James Harden was listening to it from one among his previous fanbases on Thursday (all instances AEDT) — with chants that have been in reference to one among his different former squads.
On free-throw makes an attempt early within the first quarter in opposition to the Nets at Barclays Middle, Harden, now a Clippers guard, heard chants of “Daryl Morey,” which was the president of basketball operations he seemingly butted heads with throughout his tenure in Philadelphia.
Harden, who made it identified on the outset of the offseason that he wished to be traded away from the 76ers, not too long ago claimed that he felt like he was “on a leash” with the staff.
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“Philly is simply altering my function, understanding I might give extra, understanding I might do extra, however if you wish to be sincere, like being on a leash,” Harden mentioned throughout his introductory Clippers press convention after lastly getting dealt out of Philly.
Harden then clarified precisely what he meant by the “leash.”
“I meant that I feel the sport and I’m a creator on the court docket… (I want) any person that trusts me, that believes in me, that understands me, that I’m not a system participant. I’m a system,” he mentioned.
This got here after a fraught summer season wherein Harden even referred to as Morey a “liar.”
“Daryl Morey is a liar and I’ll by no means be part of a company that he’s part of,” Harden mentioned in a video posted by The Athletic’s Shams Charania in August.
“Let me say that once more: Daryl Morey is a liar and I’ll by no means be part of a company that he’s part of.”
Harden finally bought his want and bought a commerce out of Philadelphia and is now with Los Angeles.
In simply his second recreation of the season, Harden seemed a bit rusty, making a second-quarter move from past the 3-point arc within the nook that arced excessive and out of doors of the court docket, touchdown on press row and by some means within the lap of YES Community play-by-play man Ian Eagle.
Eagle, the veteran, made the catch and name with aplomb, regardless of getting some tea spilled onto his lap.
“That’s coming my manner — I bought it. Unbelievable. I might see it from the start,” Eagle mentioned. “Which may have been my biggest name in NBA historical past. I knew it from the second it left his hand.”
Harden completed with 12 rebounds, eight rebounds and 5 assists within the Clippers’ second straight loss, this time 100-93, within the New York space after a Tuesday evening defeat by the hands of the Knicks.
-This story was initially revealed by Andrew Battifarano in The New York Put up and reproduced with permission
WEMBY, SPURS SMASHED IN NY
Victor Wembanyama bought a hostile introduction to the brilliant lights of New York.
The French prodigy and San Antonio Spurs struggled in a lopsided 126-105 loss to the Knicks at Madison Sq. Backyard on Thursday.
New York busted out of the gates with 33 factors within the first time period to say dominance on their youthful opponent.
The Knicks led by as a lot as 30 at one stage in the course of the third time period to all however seal the lead to an anti climax for Wembanyama’s highly-anticipated first recreation on the ‘Mecca of Basketball’.
New York followers at one stage went thus far to brutally chant ‘overrated’ to the No. 1 choose when he shot a pair of free throws.
Wembanyama completed with 14 factors, 9 rebounds and a block, whereas Jeremy Sochan’s 16 factors led the Spurs, who suffered their third-straight loss to fall to 3-5.
Julius Randle (23 factors, 16 boards), Jalen Brusnon (25 factors, six assists) and RJ Barrett (24 factors, six assists) all led the way in which for the Knicks.
The win noticed New York enhance to 4-4.
GIANNIS EJECTED FOR TAUNTING … BUT BUCKS RALLY BY PISTONS
Regardless of Giannis Antetokounmpo being ejected for apparently taunting, the Milwaukee Bucks rallied previous the Detroit Pistons 120-118 at residence behind 34 factors from Damian Lillard.
Lillard scored 18 of his 34 factors within the fourth quarter and shot 12-of-13 from the road to steer a Bucks staff that was additionally with out Khris Middleton to its third consecutive victory.
Antetokounmpo’s evening got here to an abrupt finish within the third quarter after he allegedly taunted Isaiaah Stewart after a dunking on the Pistons huge, with the Bucks celebrity receiving a second technical foul — and thus an computerized ejection.
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The Bucks celebrity tried to sit down courtside briefly earlier than heading to the locker room.
“It’s an emotional recreation. He made an outstanding play,” Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin mentioned after the sport, per the Related Press. “It was thrilling, emotional and I believed he moved on pretty shortly. So, I used to be stunned with the second technical, however that’s as much as the league to resolve.”
Detroit got here surging again into the competition after together with Stewart nailing consecutive threes late within the third adopted by a Marcus Sasser triple to present the guests the lead 88-87 with 2:13 left within the interval.
The Pistons pushed forward by as a lot as eight down the stretch of the third earlier than Cameron Payne’s three-pointer lowered Milwaukee’s deficit to 95-90 heading into the final change.
Detroit bought out to a nine-point benefit early within the fourth earlier than Lillard took over, constantly attending to the free throw line within the final time period to tempo the Bucks.
Lillard made consecutive buckets contained in the final two minutes and Brook Lopez buried a triple to present Milwaukee a 1179-115 lead with 40 seconds remaining that’d show to be the match-winning shot.
Cade Cunningham (33 factors, eight rebounds, eight assists) and Sasser (26 factors, six boards) have been Detroit’s greatest, whereas Bobby Portis scored 18 off the Milwaukee bench.
BROOKS, LEBRON RENEW RIVALRY
LeBron James and Dillon Brooks aren’t backing down from each other.
The 2 had an old-school showdown in the course of the first quarter of Thursday’s recreation between the Lakers and Rockets — a 128-94 Houston win — that harkened again to Nineties basketball.
James and Brooks have a historical past courting again to final season’s first-round playoff collection when Brooks was taking part in for the Grizzlies.
Throughout Thursday’s battle, James used his power to bully his method to the basket within the first quarter in opposition to some very tight protection by Brooks.
On the next possession, James tried to do it once more however had the ball stripped from him by Brooks, who emphatically celebrated the play.
In a video that was captured throughout pregame warmups, Brooks seemed to be staring down the Lakers aspect of the court docket, maybe at James, making an attempt to intimidate the opposition.
At one other level in the course of the recreation, a video confirmed Brooks and James standing toe-to-toe with each other and jawing forwards and backwards.
Brooks’ feud with James will be traced again to final season when the then-Grizzlies ahead referred to as the NBA celebrity “previous” and struck him within the groin throughout Recreation 3 of the first-round collection.
“I poke bears,” Brooks mentioned to reporters in April. “I don’t respect nobody till they arrive and provides me 40.”
And going into Thursday’s recreation, Brooks advised reporters he was “able to lock (James) up.”
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“He’s taking pictures the ball nicely. He’s been taking part in nicely. So I’m simply there to make him drained, make him get into that fourth quarter early,” Brooks mentioned.
James tried to maintain his head above water by way of feeding the rivalry forward of Wednesday evening.
The NBA celebrity mentioned going into the sport that Brooks deserved the contract that he acquired — 4 years and $80 million — from the Rockets after the Grizzlies didn’t re-sign him.
“Each participant that’s rewarded with a contract is rewarded for a motive, and so they’re worthy of the contract they get,” James advised reporters throughout Wednesday’s shootaround. “I feel in his case, he was worthy of the contract that he bought.
“He’s put within the work since he got here out of Oregon, and that’s what Houston discovered worth in him and he’s right here.”
James completed the evening with 18 factors whereas Brooks ended his evening with 5 factors and 4 rebounds in 25 minutes.
-This story was initially revealed by Christian Arnold in The New York Put up and reproduced with permission.
ELSEWHERE …
Nikola Jokic scored 35 factors because the Denver Nuggets defeated the Golden State Warriors 108-105 in a blockbuster showdown between the 2 NBA heavyweights.
A pulsating conflict that includes the final two NBA champions lived as much as the billing, with the Western Convention rivals going toe-to-toe in a recreation that noticed the lead change palms 9 instances.
After trailing for nearly the complete recreation at Denver’s Ball Area, the Warriors edged in entrance heading into the fourth quarter after outscoring Denver 31-23 within the third.
However Denver recovered from a five-point deficit early within the fourth to grab victory, clinching the win after Klay Thompson’s tried game-tying buzzer-beater drifted extensive.
The victory cemented Denver’s place on the high of the Western Convention, with the reigning NBA champions bettering to 8-1.
“We don’t have the stress of being a champion, we’re simply making an attempt to benefit from the second,” Jokic advised ESPN.
“I’m simply making an attempt to play the sport the fitting manner. And so long as we’re profitable I feel I’m doing a superb job,” added Jokic, who additionally had 13 rebounds and 5 assists.
Reggie Jackson backed Jokic with 20 factors whereas Michael Porter Jr. had 17. Steph Curry’s 23 factors led the scoring for the Warriors, the 2022 champions who fell to 6-3 after the loss.
Elsewhere, Joel Embiid posted 27 factors with 10 rebounds and 4 assists because the Philadelphia 76ers secured a sixth straight win of the season with a 106-103 defeat of the Boston Celtics.
Embiid acquired offensive help from Tyrese Maxey, who completed with 25 factors from 11-of-27 taking pictures, together with three from past the arc.
The victory leaves Philadelphia in first place within the Jap Convention on 6-1, with the Milwaukee Bucks second at 5-2.
Kristaps Porzingis led Boston’s scoring with 29 factors whereas Derrick White completed with 19 factors and Jayson Tatum 16.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse paid tribute to the contributions of Maxey and Embiid.
“We’ve bought an rising younger star in Tyrese, we’ve bought an unbelievable participant in Joel, and we’ve bought plenty of proficient athletes round them who give us some depth,” Nurse mentioned.
ALL RESULTS
CELTICS 103 76ERS 106
JAZZ 118 PACERS 134
WIZARDS 132 HORNETS 116
SPURS 105 KNICKS 126
CLIPPERS 93 NETS 100
CAVALIERS 120 THUNDER 128
PELICANS 101 TIMBERWOLVES 122
PISTONS 118 BUCKS 120
LAKERS 94 ROCKETS 128
SUNS 116 BULLS 115 (OT)
RAPTORS 127 MAVERICKS 116
HEAT 108 GRIZZLIES 102
WARRIORS 105 NUGGETS 108
BLAZERS 118 KINGS 121 (OT)
