Victor Wembanyama was discreet in attack during the Spurs‘ defeat against the Rockets, while the Suns defeated the Lakers on Monday in the NBA.
. Wemby weighs down Spurs
Winners on Saturday at home to the Rockets, San Antonio this time lost on its floor for the revenge against Houston (106-101).
Spurs missed their start and found themselves well behind after half-time, before coming back at the end of the match.
If Victor Wembanyama brought 20 rebounds, the Frenchman was clumsy with his shooting, especially from long distance, and only scored 14 points.
Power forward Jeremy Sochan kept San Antonio afloat with his 22 points.
Opposite, fullback Jalen Green confirmed his excellent start to the season, with 36 points.
Gregg Popovich’s players, who conceded their second defeat in three matches, will try to get back on track on Wednesday in Oklahoma City.
. The Suns turn off LeBron
Kevin Durant (30 points) and Devin Booker (33 points) allowed the Phoenix Suns to inflict their first defeat of the season on the Los Angeles Lakers (109-105) in Arizona.
The California franchise, led by its new coach JJ Redick, won at home against the Suns on Friday.
The Lakers seemed ready to continue their three wins in a row, taking a 26-8 lead in the first quarter thanks to an Anthony Davis in great form, ultimately authoring 29 points and 15 rebounds.
The Suns turned things around in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
If Austin Reaves added 23 points, LeBron James, for his part, had a rare night of drought, finishing with only 11 points, 3 of 14 shooting, in 36 minutes spent on the floor.
Suns coach Mike Budenholzer praised “hardness” of his team which managed to overcome an 18 point deficit with “a remarkable defense”.
. Boston four out of four
The Boston Celtics, reigning NBA champions, produced a dominant second-half performance to preserve their undefeated start to the season by beating the Milwaukee Bucks (119-108) at home.
Thanks to their star duo Damian Lillard (33 points) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (30 points), the Bucks took a narrow three-point lead at halftime.
But Boston came back strong after the break, combining for seven long-range shots to take an eight-point advantage heading into the final quarter.
Jaylen Brown (30 points) then led the Celtics to their fourth success in as many games.
If Jrue Holiday and Jayson Tatum added 21 and 15 points respectively, it was Payton Pritchard who particularly stood out with 28 points, including eight three-point baskets.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla praised his point guard.
“He kept us in the game in the first half. He finds different ways to influence matches”said Mazzulla. “I love watching him play”.
. Cleveland nets
The Cleveland Cavaliers also maintained their invincibility at the top of the Eastern Conference thanks to their victory (110-104) over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks led by as many as 13 points in the third quarter, but Cleveland cut that advantage to just four points entering the fourth quarter.
Darius Garland then took over, scoring 15 points in this one.
Garland finished with 34 units, and teammate Donovan Mitchell added 25.
Jalen Brunson’s 21 points and seven assists were not enough for New York, beaten for the second time in three games.
