While we await Nikola Vučević's debut in a Boston jersey (tonight at 1:30 a.m. against Miami), eight games were played in the NBA early this morning.
Washington's basketball team defeated Detroit 126:117, snapping the home team's three-game winning streak. The visitors led throughout the match, with their biggest plus of 22 (45:23) at the start of the second quarter. Will Riley led Washington with 20 points, six rebounds and five assists, Sharif Cooper added 18 points and five assists, while Tristan Vukčević scored 14 points, three rebounds and three assists, two blocks and one steal.
The most efficient player for the home team was Cade Cunningham with 30 points, along with eight rebounds and assists, Duncan Robinson scored 21 points, and Oscar Thompson added 13 points, along with nine rebounds and four steals.
Detroit remains in first place in the Eastern Conference with 37 wins and 13 losses, while Washington is in 13th position with 14 wins from 50 games.
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated Philadelphia 119:115 at home, and the match was marked by an injury to the home team's top scorer, Luka Dončić.
The Slovenian point guard left the court three minutes before the end of the first half due to pain in his left leg, and his team managed to turn around a minus eight (51:59) deficit and record their second consecutive victory.
Austin Reeves scored 35 points and six rebounds for the winning team, LeBron James had a double-double with 17 points and 10 assists, while Rui Hachimura (seven rebounds) and Jake Larrea each scored 14 points.
Dončić scored 10 points, four rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes on the court.
Philadelphia's best performance was led by Joel Embiid with 35 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, Tyrese Maxey recorded a double-double with 26 points and 13 assists, and VJ Edgecomb had 19 points and 10 steals. The Lakers are fifth in the Western Conference with 31 wins and 19 losses, while Philadelphia is sixth in the East with a score of 29/22.
San Antonio defeated Dallas 135:123 on the road, handing the home team its sixth straight loss.
The guests were led to victory in the Texas derby by Victor Wembanyama with 29 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocks, Harrison Barnes scored 19 points, and Stephon Castle scored one point less, with seven rebounds and six assists.
For Dallas, first-round pick Cooper Flagg scored 30 or more points for the fourth consecutive time. Flagg scored 32 points, joining Michael Jordan, Bernard King, Allen Iverson and Jaylen Green as the only rookies to score at least 30 points in four consecutive games since the NBA and ABA merged in the 1976/77 season.
Flagg also had six rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals in his team's loss. Naji Marshall also had 32 points and six rebounds, Max Christie added 20 points, four assists and three rebounds, while Daniel Gafford had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
After their third consecutive triumph, San Antonio is in second place in the West with a score of 35/16, and Dallas is 12th with 19 wins and 32 losses.
Toronto defeated Chicago 123:107 at home, handing the visitors their third consecutive loss. Orlando and Atlanta also recorded home victories.
Orlando beat Brooklyn 118:98, while Atlanta beat Utah 121:119 on a basket by Nikhil Alexander-Walker with 1,3 seconds left.
Charlotte defeated Houston 109:99 on the road, recording its eighth consecutive triumph, and Golden State defeated the team of the same name in Phoenix 101:97.
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