76ers Remain Perfect At Home, Top Raptors
The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Toronto Raptors, 114-99, at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday.
The 76ers (3-1) enjoyed a strong start and cruised their way to victory at home against the Raptors (2-4) in front of a near sellout, as 19,773 fans witnessed Philadelphia cruised its way to victory. The Sixers looked good right from the start and quickly set their terms in their first game following the James Harden trade, securing a 30-26 lead in the first quarter and never looking back. The 76ers went up by almost double digits at the end of the first half (58-49), but that didn’t stop them. Philadelphia also won the third (32-28) and fourth (24-22) quarters with ease, as Toronto simply didn’t have the answers to counter Philly on the defensive end of the court. With the win, The Sixers improved to 2-0 at home and have looked like an Eastern Conference contender in the early stages of the season. Meanwhile, the Raptors have fallen to 0-2 when playing on the road.
Joel Embiid led the way for the 76ers with a 28-point, 13-rebound double-double, but he also added seven assists and a block. Tobias Harris extended his solid start to the season with 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Kelly Oubre Jr. started for the first time and posted 23 points with five boards. Tyrese Maxey finished with 18 points and four dimes. Furkan Korkmaz added 10 points off the bench.
Scottie Barnes led the way for the Raptors with 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. OG Anunoby ended with 16 points and four rebounds. Pascal Siakam was rather poor with 10 points, six dimes and three boards across 33 minutes. Dennis Schroder had a double-double after racking up 13 points and 10 assists. Jakob Poeltl had nine points and nine boards while also dishing out two assists.
The 76ers (3-1) enjoyed a strong start and cruised their way to victory at home against the Raptors (2-4) in front of a near sellout, as 19,773 fans witnessed Philadelphia cruised its way to victory. The Sixers looked good right from the start and quickly set their terms in their first game following the James Harden trade, securing a 30-26 lead in the first quarter and never looking back. The 76ers went up by almost double digits at the end of the first half (58-49), but that didn’t stop them. Philadelphia also won the third (32-28) and fourth (24-22) quarters with ease, as Toronto simply didn’t have the answers to counter Philly on the defensive end of the court. With the win, The Sixers improved to 2-0 at home and have looked like an Eastern Conference contender in the early stages of the season. Meanwhile, the Raptors have fallen to 0-2 when playing on the road.
Joel Embiid led the way for the 76ers with a 28-point, 13-rebound double-double, but he also added seven assists and a block. Tobias Harris extended his solid start to the season with 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Kelly Oubre Jr. started for the first time and posted 23 points with five boards. Tyrese Maxey finished with 18 points and four dimes. Furkan Korkmaz added 10 points off the bench.
Scottie Barnes led the way for the Raptors with 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. OG Anunoby ended with 16 points and four rebounds. Pascal Siakam was rather poor with 10 points, six dimes and three boards across 33 minutes. Dennis Schroder had a double-double after racking up 13 points and 10 assists. Jakob Poeltl had nine points and nine boards while also dishing out two assists.
Pelicans Outlast Pistons, 125-116
The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Detroit Pistons, 125-116, at Smoothie King Center on Thursday night.
The Pelicans (4-1) were on the second night of a back-to-back set Thursday, but early on, it would have been difficult to tell. New Orleans racked up 72 first-half points to take a 23-point lead into halftime. However, the Pistons (2-4) showed some fight in the third quarter by lopping 12 points from their deficit and then got as close as within eight points late before succumbing. The hosts were outrebounded by a 48-36 margin but shot 48.8 percent, including 43.8 percent from three-point range.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with a 22-point, 11-assist double-double that included two rebounds and one steal. Marcus Sasser delivered 19 points, three assists, two rebounds and one steal. Ausar Thompson posted 16 points, seven boards, five assists and one block. Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey produced matching 12-point tallies while recording five and seven rebounds, respectively. Isaiah Stewart totaled 11 points. eight rebounds and two blocks, while Killian Ivey managed 10 points and nine assists.
CJ McCollum paced the Pelicans with 33 points, supplementing them with five assists and four rebounds. Jonas Valanciunas contributed a 23-point, 13-rebound double-double that included five assists and three blocks. Herbert Jones supplied 21 points, five rebounds, three assists, four blocks and three steals. Matt Ryan netted 20 points, two rebounds and two assists.
The Pistons return home to face the Phoenix Suns on Sunday afternoon, while the Pelicans remain home and host the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.
The Pelicans (4-1) were on the second night of a back-to-back set Thursday, but early on, it would have been difficult to tell. New Orleans racked up 72 first-half points to take a 23-point lead into halftime. However, the Pistons (2-4) showed some fight in the third quarter by lopping 12 points from their deficit and then got as close as within eight points late before succumbing. The hosts were outrebounded by a 48-36 margin but shot 48.8 percent, including 43.8 percent from three-point range.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with a 22-point, 11-assist double-double that included two rebounds and one steal. Marcus Sasser delivered 19 points, three assists, two rebounds and one steal. Ausar Thompson posted 16 points, seven boards, five assists and one block. Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey produced matching 12-point tallies while recording five and seven rebounds, respectively. Isaiah Stewart totaled 11 points. eight rebounds and two blocks, while Killian Ivey managed 10 points and nine assists.
CJ McCollum paced the Pelicans with 33 points, supplementing them with five assists and four rebounds. Jonas Valanciunas contributed a 23-point, 13-rebound double-double that included five assists and three blocks. Herbert Jones supplied 21 points, five rebounds, three assists, four blocks and three steals. Matt Ryan netted 20 points, two rebounds and two assists.
The Pistons return home to face the Phoenix Suns on Sunday afternoon, while the Pelicans remain home and host the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.
Magic Hold Off Jazz In Utah
By Dan Bruno
The Orlando Magic defeated the host Utah Jazz, 115-113, at Delta Center on Thursday evening.
The game got out to a high-scoring stat as the Jazz led, 34-30, after one quarter. The Magic turned up their play in the second and outscored the hosts by 12, to carry an eight-point lead into the break. The Jazz gathered themselves and brought a better effort in the third quarter but could only cut it to a four-point game heading into the final frame. The Magic kept a step ahead through most of the fourth, until the Jazz reclaimed a one-point edge with 20 seconds left. In response, Paolo Banchero came up with a clutch layup to put the Magic back in front, which was enough for them to close out their third win of the season.
Banchero led the way for the Magic with 30 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks, in 36 minutes. Franz Wagner followed up with 21 points, four rebounds, five assists and four steals, while Cole Anthony totaled 18 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals, off the bench. The Magic shot 46.4 percent from the field, including 10-for-28 from deep.
Meanwhile, Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 22 points, seven rebounds and two steals, in 33 minutes. Jordan Clarkson followed up with 21 points, six rebounds, six assists and a steal, while John Collins tallied 20 points, 10 rebounds and a block. The Jazz shot 46.1 percent from the field, including 12-for-33 from long range.
The Jazz (2-4) will look to bounce back as they take on the Timberwolves in Minnesota on Saturday. The Magic (3-2) play host to the Lakers on Saturday.
The game got out to a high-scoring stat as the Jazz led, 34-30, after one quarter. The Magic turned up their play in the second and outscored the hosts by 12, to carry an eight-point lead into the break. The Jazz gathered themselves and brought a better effort in the third quarter but could only cut it to a four-point game heading into the final frame. The Magic kept a step ahead through most of the fourth, until the Jazz reclaimed a one-point edge with 20 seconds left. In response, Paolo Banchero came up with a clutch layup to put the Magic back in front, which was enough for them to close out their third win of the season.
Banchero led the way for the Magic with 30 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks, in 36 minutes. Franz Wagner followed up with 21 points, four rebounds, five assists and four steals, while Cole Anthony totaled 18 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals, off the bench. The Magic shot 46.4 percent from the field, including 10-for-28 from deep.
Meanwhile, Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 22 points, seven rebounds and two steals, in 33 minutes. Jordan Clarkson followed up with 21 points, six rebounds, six assists and a steal, while John Collins tallied 20 points, 10 rebounds and a block. The Jazz shot 46.1 percent from the field, including 12-for-33 from long range.
The Jazz (2-4) will look to bounce back as they take on the Timberwolves in Minnesota on Saturday. The Magic (3-2) play host to the Lakers on Saturday.
Spurs Defeat Suns, 132-121
The San Antonio Spurs defeated the host Phoenix Suns, 132-121, at Footprint Center on Thursday.
San Antonio won this game in wire-to-wire fashion, thanks to a 39-20 first quarter. They actually led by 27 points in the first half, but Phoenix fought all the way back to tie the game with 4:21 remaining. The Suns could never get over the hump, though, with the Spurs finishing the game on a 16-5 run to complete their W2W win. San Antonio out-assisted Phoenix, 37-26, while outscoring them in the paint, 58-44. They also doubled up the Suns in fastbreak scoring, 18-9. Both teams shot over 52 percent from the field and over 48 percent from three-point range in this shootout.
The Spurs (3-2) were led by Victor Wembenyama, providing 38 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Zach Collins collected 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Devin Vassell amassed 17 points and two rebounds, while Jeremy Sochan had 14 points, five rebounds and nine assists. Keldon Johnson compiled seven points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals, while Tre Jones led the bench with 12 points, five rebounds and 10 assists.
The Suns (2-3) were led by Devin Booker, finishing with 31 points, nine rebounds and 13 assists. Kevin Durant totaled 28 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Grayson Allen accrued 16 points, two rebounds and four assists. Drew Eubanks and Keita Bates-Diop led the bench with 13 points apiece.
On deck for Phoenix is a road matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. As for San Antonio, they return to action on Sunday in a home matchup with the Toronto Raptors.
San Antonio won this game in wire-to-wire fashion, thanks to a 39-20 first quarter. They actually led by 27 points in the first half, but Phoenix fought all the way back to tie the game with 4:21 remaining. The Suns could never get over the hump, though, with the Spurs finishing the game on a 16-5 run to complete their W2W win. San Antonio out-assisted Phoenix, 37-26, while outscoring them in the paint, 58-44. They also doubled up the Suns in fastbreak scoring, 18-9. Both teams shot over 52 percent from the field and over 48 percent from three-point range in this shootout.
The Spurs (3-2) were led by Victor Wembenyama, providing 38 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Zach Collins collected 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Devin Vassell amassed 17 points and two rebounds, while Jeremy Sochan had 14 points, five rebounds and nine assists. Keldon Johnson compiled seven points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals, while Tre Jones led the bench with 12 points, five rebounds and 10 assists.
The Suns (2-3) were led by Devin Booker, finishing with 31 points, nine rebounds and 13 assists. Kevin Durant totaled 28 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Grayson Allen accrued 16 points, two rebounds and four assists. Drew Eubanks and Keita Bates-Diop led the bench with 13 points apiece.
On deck for Phoenix is a road matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. As for San Antonio, they return to action on Sunday in a home matchup with the Toronto Raptors.