Houston (USA), Dec 13 (EFE) .- The third day of the NBA preseason was completed with the triumphant debut of Spanish center Marc Gasol and forward Kevin Durant in their respective teams of Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles. Brooklyn Nets.
Gasol started with the Lakers in the second game that the current NBA champions played against their neighbors the Clippers and defeated them again, this time by beating 131-106, despite the fact that forward LeBron James remained without their stars. and center Anthony Davis.
The Lakers once again had second-year guard Talen Horton-Tucker as the leader and great positive surprise, who contributed a double-double of 33 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and recovered four more balls.
Power forward Kyle Kuzma reached 25 points as the second highest scorer, while the also number four, the recently acquired Montrezl Harrell, was once again the sixth player with a double-double of 19 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two plugs against his former team.
Gasol, who had personal problems, in the end played 22 minutes in which he contributed six points after scoring 3 of 4 shots from the field, missed a triple attempt, captured four rebounds – three defensive -, and gave five assists.
His compatriot and former teammate, the Spanish Congolese power forward Serbe Ibaka also started with the Clippers and scored eight points after scoring 3 of 7 shots from the field, missed all three 3-point attempts and hit 2-2 from the personnel line.
Ibaka, who played 20 minutes, grabbed five rebounds, gave two assists and put up a block.
While Gasol made his debut in the West with his new team, Durant did so with the Nets, whom he helped beat the Washington Wizards 119-114.
Although Durant came to the Nets in the 2019 season, he was unable to play as he was recovering from a serious Achilles tendon injury.
Durant, fully recovered, immediately showed his class in the first half, which along with point guard Kyrie Irving were the key to the victory of the Nets in the first exhibition game for the Brooklyn team.
The star forward had 15 points in the 24 minutes he played after making 5 of 12 shots from the field, missed two 3-point attempts, and scored 5 of 6 from the personnel line.
Durant also grabbed three defensive rebounds and dished out another three assists, while Irving reached 18 points and finished as the team’s leading scorer.
Despite the loss, the Wizards had in the Brazilian guard Raúl Neto, their offseason signing, as the starter and leader of the attack with 17 points, six assists and three rebounds.
In other results of the preseason Sunday session, which will last until next Saturday, the league officially begins on December 22, Chicago beat Houston 104-91, Atlanta beat Orlando 116-107, Detroit beat 99-91 New York and Sacramento, on the road, 106-121 to Portland. EFE
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