Josh Giddey’s brilliant campaign continues as Thunder upset 76ers despite Embiid’s feat: NBA Wrap

Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 factors, whereas Josh Giddey’s sensible second NBA season continued because the Thunder avenged a 19-point New Year’s Eve loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 76ers fell 133-114 to the Oklahoma City Thunder to lose floor to Cleveland within the battle for fourth place within the east.

Coming off a sixth profession triple-double in his final begin, Giddey completed with 20 factors – 11 got here within the fourth quarter – from seven-of-14 capturing, in addition to eight assists, 4 rebounds and a steal in 36 minutes.

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It was the sixth time in his previous 10 video games that Giddey had reached the 20-point mark. He’s now averaged 18.8 factors from his previous eight matches.

The Thunder’s win improved their report to 19-23, that means they’re now inside attain of a play-offs berth.

“It shows that we belong,” Giddey instructed reporters post-game.

“You see a lot of teams rest their better players against us, but we‘ve shown that we can compete with the best teams in the league when we’re switched on from the jump.”

For Philadelphia, Joel Embiid scored 30 factors – together with 10-from-10 on the free throw line – and pulled down 10 rebounds. It was his third straight recreation with 30 factors, 10 rebounds and a free throw share of 100.

As per ESPN, Embiid grew to become simply the second participant in NBA historical past – after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975 – to report 30 factors, 10 rebounds and a free throw share of 100 in three consecutive matches.

Despite the efforts from Embiid and 76ers teammate James Harden (24 factors and 15 assists), the Thunder related on 51.2 per cent of their photographs from the sphere, together with 14 three-pointers, to spring the shock.

LILLARD’S HALF-CENTURY NOT ENOUGH FOR PORTLAND

In Portland, Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell scored 26 factors because the Cavaliers withstood a 50-point efficiency from Damian Lillard in a 119-113 come-from-behind victory over the Trail Blazers.

Mitchell’s bounce shot with 4:40 to play put Cleveland up for the primary time within the recreation they usually held on for the victory.

Jarrett Allen added 24 factors and 10 rebounds for Cleveland and Ricky Rubio scored 9 factors in his first recreation in additional than a yr.

Rubio had been sidelined since struggling a torn left knee ligament in December of 2021.

“I think it gave us an extra boost,” Allen stated of Rubio’s return. “To finally see him back out here… it’s a joy for us all.”

The Cavs strengthened their maintain on fourth place within the Eastern Conference, shifting a recreation forward of the Philadelphia 76ers

NETS FALL IN FIRST GAME SINCE KD BLOW

The Boston Celtics clawed out a 109-98 victory over Brooklyn on Thursday, pulling away late to spice up their NBA-best report and widen the gap over the Nets atop the Eastern Conference.

Celtics star Jayson Tatum endured a tricky seven-for-22 capturing night time on the best way to twenty factors and 11 rebounds.

Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon added 16 factors apiece for the Celtics, who discovered shortly earlier than the competition that Jaylen Brown — coming off a 41-point efficiency in Boston’s win over New Orleans on Wednesday — can be sidelined with a proper adductor muscle pressure.

The Nets, in the meantime, have been taking part in their first recreation since famous person Kevin Durant limped out of a win over Miami with a sprained proper knee ligament, which is predicted to sideline him for a number of weeks.

Brooklyn, led by 24 factors from Kyrie Irving, coped admirably by way of the primary three quarters, main the back-and-forth battle by as many as 9 factors within the first half and by as many as 5 within the third quarter earlier than Boston pulled away.

The Celtics related on 10 of 25 photographs from the sphere within the fourth quarter and clamped down defensively, holding the Nets to 16 factors within the interval on six-of-19 capturing.

“We get out and run, it’s hard for people to stop it,” Smart stated. “We were able to get back in transition on the defensive end and set our defence.”

The Celtics gained their fifth straight recreation to enhance to 31-12 and stretched their lead over the Nets atop the East to a few video games.

Celtics coach Joe Mazulla stated earlier than the sport he didn’t know the way lengthy Brown can be out, however hoped it will be no more than a few weeks.

The Nets remained half a recreation forward of the Milwaukee Bucks, who fell to the Heat 102-108 in Miami.

BUCKS CLAIM BATTLE OF WALKING WOUNDED

In Miami, the Milwaukee Bucks fell to the Heat 102-108.

Gabe Vincent scored a career-high 28 factors, Bam Adebayo added 24 factors and 12 rebounds and Jimmy Butler chipped in 17 factors and 11 rebounds for the Heat in a conflict of injury-depleted groups.

The Bucks, whose a number of absentees included two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo, led by 15 within the second quarter, however the Heat had tied it up by halftime.

Miami opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run and didn’t path within the ultimate interval.

One night time after they set an NBA report by making all 40 of their free-throw makes an attempt, the Heat made 15 of their 16 makes an attempt from the foul line — operating their streak of free throws made to 55 earlier than Butler missed one with lower than 30 seconds remaining.

ELSEWHERE

— Pascal Siakam had 35 factors in Toronto‘s 124-114 win over Charlotte, who had 32 factors, seven assists from LaMelo Ball.

— Dallas star Luka Doncic posted a 35-point triple-double, twice forcing extra time with three-pointers because the Mavericks edged the Lakers 119-115 in a bruising NBA conflict in Los Angeles.

— with AFP

LATEST NBA SCORES

Oklahoma City Thunder 133 — Philadelphia 76ers 114

Boston Celtics 109 — Brooklyn Nets 98

Milwaukee Bucks 102 — Miami Heat 108

Charlotte Hornets 114 — Toronto Raptors 124

Dallas Mavericks 119 — Los Angeles Lakers 115

Cleveland Cavaliers 119 — Portland Trail Blazers 113