Philadelphia leads 2-0 in their NBA play-off streak after beating Washington on Wednesday, while New York and Utah with a good Gobert came down to 1 everywhere.
Popcorn on the menu… For their second game against Washington, the Sixers did not go into detail with a 120-95 victory. But more than the score, it was a splash of popcorn that knocked Russell Westbrook off his hinges. Hit in the ankle, the star point guard of the Wizards was returning to the locker room when a Philadelphia fan doused him with popcorn. The guards must have restrained Westbrook as he wanted to explain himself to the spectator in question. The 76ers gave their support to Westbrook after the game, denouncing in a press release “inappropriate and unacceptable behavior” from their supporter.
On the floor, Ben Simmons delivered the best performance, with 22 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. Joel Embiid follows closely behind with 22 points and 7 rebounds. Philadelphia, widely favorite, took the advantage in the first quarter to never let go.
21 points for Gobert
In the West, Utah took advantage of Donovan Mitchell’s return from an ankle injury, to pick up anywhere in his series against Memphis. The Jazz, winner 141-129, consolidated its status as favorite conferred by its first place in the West at the end of the regular season. Mitchell passed 25 points, including five three-point baskets in 26 minutes. And Rudy Gobert contributed significantly, with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks.
On the Grizzlies side, Ja Morant delivered a stellar performance, with 47 points. He erases the record for points scored in the play-offs for the Memphis franchise, previously held by his teammate Mike Conley. Led by 20 points at halftime, the Grizzlies managed to close the gap to two points in the third quarter, but not turn things around.
In New York, the Knicks were able to go up the slope of a badly started game to beat Atlanta (101-92) and return to one everywhere in their series. For the Knicks, led by 13 points at halftime, Derrick Rose sounded the revolt successfully.
In the third quarter, the veteran scored 10 points (26 overall) and Julius Randle scored 11, to allow the Knicks to tackle the lead. Reggie Bullock sheltered the New Yorkers with four three-pointers in the second half.
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