NBA – Pacers complement Los Angeles Lakers at the siren, Kevin Durant, Kristaps Porzingis and Devin Booker are a hit

The game: Pacers hold up in Los Angeles!

What an endgame! And what a swerve by the Pacers, winners of the Lakers at the siren on a final three-point basket by rookie Andrew Nembhard (115-116). A cruel defeat for LeBron James and associates, guilty of having relaxed when they counted up to 17 points in advance, with less than ten minutes remaining in the meeting, in Los Angeles on Monday.

Los Angeles eventually cracked completely, suffering Indiana’s comeback with little to no reaction. Yet Anthony Davis was once again dominant (25 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists). Russell Westbrook scored 24 points, including some big late-game field goals. But he also squandered two chances that could have saved his team almost forever.

Clumsy throughout the game, LeBron James (21 points) thought he gave the win to his rim forwards to finish close in the closing seconds. The Pacers had one last possession and hit not one but two three-pointers. First Myles Turner, missed, then Nembhard, well served by Tyrese Haliburton (24 points, 14 assists). The young player (22) scored the most decisive basket of his young career.

The defeat could leave its mark on the Lakers, who are close to their third consecutive success. The California team remains mired in the depths of the Western Conference.

The Player: Kevin Durant drops his biggest card of the season

It’s tough for Brooklyn. The Nets have won two games in a row after their win against the Magic on Monday night (109-102) and have had six hits in their last ten games… But they almost always suffer. With a Kevin Durant forced to multiply the exploits to keep him out of the water. He had to plant 45 points for his team to take control of one of the weakest teams in the league.

KD scored 19 of his 24 attempts. A technical demonstration of a player definitely above the lot. He also finished with 7 rebounds and 5 assists. He had already scored 31 points to lead the Nets to a win against the Blazers the day before. Durant proved to be decisive by hitting 19 points in the third quarter, when Brooklyn really widened the gap against Orlando. The New York franchise is ninth in the East after stabilizing. Ben Simmons, on the other hand, was forced to leave his teammates prematurely, due to a problem in his knee.

Performance: career high for Kristaps Porzingis

Kristaps Porzingis has been feeling better since being in Washington. His stats aren’t necessarily much higher than in Dallas, where he was already flirting with 20 points a game, but the Latvian looks much more regular and consistent. Above all, he seems to be in full confidence and was heard last night. The former All-Star lit up the feverish Timberwolves defense with 41 points. His new career record!

41 points on 12 of 18 shooting, including 6 of 10 from behind the arc. He also converted his 11 free throws. Porzingis is averaging 21 points and 8 rebounds on 47% passing and 37% from three-point range this season. The Wizards are seventh in their conference with a winning record.

The Team: Devin Booker outstanding against Sacramento

The Suns and Kings put on a show for spectators in the room on Monday. A rhythmic and offensive match, committed until the end, finally won by Phoenix on the wire (117-122). As often, Devin Booker was the star of the show. The All-Star guard had 44 points (17-of-28) along with 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals.

It was under his leadership that the Arizona franchise took control of the game after returning from the locker room. He scored 19 points in the third quarter. But Sacramento has not conceded defeat. The Californians score again and also take the lead again. Damion Lee was then decisive by multiplying the far baskets in the money time. The Suns are first in the West after winning their last four games.

The comeback: Joel Embiid heroic for the Sixers

The Sixers lost little in the absence of Joel Embiid but were still very pleased to see him return to competition a week after the superstar sprained foot. Because even if they had done well without him, they probably would never have beaten the Hawks (104-101) if the Cameroonian pivot hadn’t been dominant on the court. And heroic in the last seconds of the game.

Embiid scored 30 points, including 7 in the final minute. In particular, he scored the basket to take the lead 18 seconds before the siren. “His ability to take control of matches at the end is very important to us. We would also have preferred him to come back sooner”says Tobias Harris. In addition to his 30 points, the All-Star infielder added 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. A complete performance needed for Philadelphia to earn their third consecutive hit. Pennsylvania’s franchise recovered the bar very well after the difficult start to the season.With its 7 wins in the last 10 games, it is now fifth in the Eastern Conference.

The Series: Utah’s 5-game losing streak

We wondered if the leaders of the Jazz would finally transfer their veterans or fight for a playoff spot after their surprising start to the season. Maybe the players will help them make that decision. In fact, Utah went from first place to ninth in the Western Conference in just one week. Lauri Markkanen and his team mates lost their fifth consecutive game last night. They lost to DeMar DeRozan’s Bulls (107-114). They may still recover but this easing should help management continue the rebuilding process that started over the summer.

Picture: Karl-Anthony Towns leaves the field unable to walk

Big scare for the Timberwolves. Defeated by the Mages (142-127), they mostly “lost” Karl-Anthony Towns. The Minnesota All-Star center suffered a leg injury as he ran to get back on defense. A non-contact injury is most often a bad sign. But the optimist would be in order for now waiting for the player to pass an MRI.

The Basket: Lakers fan wins $75,000 with this shot

$75,000 adds butter to spinach, as they say.

The French: Rudy Gobert received 7 out of 7

Rudy Gobert scored 19 points without missing a shot Monday night. 7 of 7, and also 5 of 5 on free throws. Plus 7 rebounds. But his stints on the field didn’t necessarily benefit the Wolves as he finished with a -22 differential in 29 minutes and Minnesota lost to Washington. Theo Maledon started for the Hornets and did what he could during Charlotte’s very large loss to the Celtics (35 points away). The young tricolor scored 11 points by missing 9 of his 13 attempts but still distributed 8 assists grabbing 4 rebounds and stealing 3 balls.

All scores

Lakers-Pacer: 115-116
Sixers-Hawk: 104-101
Wizards – Timberwolves: 142-127
Celtics – Hornets: 140-105
Networks – Magic: 109-102
Raptors – Knights: 100-88
Pelicans – Thunder : 105-101
Nuggets – Rockets: 129-113
Jazz – Bulls: 107-114
Kings – Suns: 117-122