Houston (USA), Dec 28 (EFE) .- Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers surprisingly maintained their undefeated condition since the new NBA season began, while the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings lost it on Sunday.
Lithuanian power forward Domantas Sabonis was once again decisive with the key plays that allowed the Pacers to beat the Boston Celtics 108-107 and remain undefeated (3-0) since the season began.
Sabonis hit a layup with 8.4 seconds remaining in regulation time and hit the basket that secured the Pacers victory from rookie coach Nate Bjorkgren.
The Lithuanian ‘All-Star’ finished the game with a double-double of 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists that allowed him to reach 100 as a professional.
Guard Malcolm Brogdon scored 25 points, leaving him leading scorer for the Pacers, who are 3-0 perfect at the start of the season for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
Point guard Markelle Fultz and guard-forward Terrence Ross each scored 26 points and the Orlando Magic completed a comeback in the fourth quarter of the game that beat the Washington Wizards 113-120 on the road.
The victory, a third in a row, allows the Magic to go perfect 3-0 at the start of the season for the first time since 2009-10.
The center Andre Drummond showed all his power in the paint and with a double-double of 24 points, 14 rebounds and three steals, he became the winning leader of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who prevailed 118-94 against the Philadelphia Sixers, dueling undefeated teams in the Eastern Conference.
Point guard Collin Sexton added 22 points and guard Darius Garland added another 14 points and seven assists that ensured the victory of the Cavaliers (3-0) after having finished last season with a losing record of 19-46, the second worst of his story.
Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue was disappointed and frustrated by the way his team “threw out” the game against the Dallas Mavericks, who beat them 73-124.
The Mavericks took advantage and with the Slovenian point guard Luka Doncic, leader of their attack, who contributed 24 points, they set a new record in NBA history by taking a 50-point lead at halftime (27-77).
The Mavericks’ 50-point lead at halftime surpassed the previous mark of 47, achieved by the Golden State Warriors against the Sacramento Kings in November 1991.
The Mavericks had 58 (29-50) percent shooting from the field, 45% (9-20) from 3-pointers and 100% (10-10) from the personnel line.
Forward Gordon Hayward saw point guard Kyrie Irving leave the Boston Celtics for the Nets, something he didn’t like when he was his teammate on the same team.
Now both out of the Celtics, Hayward signed as a free agent with the Hornets, had his personal revenge by contributing 28 points, seven assists and six rebounds that helped his new team beat Irving’s Nets 106-104, who they lost the first game of the new season (2-1).
Forward Mikal Bridges scored 22 points and led the Phoenix Suns, who beat the Sacramento Kings 100-116 on the road.
Another favorite team for the title that ended up humiliated were the Bucks, who succumbed to the New York Knicks led by power forward Julius Randle (double-double of 26 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists) and lost 130-120 on the road. .
The victory was the first for the New York team under the direction of their new coach Tom Thibodeau and they did it by giving a basketball lesson to the Bucks, who still do not show any form of defense.
Randle was unstoppable in the interior game and beat Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who also had a double-double of 27 points and 13 rebounds.
The Los Angeles Lakers (2-1), with power forward Kyle Kuzma as the leading scorer with 20 points, trained against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who beat them 127-91 despite having the loss of center All -Star Anthony Davis (injured).
Power forward Brandon Ingram asserted his All-Star status and with a double-double of 28 points and 11 rebounds led the New Orleans Pelicans to a 98-95 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Guard Damion Lee and All-Star point guard Stephen Curry became the key players who scored the goals that allowed the Golden State Warriors to beat the Chicago Bulls 128-129 on the road to their first win. EFE
–
