The night was eventful in the NBA.
Par AFP
Toronto, thanks to Pascal Siakam and his big defense, contained the duo Joel Embiid and James Harden, to win in Philadelphia on Sunday in the NBA, where Phoenix had to go through an extension to defeat Sacramento.
With “The Beard” in their ranks, adding to the imposing Cameroonian pivot in the race for the MVP trophy, the Sixers are supposed to be one of the teams with the strongest offensive potential. But against the Raptors, whose rearguard struggled and managed to hinder him, he missed his money-time and was limited to 17 points (5/12, 8 assists, 9 rebounds).
Frustrated, he committed a flagrant foul in the final moments that dashed his team’s hopes of snatching extra time. Embiid did a little better (21 pts, 13 rebounds) but with a very mediocre percentage (6/20) and Philly lost on a play-off score (93-88).
United, the Raptors (7th in the East) were guided by Pascal Siakam in a good evening (26 pts, 10 rebounds).
The 76ers (3rd) give up some ground to Milwaukee (2nd) as well as leader Miami, and see Boston (4th), who beat Denver (124-104), getting closer in the rear view mirror.
The Celtics were able to rely on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, authors of 30 points, while limiting the impact of Nikola Jokic (23 pts, 8 rebounds). And the Nuggets to fall to 7th place in the West, leaving the 6th, directly qualifying for the play-offs, in Minnesota.
Lakers and danger
In this conference, Phoenix consolidated its domination, but not without difficulty, in Sacramento, where Devin Booker scored 31 points to pave the way for success (127-124 after overtime). Sacramento led by 14 points at the start of the second period, before the All-Star leader sounded the revolt of the Suns by registering 19 pawns in the third quarter, then supported Mikal Bridges (27 pts).
“It’s gratifying to see so many players contributing,” said coach Monty Williams. “That says a lot about who we are as a team. I’m proud of the mental toughness we showed, the way we held on. »
The Grizzlies have retained their 2nd place, crushing Houston (122-98), despite the absence of their young star Ja Morant. Especially in San Francisco, the Warriors lost to San Antonio (110-108) after Keldon Johnson scored 3/10 from the buzzer by taking a free throw rebound.
Still deprived of Stephen Curry (ankle), the Warriors remain 3rd.
Lower, finally, New Orleans won in Atlanta (117-112). As a result, the Pelicans (9th) overtook the Lakers who now occupy 10th place, the last synonymous with a dam for the play-offs.
Behind them is San Antonio, not so far behind. So much so that three weeks from the end of the regular season, LA is not guaranteed to avoid a big disappointment.
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