The traditional “Christmas Day” day in the NBA left the suspense with suspense of the Houston Rockets and the Boston Celtics, while the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Jazz gave offensive power shows that also left them as winners.
The guard James Harden returned to be the undisputed leader of the attack of the Rockets by contributing 41 points in the game they won by 113-109 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Harden, who scored 5 of 16 triple attempts, also handed out seven assists and grabbed six rebounds in what was the Rockets’ second consecutive win (18-15), seventh in the last eight games and consolidating them as leaders the Southwest Division.
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the league, established new individual mark when arriving at seven consecutive parties in which it has written down 30 or more points, being the first player that obtains it since it obtained it his excompañero of the Thunder, the escort Russell Westbrook in November 2016.
Harden also became the first player to score 40 or more points in a Christmas Day game since forward Kevin Durant, who got 44 in 2010 when he was with the Thunder.
But it would be base Austin Rivers, signed, on Monday, as a free agent, who emerged as the winning surprise factor to get 10 points, including two consecutive triples that allowed the Rockets break the score in their favor in the middle of the fourth period.
Although the Thunder maintained the fight and remained involved in the game with 7.4 seconds remaining by the end of regulation time, Rivers from the line of personnel scored the second free throw that put the partial 113-109 that ensured the victory of the Rockets .
The forward Paul George with a double-double of 28 points and 14 rebounds was the leader of the Thunder, who also had the support of the base Russell Westbrook to stay at the gates of a triple-double with a contribution of 21 points, he captured nine balls under the hoops and distributed nine assists, in addition to recover four balls and lose another six.
Base Kyrie Irving got consecutive 3s in overtime and double-doubled 40 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who won 121-114 over the Philadelphia Sixers.
The Boston team improved its mark to 20-13 and remains third in the Atlantic Division, four games behind Toronto’s Raptors and one of the Sixers, who march sub-leaders.
Jayson Tatum made another double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds and power forward Marcus Morris scored 23 points.
The Sixers (22-13) had the lead in the attack of Cameroonian center Joel Embiid, who had a double-double of 34 points and 16 rebounds, without the end being able to avoid defeat.
It was not the best night of inspiration encestadora the Golden State Warriors who saw as in the traditional day of Christmas Day of the NBA fell humiliated in their field by 101-127 against the Lakers, in duel of leading teams of the Pacific Division.
Power forward Kyle Kuzma scored 19 points that allowed him to lead the balanced attack of the Lakers that had seven players with double-digit numbers, including star forward LeBron James who had to leave the game due to injury in the third period.
With their fifth win in the last 10 games, the Lakers put their numbers in the championship at 20-14 and take second place in the Pacific Division, just 2.5 games away from the Warriors, who are the leaders.
The Croatian center Ivica Zubac confirmed that every day is going to more in his game, now that he has left the starter provided double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds, including eight defensive, and put two plugs.
While James, who had to leave the field in the third quarter to suffer a pull in the groin of the left leg, contributed another double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds in 21 minutes that saw action.
The first X-ray exams showed that James does not have any structural damage to the left leg so in principle there is optimism that the injury is not more serious.
Reserve guard Andre Iguodala was the Warriors’ leading scorer with 23 points, his best of the season, evin Durant, who played with discomfort in the left ankle, got 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Greek power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo made his debut in a Christmas Day match with a show of power by providing a double-double of 30 points and 14 rebounds that allowed the Bucks to beat at home by 95-109 against the devalued Knicks. from New York.
Another tall man, the Cuban Cuban center, Brook Lopez, also excelled in the indoor game with 20 points in the first game the Bucks played on Christmas Day since 1977.
The victory allowed the Bucks to get a 23-10 mark, leaders of the Central Division and second in the Eastern Conference, second only to the Toronto Raptors.
The starting guard Donovan Mitchell had 19 points and led the balanced attack and winner of the Utah Jazz, who won comfortably 117-96 to the Portland Trail Blazers, in the match that ended the holiday.
