Washington is getting less of “Beal”
Absent a game for having been potential contact case of Jayson Tatum, during the game lost in Boston on Friday, the back was decisive in the clear success of the Wizards against the Suns (128-107). The first at home, the third in 11 games. Beal, very skilled with his 34 points at 12/22 on shots, flirted with the triple-double as he added 9 assists and 8 rebounds. To say he was omnipresent in the absence of the team’s other “Stakhanovist”, Russell Westbrook, with a thigh injury, is an understatement.
The 27-year-old full-back, who remained on 101 points against Philadelphia (60) and Boston (41), averages 34.9 in ten games, far ahead of Warriors star Stephen Curry (28.6). Side Suns, who miss, with this fourth setback, to join the Lakers at the head of the Western conference, the back Devin Booker was the only one to keep pace with 33 points.
Milwaukee ends up stronger
Back after a missed game due to a back problem, Giannis Antetokounmpo put the Bucks on the path to success late in the game in Orlando (121-99). His five points (out of 22 in total) scored at the start of the 4th quarter gave Milwaukee a margin, which continued to grow afterwards (35-17). Khris Middleton was also present (20 pts, 10 rebounds), to allow their team to overtake their victim of the evening in the standings in the East. In the ranks of the Magic, in the persistent absence of French scorer Evan Fournier (back), Nikola Vucevic (28 pts, 13 rebounds) was too alone to keep the suspense going.
The Hornets are the buzz
Charlotte can’t stop: Michael Jordan’s team won a 4e victory in a row at the expense of the Knicks (109-88), which it owes in particular to its flagship recruit Gordon Hayward, author of 34 points. The winger-shooter is almost 30 units on average over the last four meetings. Another architect of this success, the rookie LaMelo Ball, who last Saturday became the youngest player to achieve a triple-double, for his 9th game in the NBA against Atlanta (113-105), was still very active off the bench (8 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 interceptions). In an inverted curve, the Knicks, authors of an encouraging start to the season, mark time with this 3e consecutive defeat.
Atlanta overwhelms Philadelphia
Reduced by absences, most of them due to Covid-19, the Sixers conceded their second defeat in a row (112-94) among the Hawks who were 32 points ahead at the start of the last quarter. Trae Young (26 pts, 8 assists) was Atlanta’s attacking leader, in whose ranks five other players finished between 10 and 15 units, a sign of a collective which is gradually taking its marks, without several managers in the infirmary (Rajon Rondo, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Onyeka Okongwu, Danilo Gallinari). Among the 76ers, the significant return of Joel Embiid (24 pts, 11 rebounds) after an alert to a thigh did nothing.
Portland frustrates Toronto
As in the loss to Golden State, 24 hours earlier, Raptors winger Pascal Siakam hit the buzzer for the victory, but his shot bounced off the hoop before coming out, leaving the Blazers to win (112 -111). Very frustrating for the Cameroonian, author of a triple-double (22 pts, 13 rebounds, 10 assists) which will not console him. Led by ten points at the start of the last quarter, Portland, for which it is the third victory in a row, relied on Damian Lillard (23 pts, 7 rebounds) and especially CJ McCollum, author of 30 points, whose basket wins full of composure 10 seconds from the end.
The results of the night:
Atlanta – Philadelphia 112 – 94
Portland – Toronto 112 – 111
Sacramento – Indiana 127 – 122
Charlotte – New York 109 – 88
Cleveland – Memphis 91 – 101
Orlando – Milwaukee 99 – 121
Washington – Phoenix 128 – 107
