Mathieu Warnier, Media365, published on Friday December 27, 2024 at 8:20 a.m.
Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City was able to have the last word against Indiana. Bilal Coulibaly and Alexandre Sarr were present during Washington’s success against Charlotte when Toronto’s defense was not there against Memphis.
The Thunder played to scare themselves. On the way to a ninth victory in a row, the Oklahoma City players long believed that their positive streak would end on the floor of the Indiana Pacers. Indeed, during the first two quarters, the leader of the Western Conference had absolutely no say in the matter. Led by Andrew Nembhard (23 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists) and Pascal Siakam (22 points, 10 rebounds), the franchise based in Indianapolis took the lead from the first moments of the match. The gap between the two teams reached a maximum of fifteen lengths even before the end of the first twelve minutes. But it was with only eight points difference that the Pacers returned to their locker room at halftime. Re-mobilized at the break, the Thunder players returned to the field with a different state of mind. However, it was especially Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (45 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists) who changed gear. The OKC franchise was able to go ahead for a few moments in the third quarter but it was at the end of the match that the situation resolved. A 15-2 tilted the match in the direction of the Thunder, who won by six points (114-120) and continued to lead in the West in front of the Houston Rockets, defeaters of the New Orleans Pelicans (111- 128).
Sarr and Coulibaly at the party with the Wizards
The Wizards are finding some color. The Washington franchise took advantage of the reception of the Charlotte Hornets to sign its fifth victory of the season in 28 games played. However, what could have been a long, peaceful river did not come close to turning into a nightmare. If the first minutes were tight, the Wizards were able to take advantage of the good form of their French players to widen the gap. Bilal Coulibaly (20 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) and Alexandre Sarr (15 points) repaid the trust granted by their coach with a successful performance. Throughout the second quarter, the gap grew to reach 21 units just before returning to the locker room. However, the Hornets had not said their last word. LaMelo Ball (31 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists) and Miles Bridges (22 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists) participated in the comeback of the Charlotte franchise, which was able to take the lead at the start of the last twelve minutes. An advantage contested by the Wizards until the end and this attitude paid off. A three-point shot from Jordan Poole (25 points, 6 rebounds) and a final free throw from Justin Champagnie (8 points, 6 rebounds) offer victory to the red lantern of the Eastern Conference (113-110), thus inflicting a sixth defeat in a row to the Hornets.
Record Grizzlies vs. Raptors
The spectacle was there on the floor of the FedEx Forum in Memphis. In a one-sided match against the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies managed to break the record for points scored in a single game in the history of the franchise with 155 units. With no less than eight players above the ten-unit mark, including Jaren Jackson Jr (21 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists) and Zach Edey (21 points, 16 rebounds), the Memphis franchise came out on top wood and only experienced a drop in pace at the very end of the second quarter. However, this was not enough for the Raptors, led by RJ Barrett (21 points, 9 rebounds, 10 assists) and Scottie Barnes (26 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists) to take the lead. Unfazed after the break, the Grizzlies broke away to win by 29 lengths (155-126) and return to success after the setback conceded against the Clippers earlier this week. The Raptors, meanwhile, are now nine losses in a row. The Magic, for their part, conceded defeat in the Florida derby against the Miami Heat (88-89) and left the Knicks in third place in the Eastern Conference standings. A setback from which the Milwaukee Bucks did not benefit with their home defeat against the Brooklyn Nets (105-111) when the Atlanta Hawks took advantage of the reception of the Chicago Bulls to achieve a second consecutive victory (141-133). Portland against Utah (122-120) and Detroit against Sacramento (113-114) achieved short successes.
