Rockets take down Jokic’s Nuggets, 76ers feast on Maxey’s 50 points
The Houston Rockets earned their sixth straight NBA victory tonight, holding off a 36-point triple-double from Nikola Jokic in a 107-104 victory over the Nuggets.
Fred VanVleet scored 26 points and Turkey’s Alperen Sengun added 23 points for the Rockets, who improved to 6-3 after amassing just 22 wins last season. Jokic’s fourth triple-double of the season included 21 rebounds and 11 assists. Denver led 76-74 entering the final period, which featured three lead changes.
Jokic made a three-pointer with 19.5 seconds left to cut the Rockets’ lead to 103-102, but VanVleet made two free throws and Jae’Sean Tate was able to steal the ball as Denver tried to recover it, which allowed Houston to hold on.
Elsewhere, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey scored a career-high 50 points in a 137-126 victory over the Indiana Pacers. And, Dallas star Kyrie Irving made seven of his team’s ten three-pointers in the Mavericks’ dominant 136-124 victory over New Orleans, while Duncan Robinson and Bam Adebayo with Miami accumulated 50 points during the Heat’s victory over the San Antonio Spurs (118-113).
A very big performance
In Philadelphia, Maxey helped lead a Sixers team to victory reeling from the car crash that left forward Kelly Oubre with a broken rib and other injuries after being struck by a vehicle while he was walking near his home on Saturday. Oubre was treated in hospital and released, but his teammates did not forget him.
“It’s nothing to do with me, it’s Kelly Oubre, man,” Maxey – whose previous career high was 44 points – said after making 20 of 32 shots, including seven of his 11 three-pointers. “It was a good night and we won, which is the most important thing.”
The 23-year-old added seven rebounds and five assists, and NBA MVP Joel Embiid had a double-double with 37 points and 13 rebounds, helping the Sixers earn their eighth straight victory.
Irving came into his own early in New Orleans, scoring 22 points in the first half to help the Mavs take a 67-54 lead. Luka Doncic made 11 of 18 shots, including 4 of 9 three-pointers, and scored 30 points. Fifteen of them came in the Mavs’ 42-point third quarter, and Dallas led by as many as 29 in the fourth quarter.
In San Antonio, Robinson scored 26 points and Adebayo added 24 points and 11 rebounds. The Heat recovered from a slow start to dominate San Antonio rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.
Miami, still without injured Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry, trailed by as many as 19 points in the second quarter, but managed to turn things around and claim a fifth straight victory. Jimmy Butler, returning after missing Saturday’s game for personal reasons, scored 19 points and former Spur Josh Richardson made two crucial shots in the final two minutes before finishing with a pair of free throws.
Keldon Johnson scored 20 points for San Antonio. Wembanyama added 18 points and 11 rebounds, but he also made seven of the Spurs’ 17 errors.
In Los Angeles, Desmond Bane scored 27 points to help the Memphis Grizzlies earn their second victory of the season, 105-101 over the Clippers. The Grizzlies have been dealing with star Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension, which extends through December. But they managed to hold their own against a Clippers team that is still figuring out how to best use its new acquisition, James Harden.
The Clippers remain on five consecutive defeats, including four since the arrival of the former best player in the league as part of a trade with Philadelphia. “We need to be better,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said, adding that the team’s offense lacked energy. “We can’t just wander around offensively.”
In other games, Jalen Williams scored 25 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 21 points for the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 111-99 victory over Kevin Durant and the Suns in Phoenix.
2023-11-13 07:16:43
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