The Fall: LA Clippers and Milwaukee
The season doesn’t have a week since two of the top favorites have already bitten the dust. After their two initial successes, the Los Angeles Clippers fell to Phoenix on Saturday (122-130). Yet deprived of Ricky Rubio, hit to a knee the day before, and of course their pivot DeAndre Ayton, suspended for doping, the Suns reacted admirably, carried by Devin Booker.
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Four days before his 23rd birthday, the young back led the furious charge of his team, scoring almost the entire game and having a lead of up to 15 lengths (115-100). Booker scored 16 of his 30 points (with 8 rebounds) in the fourth quarter, taking advantage of his watchdog Patrick Beverley’s six-foul exit in the fourth quarter.
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Kawhi Leonard however made a very presentable copy for the Clippers (27 pts, 10 rebounds, 8 pd), with the support of Montrezl Harrell (28 pts, 9/10 shooting). But that was not enough against the three-point Suns shoot-off (17 successful, season record).
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Milwaukee also fell in overtime at home against Miami (126-131). 2019 MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo came close to a massive triple double with 39 points, 17 rebounds and 9 assists, but he also left 8 stray balls in the road.
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The Bucks, who led by 21 points at the start of the third quarter, seemed to completely crack before snatching the equalizer on a basket from their Greek star in the last second of regulation time (121-121).
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But Antetokounmpo got his sixth foul in the middle of extra time. Goran Dragic took the opportunity to score his last six points (25 in total, plus 8 pd) and lead Miami to a second victory. The Heat are one of the last seven undefeated teams this season.
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The stat: 38.5 pts
The average points of Trae Young, top scorer in the League ahead of Kyrie Irving (38 pts). From the top of his twenty-one years, the leader of the Hawks chained a second mammoth game to offer a new victory to his team against Orlando (103-99): 39 points at 64%, including 5/10 behind the arc, sprinkled with 7 rebounds and 9 assists. Stats almost identical to those he had lined up two days earlier against Detroit (117-100): 38 pts, 7 rebounds and 9 pd Incredible consistency.
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The survivors: Philadelphia
In a duel between two weakened teams, Philadelphia dominated Detroit (117-111) to maintain its invincibility. In the absence of star Joël Embiid (ankle), Tobias Harris and Al Horford accumulated 52 points to save the Sixers, led by 13 points in the third quarter.
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Derrick Rose, author of 31 points leaving the bench, has long maintained hope for the Pistons, deprived of Blake Griffin and Reggie Jackson.
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L’avalanche : Boston
After two initial defeats, the New York Knicks had yet approached their third game of the season, starting at 16-4 against Boston on the wings of RJ Barrett (26 pts in total). But the Celtics soon brought Madison Square Garden audiences back to earth.
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While the score was still balanced at the end of the third quarter (72-72), Boston opened the floodgates to sign a 44-15 in fourteen minutes and win very widely (118-95). Kemba Walker, diabolical 3 points (7/12), finished with 32 points.
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