The brilliant performance of two basketball wizards like the veteran Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks) and the emerging Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) was left without the prize of victory on the traditional Christmas Day in the NBA in two defeats against the New York Knicks (117-114) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (99-105).
One with seven games scoring more than 20 points on December 25, memorable performances all of them like the one he left this time at the American Airlines Center (Dallas) with 39 points. Another in his first appearance in the traditional Christmas date, at 20 years old, but signing 42 points and 18 rebounds, also with a loss.
Irving showed his magic this Wednesday against a Wolves team that managed a 28-point lead, 22 at the start of the last quarter, but ended up asking for time. The Mavericks’ comeback was without Luka Doncic, the local star injured at the end of the second quarter, without finishing in the last minute with 99-101.
Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle avoided another setback in the bad dynamic of the Minnesota team, now confident of changing that inertia with the rematch of last year’s Western Conference final. However, the debacle surrounded the Wolves with Irving who in the last quarter scored more than the entire rival team, without finishing with a definitive triple with the response followed by Edwards.
Meanwhile, in the duel that opened this day of December 25, the spotlight was on the ‘Wembanyama sensation’. The Frenchman, in his first game at Christmas, responded to the expectation with a legendary performance, his great debut at Madison Square Garden in New York with 42 points and 18 rebounds, his scoring record.
However, Karl-Anthony Towns woke up in the third quarter and Mikal Bridges came into his own to finish with 41 points, decisive in the final plays such as the offensive rebound for the Knicks, who added their fifth consecutive victory.
