Harris 23 points, 15 rebounds)
#5 Washington Wizards become the first team to be eliminated in the NBA bubble
It's been a frustrating few days for the New Orleans Pelicans who were expected to do much better in the race for the NBA Playoffs. However, a team effort on Friday saw them beat the Washington Wizards easily with seven players scoring in double digits.
This was the fifth consecutive loss for the Wizards who have now been eliminated. Rui Hachimura, Thomas Bryant, and Troy Brown Jr. all had 20 points but that wasn't enough for Scott Brooks' side.
Derrick Favors had a double-double on the night but Jrue Holiday was the star performer for the Pelicans who were without Zion Williamson for this game.
Final Score: Wizards 107-118 Pelicans (Brown Jr. 20 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists; Holiday 28 points, 6 assists, 2 steals)
#6 Boston Celtics dominate Toronto Raptors
The Boston Celtics may be a few games behind the second-seeded Toronto Raptors but have got the better of them for the majority of the NBA season, including today. Brad Stevens' men led the 2019 NBA Champions by as many as 40 points and never trailed during the game to win the mini-series 3-1.
The three-point shot didn't fall regularly for the Raptors as none of their players could produce more than 13 points. On the other hand, seven Celtics players scored in double digits to allow the team to record its second win inside the NBA campus.
Final Score: Celtics 122-100 Raptors (Brown 20 points, 6 rebounds; VanVleet 13 points, 4 assists, 2 steals)
