The Philadelphia 76ers have extended their remarkable streak and congratulated one of their protagonists on a 50-point gala. The L.A. Clippers show that prominent names do not necessarily guarantee success. The NBA on Monday morning
Before the duel with the Indiana Pacers, the Sixers were shocked. Their forward Kelly Oubre Jr. (16.3 points and 5.1 rebounds on average) was hit by a car on Saturday night and spent some time in hospital due to a broken rib. Without the 27-year-old, Philly therefore faced the in-form Indiana Pacers (Daniel Theis did not play a single minute), with their strong run of seven wins in a row being put to the test
One player had his sights set particularly high. Tyrese Maxey sank 20 shots from the field in this East duel and set a personal best with 50 points (44 so far). The 23-year-old point guard virtually doubled his previous average and also doubled the haul of his counterpart Tyrese Haliburton (25, 17 assists), who also performed strongly.
“You shoot this basketball “
Seven rebounds, five assists, three blocks – Maxey outshone everyone. “Joel wanted me to get to 50 even more than I did,” Maxey said afterwards about his center Embiid (37 points). “He gave me the ball and said, ‘you shoot this basketball’. And that’s why I love my teammates, the coaches and the fans. It was a great night, but the win matters the most.” The Sixers are now 8-1, while the Pacers are 6-4.
Philadelphia is now the team with the best record at this early stage of the season. Because the Denver Nuggets lost for the second time (8-2). Nikola Jokic & Co. lost 104-107 to the up-and-coming Houston Rockets (6-3, six wins in a row). While Jokic (36 points, 21 rebounds, 11 assists) gave his all, his formidable triple-double could not prevent the defeat because the Texans around new signing Fred VanVleet (26) and the young Turkish center Alperen Seguin (21 years, 23 points) had the longer breath in the end.
Tied with the Nuggets in the West: the Dallas Mavericks. Side by side, Luka Doncic (30) and Kyrie Irving (35) put their stamp on the game at the New Orleans Pelicans (4-6) and ensured the 8-2 result. Maxi Kleber was once again missing the 136-124 win due to his toe injury
666 – Hartenstein’s numbers against Charlotte
Isaiah Hartenstein picked up his fifth win in nine games this season with the New York Knicks (5-4). The center had six points and six rebounds in the 129-107 win over the Charlotte Hornets (3-6), but also picked up six fouls in 18 minutes. The best scorers for the Knicks were RJ Barrett (24), Julius Randle (23) and Jalen Brunson (20).
James Harden, meanwhile, is still waiting for a win since his move from the 76ers to the Los Angeles Clippers (3-6). The Californians also lost their fourth game, narrowly losing 101-105 to the Memphis Grizzlies and allowing Desmond Bane (27 points) and his teammates to record their second win of the season (2-8). Harden finished with just eleven points, four rebounds and three assists, while Paul George (26) led the Clippers.
LeBron sits out – Wembanyama’s Spurs in crisis
The city rival Lakers evened their record (5-5) with a 116:110 win over the Portland Trail Blazers (3-6), Anthony Davis (30 points, 13 rebounds) was the go-to-guy in the absence of the ailing LeBron James, who is recovering from a shin ligament after a collision with Suns star Kevin Durant.
Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs and their super-talented Victor Wembanyama are 3-7 after a 113-118 loss to Duncan Robinson (26 points), Bam Adebayo (24/11) and the Miami Heat (6-4) despite a 19-point lead. “Wemby” collected 18 points and 11 rebounds in the fifth defeat in a row.
