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Los Angeles (AFP) – The Nets, guided by Kevin Durant, crushed the Sixers on their floor (129-100), delivering a benchmark match one month before the play-offs, reminding the NBA of their title ambitions, shared in particular by the Warriors and Stephen Curry, victorious, them, in Denver.
When everyone is on deck and in good health, it’s bound to be easier. For three matches, all played away, Brooklyn can line up Durant, finally recovered from his sprained left knee which kept him away from the courts for a month and a half, and Kyrie Irving, who is still prevented from playing in New York because not vaccinated.
If the victory in Charlotte coincided with a recital of the latter, author of 50 points, that obtained in Philadelphia was the fruit of a great collective effort, with efficiency in attack (56% success) and self-sacrifice defensive that it will be necessary to reproduce more often to hope to go far in this championship.
Durant showed that he was gaining strength (25 pts at 10/17 on shots, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 interceptions), Seth Curry had a significant contribution offensively (24 pts) and Irving was in keeping ( 22 pts, 5 assists), scoring five shots behind the arc including one at the buzzer in the first quarter to already widen the gap (40-23), which peaked at 36 units in the second half.
Opposite, Joel Embiid did not have his usual radiance (25 pts at 5/17, 12 rebounds), victim of numerous two- or even three-man takes, which often sent him to the free throw line (15/ 19).
As for James Harden, for his first match against his former team, he got through, limited to 11 points with an address at half mast (3/17).
Curry domine Jokic
So much so that the public of Philly, who had copiously booed Ben Simmons, exchanged with “The Beard” (the bearded man) in the last hours of the transfer window and who attended the match in civilian clothes on the bench, because not yet able to play , then addressed his anger to all of the Sixers for their poor performance, in a poster that could be found during the play-offs.
For now, the 76ers remain 3rd in the East and the Nets are 8th, a position synonymous with play-offs to access the final tournament.
Later, in the other game of the evening, Golden State won a convincing success in Denver (113-102), thanks in particular to Stephen Curry, author of 34 points (with 9 rebounds). The 18 points he scored in the 3rd quarter allowed his team to stay in the game, when they were down nine units at the break.
The star, who has become the 49th player in history to exceed the 20,000 point mark, found a relay in Jordan Poole (21 pts), who managed two long-distance shots in a row in the last minute, to bend the meet. As for his “splash brother” Klay Thompson, he also contributed to the victory (18 pts).
Without Draymond Green (back) whose return is approaching, the Californian team has been able to find defensive virtues that have not always been there lately, limiting the impact of Nikola Jokic (23 pts, 12 rebounds, 9 assists) nevertheless everything close to triple-double.
This second consecutive victory after a series of five losses allows the Warriors to pick up in Memphis (2nd) with the same record (45-22). The Nuggets remain 6th in this same Western Conference.
© 2022 AFP
